Page 2: More Theories and Religious Perspectives

This page continues exploring theories of conscience, including humanistic and religious viewpoints.

Fromm's Authoritarian vs. Humanistic Conscience

Erich Fromm distinguished between two types of conscience:

1. Authoritarian: Internalized voice of disapproving society
2. Humanistic: Intuitive knowledge of what enhances or destroys human life

Religious Perspectives on Conscience

Several religious thinkers viewed conscience as connected to God:

• Augustine: Conscience as God's innate voice in all souls
• Schleiermacher: Conscience as divine revelation

Quote: Augustine stated, "For when will they be able to understand that there is no soul, however wicked... in whose conscience God doesn't speak?"

Aquinas on Conscience as God-given Reasoning

Thomas Aquinas proposed that conscience is a God-given faculty of reasoning:

• Synderesis rule: All humans naturally seek good and avoid evil
• Conscience can be fallible but should be followed

Vocabulary: Synderesis refers to the innate principle in moral consciousness that directs one to good and away from evil.

Page 4: Additional Perspectives and Moral Decision-Making

This page briefly mentions additional perspectives on conscience and introduces the role of conscience in moral decision-making.

Fletcher's Situational Ethics

Joseph Fletcher viewed conscience as:

• Guided by the Holy Spirit
• Influenced by internalized societal values

Religious vs. Non-Religious Ideas of Conscience

The document categorizes the presented theories:

• Non-religious ideas: Theories 1-4
• Religious ideas: Theories 5-8

Highlight: This categorization helps distinguish between secular and faith-based approaches to understanding conscience.

Role of Conscience in Moral Decision-Making

The page introduces the topic of how conscience functions in making moral choices, which is likely explored further in subsequent sections.

Vocabulary: Conscience a level ethics refers to the study of conscience and its role in moral reasoning at the advanced academic level.

Page 4: Practical Applications of Conscience Theories

This page applies various theories of conscience to practical moral dilemmas, particularly focusing on lying and promise-breaking.

Definition: A lie is defined as a deliberate distortion of truth.

Example: The axe-murderer scenario demonstrates how Aquinas's approach allows for "evasive truth" in specific cases.

Highlight: Different theoretical approaches (Aquinas, Freud, sociological) offer varying perspectives on handling moral dilemmas.

Vocabulary: Synderesis refers to the innate knowledge of basic moral principles.