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Conscience
Religious Approaches
• Biblical teachings.
• Christian theology.
Biblical Ideas
• And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life; and man became a living soul. – Genesis 2:7
• When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do
instinctively what the law requires, these, though
not having the law, are a law to themselves. They
show that what the law requires is written on their
hearts. – Romans 2:14-15a
Biblical Ideas
• There is no Hebrew word for conscience, but the
Greek word ‘synderessi’ (meaning right reason)
appears in the Book of Wisdom in the Old
Testament.
• St Paul mentions conscience many times,
describing it as an awareness of what is good and
bad.
Biblical Ideas
• Implications:
– The conscience is God-given.
– Morality is objective.
– All people have the same access to
morality.
– By following one’s conscience one is
following the divine law.
Early Christian thinkers
St Jerome (147-240)
believed conscience to be an
innate faculty which reveals
God’s moral law as this is
inscribed in men’s souls. He
described it as ‘…the spark
of conscience….with which we
discern that we sin’.
Early Christian thinkers
St Augustine (354-430)
developed this idea and
argued that knowledge of the
moral law is not sufficient
for virtue. The will should
also be turned towards good.
God’s love draws the soul
towards Him.
Augustine (354-430)
Voice of God
‘Return to your conscience, question it.
…Turn inward, brethren, and in everything
you do, see God as your witness.’
Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274)
Reason seeking understanding
• The conscience is the natural ability of
people to understand the difference
between right and wrong using reason.
• The conscience is ‘The mind of man making
moral judgments.’
Thomas Aquinas
Synderesis (right reason)
•Knowledge and understanding of moral
principles and values.
Conscientia (right action)
•The actual ethical judgements / decisions a
person makes.
Thomas Aquinas
• People innately aim for what is good and try
to avoid the bad.
• Sin is falling short of God’s ideals – poor use
of reason.
Thomas Aquinas
 Distinguishes right from wrong
 Helps to make decisions when confronted with
moral dilemmas.
• It is right to follow your conscience because it is
right to follow moral principles.
– Immoral actions occur because of poor reason.
• Our conscience is sometimes wrong, but we must
still follow it as it is our best guide.
Thomas Aquinas
Strengths
Weaknesses
• Explains the origin of
the conscience.
• If it is God-given, why is
it fallible?
• Explains evil – our
conscience can
sometimes be wrong,
so explains why there
are bad people in the
world
• Everyone does not have
the same ability to
reason; is it just to hold
all of them responsible
for their actions and
accuse them of poor use
of reason?
Homework
• ‘Free Will and Determinism are compatible.’
• DUE: Friday 27th January.
Key question
Are the Biblical and Patristic views of
conscience compatible and coherent?
Joseph Butler (1692 – 1752)
• Anglican priest and theologian.
• Ordained 1718.
• Offered the post of Archbishop of
Canterbury in 1747 but refused it.
• Became Bishop of Durham in 1750.
• Key work: ‘Of the Nature of Virtue’
established him as one of the
foremost British writers on ethics
and moral philosophy.
Joseph Butler
Conscience from God
• ‘There is a principle reflection in men by which they distinguish
between approval and disapproval of their own actions … this
principle in man … is conscience.’
• This distinguishes us from animals – we are in touch with
God’s Will.
• Conscience is “our natural guide, the guide assigned to us by
the Author of our nature.”
Joseph Butler
Authority
• The conscience ‘magisterially exerts itself’ spontaneously
‘without being consulted’ automatically and with authority.
• ‘Had it strength, as it has right; had it power as it has
manifest authority: it would absolutely govern the world.’
• This innate gift from God must be followed, it is the
ultimate authority, and it is never wrong.
Joseph Butler
Hierarchy of Human Nature
• Conscience
• Principles of reflection
– Approve or disapprove of
our actions
• Impulse of Self-Love and
Benevolence
– selfishness and
selflessness
• Drives
– No thought of
consequences.
Joseph Butler
Some Questions
• Is conscience reason or emotion?
– It doesn’t matter, it’s God-Given and so must be
observed!
• If conscience identifies God’s Will, why do some
people commit evil?
– Evil comes from blinding one’s conscience.
– God wills it?
Joseph Butler
The purpose of conscience
• To guide us to a happy life.
– Eudaimonia!
• Harmonise self-love and benevolence.
– Love thy neighbour!
Joseph Butler
Strengths
Weaknesses
• Cannot be mistaken as
it is God-given,
therefore we must
listen to it.
• Does not explain how
we know what our
conscience is and how
we listen to it.
• Very clear and
straightforward.
• Does not explain why
people do evil if we
have an infallible
conscience which is
God-given.
John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
• Originally an Anglican priest and
Oxford academic.
• Left the Church of England in
1845 and was received into the
Roman Catholic Church where he
became a Cardinal.
•
Key work: ‘Grammar of Assent’
published in 1870.
John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
The Voice of God
• When a person follows
conscience he is
simultaneously and
mysteriously following
a divine law.
- Letter to the Duke of
Norfolk (1874)
John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
The Voice of God
• When a person follows
conscience he is
simultaneously and
mysteriously following
a divine law.
- Letter to the Duke of
Norfolk (1874)
John Henry Newman
Conscience and Intuition
• Conscience is a ‘messenger’ of God speaking to us. It
is an innate and direct order from God.
• When we make moral decisions or feel intuition,
that is God’s voice.
• At its best conscience detects truth.
• It is always right.
John Henry Newman
• ‘If, as is the case, we feel responsibility,
are ashamed, are frightened, at
transgressing the voice of conscience,
this implies there is One to whom we are
responsible, before whom we are
ashamed, whose claims upon us we fear.’
- The Grammar of Assent (chapter 5)
John Henry Newman
Strengths
Weaknesses
• Simple and easy – the
conscience is always
right so you cannot
make the wrong
decision by following it.
• Some people may use
this to their advantage
and say their conscience
‘told them’ to do
something immoral.
• It overrides all other
influences (or should!)
so there is no issue of
knowing what to follow.
• Does not explain how we
know what our
conscience is, or how to
use our intuition.
HW ESSAY ON CONSCIENCE
Critically assess the claim that
conscience is the voice of reason.
Deadline: Friday 23rd January.