Conscience

Question 1

Which people consider conscience as innate?

Answer 1

The Bible, Augustine, Aquinas, Newman.

Question 2

Which people consider conscience as learned?

Answer 2

Freud, Piaget, Fromm.

Question 3

What did Augustine think that conscience was?

Answer 3

Conscience is the voice of God speaking to us.

Question 4

Who influenced Augustine’s position?

Answer 4

Plato, and his Form of the Good - from God’s goodness and love outflows our conscience, speaking to the individual in solitary moments.

Question 5

How is conscience a tool for Augustine?

Answer 5

A tool to observe the law of God within human hearts.
It also can take us closer to God.

Question 6

Why might some doubt Augustine’s conception of conscience?

Answer 6

It might go against the teaching of the Church, if it really is the literal voice of God within.
It is not possible to verify whether it is God’s voice or self-delusion.
What if the conscience of one person leads them to do precisely the opposite of someone else?

Question 7

Who was Joseph Butler?

Answer 7

18th century Bishop of Durham

Question 8

How did Butler consider conscience?

Answer 8

Conscience is innate, God-given and gives us instant intuitive judgements on what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, it has to be obeyed.

Question 9

Which two tendencies drives Butler’s conception of conscience?

Answer 9

Self-love: enlightened self-interest, rather than selfishness
Benevolence: wishing the well-being of others

Question 10

What is the relation of conscience to self-love and benevolence?

Answer 10

Conscience is above the two tendencies and judges between them. This is a process of reflection so that these two tendencies are balanced and so the person will make the right decision and be happy.

Question 11

Did Butler define conscience?

Answer 11

He did not; rather, he said it was intuitive and the final say in any ethical decision.

Question 12

What can happen to conscience for Butler?

Answer 12

People can ‘blind’ their conscience, deceiving themselves that a wrong action is right.

Question 13

How might Butler’s perspective be criticised?

Answer 13

But can we really know that our conscience is a command of God?
If conscience comes from God, there should be no inconsistencies and so there should be absolute morals throughout the world.

Question 14

How did Newman consider conscience?

Answer 14

He saw it as intuitive. It is the personal sense of responsibility that humans have to God. But fundamentally it is the voice of God informing our decision making.

Question 15

Who implants conscience for Newman?

Answer 15

Implanted by God, although the parents and society place the content of the conscience upon the individual.

Question 16

How does the conscience point to the existence of God?

Answer 16

Conscience is God’s messenger.

Question 17

What is the difference between Butler and Newman?

Answer 17

Both Butler and Newman believe that conscience comes from God, but only Newman believes that it is the voice of God.

Question 18

When can conscience supersede the Pope for Newman?

Answer 18

Only after reflection, which may show that what we thought our conscience was telling us was wrong.

Question 19

What criticisms might be raised against Newman’s perspective on conscience?

Answer 19

How can we be sure? Surely even religious people have doubts over the right thing to do.
We expect everyone to have similar ideas about what is right or wrong (Newman would say that this is because we have not reflected enough or not been taught correctly the moral teachings of the Church: our conscience needs educating).