CONSCIENCE

INNER/LITTLE VOICE OF GOD

- CRIES OUT MANS MORAL OBLIGATIONS
- TELLS MAN WHAT TO DO
- TELLS MAN WHAT TO AVOID IN THE MORAL ORDER

MPARISON TO GOVERNMENT POWERS

POWER OVER OUR MORAL ACTIONS

LEGISLATIVE

To INVESTIGATE

JUDICIAL

TO JUDGE

EXECUTIVE

TO PASS SENTENCE

C
O
N
S
C
I
E
N
C
E

- APPROVES AND COMMENDS

- REPROACHES AND CONDEMNS
- FORBIDS AND COMMANDS
- ACCUSES AND ABSOLVES

CONSCIENCE AS A SECURITY
SYSTEM
A HEALTHY CONSCIENCE IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE SAFEGUARD
AGAINST WRONG-DOING.
A MAN WITH A HEALTHY CONSCIENCE MAY STILL SIN, BUT
HE WILL BE AWARE OF IT.
HIS CONSCIENCE WILL SEND OUT DISTRESS SIGNALS AND
HE WILL NOTICE THEM.
IT WILL KEEP CALLING FOR A CHANGE OF COURSE--FOR A
CHANGE OF HEART OR CONDUCT AND CAN BRING HIM BACK
TO NORMAL.

An act of the practical judgment of reason

deciding upon an individual action as good
D
EFINING CONSCIENCE
and to be performed or as evil and to be
avoided

 MORAL
DIFFERENTIATING
SCIENCE CONSCIENCE
LAW
PRUDENCE
COUNCIL
SYNDERESIS

CONSCIENCE AND MORAL SCIENCE

MORAL SCIENCE

- Systematized and
formulated
knowledge
- Conclusions drawn
from moral
principles and
positive laws

CONSCIENCE

- Act of practical
judgment which
decides moral
quality of our
actions and
thoughts.

CONSCIENCE AND LAW

LAW

- Consists in the
objective rules and
conduct
- Formulated by an
authority
- Enforced by
sanctions

CONSCIENCE

- Subjective guide
- An internal law

CONSCIENCE AND PRUDENCE

PRUDENCE

CONSCIENCE

- Virtue by which an
action is to be done
at the right time

- Tells what to do but

not always right

- Regulates
application of the
universal principles
of morality to
particular actions

- The timing of
conscience is
brought by
Prudence

CONSCIENCE AND COUNCIL

COUNCIL

- Recommends what
is right
- Concerned with the
right means/ways to
carry on our moral
decision

CONSCIENCE

- Allows you to reflect

whether to carry on
your moral
decisions
- What is right is only
but a feeling of the
gut

CONSCIENCE AND SYNDERESIS

SYNDERESIS
word used by Scholastic philosophers to express the
quality by which man naturally perceives the truth of the
self-evident principles of the moral order
serves as a guidepost pointing out to man the infallible
way to his destiny and to the social order

CONSCIENCE AND SYNDERESIS

SYNDERESIS

- The innate instinct

to do good and
avoid evil
- A habitual
knowledge
- Developed through
education and

CONSCIENCE

- Consideration of a
specific case in light
of ones moral
knowledge
- The conscience
itself is the one to
be educated.

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON CONSCIENCE

Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make
either a right judgment in accordance with reason and
the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous
judgment that departs from them.
1799

Conscience can remain in ignorance or make

erroneous judgments. Such ignorance and errors are not
always free of guilt.
1801

Conscience may either be:

ANTECEDENT
TIME

CONSEQUENT CONSCIENCE IN THE PROCESS O

KINDS OF
RIGHT / ERRONEOUS
CONSCIENCE SEEN ACCORDING TO
CONSCIENCE
OBJECTIVE NORM

SCRUPINOUS / LAX CONSCIENCE SEEN ACCORDING TO

OBJECTIVE NORM

CONSCIENCE IN THE PROCESS OF TIME

I. ANTECEDENT CONSICENCE
II. CONSEQUENT CONSICENCE
JUDGMENT /
REFLECTION OF
DECISIONS PRIOR
TO AN ACTION
COMMANDS /
FORBIDS / ADVICES /
PERMITS

JUDGMENT / REFLECTION OF
DECISIONS AFTER AN
ACTION WAS MADE
APPROVES / COMMENDS
GIVES INTERNAL PEACE AND
JOY
CRITICIZES / CONDEMNS
CAUSES REMORSE / SENSE

CONSCIENCE SEEN ACCORDING TO OBJECTIVE NORM

III. RIGHT / TRUE

CONSICENCE
JUDGMENT MADE
IS IN
ACCORDANCE
WITH MORAL
PRINCIPLES
CALLED AS THE
VOICE OF GOD

IV. ERRONEOUS

/ FALSE CONSICENC

JUDGMENT MADE IS IN
CONFLICT WITH MORAL
PRINCIPLES
BROUGHT ABOUT BY
FALSE INTERPRETATIONS
OF MORAL PRINCIPLES OR
POSSIBLY, IGNORANCE.
EITHER CULPABLE /
INCULPABLE; VINCIBLE /

CONSCIENCE SEEN ACCORDING TO OBJECTIVE NORM

V. SCRUPULOUS CONSCIENCE VI. LAX CONSICENCE

Extremely rigorous;
constantly afraid of
committing evil
Frequently the result
of a stubborn
character. For some,
it means a serious
concern regarding
moral perfection.

Tends to follow the

easy way and find
excuses for omission
and mistakes
This kind of conscience
is dangerous

CONSCIENCE IN RELATION TO CERTITUDE

VII. CERTAIN CONSICENCE VIII. DOUBTFUL CONSICENC

subjective
assurance of the
lawfulness or
unlawfulness of
certain actions to
be done or to be
omitted.
The agent doesnt
have doubts

suspends judgment
on the lawfulness of
an action and
therefore, if
possible, the action
should be omitted.
may occur in
business
transactions,
surgical operations,

Generally, there are but two kinds of conscience.

The one given to us by God and the one we
ourselves provide for our unreasonable desires.
The former produces internal peace while the
latter produces remorse and disgust, worry and
anxiety.
The ideal conscience is that which is both correct
and certain (Baker, 1983).

BLIGATORY FORCE OF CONSCIENCE

o Conscience binds man with moral obligation.
o When conscience is objectively correct and
subjectively certain, obligation is clear and
difficulties do not exist.
o Man should follow the practical judgment of his
conscience whenever he sincerely, thoroughly,
and certainly believes that he must perform or
omit an action, be this action good, bad or
indifferent in itself.

Every conscience, whether right or

erroneous, whether with regard to acts which
are evil in themselves or acts which are
indifferent, is obligatory, so that he who acts in
opposition to his conscience, does wrong.
-ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

TO CHOOSE IN ACCORD WITH

CONSCIENCE
CCC 1786-1789
Man is sometimes confronted by situations
that make moral judgments less assured and
decision difficult.
But he must always seriously seek what is
right and good and discern the will of God
expressed in the divine law.
One may never do evil so that good may

DUCATION OF CONSCIENCE
MAN EDUCATES HIS CONSCIENCE BECAUSE IT IS
DEPENDENT ON HIS OWN MORAL KNOWLEDGE.
EDUCATING THE CONSCIENCE GUARANTEES FREEDOM
AND ENGENDERS PEACE OF HEART.
CONSCIENCE IS NOT INDEPENDENT OF EXTERNAL LAW
AND AUTHORITY.
ITS FUNCTION IS TO APPLY THE LAW. THEREFORE, THE
GUIDING HAND OF CONSCIENCE IS THE LAW.
TO DO SO, ONE MUST FIRST OVERCOME IGNORANCE
AND ERROR. AFTER WHICH, ONE MUST OVERCOME

ORMATION OF CONSCIENCE
It is a lifelong task. Education and experience plays
a vital role.
A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful.
It formulates its judgments according to reason, in
conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom
of the Creator. The education of conscience is
indispensable for human beings who are subjected to
negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer
their own judgment and to reject authoritative
teachings. - CCC 1783

UDGMENT OF THE CONSCIENCE

CCC 1777-1782

Through the judgment of mans consciousness, he is

able to perceive and recognize the prescriptions of
the divine law.
In other words, when man listens to his conscience,
he is able to hear Gods voice.
The requirement of interiority is really necessary as
life often distracts us from any reflection, selfexamination, or introspection.

UDGMENT OF THE CONSCIENCE

CCC 1777-1782

The verdict of the judgment of conscience remains a pledge

of hope and mercy.
In attesting to the fault committed, it calls to mind the
forgiveness that must be asked, the good that must still be
practiced, and the virtue that must be constantly cultivated
with the grace of God.
Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as
personally to make moral decisions. He must not be forced
to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must be prevented
from acting according to his conscience, especially in

REFERENCES
Baker, S.J. Fundamentals of Catholicism Vol. 1 Part II,(San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1983).
http://www.cormacburke.or.ke/node/30
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1
c1a6.htm