Conscience

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What philosophers take the intuitivist approach to conscience?
Butler, Newman, Augustine
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What is Augustine's view on conscience?
It's the voice of God; he knows our actions + choices
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What does Augustine believe happens when a person tries to hide their wrongdoing?
Leads to separation between man and God
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Give strenghts of Augustine's theory
Links to Bible, idea of personal guilt
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Give weaknesses of Augustine's theory
• Idea of unquestionable consc. ↔ issues of DC – what happens when goes against Church? Can't verify if God or delusion
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What does Newman believe give sus our conscience?
Our nature
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How does Newman describe conscience?
Messenger from God
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What does Newman feel is implied by the fact we have a sense of guilt, shame etc when we do something wrong?
That there is something or someone who these emotions are directed towards
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Give strenghts of Newman's theory.
Clear Biblical links, conscience only able to permit kind things
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Give weaknesses of Newman's theory
Innate conscience should be all the same
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What is Newman's counterpoint to this weakness?
Differing consc. = not reflected enough, need further education
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Who did Joseph Butler believe gave us conscience?
God
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What did Butler believe conscience was?
A process of intuitive judgement
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What quote did Butler use when opining that conscience did not need to be actively consulted in order to be used?
"It magisterially exerts itself"
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What does Butler see as a bad way of interacting with your conscience?
Doing an action that goes against it
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Give strengths of Butler's theory
Listening to consc. --> clarity re future actions • Following consc.--> hapiness (following God) • F Hutcheson – natural goodness informs morality
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Give weaknesses of Butler's theory
Absolute consc. can justify anything, can't be sure of origin
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Which philosophers took the rationalist approach to conscience?
Aquinas
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What did Aquinas believe the conscience was?
Ability to understand difference between right/wrong
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What was the synderesis rule?
Aquinas' idea that people aim for good and avoid bad
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What quote did Aquinas use when speaking about the conscience?
"Rational power, not found in brute animals"
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Give strenghts of Aquinas' theory
Humans can reason and still be wrong, secular belief - all morally respons.
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Give weaknesses of Aquinas' theory
Consc different = theory of reason inconsistent, doesn't allow God's revelation or emotion to play role
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How did Freud view the mind?
Three parts - id, ego, superego.
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What is the Id?
Unconscious self, primitive mind, contains needs/feelings
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What's the ego?
Consc. self, rational, controls Id
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What's the superego?
Moral part of mind (cons. based here)
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How did Freud view conscience?
Part of superego, rep. guilt, mental construct (relig = respons. to God, atheist = response to authority)
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What did Freud believe shaped our moralities?
Experiences + culture
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Give strengths of Freud's theory of conscience
Based on research, allows for cultural differences
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Give weaknesses of Freud's theory of conscience.
Small research sample size, infl. by outside forces doesn't allow moral freedom, genetic fallacy (his theory doesn;t disprove religious theories),
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What did Piaget say gave us our ability to morally reason?
Cognitive development
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What are Piaget's two stages of moral development?
Heternomous and autonomous
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What's heteronoumous morality?
Immature consc, punishment if rules broken, conseq. of action show right/wrong
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What's autonomous morality?
Child develops own rules + understands the role they have in society. Occurs when they're less dependent on others for morality.
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Give strengths of Piaget's theory.
Age-dep morality autonomous w/ law, not religion-centric
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Give weaknesses of Piaget's theory.
Research widely discredited, doesn't include theonomous morality (understanding God)
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Why did Fromm's ideas about conscience change?
Changed based on society he lived in
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What was Fromm's authoritarian conscience?
Stems from fear of displeasing auth - guilt felt when rules broken. Nazi Ger.
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What was Fromm's humanistic conscience?
Evaluates behaviour. Moral choices made for want of betterment, not fear of authority. Post-US move.
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Evaluate Fromm's theory.
Two stances conflict, former can be easily manipulated, accq. consc. reliability dep. on that of source, doesn't rule out theological explanations
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is Augustine's view on conscience?

Back

It's the voice of God; he knows our actions + choices

Card 3

Front

What does Augustine believe happens when a person tries to hide their wrongdoing?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Give strenghts of Augustine's theory

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Give weaknesses of Augustine's theory

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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