Lesson 1: Introduction to conscience
Definitions of conscience:
- Cambridge English dictionary: the part of you that judges how moral your own
actions are and makes you feel guilty about bad things that you have done or
feel responsible for
- Oxford dictionary: A person’s moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting
as a guide to one’s behaviour
- Macmillan dictionary: the ideas and feelings you have that tell you whether
something you are doing is right or wrong
- Merriam-Webster dictionary: the sense of the moral goodness or
blameworthiness or one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a
feeling of obligation to do right or be good.
Where does it come from? Some say a gift from God, parents/upbringing, its innate,
life experience and reflection on our actions
, Lesson 2: Aquinas – ratio, synderesis and conscientia
Ratio = reason
- Aquinas believed that ratio distinguishes human beings from other animals.
Ratio is a divine gift from God, which humans have as they are made in the
image and likeness of God
- Ratio is more than just comprehension, it involves a development of our
thinking; it is working something out, leading to a conclusion or judgement
- Aquinas suggested that ratio enables us to connect to God, by giving us the
ability to work out higher knowledge or divine insights.
- It leads us beyond what is considered socially acceptable to a higher morality.
- Synderesis is an innate principle within humans that directs them towards good
and away from evil.
- We also have what Aquinas refers to as “sensuality” tempting us away from
doing good
By “the law”, Paul means both the Mosaic Law (given to the Jews through Moses)
and the universal moral law that applies to everyone. He writes: “when Gentiles,
who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for
themselves. "This shows that even those without the written Jewish Law still have a
sense of right and wrong because God’s moral law is universal.
The difference between hearing and obeying the law is that hearing is passive, while
obeying is active. Paul states: “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous
in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” In
other words, knowing what is good (hearing) is not enough; what matters is doing
what is good (obeying).
To say the law is “written on their hearts” means that people naturally know right
from wrong through their conscience. Paul explains: “They show that the
requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing
witness. "This suggests that all humans, even without the written Law, have an inner
moral compass from God, and their thoughts can “accuse them and at other times
even defend them.”
Conscientia = Reason making right decisions
This is Aquinas’ word for conscience. He argues that the conscience is an act within
the mind when knowledge is gained by applying ratio to synderesis is applied to
something we do.
He defined conscience as “reason making right decisions”. This begins with our innate
desire to do what is right, uses reason to consider how this applies to our situation,
and ends in a judgement about what is the right action to take in that situation.
Definitions of conscience:
- Cambridge English dictionary: the part of you that judges how moral your own
actions are and makes you feel guilty about bad things that you have done or
feel responsible for
- Oxford dictionary: A person’s moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting
as a guide to one’s behaviour
- Macmillan dictionary: the ideas and feelings you have that tell you whether
something you are doing is right or wrong
- Merriam-Webster dictionary: the sense of the moral goodness or
blameworthiness or one’s own conduct, intentions, or character together with a
feeling of obligation to do right or be good.
Where does it come from? Some say a gift from God, parents/upbringing, its innate,
life experience and reflection on our actions
, Lesson 2: Aquinas – ratio, synderesis and conscientia
Ratio = reason
- Aquinas believed that ratio distinguishes human beings from other animals.
Ratio is a divine gift from God, which humans have as they are made in the
image and likeness of God
- Ratio is more than just comprehension, it involves a development of our
thinking; it is working something out, leading to a conclusion or judgement
- Aquinas suggested that ratio enables us to connect to God, by giving us the
ability to work out higher knowledge or divine insights.
- It leads us beyond what is considered socially acceptable to a higher morality.
- Synderesis is an innate principle within humans that directs them towards good
and away from evil.
- We also have what Aquinas refers to as “sensuality” tempting us away from
doing good
By “the law”, Paul means both the Mosaic Law (given to the Jews through Moses)
and the universal moral law that applies to everyone. He writes: “when Gentiles,
who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for
themselves. "This shows that even those without the written Jewish Law still have a
sense of right and wrong because God’s moral law is universal.
The difference between hearing and obeying the law is that hearing is passive, while
obeying is active. Paul states: “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous
in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” In
other words, knowing what is good (hearing) is not enough; what matters is doing
what is good (obeying).
To say the law is “written on their hearts” means that people naturally know right
from wrong through their conscience. Paul explains: “They show that the
requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing
witness. "This suggests that all humans, even without the written Law, have an inner
moral compass from God, and their thoughts can “accuse them and at other times
even defend them.”
Conscientia = Reason making right decisions
This is Aquinas’ word for conscience. He argues that the conscience is an act within
the mind when knowledge is gained by applying ratio to synderesis is applied to
something we do.
He defined conscience as “reason making right decisions”. This begins with our innate
desire to do what is right, uses reason to consider how this applies to our situation,
and ends in a judgement about what is the right action to take in that situation.
