The Conscience

Question 0

Who said the conscience is the natural ability to understand right and wrong, and the use of reason to find out God’s good?

Answer 0

Aquinas

Question 1

What does biblical teaching say about the conscience?

Answer 1

It is god given and innate.

Question 2

What is synderesis?

Answer 2

‘Right’ reason. The acquiring of knowledge of basic moral principles. Seeking good and avoiding evil.

Question 3

What is conscientia?

Answer 3

The actual ethical judgement or decision.

Question 4

Who argued that the conscience judges right and wrong, and is authoritative and automatic?

Answer 4

Joseph Butler

Question 5

Butler also suggested that conscience is a ___-_____ guide that must be obeyed to have true ___________. It is natural to make _______ because people will always try to do _____.

Answer 5

1. god-given
2. happiness
3. mistakes
4. right

Question 6

Butler further said that it is wicked to ____ your conscience and convince yourself something is right. The conscience will always look out for the ________ of ______. The conscience will harmonise ___-love and _________.

Answer 6

1. blind
2. interests
3. others
4. self
5. benevolence

Question 7

Newman argued that the conscience is a messenger of God, and to follow it is to follow divine law. How did he bring in authority?

Answer 7

We feel responsible, ashamed or frightened, so there must be an authority - God.

Question 8

Who said that the conscience is a construct of the mind, and that all our moral constructs come from our experiences and cultures?

Answer 8

Sigmund Freud.

Question 9

Define the id, ego and superego.

Answer 9

The id: basic drives and repressed memories. Amoral and selfish. (pleasure principle)
The ego: the conscience self which tries to balance the id and superego. (reality principle)
The superego: a set of moral controls which come from outside influences. (the conscience)

Question 10

The superego _________ others’ disapproval, and so we feel _____.

Answer 10

1. internalises

2. guilt

Question 11

Who argued that the conscience develops as we grow.

Answer 11

Piaget and Kohlberg

Question 12

P&K said that we have heteronomous morality and autonomous morality. Define both.

Answer 12

Heteronomous morality: (5-10 years) the conscience is immature, focusing on rules and punishment, consequences tell us what is right/wrong.
Autonomous morality: (10+) we develop our own rules and understand them, becoming less dependent on moral authority.

Question 13

P&K suggest different levels of conscience.

1. behaving in socially ________ ways because we are told to and want ________.
2. wanting to keep the ___ and ___ for others.
3. respect for _________ principles and the demands of our _________ conscience.

Answer 13

a. acceptable
b. approval
c. law
d. care
e. universal
f. individual

Question 14

P&K said that moral development occurs through…. ?

And some people do not… ?

Answer 14

1. social interaction

2. mature fully (most adults do not move beyond simply keeping to the law)

Question 15

Fromm suggested the Authoritarian Conscience. Explain. (E.g. rules, guilt, sub)

Answer 15

Authority figures apply rules and give punishments, which we internalise.
Guilt is the result of displeasing authority.
This makes us submissive.
(E.g. Nazi Germany)

Question 16

Fromm then changed his argument and proposed the Humanistic Conscience, which is about evaluating our behaviour. Explain. (E.g. judge, self, potential)

Answer 16

We judge how successful we are as people.

It is our real self and helps us reach our potential.

Question 17

Fromm’s Humanistic Conscience says we use our ________ and _________, as well as the ______ of others.

Answer 17

1. discoveries
2. experiences
3. example

Question 18

Who argued that the conscience is not a voice because this suggests we have a special skill or need a piece of equipment?
What else did they say? (E.g. path, desire, pov)

Answer 18

Vincent Macnamara.
The conscience is an awareness that there is a moral path. People desire truth and goodness. It is about who we are and how we see the world.

Question 19

Richard Gula proposes that conscience is not an internal law, but about vision and _____. It is the ability to act within a ________ community through ________ understanding.

Answer 19

1. choice

2/3. Christian

Question 20

Who says that conscience is a balance between rationalism and divine command theory? It is our interpretation of the voice of God.

Answer 20

Vernon Ruland