What is conscience?
What does conscience originally mean?
privity of knowledge
The word "conscience" derives etymologically from the Latin
conscientia, meaning "privity of knowledge" or "with-
knowledge". The English word implies internal awareness of a
moral standard in the mind concerning the quality of one's
motives, as well as a consciousness of our own actions.
Conscience is a person's moral sense of right and wrong,
viewed as acting as a guide to one's behaviour. Conscience
judges the morality of an action, how it is performed, and its
consequences.
What best describe conscience?
Conscience describes two things – what a person believes is
right and how a person decides what is right. More than just
'gut instinct', our conscience is a 'moral muscle'. By informing
us of our values and principles, it becomes the standard we use
to judge whether or not our actions are ethical.
What is the meaning of moral conscience?
Moral conscience is a part of the cognitive process in mind that tells
whether an act is morally right or wrong. In other words, it is awareness
of moral principles and whether act done is in accordance with these
principles or not. It is an instrument for self-control, correction and
regulation.
What are the different types of conscience?
• correct conscience
tells us when something is a good choice or a bad choice and
that this decision is in agreement with what that thing
actually is according to the objective law
erroneous conscience
•
judges something incorrectly, when something is bad you think
its good and when its good you think its bad
certain conscience
•
convinced without any doubt that an action is good or bad
doubtful conscience
•
when you cannot choose between good and bad choices
lax conscience
•
when you see no sin where there actually is sin
•delicate conscience
judges correctly and with careful attention concerning the acts
that are about to be performed
P.S : It's your FREE WILL that makes you form your conscience,
and free will is a supernatural ability.
EXAMPLE SITUATION
1.) CORRECT CONSCIENCE Certainly! Here's an example situation that
illustrates someone following their correct conscience:
Imagine a scenario where you work in a small family-owned grocery store, and
you've noticed that a regular customer, Mrs. Johnson, frequently forgets to pay for
items when she checks out. She's elderly and seems to be genuinely forgetful, and
she often leaves the store without realizing she hasn't paid for some of her groceries.
Your correct conscience guides you to do the following:
1. Alert Your Supervisor: Instead of ignoring the situation or taking advantage
of it, you decide to talk to your supervisor about it. You explain the situation
and express your concern for Mrs. Johnson's well-being.
2. Offer Assistance: Your supervisor decides to talk to Mrs. Johnson and
suggests that she keeps a shopping list to help her remember the items she's
picked up. They also offer to assist her during her shopping trips to ensure she
doesn't forget to pay for anything.
3. Maintain Mrs. Johnson's Dignity: You and your supervisor take care to
approach the situation with empathy and respect for Mrs. Johnson's dignity.
You don't accuse her of wrongdoing or embarrass her in any way.
4. Follow Store Policies: You and your supervisor adhere to the store's policies
regarding customer interactions and security, ensuring that any issues are
resolved in a fair and compassionate manner.
In this example, following your correct conscience means doing what's right by
alerting the appropriate authorities, helping someone in need, and upholding ethical
values while maintaining the dignity of the individual involved. It's an illustration of
acting in accordance with your moral compass and principles.
2. ERRONEOUS CONSCIENCE
Imagine a scenario where a group of friends is discussing a classmate, Sarah, who has
recently moved to their school from a different country. Sarah speaks with an accent,
wears clothes that are different from what the other students wear, and follows
cultural traditions that are unfamiliar to the group. Some of the friends start making
fun of Sarah, imitating her accent and mocking her clothing and customs.
In this situation, one of the friends, Alex, has an erroneous conscience, which means
that their sense of right and wrong is misinformed or misguided. Instead of
recognizing the importance of respecting cultural differences and standing up
against bullying, Alex believes that it's okay to join in with the mockery because they
want to fit in with the group.
Alex's erroneous conscience leads them to:
1. Mock Sarah: Instead of showing empathy and kindness towards Sarah, Alex
joins in with the mocking and imitates her accent, believing that it's
acceptable behavior within their friend group.
2. Fail to Intervene: Alex doesn't speak up or discourage the bullying behavior
of their friends because they believe that going along with it is the right thing
to do to maintain their social standing.
3. Contribute to Harm: By participating in the mockery, Alex contributes to the
emotional harm and isolation that Sarah may be feeling due to the bullying.
4. Misinterpret Morality: Alex's conscience is clouded by a misguided sense of
morality that prioritizes fitting in with the group over doing what is morally
right, which is to stand up against bullying and support those who are being
mistreated.
In this example, Alex's erroneous conscience leads them to make unethical choices
and contribute to harmful behavior, all because they believe it's the right thing to do
in order to conform to the group's norms, even though those norms are clearly
harmful and hurtful.
3. CERTAIN CONSCIENCE Imagine a scenario where you are a cashier
at a grocery store, and your job is to scan items and collect payment from
customers. One day, a customer accidentally drops a $20 bill without
noticing, and it goes unnoticed by the other customers as well.
In this situation, you have a certain conscience, which means that you have
a strong sense of moral duty and integrity. You believe in doing what is
right, even when no one is watching.
Your actions with a certain conscience would be as follows:
1. Honesty: You immediately notice the dropped $20 bill and pick it up.
2. Customer's Interest: You try to get the customer's attention and
inform them that they dropped their money.
3. Return the Money: When the customer turns around and realizes
their mistake, you hand them the $20 bill and reassure them that you
didn't take it.
4. Integrity: You make sure the customer feels safe and appreciated for
your honesty.
In this example, your certain conscience guides you to act with integrity and
honesty, even though no one would have blamed you for keeping the
money since the customer dropped it without noticing. Your commitment
to doing what's right is unwavering, and you prioritize the customer's
interests over personal gain.
4. DOUBTFUL CONSCIENCE
Imagine a scenario where you are a student who has discovered that a classmate,
Sam, has been cheating on exams. You've noticed Sam copying answers from a
hidden cheat sheet during multiple tests. You have conflicting feelings about
whether to report this cheating or not.
In this situation, you have a doubtful conscience, which means you are uncertain
about the right course of action, and you are wrestling with conflicting moral
principles.
Your actions with a doubtful conscience might involve the following internal
struggles:
1. Ethical Dilemma: You feel torn between two moral principles – one that tells
you it's wrong to cheat and that you should report it to maintain academic
integrity, and another that tells you not to be a "snitch" and that reporting
could harm Sam's future.
2. Uncertainty: You're unsure about the consequences of your actions. You
wonder if reporting Sam could lead to disciplinary action or if it might be
better to approach Sam privately to discuss the issue.
3. Seeking Guidance: You might talk to friends, family, or even a teacher or
school counselor to seek advice on what to do, hoping to find clarity in your
decision.
4. Inner Conflict: The inner conflict continues as you grapple with your
conscience, trying to determine the right course of action while considering
the potential impact on both Sam and the academic community.
5. LAX CONSCIENCE
Imagine a scenario where a group of friends is hanging out in a park, and they see a
sign that says, "Keep Off the Grass." The sign is there to protect the newly planted
grass and allow it to grow without being trampled.
In this situation, one of the friends, Lisa, has a lax conscience, which means she tends
to be indifferent or careless about moral and ethical considerations. Her actions in
this scenario would reflect her lax conscience:
1. Disregarding the Sign: Lisa sees the "Keep Off the Grass" sign but decides to
walk on the grass anyway. She believes that it's not a big deal and that rules
like these are meant to be broken.
2. Ignoring Consequences: She doesn't consider the potential damage she
might cause to the newly planted grass or the fact that her actions are in
violation of a rule put in place for a reason.
3. Rationalizing Behavior: If confronted by her friends or anyone who points
out the sign, Lisa may come up with excuses or rationalizations for her actions,
such as saying that the grass will be fine or that it's a minor rule not worth
following.
4. Repeat Offender: Lisa's lax conscience may lead her to disregard similar rules
in the future, as she doesn't take moral or ethical guidelines seriously.
In this example, Lisa's lax conscience results in her not following a simple rule
designed to protect the environment and maintain order. She doesn't feel a strong
sense of moral obligation to abide by rules or consider the potential consequences
of her actions. This type of conscience can lead to a lack of accountability and
respect for rules and norms.
6. DELICATE CONSCIENCE
Imagine a scenario where you're at a restaurant with a group of friends, and
when the bill arrives, you notice that the waiter has accidentally
undercharged you by a significant amount. The bill should have been $100,
but it only shows $50.
In this situation, you have a delicate conscience, which means you are
highly sensitive to matters of ethics and morality, and you tend to be
meticulous about doing what's right.
Your actions with a delicate conscience would likely include:
1. Honesty: You immediately recognize the mistake on the bill and
bring it to the attention of your friends and the waiter.
2. Rectifying the Error: You explain to the waiter that there is an error
in the bill, and it should be $100 instead of $50. You insist on paying
the correct amount.
3. Respectful Communication: You make sure to communicate your
concern politely and respectfully, ensuring that you don't make the
waiter feel embarrassed or uncomfortable about the mistake.
4. Ethical Consideration: You discuss the situation with your friends
and ensure that they also agree to pay the correct amount, even if
some of them were initially inclined to take advantage of the error.
In this example, your delicate conscience guides you to do what is morally
right, even when faced with an opportunity to benefit from a mistake. You
prioritize honesty, fairness, and ethical behavior, and you are willing to
rectify the situation to ensure that everyone acts in accordance with those
principles.
What is the importance of conscience?
Conscience is your inner voice helping you to make the right
choices - to choose: good over evil; right over wrong; kindness
and patience over anger; goodwill over envy; temperance over
gluttony; generosity over greed; love over lust; humility over
pride; and activity over sloth.
What is the purpose of the conscience?
The conscience is what some philosophers call the “moral
sense.” It is our ability to discern the degree of the
transcendental values of “good” and “justice” present in a
situation in both the individual and social sense. Moreover, that
is very human thing we do. Animals — even the more
intelligent species — don’t seem to have a clearly defined
ability to discern these values. They seem to only have specific
meaning for human beings. And, even then, we perceive them
very imperfectly and sometimes incorrectly. This moral sense is
both natural (i.e. innate) and social/cultural specific with no
clear boundary line between those two sides of it.
A sociopath is a person who lacks this sense in much the same
way that a blind person lacks the sense of seeing.
C’est la vie.
What is it like to be people without conscience?
Most people use conscience to manipulate others to do what
they want. They love the concept of shifting responsibility for
their decisions on somebody else. They also love “the game”.
I get called a person without conscience a lot - by my family.
They think that me not following their (arbitrary) rules about
how I should live my life (education, work, marriage) is
disrespectful to them. That by doing what I want to do - rather
than what they want me to do - I am somehow devoid of
conscience.
You know what my life is like? It’s good. I make decisions that I
am happy to bear responsibility for. I don’t whine about
someone else putting me in any situation that I am in. It frees
up so much mental space that I can dedicated to constructive
things instead, like discovering the kind of work I actually enjoy
doing. Traveling. Enjoying multiple relationships with multiple
people.
I’m happy to be accountable for things that I have brought
onto myself. I will not be held accountable for things that
someone else imposes on me, be that inside the family, at work,
at school, or in a relationship.
It’s alienating, because most people love (to) blame. It’s also
great, because I don’t have to deal with drama! It’s excluded
from my life.
Being a person without conscience is great. You don’t worry
about feeling guilty about missing other people’s expectations,
perceptions, ideas of you. You get to live to the full potential of
your abilities.