Understanding Conscience: Aquinas and Butler

<p>Aquinas emphasizes the importance of moral law. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A transgression against God. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A balance between prudence and benevolence. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Self-directing and independent. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>By emphasizing the importance of reason. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Aquinas argues that conscience is a God-given faculty of reason, rather than a voice of God.

According to Aquinas, conscience is a process of applying primary precepts of Natural Moral Law to specific situations, leading to a judgment of right or wrong.

Aquinas acknowledges that conscience can be mistaken due to ignorance of the moral law or inaccurate information.

According to Aquinas, conscience is always to be followed because even a mistaken conscience reflects the truth and going against it would mean going against God.

Butler's view of conscience is that it is a reflective principle in human nature given by God, allowing us to judge past actions and future decisions.

Butler believes that conscience is a judge between two principles governing human behaviour: Prudence (self-interest) and Benevolence (altruism).

Butler believed that conscience operates intuitively, based on our internal sense of right and wrong, determined by the balance between self-interest and concern for others.

Conscience, in Butler's view, is independent and not influenced by external factors such as approval or fear of punishment, as it operates internally.