Download conscience - Mr. Bull - A-Level and GCSE Religious Studies

CONSCIENCE
A2 Religious Studies - ALM Bull
Content
Aquinas
Butler
Newman
Freud
Piaget
Summary
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Thomas Aquinas 1
• Aquinas ( 1227-1274) argued that people
have the God-given the ability to reason
(an idea inspired by Aristotle) and that
reason will lead to knowledge of
synderesis (an awareness of the five
primary precepts presented in Aquinas’
Natural Law argument). For Aquinas,
conscience is the “dictate of reason.”
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Thomas Aquinas 2
SYNDERESIS
Synderesis is a God-given innate
awareness of good and bad that
cannot be mistaken. We should follow
synderesis rule – avoid evil and follow
good.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Thomas Aquinas 3
CONSCIENTIA (CONSCIENCE)
• Our conscience or “conscientia” is acting
out the information given by synderesis or
a process of judgement which acts upon
synderesis:
“The application of knowledge to activity”
• It is an evil action not to follow our
conscience. Even if our conscience is
wrong, it is our best guide – “conscience is
blinding.”
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Thomas Aquinas 4
PRUDENCE
• Prudence is a virtue that must be
acquired which helps us to balance our
own needs with those of others. For
Aquinas it is the most important virtue,
and allows us to reason out the
knowledge of synderesis.
1. SYNDERESIS
2. PRUDENCE
3. CONSCIENCE
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Thomas Aquinas 5
• Conscience may be mistaken if we haven’t
acquired enough of the virtue of prudence as
this will lead to a breakdown in communication
between synderesis and conscientia.
• The following analogy can be used to explain
the relationship between synderesis, prudence
and conscience:
• i
Safe of moral knowledge = Synderesis
• i
Key to the safe of moral knowledge =
Prudence
• i
Hands of practical application = Conscience
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Thomas Aquinas 6
ERRING CONSCIENCE
• You are said to have an erring conscience
if you are unsure and mistaken about the
moral course of action. In such a case you
may pursue an apparent good rather than
a real good, which does not lead to human
flourishing.
• According to Aquinas, an erring
conscience is only blame worthy when it is
derived from vincible ignorance.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Thomas Aquinas 7
Two types of ignorance:
• INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE – Non-culpable
ignorance, factors that are beyond your control
• VINCIBLE IGNORANCE – Culpable
ignorance, factors within the realms of your
duty to be knowledgeable of
• For Aquinas, Conscience should be applied
before an action. It can however be
backwoods looking when we get feelings of
‘reatus’ (guilt) or satisfaction.
• Aquinas argued that we should educate our
consciences in order to bring ourselves in line
with the church.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
PAUSE
Make a mind map on Aquinas and conscience
Aquinas / Conscience
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Joseph Butler 1
• Joseph Butler (1692-1752) was the
Bishop of Durham, an Anglican and
theologian
• For Butler there are two basic principles
of human influence:
1. Self love
2. Benevolence
• Conscience is the balancing force of
these two influences. It directs us
towards the interests of others and away
from ourselves
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Joseph Butler 2
CONSCIENCE
•
•
Like Aquinas, Butler argued that we have been
made in the image of God with the ability to
reason. Conscience is based on moral reason a component of the conscious mind. It is
innately God-given, but not the voice of God,
but the capacity to act as a moral judge, the
final arbiter or the one employed to judge
inherent in our being.
Our conscience has outright authority in ethical
judgements and does not require any
introspection. It gives instant, intuitive
judgements and is not considered to have the
capacity to beA2mistaken.
Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Joseph Butler 3
NATURAL GUIDE
• Conscience is a guide to moral
behaviour put there by God and
must be obeyed. If it instructs you to
act in a certain way this is adequate
justification to act in this way:
• Conscience is “our natural guide, the
guide assigned us by the Author of
our nature
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Joseph Butler 4
•
HUMAN NATURE
Butler maintained that you cannot distinguish
between conscience and human nature, since
conscience is a part of human nature. You are
not acting in a human way if you are not acting
according to conscience. In order to be moral
one must ‘know thyself.’ If we all knew
ourselves conscience would govern the world:
“Had it strength as it had right; had it power, as it
has manifest authority, it would absolutely
govern the world.”
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
PAUSE
Make a mind map on Butler and conscience
Butler / Conscience
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
“I shall drink to the
pope if you please –
still, to conscience
first and to the pope
afterwards”
[A speech by Newman that caused much controversy in the Catholic Church]
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
John Henry Newman 2
TRANSITION TO CATHOLICISM
• Newman’s concept of conscience
caused him to reject Protestantism
and embrace Catholicism. Newman
was concerned about the true
authority of the Protestant clergy
since it was not a direct result of
apostolic succession.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
John Henry Newman 3
CONSCIENCE
• Conscience is…
• “… a principle planted within us, before we
have had any training, although training and
experience are necessary for its strength,
growth and due formation.”
1. There must be a planter for conscience to be
planted, conscience is God-given
2. Conscience is innate
3. Conscience does need help, support and
guidance
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
John Henry Newman 4
COUNTERFEIT CONSCIENCE
• Newman argued that many of us are
guilty of having a fake conscience –
one which has been shaped by
society. For Newman, ‘Conscience’
as a concept has been
misunderstood and is used to defend
personal choice and any type of
personal behaviour.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
John Henry Newman 5
TRUE CONSCIENCE
• This is what Newman calls a “stern
monitor” (a strict observation) that has
nothing to do with our own desires and
will. In Newman’s words:
“Conscience is the aboriginal vicar of
Christ.”
• For Newman therefore, Conscience is the
literal voice of God.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
PAUSE
Make a mind map on Newman and conscience
Newman /
Conscience
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Sigmund Freud 1
SOCIAL CONDITIONING
Freud (1856-1939) was a psychologist who believed
that conscience is a result of the conditioning of a
growing being. He argued that the human psyche or
mind is split into three parts:
ID – basic instincts and primitive desires e.g. hunger,
lust etc.
EGO – perceptions of the external that makes us
aware of the ‘reality principle,’ one’s most outward part
and personality
SUPER-EGO – the unconscious mind which consists
of:
•
•
•
•
–
–
The Ego-ideal which praises good actions
The conscience which makes you feel guilty for bad actions
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Sigmund Freud 2
• For Freud, conscience cannot be
the voice of God because of the
differing opinions on ethical issues;
it is the super-ego of the mind, a
‘moral policeman’ developed during
child hood (the third stage known as
the phallic stage between 3 and 6
years old).
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Sigmund Freud 3
•
Freud reasoned that everyone aims to please
and be rewarded by authoritative figures, and
this is the reason for the social creation of the
conscience. He argued that in order for the
psyche to be healthy there must be a balance
between with the ego and the super-ego. He
said that religious belief was an “adolescent
stage in the development of the human race
from which humanity should free itself.” For
Freud, the Christian conscience is bad for a
person’s mental health because of the rules
and taboos it imposes.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Sigmund Freud 4
•
Freud’s concept of the conscience is
thus psycho-analytical; a component of
the unconscious mind. Since Freud,
other psychologists have developed an
understanding of the ego as a mature
and healthy conscience reflecting on the
best way to behave. The super-ego
however is an immature and pathological
conscience reflecting on guilt learned at
a pre-rational age from a demanding
parent.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
PAUSE
Make a mind map on Freud and conscience
Freud / Conscience
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Jean Piaget 1
• Piaget (1896-1980) was a
psychologist who focused his work
on cognitive development in
children. Whilst watching children
playing marbles he observed the
development of skill and reasoned
that morals are a result of cognitive
development, which can also be
observed through game play.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Jean Piaget 2
Piaget observed children playing games in
three stages:
1. Playing on their own
2. Playing with others with a sense of
absolution and a need for justice to see that
punishment is done
3. A more co-operative stage of discussion and
compromise
For Piaget, morality is progressive and
developmental.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Jean Piaget 3
•
He presented children with two different
dilemmas.
–
–
–
The first involved a door with 15 cups placed on a
chair behind it. A boy named John opens the door
not knowing about the cups and they all fall to the
floor and smash.
A second boy named Henry went into the kitchen
cupboard knowing it was wrong and spilt some jam.
Piaget observed that children below 10 thought that
John was naughtier than Henry, hence he reasoned
that children under 10 generally only look at the
consequences of their actions. After the age of 10
intentions are taken into account.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Jean Piaget 4
This is evidence of the cognitive
developmental process through
which a moral sense is acquired.
For Piaget, by the age of 10 a
child should have acquired a full
moral sense with a fully
developed conscience.
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
PAUSE
Make a mind map on Piaget and conscience
Piaget / Conscience
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull
Summary
NATURE / ROLE OF CONSCIENCE
ACQUIRED OR
DISCOVERED
To act upon an innate knowledge of
morality
Discovered, Godgiven
Joseph Butler
The ability to act as a moral judge in
an ethical dilemma
Discovered, Godgiven
Newman
A stern monitor of one’s behaviour,
the literal voice of God
Discovered, Godgiven
Freud
A moral policeman developed from
guilt learnt at a pre-rational stage
Acquired,
developmental
Piaget
The result of cognitive development
before the age of ten
Acquired,
developmental
SCHOLAR
Thomas
Aquinas
A2 Religious Studies – ALM Bull