conscience test Flashcards
Give 2 or 3 examples of moral decisions Sophie made in the film.
Her decision to distribute leaflets, face interrogation, and accept responsibility for her actions were all moral decisions in the film.
Explain Sophie’s understanding of conscience.
She sees her conscience as a guiding force that compels her to act against injustice, no matter what the personal consequences are.
Which levels of moral development (Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development) does Sophie operate from throughout the course of the four days (from the time she is arrested to her execution)? Do we see her change? Explain.
She demonstrates stages 5 and 6 of moral development. She does not change throughout the film, remaining calm and committed to her values.
Compare and contrast Sophie’s moral development (based on Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) with Inspector Mohr and the trial judge. Make sure you explain your reasons for identifying their moral stages as you did.
Sophie operates from stages 5 and 6, following a moral code based on sacrificing her life for human rights. Inspector Mohr operates from stage 4, focusing on the importance of following rules and laws. The trial judge operates from stage 3, only following the general Nazi ideals at the time, with no respect for morality.
Which virtues does Sophie demonstrate? Explain your choices.
She demonstrates justice for advocating against Hitler, fortitude for having the courage to go against popular beliefs, and hope for believing that there is a better future for everyone.
How does Sophie’s faith sustain her during her last four days?
Sophie keeps her faith during her final days by staying hopeful and true to her moral beliefs.
What are the take-away messages you have from viewing this film? Are the messages applicable to today? Why or why not?
The messages to take away from this film include to always make the moral decision instead of following society’s expectations. This is still applicable today because it can happen in any situation.
Compare and contrast the choices of the young men in the Penn State (and other hazing incidents) with the choices of Sophie and Hans Scholl.
Both situations dealt with the ideas of morality and conformity. In the film, they decided to go against popular belief and do what was right. However, in the Penn State hazing situation, each member of the fraternity was influenced by peer pressure and did not do the right thing by helping the dying man. The same thing happened with taking responsibility for their actions in each situation.
Martyr
A witness ready to suffer and even die for truth and virtue; martyrdom is the ultimate act of fortitude.
wisdom
the ability to exercise good judgment. It is grounded in common sense and comes from life experience, thoughtful reflection, and learning life’s lessons
understanding
the gift of intelligence and enlightenment. It is the ability to perceive, comprehend, and interpret information; to have insight and discern meaning
counsel
good advice. It is the ability to teach and inform, guide and direct, warn and admonish, recommend and encourage
fortitude
an unwavering commitment to God or a proper course of action, and it shows itself is moral strength, courage, determination, patient endurance, long suffering, a resolute spirit, stamina, and resiliency
knowledge
the ability to study and learn; to acquire, retain, and master a wide spectrum of information; and to put it to good use for constructive purposes
fear of the Lord
awe, reverence, and respect for God. It downplays human self-sufficiency and acknowledges that everything comes from God. Consequently, those who “Fear the Lord” gladly offer their praise, worship, and adoration to God alone
piety
the only gift not part of Isaiah’s original list. Piety is personal holiness, the ability to live a decent life, free of sin, devoted to God, and obedient to God’s will
positive peer pressure
something in your best interest
negative peer pressure
something not in your best interest
Hazing
the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating, tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation.
Conscience
“The awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one’s conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong.”
What conscience is
Conscience is awareness of God’s call to be.
Conscience is awareness of God’s call to know and do the good, that is, to love.
Conscience is a practical judgment of the intellect.
What conscience is not
Conscience as majority opinion.
Surrenders personal responsibility to the group
Conscience as a feeling.
Individuals are the creators of their own moral rules and answerable only to themselves.
Conscience as a superego. (Freud)
We feel guilty because of psychological preconditioning related to feelings of moral approval or disapproval.
We carry the “shoulds” and “have-tos” from the authority figures in our lives.
We followed these rules because we wanted approval (love) from these figures, not because we personally understood the value of the rules.
Conscience as gut-instinct.
“This feels right.” But, we also need to apply our intellect and judgment. “Does this choice reflect love of self, others, and God?”
This type of conscience is more of a reaction than a proactive response.
Conscience as “Jiminy Cricket.”
An internal voice, a separate person who lives inside of us, dictating to us what we should do.
Conscience as myth.
Some deny the existence of conscience – “fake concept” created by religions to control people through guilt.
Do your own thing; little regard for the rights of others.
character
Who we really are and who we are becoming through our choices and actions
- Briefly state what happened at the fraternity.
On Feb. 2, 2017, at Penn State University, sophomore Timothy Piazza was introduced into the Beta Theta Pi fraternity through a hazing ritual involving heavy drinking. Piazza consumed a significant amount of alcohol and could barely stand. He fell down multiple flights of stairs and hit his head numerous times. The other members of the fraternity noticed and tried to pour liquid on his face to revive him. Nobody called 911 until later in the following morning. He died due to damage to the spleen and brain stem.
- What was the “gauntlet?”
The purpose of the gauntlet was to “get pledges drunk in a very short amount of time.”
- Was there any indication that the frat brothers thought Piazza was in distress? Explain.
Yes, Piazza could barely move and was almost dead.
- Was any kind of aid given to Piazza during the night? If so, what? If not, why not?
Barely any aid was given to him. He was watched by a few members of the fraternity throughout the night to assure he did not roll over.
- Who do you think bears the responsibility of Timothy Piazza’s death? Why?
Everyone who ignored him is responsible for his death because they purposely did not take care of him or seek medical attention.
- With which crimes were the frat brothers charged?
They were charged with hazing, furnishing alcohol to minors, reckless endangerment, tampering with evidence, involuntary manslaughter, and aggravated assault.
- Do you think they should have been criminally charged? Why or why not?
Yes, they should have been criminally charged because they killed him. They purposely did not help him even though they saw him struggle.
- What is the fraternity’s motto?
Their motto is “Men of Principle.”
- Do you think they lived up to their motto in this instance? Why or why not?
They did not live up to this motto because they let a man die and did not do the right thing.
- List three or four of the individuals in this story. Which capital sins (or vices) would you associate with each individual? Explain.
Brendan Young, Qobi Quainoo, and Frederick Steimling all exhibited similar actions that night. They were all gluttonous in their consumption of alcohol, so much so that a man died from it. They also sinned because of their slothful tendencies, being too lazy to do anything about the almost dead man.
- Which Gifts of the Spirit, Theological Virtues, and/or Cardinal Virtues could have been helpful in this situation? Explain.
They should have had the wisdom to do the right thing and have the knowledge and understanding for the situation. They also should have had the fortitude to overcome the opinions of their peers and call for help.
- Was peer pressure involved in this situation? How so?
Yes peer pressure influenced the hazing and the situation of not calling 911.
- Would you describe hazing as moral, immoral, or amoral? Explain.
Hazing is immoral because it involves a person compromising their beliefs to do something wrong.
What is meant by a “theological virtue?”
Three important virtues bestowed on us at Baptism that relate us to God
List the three theological virtues and give a brief definition for each.
Faith: our belief in and personal knowledge of God
Hope: trust in God’s salvation
Charity: love of God and neighbor as oneself
What is meant by “cardinal virtue?”
The four hinge virtues that support moral living
List the cardinal virtues and give a brief definition for each.
Prudence: right reason in action, concerning the best way to live morally
Justice: giving God and each person his or her due by right
Fortitude: courage to persist in living a Christian life
Temperance: moderation in controlling our desires for physical pleasures
What is a capital sin?
Moral vices that give rise to many other failures to love
pride
an unlimited appreciation for one’s worth, arrogance, excessive opinion of oneself
greed (avarice)
immoderate desire for earthly goods, love of money or possessions rather than loving God and others
envy
sorrow over another’s good fortune, covetousness, jealousy over one’s possessions or characteristics
anger (wrath)
intemperate desire for revenge; hostile and wrathful feelings toward others
lust
inordinate desire for (sexual) pleasure
gluttony
unrestrained, immoderate consumption of food or drink
sloth
laziness in keeping the faith or practicing virtue, neglecting to do one’s duties out of lethargy
What is the Virtue Theory?
If we can just focus on being good people, the right actions will follow, effortlessly.
How does Aristotle define virtue?
Virtue is a set of robust character traits that, once developed, will lead predictably to good behavior. It is a kind of practical wisdom.
He said that doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, in the right amount, toward the right people.
How does Aristotle define vices?
Vices are virtues as the midpoint of two extremes.
What is the Golden Mean?
This is the midpoint between the extreme of excess and deficiency.
What is the Golden Mean for courage?
The extreme is recklessness and the deficiency is cowardice.
What is the right action in any situation?
The right action is the midpoint between extremes.
How is character developed?
habituation
How do we know what is the right thing to do?
By finding someone we already know and emulating them.
How do we know when a virtue is fully realized?
When it becomes effortless and manifests itself into your character
What is “eudaimonia?”
Pushing yourself to limits and finding success
Are we ever finished developing and improving? Why?
No, we always have more to improve on and more goals to set and accomplish.
