Ethics: Conscience - Augustine + Aquinas Flashcards
Theological methods to understanding conscience
What is the conscience according to St Augustine?
The voice of God. When we think we hear our conscience we are listening to the word of God speaking to us about what is right and wrong.
it is intuitive
Informs us of Perfect Truth
What quote does Augustine give about the conscience?
“return to your conscience, question it.”
Strengths of Augustine’s view:
- People have religious experiences in which they hear God’s voice
- Bible is a source of authority for Christians. The word of God suggests he speaks directly to people e.g. In bible as with prophets
- God is all loving so can inform people of the most loving action to take. He is also all powerful so has the power to do this
Weaknesses of Augustine’s view:
- God can command immoral actions e.g. Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, a loving God would never do this.
- Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire ripper, claimed God told him to kill - a loving God would not use power to do this
- Hearing God is subjective - wish fulfilment? Not everyone (atheists) believe it is God talking to them
- Leibniz - God can give different messages at different times, therefore the conscience cannot be trusted (told Israelites ‘do not kill’ yet told Joshua in old testament to kill Ammorites)
What is Ratio?
Reason, It distinguishes us from other animals.
Enables us to make final judgements.
Higher level of intelligence
What is Syneidesis?
To do good and avoid evil
Aquinas is optimistic - believes humans innately seek good.
What is Conscientia?
“Reason making right decisions” - Summa Theologica. Conscientia is using ratio to apply the Syneidesis rule.
Using knowledge gained from ratio and syneidesis to act in the ‘good’ way
Conforms to NML and precepts
Explain vincible and invincible ignorance.
Vincible: lack of knowledge which you are accountable for, i.e. researched more etc.
Invincible: Lack of knowledge not responsible for. Reason is used, yet conscience still wrongly informed. Not morally culpable for consequence
What quote from Aquinas explains importance of educating conscience?
“Conscience must be informed and moral judgement enlightened”
Catechism of Catholic church
How does the conscience work for Aquinas?
Conscience follows from the application of our knowledge of the natural moral law to our moral actions, in three ways:
1. Witness – by knowing whether we have done or not done something.
2. Bind & incite – “through the conscience we judge that something should be done or not done”
3. Accuse, torment & rebuke – “by conscience we judge that something done is well done or ill done”
How does the conscience cause guilt?
Conscience is our ability to know whether we have done something, whether we should have done it, and whether it was done well. If we have done something wrong, our conscience will accuse, torment and rebuke us – causing feelings of guilt.
How is conscience binding?
This is because if you choose to act against your conscience, then you are choosing to do something you believe to be evil. Conscience is thus always ‘binding’.
Explain real and apparent Goods.
We might reason that something is in accord with our nature’s goal and is thus good, when really is not. Such actions are called apparent goods because they only appear good to someone engaged in faulty reasoning. They are not real goods. Despite this potential for our conscience judging something bad to be good, Aquinas still insists we must follow it
Strengths of Aquinas:
- recognises conscience is an intellectual process
- humans are finite and make mistakes because they are not perfect like God.
- Cannot blame others for our mistakes - must develop virtues and use ratio
- Takes into account telos and CHN
How does Aquinas overcome weaknesses of Augustine?
Following individual conscience is more important than following God. Overcomes issues of those who follow God’s voice and still do morally bad acts.
One should be fully informed and follow own mind.
