CONSCIENCE
THE CONCEPT OF
CONSCIENCE
“subjective norm of morality.”
an “inner voice” which tells us
what is right and wrong.
the most secret core and
sanctuary of the person - where
we can be alone with God whose
voice becomes the master of our
acts. (Gaudium et Spes)
the radical experience of
ourselves as moral agents - that
Christian conscience is the
representation of ourselves as
new creatures in Christ enlivened
by the Holy Spirit.(R. McBrien)
CATEGORIES OF CONSCIENCE
True or Right - conforms to what is
objectively right.
False or Erroneous - when it decides from
false principles considered as true that
something is unlawful.
Classification:
• Scrupulous - judges an act to be
morally evil when it is not.
• Perplexed - judges wrongly that sin
is committed both in the
performance or omission of an act.
• Lax - judges on insufficient ground
that there is no sin in the act.
• Pharisaical - minimizes grave sins
but maximizes small ones.
Certain - when without any prudent
fear or error, it decides that the act is
either lawful or unlawful. It can be
certain but at the same time
erroneous. A certain conscience is
not necessarily right; it excludes all
fears of error about acting rightly.
Doubtful - when it fails to pass a
moral judgment in the character of
the act due to a fear or error; or if the
person is unsure about the
correctness of his or her judgment.
The Formation of Conscience
“What ought I to do?”
“What sort of person I ought to
become?”
Character has been the sorely neglected
side of the formation of conscience. We
need to explore the moral import of
“who we are” and to give full weight to
all the factors which influence the
formation of conscience.
We pay attention to patterns of actions
which reflect attitudes, dispositions, the
readiness to look on things in certain
way and to choose in certain ways.
Vision and choice are two key concepts
which pertain to conscience and character.
Clearly, vision is prior to choice in the
moral life.
We choose, what we do on the basis of
what we see, and we see what we see
because of who we are, our character.
The first task of the formation of
conscience is the attempt to help us see.
The model of the responsibility for the
moral life indicates that we respond to
what we see.
“Seeing” is more than taking a look; it is
interpreting and valuing as well.
Reality-revealing questions:
What is the human situation of this moral
reality? It helps us to see what is really
there.
Who does not only ask who us the doer of
the action; it also involves the other person
involved in the decision. Followed by when
and where.
Why is the critical question of motivation
that sends us back to clarify our values.
How gives expression to our true
convictions and real character
What if probes foreseeable effects.
What else keeps us open and challenges us
to be creative and to consult a wide base of
moral wisdom and moral vision
Situation Analysis:
You go to a school whose academic standards are high, and which
requires excellent grades from students. This situation is further
complicated by your demanding parents who expect you to do well.
You have pretty good grades during your first three years in college.
You are now in your senior year, and in one of your major subjects,
your professor has been quite unfair. She has planned a difficult test
for you and your classmates. You know from past experience that
half of the students in class cheated during the exams, thus ruining
any chance for a curve. You have studied quite hard, but you know
that unless you cheat, many others will get higher grades than you.
What would you do?
Discussion question:
• List at least four reasons why you should cheat and four reasons
why you should not. Then, decide whether you will cheat or not.
• Is cheating right? Does the argument “because everyone else is
doing it” make it right? Is it right to say that it’s better to cheat
than to repeat? Can you think of some consequences for society if
morality is based on this argument?
