CONSCIENCE

what is the conscience?

the inner self, produces feelings of guilt

what are the 3 main views on the conscience

Theological, Psychological, Sociological.

What view did Scheilemacher hold and what did he believe?

How does this apply to adultery and lying?

- Theological view

- conscience is the direct word of God and it is a sin to go against.

- adultery and lying would go against 10 commandments therefore voice of god in us through our conscience would tell us to never lie or commit adultery.

Who agrees with Scheilemacher?

Aristotle, he says "in who's conscience does God not speak?"

What view did Aquinas hold and what did he believe?

How does this apply to adultery and lying?

- Theological view

- Conscience is NOT the direct word of God because the conscience can be faulty such as when people do bad things

- God gave us reason, not conscience

- this applies to adultery and lying, NML primary precepts, lying and adultery goes against worship God.

What view did Freud hold and what did he believe?

How does this apply to adultery and lying?

- Psychological view

- superego is the inner parent and that things are determined on our upbringing. Guilt feeling comes from disobeying our upbringing

- this is the conscience

However, freud can be argued that this cannot be proved as it is not real science.

- adultery and lying will happen depending on how one was brought up and their inner parent

What view did Kohlberg hold and what did he believe?

how does this link to adultery and lying?

- Psychological view

- pre conventional, conventional, post conventional stages

- depending on stage, adultery and lying not in post conventional level as they cannot be universalised

1. what is the pre-conventional stage?

2. what is the conventional stage?

3. what is the post-conventional stage?

1. childhood, the consequences of our actions

2. maintaining relationships through kindness, most people stay here forever

3. utilitarian in nature, benefit for most people. This is also Kantian in nature as it is universalised.

briefly summarise the story of Heinz

there is a man, who's wife is dying, he can only save her if he steals medicine

how does the pre conventional level act in the Heinz scenario?

he does not steal because it is based on consequences, stealing will resolve in negative consequences.

how does the conventional level act in the Heinz scenario?

he would steal the medicine to maintain a good relationship with his wife

how does the post conventional level act in the Heinz scenario?

he would not steal because Kantian ethics- cannot be universalised

what view did Durkheim hold and what did he believe?

how does this link to adultery and lying?

- Sociological view

- he believes our guilt from our conscience is just fear of being excluded. conscience develops as its evolutionary. depends on societal norms at the time

he thinks god is a good idea but not real

- in more religious times, there was a greater fear of infidelity, but now that society is more secular, fear is less.

what view did Fromm have and what did he believe?

talk about authoritarian and humanistic consciences.

how does this link to adultery and lying?

- Sociological view

- he believed our conscience is our internalised voice of society.

- authoritarian: we have to obey rules to conform to society and avoid exclusion (don't lie or cheat people wont like you)

- humanistic: focus on a flourishing society, rejecting authoritarian in order for humans to flourish (conscience would inform person that lying and cheating is ethically wrong)