The Conscience As A Source Of Moral Authority Flashcards
What is the conscience and what do Catholics believe about it
- The knowledge we have of what is right and wrong given by God.
- the conscience is often described as the “voice of God” and the impulse to do good and avoid evil. Therefore if there is a natural law that applies to all humans, then the conscience is how they can discover this natural law.
-St Aquinas said “ “He who acts against his conscience, always sins” he argues that everyone can use their reasons and conscience in a difficult situation to work out what the right thing to do is.
-There are many modern day dilemmas that Jesus may have not specifically mentioned so the conscience can help Christians relate God’s teachings to specific situations
How might the belief in the conscience influence a Catholic’s life?
Catholic Christians will try to use their conscience when making a moral decision as it can give a personal response to the particular situation they find themselves in.
Why might the belief in the conscience as a source of moral authority be weak?
-People may misinterpret their own desires or impulses as the voice of conscience, leading them to rationalize unethical behavior.
-Criminals, for example, may blame their actions to their conscience and claim God told them to do what they did as a way to justify their wrongdoing, when in reality their behavior may be driven by selfish motives or psychological factors
What are virtues?
Moral habits humans need to practice in order to become good people
What do Catholics believe about virtues?
-Catholics believe that living a good life and following their conscience is something that requires practice
-Doing the right thing is not always easy and if our moral character is weak, then it is even more difficult to do what is right.
-This why people need to practice being courageous and generous for example, to become more virtuous so they can make better decisions in the long run.
What does St Aquinas say about virtues?
“Happiness is secured through virtues”
How does the Catholic belief in virtues influence their lives?
They will try and develop their virtues throughout their lives by giving to charity for example
What do Jews believe about the conscience?
-they believe we are born with 2 inclinations: “yetzer ha tov” (good) and “yetzer ha ra” and that the conscience fights between these 2
-therefore it’s better to follow the Torah
