Religion and conscience To understand the religious interpretations of conscience lesson 6

RELIGION AND CONSCIENCE  Conscience plays a part in many bible stories. There are accounts of how sinful acts left the sinner with a profound sense of sin in the heart. (2 Samuel 24:10)  Conscience does not always point in the right direction. Bible literature discusses the existence of both good and evil inclinations.  St Paul in the new testament mentions conscience many times.  He describes it as an awareness of what is good and bad and observes that it can be weak and mistaken. (Corinthians 8:10-12)  St Jerome (c ) saw conscience as the ability to distinguish between good and bad.  St Augustine considered conscience to be a tool for observing the law of God within human hears. “men see the moral rules written in the book of light which is called truth.”  Conscience is the “voice of God” speaking to us and if we follow it we become closer to God. lesson 6

RELIGION AND CONSCIENCE  Aquinas  Conscience is a system by which we make moral decisions. It is a faculty that we use which deters people from evil.  This is called the “Synderesis rule” this faculty has been given to us by God to help us decide what to do.  We sometimes make a mistake about what we are supposed to do. People do wrong if they pursue an apparent good and not a real good.  “If a mistaken reason bids a man to sleep with another mans wife to do this evil will be based on ignorance of law he should know. If he thinks the woman is his wife then his will is free from fault.” lesson 6

RELIGION AND CONSCIENCE  Butler say conscience as the final decision maker  “There is a principle of reflection in men by which they distinguish between approval and disapproval of their own actions...this principle in man...is conscience.”  Butler believed Humans were influenced by two basic principles. Self-love and benevolence. (love of others)  Conscience directs us towards loving others and away from ourselves.  Like Aquinas Butler held that conscience could both determine and judge the rightness/wrongness of an action.  But conscience comes into play in situations without any introspection and has the ultimate authority in ethical judgements.  “Had it strength as it has right; had it power as it had manifest authority, it would absolutely govern the world.”  Conscience according to Butler is ALWAYS RIGHT and you should always follow it.  It was given to you by God and MUST be obeyed unquestionably. lesson 6

RELIGION AND CONSCIENCE  Because of this the catholic Church tends to follow the lead of Aquinas giving weight to conscience but allowing the possibility of error.  Conscience is a deep sense of right and wrong from God and can never motivate you to do something morally wrong.  Conscience directs a person to error through ignorance and it should therefore be informed with the correct education. lesson 6

Conscience as a moral guide To understand the arguments for and against conscience as a FREE moral guide lesson 6

CONSCIENCE AS A MORAL GUIDE  St Paul believed that conscience was within the “centre of the soul”.  “They can demonstrate the effects of the law engraved on their hearts to which their own conscience bears witness.” (Romans 2:15)  John Henry Newman took a more intuitionist approach to conscience. Newman believed that to follow conscience is to follow a divine law as it is a messenger from God.  “I toast the pope but I toast conscience first.” famous quote.  Catholic teaching on conscience is that obedience to conscience sustains human dignity and human beings are judged for it.  Today Catholics are encouraged to inform their consciences before acting on them. The Vatican council has said:  “All are bound to follow their conscience in every sphere of activity so that they may come from God, who is their last end. Therefore, the individual must not be forced to act against conscience nor be prevented from acting in according to conscience, especially in religious matters.” lesson 6

CONCLUSION ON CONSCIENCE  Conscience is a moral guide which enables people to make moral decisions.  It is thought to be divine law.  Conscience can be wrong if it is informed with ignorance.  You choose to follow it. This makes your action free and you responsible if you choose in error or have misinformed your conscience. lesson 6

BUT DOES IT COME FROM GOD?  Freud believed at its most fundamental the human psyche was inspired by powerful instinctive desires that had to be satisfied.  However, children learn quickly that the world restricts the degree to which these desires re satisfied.  Humans create an ego which takes account of the realities of the world and society.  A superego internalizes and reflects anger and disapproval of others. A guilt conscience is created which grows into a life and power of its own irrespective of rational thought and reflection of the individual.  This conscience is pre-rational.  Conscience then becomes a force to curtail our behaviour and limit our freedom. lesson 6

BUT DOES IT COME FROM GOD?  Freud’s theory has been expanded by recent psychologists who suggest mature and immature conscience.  The mature conscience can be identified with the egos reflections about achieving integrity.  It can be characterised as something that is concerned with what is right and wrong.  The mature conscience is dynamic, responsive and focused on the future.  The immature conscience (super-ego) can be identified with the mass of feelings of guilt that have been put there at an early pre-rational state.  It may inspire selfish actions  These consciences may conflict. The mature conscience is the expression of an individual search for self-fulfilment. lesson 6

CONCLUSIONS Conscience is the product of our environment. Our actions are limited by our conscience. Our actions are therefore limited. This argument could even be extended to complete determinism. OUR ACTIONS ARE NOT FREE. lesson 6

CONSCIENCE Conclusions on conscience show how people have used it to justify Free will. Our experience of our conscience is us experiencing our causal past. However acting on that conscience is the free act we take. However you define conscience it can be understood as the physical part of our mind – the determined part of the brain which we choose to act on. lesson 6

HOMEWORK - ESSAY What is conscience? Explain libertarian and deterministic use/views. Explain 30 marks lesson 6