Lesson 7 Flashcards
Synderesis
In Aquinas’ system, synderesis is the rational part of the mind – a natural disposition.
The basic principle of behaviour – that ‘good is to be done and evil avoided’.
Aquinas -NML
-Thomas Aquinas created what he called the synderesis rule:
-For this reason, “good should be pursued and evil should be avoided” is the principle that must govern all human reasoning.
-All human beings seek to do good and avoid evil as their natural orientation
Where does Aquinas believe conscience comes from?
Believes the conscience comes from God.
We can use reason and logic to help us understand what God intended for us.
Aquinas and conscience
-Aquinas argues that what is innate/ natural for humans is not the voice of God telling them what to do, but the God-given capability of reason.
-Practical reason (synoptic link: idea stolen from Aristotle) arrives at and understands the primary principles of Natural Moral Law. These principles are ordained by God.
-Conscience then applies these through secondary principles that what the individual is about to do (or has already done) is good or evil, right or wrong.
What did Aquinas call the conscience?
“The faculty of reason making moral decisions“ and described it as the natural ability to see the difference between good and bad.
He also, arguably naively, said that everyone aims to be good and to avoid evil.
2 weaknesses with Aquinas
- How do we define ‘good’? Is it really objective?
- Do all people really aim to be good?
-Aquinas said that we aim to do good by using ourreasoning- if we use our reasoning correctly, we will gradually come to know what is good.
-He then introduced the concept ofsynderesis. He defined synderesis as our constant repetition of the use of right reason.
Conscientia
Conscientia is the actual ethical judgement a person makes which leads to a particular course of action based upon these principles. This is the practical application of conscience.
2 reasons conscience could be wrong according to augustine
The conscience is fallible – it can be mistaken. There are two reasons why it can make a wrong decision:
1 – If the person doesn’t know the moral law that should be applied to the situation, the person is guilty of sin because they should have known it. It is a misuse of reason (‘apparent goods’). 2 – If the person hasn’t been informed about the facts of the case, then the person is not responsible for the wrong decision.
Conscience should always be followed
-What the conscience dictates is true to the person, and truth must be followed. Truth comes from God, so to go against what you think your conscience is telling you is to go against God.
-This might mean that sometimes conscience will be in error and lead to terrible misdeeds, but the individual must still follow it.
Does Aquinas say that we should always follow conscience
-Although we make mistakes from time to time, Aquinas still maintains that it is always right to follow your conscience.
-This is because the conscience is the best thing we’ve got when it comes to making moral decisions. It isn’t flawless, but it is far superior to anything else we could use, so we should always follow it, despite the small risk of something going a bit wrong.
-God-given, so Aquinas would argue you sort of have to follow it, otherwise God won’t be glorified.
Evaluation of Aquinas understanding of conscience
-Aquinas admits his view is not infallible. Conscience can go away from the correct path by following apparent goods rather than real goods;
-His emphasis on the use of reason is good, since reason allows us to make a freely chosen moral decision, which to many is the essence of being a moral being; allowing autonomy.
Further weaknesses
Aquinas seems to ignore the fact that large numbers of people act irrationally, not just because they are blinded by their own desires, but because their reasoning powers are limited.
He also thinks that we are all aware of the synderesis that “good is to be done and evil is to be avoided”, but if we look at the state of the world today, we might be tempted to say that many people follow the rule of self-interest.
Moral reasoning
-Aquinas emphasized the importance of reason in forming our conscience.
-He believed that humans should use their intellect to reflect on moral principles and apply them to their actions.
-This process involves considering factors like circumstances, intentions, and consequences.
-Aquinas thought that practical reason, through reflection on human nature, can determine primary moral principles (which he called the ‘Primary Precepts’).
-Our ‘conscience’ then derives secondary principles (‘Secondary Precepts’) which are applied.
Errors in conscience
-Aquinas acknowledged that our conscience could be mistaken or misinformed due to ignorance or personal biases.
-He argued that acting in accordance with a mistaken conscience is still morally acceptable as long as the individual has made a sincere effort to follow their moral judgment.
Development of conscience
-Aquinas believed that our conscience could be improved and refined through education and moral guidance.
-By learning from moral authorities and studying ethical teachings, individuals could better align their conscience with moral truth.
-Likewise, through practicing prudence - the virtue of right-reasoning in moral matters, balancing ours and others’ needs, we would further improve our ability to apply conscientia in moral situations.
