Download Conscience: Judging in Freedom

Moral Decision-Making
 the stages of moral reasoning are:
1. Punishment or Obedience
 do something to avoid punishment
2. Personal Usefulness
 do something to get a reward
3. Good Boy/Nice Girl
 do something to please others
4. Law and Order
 do something because it’s the law
5. Social Contract
 do something according to the
consensus of the social body
6. Personal Conscience
 do something because of values such
as equality and justice
Conscience Types
 lax conscience: when a person does not employ a
process of conscientious decision
making, thereby not facing or thinking
about the morality of actions that he or
she performs
 erroneous conscience: when a person follows a
process of conscientious decision
making but unwittingly makes a wrong
decision
 informed (correct) conscience: a conscience that is
educated and developed through
constant use and examination
 sin: when people act contrary to their conscience and
purposely choose to do wrong and go
against the law of God
 mature Christian conscience: a conscience that
weighs decisions by considering the
dignity of others and the law of God
 less mature conscience: a conscience that does good
in order to avoid punishment
 good conscience: a conscience that is sincere; we try
to do what is right but we sometimes
make bad choices
 bad conscience: a conscience that is insincere; people
don’t care what is good and choose to
do wrong (violating one’s conscience)
Name: __________________
Stages of Moral Reasoning
For each stage of moral reasoning, write down an example from your own life or others.
MORAL REASONING STAGE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
EXAMPLE
Conscience Types
Give an example of a decision using each conscience type listed below.
CONSCIENCE TYPE
lax conscience
EXAMPLE
erroneous conscience
informed (correct)
conscience
mature conscience
less mature conscience
good conscience
bad conscience
Consider the Following …
Bob, Amy, Jack and Terry were out with some other friends celebrating at the
beginning of Christmas vacation. Someone in their group suggested how much fun it
would be to “trash” some of the Christmas decoration on the lawns in the neighborhood
around school. They decided not to join in. Why?
1. Jack was already in trouble with the school administration. He can’t afford
another bad report on his record.
2. Amy would be ashamed if her parents found out. She loves them and doesn’t
want to disappoint them.
3. Terry quickly dismissed this “fun prank” as being a basic violation of other
people’s rights.
4. Bob wanted to join in the fun, but since none of his group wanted to, he decided
to stick with them.
What kind of conscience did each person use?