CONSCIENCE

Question 1

What 3 topics does Aquinas Discuss ?

Answer 1

• RATIO
• SYNDERESIS
• IGNORANCE

Question 2

What is Aquinas’ view of Conscience in relation to RATIO ?

Answer 2

• To UNDERSTAND CONSCIENCE you NEED to UNDERSTAND RATIO (reason)
• HUMANS have SPECIAL QUALITIES, LEARN to DO SOPHISTICATED THINGS – RATIO DISTINGUISHES HUMANS from OTHER ANIMALS – ONLY HUMANS can DELIBERATE overall MORAL MATTERS – RATIO is a FUNDAMENTAL PART of the created human being – DIVINE GIFT from GOD
• CONNECTS US To the ETERNAL REALM, to The DIVINE
• MORALITY ISN’T doing what’s CULTURALLY ACCEPTED by many - with RATIO there’s MOVEMENT to SOMETHING HIGH, BEYOND what’s SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE to a higher morality

Question 3

What is Aquinas’ view of Conscience in relation to SYNDERESIS?

Answer 3

• WITHIN US there’s SOMETHING that DIRECTS US TOWARDS GOOD and AWAY from EVIL
• there’s a SENSUALITY within Each of Us , TEMPTS US towards EVIL, OPERATING IN the GARDEN of Eden where Eve and Adam were tempted
• SYNDERESIS is a HABIT where we can USE RATIO to CULTIVATE ( BUILD IT / ACQUIRE ) the HABIT of SYNDERESIS

Question 4

What is Aquinas’ view of Conscience in relation to IGNORANCE ?

Answer 4

• CONSCIENCE is BINDING - Going AGAINST REASON is ALWAYS WRONG - humans should DO what THEY THINK is RIGHT which can be discovered through reason
• ACKNOWLEDGES HUMAN being can MAKE MISTAKES as RATIO INVOLVES KNOWLEDGE which can be INCOMPLETE , we CAN do the WRONG THING EVEN if we THOUGHT it was RIGHT - doesn’t mean we’re blameless

Question 5

What are the 2 Types of IGNORANCE AQUINAS comes up with - explained

Answer 5

• VINCIBLE IGNORANCE - Wrong Decision, ARE to BLAME as you DIDN’T Go FAR ENOUGH in Gathering APPROPRIATE EVIDENCE, e.g. headteacher
• INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE - Wrong Decision when there’s a LACK of KNOWLEDGE are NOT to BLAME - ACTED to BEST of Our KNOWLEDGE , done all we can e.g. mother cake

Question 6

What is a CRITICISM of AQUINAS’S View on Conscience

Answer 6

• WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH - IF GOD has GIVEN US ALL the FACULTY of REASON , Then HOW can some PEOPLE USE IT to JUSTIFY such DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR?
  Why don’t we all reason what’s good in the same way

Question 7

FREUD - What are the 3 DIFFERENT LEVELS of The Mind that OPERATE HUMAN PERSONALITY?

Answer 7

• The ID
• The EGO
• The SUPER EGO

Question 8

Explain FREUD’S idea of the ID

Answer 8

• an Entirely UNCONSCIOUS ASPECT of PERSONALITY that’s PRESENT from BIRTH, the MOST CENTRAL COMPONENT Of Personality - powerful, DRIVEN By the PLEASURE PRINCIPLE , SEEKS IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION
• If striving for IG FAILS to SATISFY all Wants, then ANXIETY and TENSION RESULT
• it’s NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE to SATISFY all of the ID’s DESIRES

Question 9

Explain FREUD’S idea of the EGO?

Answer 9

• NOT SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE to SEEK IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION for ALL our DESIRES
• part that REACTS to the World as well as MEDIATING BETWEEN the EGO and SUPEREGO
• DRIVEN by the REALITY PRINCIPLE , is a RATIONAL Part, the Ego Reconciles the Id
• it’s DELAYED GRATIFICATION - it MANAGES the TENSIONS CAUSED when the ID’S DESIRES AREN’T IMMEDIATELY SATISFIED

Question 10

Explain FREUD’S idea of the SUPER EGO

Answer 10

• Part Most Closely with FEELINGS of GUILT that CONSCIENCE BRINGS - GUILTY CONSCIENCE is the INTERNALISATION of ANGER and DISAPPROVAL of OTHERS
• the RESPIRATORY of INTERNALISED MORAL STANDARDS of RIGHT and WRONG that children acquire from family & society
• the GREATER the SUPER EGO - DOMINATES Over the EGO, the GREATER the Extent to which a PERSON AVOIDS ACTIONS that RESULT in Them BREAKING the RULES -> can LEAD To a PERSON ACTING to PLEASE EXTERNAL AUTHORITY RATHER than FINDING WAY to MANAGE DESIRES in the LEAST SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE

Question 11

What is a STRENGTH of FREUD’S View on Conscience ?

Answer 11

• His explanation is BASED on PSYCHOLOGY RATHER than THEOLOGY. In engaging in empirical research - he PROVIDED a MORE SCIENTIFIC VIEW Than theological views like Aquinas

Question 12

What is a WEAKNESS of FREUD’S View on Conscience ?

Answer 12

• ALTHOUGH Freud’s Work is seen as EMPIRICAL , the RESEARCH it’s Based on is LIMITED - his analysis was based on a SMALL SAMPLE of PATIENTS with Psychological Problems - DIFFICULT to GENERALISE them to the Whole Population

Question 13

What are the 2 ways FROMM considered Conscience as

Answer 13

• AUTHORITARIAN Conscience
• HUMANITARIAN Conscience

Question 14

Explain FROMM’s AUTHORITARIAN CONSCIENCE ?

Answer 14

• Derived from a FEAR of DISPLEASING AUTHORITY, led to guilt , Causing a GREATER SUBMISSION to AUTHORITY
• Has Authority as it Came From an Authority
• Involves us FEARING AUTHORITY enough to SUBMIT to its DEMANDS ,Fear of Displeasing Authority - FEAR PUNISHMENT when disobedient

Question 15

Explain FROMM’s HUMANITARIAN CONSCIENCE ?

Answer 15

• we all have ABILITY to JUDGE and EVALUATE Our BEHAVIOUR and ourselves as people , MAKING our OWN AUTHORITY FIGURES –> Aim for SELF ACTUALISATION
• the EVOLVED CONSCIENCE , DEVELOPED as we Get Older - Evaluating and Moderating our behaviour ACCORDING to EXAMPLES of OTHERS

Question 16

What is a STRENGTH of FROMM’s view on CONSCIENCE

Answer 16

argues FREUD is PARTIALLY CORRECT about Conscience - DOESN’T EXPLAIN the ACTS of THOSE that CHALLENGE AUTHORITY
FROMM DOES THIS in his HUMANITARIAN CONSCIENCE

Question 17

NEWMAN

Answer 17

THE TOAST CONSCIENCE QUOTE