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Chapter Three - Conscience: The Self in Search of the Good This chapter explores Catholic ethical and moral theory from the perspective of philosophical anthropology. There are six aspects of the human person that are important for ethics: 1-The Importance of Others (…our ‘brother’s keepers’…) It’s critical that we find a healthy balance between the love of oneself and the love of others. We are relational beings; we need one another to be whole. Caring for others allows us to realize this truth. (make sure you have a definition for Narcissism in your notes…) 2-The Importance of Having a Direction in Life My identity lies first in a commitment to certain values. (moral stance) It then, naturally reveals itself in the direction I take in life. This direction now has greater meaning and focus for me, as it has been built upon the foundation of my values. It’s critical that I ‘stand’ for something and that I know where I stand. 3-The Importance of Communication and Language We can discover whom we are through discussions with certain ‘partners’ who know us, who have wisdom, or with whom we have many things and experiences in common. A common language empowers us symbolically, through words, to share ourselves in meaningful ways, so that others will understand us. “We need wide vision, high symbols and the right words to turn the seeming poverty of our ordinary lives into the stuff of faith and poetry.” (Rolheiser, 2004) 4-The Importance of Character and one’s Body In many ways, it is through the physical body that we are able to express our human qualities and traits. Character is developed from repeated demonstrations of these qualities. Moral and ethical decisions and actions work in the same way, making a demonstration of ‘who’ we are through our behaviours. By acting in predictable ways, we build a reputation for ourselves. 5-The importance of Conscience Conscience is a voice that calls us “to love and to do what is good and avoid evil.” (p.52) It is the Law written in human hearts by God. It is the sanctuary, or safe place where we may be alone with God, hearing His voice. (CCC 1776-78) We should not confuse our conscience with the Superego. Our conscience does not lay feelings of guilt upon us. When we do good things because we feel we ‘have to’ or ‘should’, that is the Superego talking. When we do good things because we ‘want to’ and feel a need to do them out of love, it’s our conscience. Which one would Kant believe in, as the guiding force of goodness, the ‘Superego or the conscience? Three Senses of Conscience (refer to The Incredibles diagram below) We can experience or think of our conscience in three ways: - as the ability to recognize right from wrong (a general awareness – it’s what makes us human) - as an active process of moral reasoning (learning the facts and what moral values are – informing ourselves from various reliable sources) - as a judgment (making a final decision and committing to do what’s right) 6-The development of one’s Conscience Your conscience develops… • as you mature; • as you follow the values and virtues of a Christian life; • as you discover your faults and weaknesses, recognizing your need for help, from others and God; • as you participate in the Eucharist and in prayer; • as you grow in humility. Conscience can be malformed through immoral acts, faulty reasoning, faulty value structures and misinformation received from others. A wellformed conscience is well informed. Symptoms of a Misinformed Conscience • Rationalization – “It’s okay to do this because…” • Trivialization – “It’s no big deal…” • Misinformation – “Somebody told me it was okay…” • The end justifies the means – “I had no choice, …or else…” • Means to an end – “It’ll be better in the long run…” • Difficult to reason – “I should have thought about it first, maybe there was a better way…” CHAPTER III – CONSCIENCE: THE SELF IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD The importance of having direction in my life The importance of others The importance of communication and language The importance of character and one’s body ME The importance of conscience The importance of the development of one’s conscience THREE SENSES OF CONSCIENCE – Timothy O’Connell Conscience as a capacity to recognize the right and the wrong. We have the capabilities to decipher the good from the bad. The fact that we argue about what is right and wrong tells us so. Conscience as a process of moral reasoning. 1. You must search out the right thing to do 2. S.T.O.P. sign method of moral decision making Conscience as a judgment You must act on what your conscience tells you to do. After believing in your decision, you must act upon it in order to be true to yourself. If you don’t, you’re losing your individualism and will begin to rely on others more and more to make your decisions for you. THE DEVELOPMENT OF ONE’S CONSCIENCE Family Friends Faith School Traditions Others Experiences YOU