Morality and Conscience

Morality

Conscience (Latin: Conscientia) means 'to know' or 'inner thoughts or knowledge'.
Conscience is educated and developed through constant use.
Involves:
- A moral decision-making ability/action.
- Awareness that there is right and wrong.
- A process of discernment.
- Judgment.
Informed conscience: Making decisions with awareness and thought.
Erroneous conscience: When a person does not employ a process of conscientious decision making, thereby not facing or thinking about the morality of actions.
Lax conscience: A person's moral judgment is mistaken, believing something is right when it's actually wrong.
God-given: everyone has one.
Not deciding is still deciding.

Importance of intention and circumstances in determining the morality of an action.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states that the object, intention, and circumstances make up the three sources of the morality of human acts (CCC 1757).

The moral object:
- The matter of our actions – the what we do.
- Moral norms can be discovered by human reason and conscience.
- This is the most important element for judging morality.
The intention:
- One’s motive or purpose for acting - the why I do it.
- It looks to the “end,” that is, the reason or goal of an action.
- A good intention cannot make an intrinsically evil action a just one.
Circumstances:
- Secondary factors: who, where, when, how, consequences.
- Can increase or reduce the evil or goodness of an action.

The moral object can be determined by asking, “What action is involved?”
- Example: To cheat or not to cheat?
The intentions of the person are uncovered with the questions, “Why am I doing this?”
- A bad intention makes evil an act that might have been good.
- A good intention does not make a bad act good.
- Example: “I am doing this to pass the test.”
The circumstances involve questions beginning with who, where, when, and how.
- The circumstances of an action can contribute to the increasing or decreasing moral goodness or evil of an act, but they cannot change to good an act that is morally evil.
- Example: I am copying from my friend.

Prudence:
- Definition: The ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason.
- Corresponding Vice: Imprudence (Lack of care or thoughtfulness in decision-making).
Justice:
- Definition: The constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor.
- Corresponding Vice: Injustice (Lack of fairness or righteousness).
Fortitude:
- Definition: Courage in pain or adversity.
- Corresponding Vice: Cowardice (Lack of bravery or courage).
Temperance:
- Definition: Moderation or self-restraint, especially in eating and drinking.
- Corresponding Vice: Gluttony (Excessive indulgence in food or drink).
Faith:
- Definition: Complete trust or confidence in God.
- Corresponding Vice: Doubt (Lack of faith or confidence).
Hope:
- Definition: Expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, especially in God.
- Corresponding Vice: Despair (Loss of hope or confidence).
Charity (Love):
- Definition: The voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need.
- Corresponding Vice: Envy (A feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck).

Discernment:
- Discernere (Latin) to ‘sift apart’
- Gaining awareness of your own inner spirit
- Using concrete steps to figure out how God is calling you
Discernment Process:
- Prayer: Ask God to be with you in this process, ask for clear thinking and feeling
- Pro and Con: Write down a list for each option what are the benefits? What brings you joy when imagining the outcome?
- Confirmation: Talk your decision over with people that know you, SIT with your decision
- Choose, act and be grateful: Feel gratitude for having the freedom to make a decision.

Design Questions:
- Make questions that divide choices into clear “Yes” and “No” categories.
- Example: “Do you like to travel?