CONSCIENCE
The Subjective Norm of Morality
a practical judgment
of human reason
WHAT IS concerning the
CONSCIENCE? moral goodness or
evil of an action.
Through conscience man perceives &
recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law.
An act of the human intellect. Therefore subject
to the shortcomings of our intellect.
Through conscience, persons become aware of
themselves as subject relating to other subject.
It is the inner voice
summoning us to
love the good and
avoid evil, by
applying objective
moral norms to our
particular acts, and
thus commanding:
do this, do not do
that.
BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING
PAULINE CONCEPTION
or NOTION OF
CONSCIENCE
Paul refers to his
conscience as “good”
“clear”, “blameless, his
values and standards in
conformity with God’s
standards; conscience a
faculty to evaluate good
and evil.
(Phil 3)
BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING
PAULINE CONCEPTION
NOTION OF CONSCIENCE
• God’s law in the heart (Rom
2:14-15)
• Witness to Truth (Rom 9:1)
• Guide to conduct (2 Cor 1:12)
• Servant to individual’s value
system (Rom 14, 1 Cor 8)
• A universal endowment of
human beings (Rom 2:14-ff)
SOME PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS
Bonaventure
CONSCIENCE is a rational faculty of the human
person which guides human actions. It is also
connected to the will and the emotion
SYNDERESIS - is found in the affective part of
the person for it stimulates us to do good.
(human person desire to do good - spark of
conscience)
TWO PARTS OF CONSCIENCE
An innate and unerring part - all person have the
capacity to know the universal truth even the
person is corrupt.
An innate yet can err part - misapplication due to
ignorance and imperfect faculty of reasoning
PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS
Thomas Aquinas
CONSCIENTIA - Application of
KNOWLEDGE to activity
SYNDERESIS - the natural
disposition of the human mind by
which we apprehend without
inquiry the basic principles of
behavior. (KNOWLEDGE of first
principle)
PRUDENCE - the practical virtue
which is involved in the application
of these principles to particular
circumstances
MOMENTS
ANTECEDENT
(Discernment)
CONCOMITANT
(Simultaneous)
CONSEQUENT
(Assessment)
Conscience is the faculty which
manifest moral obligation in a concrete
situation.
The SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL
declares that in the depths of our
conscience, we detect a law which we
do not impose upon ourselves, but
which holds us to obedience.
MORAL CONSCIENCE
LEVELS OF CONSCIENCE
INSTINCTIVE LEVEL
Dominated by fear of punishment &
desire for approval or reward.
(Natural level - normal for children)
MORAL / PHILOSOPHICAL
Operates on the ethical level, that is,
not just on what is commanded by
some “authority” but now from
awareness of the inner good or evil
of an act.
LEVELS OF CONSCIENCE
CHRISTIAN LEVEL
Our Christian Faith illumines,
clarifies & deepens what we
perceive as truly worthy of being a
person. It places moral striving as a
personal call to wholeness &
holiness.
We become conscious of the
healing & liberating grace present
in our very moral struggle &
striving, as we are called to greater
& fuller conversion into the
persons that God has created us to
become.
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
the degree of voluntariness:
FREE - characterized by one’s
personal choice to do one
ought to do
UNFREE - slave to external
dictates of conformity and
sinfulness
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
objective moral norm:
TRUE CONSCIENCE when it
deduces correctly from the
principle that the act is lawful,
or it conforms to what is
objectively right. (Correct)
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
objective moral norm:
ERRONEOUS CONSCIENCE
when it decides from false
principles considered as true
that something is unlawful.
Conscience errs because of
false principles or incorrect
reasoning. (FALSE)
(Vincible and Invincible)
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
the degree of certainty:
CERTAIN CONSCIENCE
the person has no doubt about
the correctness of his/her
judgment. A conscience can be
certain but at the same time
erroneous. A conscience is
NOT necessarily RIGHT; it
excludes all fears of error about
ACTING RIGHTLY
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
the degree of certainty:
DOUBTFUL CONSCIENCE
It fails to pass a moral
judgment in the character of
the act due to a fear or error; if
the person is unsure about the
correctness of his/her
judgment.
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
moral attitude
SCRUPULOUS CONSCIENCE
one that for little or no reason
judges an act to be morally evil
when it is not, exaggerates the
gravity of sin, or sees sin where
it does not exist.
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
moral attitude
PERFLEXED CONSCIENCE
judges wrongly that sin is
committed both in the
performance or omission of an
act. One fears that sin is
committed whether it was
actually done or not.
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
moral attitude
LAX CONSCIENCE
judges on insufficient ground
that there is no sin in the fact,
or that sin is not as grave as it
is in fact, or it is insensitive to a
moral obligation in a particular
area.
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
moral attitude
PHARISAICAL CONSCIENCE
minimizes grave sins but
maximizes small ones.
CATEGORIES
OF
CONSCIENCE
Conscience with reference to
moral attitude
CALLOUS CONSCIENCE
feeling no emotion; feeling no
sympathy.
FORMATION OF
CONSCIENCE
Certain principles that form or govern conscience:
A person is obliged to form a right with an unerring conscience.
Everyone is obliged to follow his/her conscience.
An individual is not permitted to follow erroneous conscience.
Only the CERTAIN and TRUE Conscience is the correct guide to
moral behavior.
If a person with a perplexed conscience finds it impossible to
ask for answers , he/ she should choose the lesser evil. He/she
should follow the reflex principle.
FORMATION OF
CONSCIENCE
REFLEX PRINCIPLES
These are general rules that help reach a
solution based on what is most common and
probable, which can be safely presumed to be
the truth. Thus, all reflex principles can be
summed up as follows: “In case of doubt,
what is presumed stands.”
INFORMED CONSCIENCE
CHECKLIST
• Have a pure intention
• Consult the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament, of the
Prophets, Moses, and St. Paul.
• Answer the question: how will this action measure up to the
yardstick of love?
• Consult the people of God where Christ and His Spirit reside.
• follow the current debate on the great moral issues.
• pray for God’s grateful guidance in all actions.
• Be sorrowful for your sins, confessing them fully and
humbly, asking for God’s help in the process.
HOW DO WE FORM A
CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE?
• Personal & ecclesial PRAYER LIFE
• Studying the WORD of GOD & the Teachings of
the Church (Seek the moral guidance of the
Church)
• Responsiveness to the indwelling Holy Spirit.
• Examination of one’s conscience. Critical
Reflection on our concrete moral choices &
experiences in daily life.
