Conscience

What Conscience covers

Religious and secular accounts of conscience, from Aquinas on synderesis and conscientia to Freud, and the question of how far it can be trusted.

The 5 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Theories of Conscience and Their EvaluationRecall questions on Aquinas, Butler, Newman, Freud, Fromm, Piaget and Kohlberg on conscience, its application to lying, promise-breaking and adultery, and its strengths and weaknesses as a moral guide.Open →
• Aquinas, Butler and Newman on ConscienceRecall questions on Aquinas's synderesis and conscientia and whether a mistaken conscience must be followed, Butler's conscience beside self-love and benevolence, and Newman's two elements of conscience.Open →
• Freud, Fromm and Piaget on ConscienceRecall questions on Freud's superego and guilt, Fromm's authoritarian and humanistic conscience, Piaget and Kohlberg on moral development, and whether conscience is innate or acquired.Open →
• Conscience and Everyday Moral DecisionsRecall questions on the part conscience plays in lying, promise-breaking and adultery, and what it must weigh in each case.Open →
• Bentham, Kant and Religious Moral Decision-MakingRecall questions on Bentham's hedonic calculus and his account of conscience, Kant's universal law and formula of humanity, and where each approach agrees or conflicts with religious moral decision-making.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Conscience further

The same content, four other ways.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is conscience in the context of moral philosophy?

   Model answer

   An inner sense or faculty that guides individuals in distinguishing right from wrong and prompts moral judgement about one's own actions.

2. 2

   In Aquinas's account, what is synderesis?

   Model answer

   The innate habit of understanding first principles of morality; an innate disposition towards good.

3. 3

   What did Aquinas mean by conscientia?

   Model answer

   The act of applying moral principles to specific situations; the practical application of moral knowledge to particular acts.

4. 4

   According to Aquinas, can conscience make mistakes, and what should a person do if their conscience errs?

   Model answer

   Yes, conscience can err if reasoning is faulty, but a person must always follow their conscience even when mistaken, as it represents their best moral judgement.

5. 5

   How did Butler characterise the authority of conscience?

   Model answer

   Butler argued conscience is a God-given faculty that is authoritative and should always be obeyed, functioning as the supreme moral guide that intuitively approves or disapproves of actions.

6. 6

   What was Newman's view of the source of conscience?

   Model answer

   Newman held that conscience is the voice of God speaking within the individual, providing direct divine guidance on moral matters.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Conscience revision questions

What does Conscience cover in AQA A-Level Religious Studies?

5 subtopics: theories of conscience and their evaluation, aquinas, butler and newman on conscience, freud, fromm and piaget on conscience, conscience and everyday moral decisions and bentham, kant and religious moral decision-making. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Conscience organised?

By the AQA 7062 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.