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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

Part TwoPart Two

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

I. Author

II. Human Conscience

III. Attitudes Toward Conscience

Background Background InformationInformation

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

Mark Twain (1835-1901) was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Missouri, but lived as a child in Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River. He took the pen name Mark Twain from the call of the pilots on the river steamers, which indicated that the water was twelve feet deep, a safe depth for a steamer.

I.I. Author Author

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

During his early years, he worked as a riverboat pilot, newspaper reporter, printer, and gold prospector. But then he turned to writing, and became one of the greatest of American writers. Although his popular image is as the author of such humorous works as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

I.I. Author Author

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

Twain had the other side that may have resulted from the bitter experiences of his life: financial failure and the death of his wife and daughters. His last writings are savage, satiric, and pessimistic. The present text is taken from Letters from the Earth, one of his later works.

I.I. Author Author

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

Through conscience and its related notion, synderesi

s, human beings discern what is right and wrong. While there are many medieval views about the nature of conscience, most views regard human beings as capable of knowing in general what ought to be done and applying this knowledge through conscience to particular decisions about action. The ability to act on the determinations of conscience is, moreover, tied to the development of the moral virtues, which in turn refines the functions of conscience.

II.II. Human Human ConscienceConscience

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

Neither Plato nor Aristotle explicitly mention conscience, however. It is their discussions of the virtues, practical wisdom, and weakness of will that form the critical backdrop to medieval discussions of conscience. These discussions were heavily influenced by Augustine’s modification of these classical authors. For example, Augustine championed Plato’s notion of the unity of the virtues, but he argued that love of God provided the unity to them. Moreover, he claimed that what pagan authors regarded as virtues were in fact vices unless they were developed for the love of God.

II.II. Human Human ConscienceConscience

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

Aristotle’s conscience can be defined as

possessing three distinct characteristics.

Firstly, the conscience is intrinsic, although to

varying degrees between individuals.

Secondly, the conscience is imperfect. Lastly,

the conscience is a source of good in the

world. Stringing these elements together, a

working definition of the conscience can be

constructed as follows: The conscience is an

innate sense of right and wrong that functions

for social betterment.

II.II. Human Human ConscienceConscience

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

As this definition takes into account only one

perspective, it can hardly be considered

adequate. Henry David Thoreau provides an

excellent opportunity to expand it. In his essay

entitled Civil Disobedience, Thoreau defines

two primary characteristics of the conscience,

although in a different light from Aristotle.

While both examine conscience in terms of a

functional government, Thoreau takes a more

idealistic approach.

II.II. Human Human ConscienceConscience

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

Given that the conscience is intrinsic, imperfect, beneficial, imperative, rare, punitive, and rigid, the conclusive definition might be constructed as follows:

The conscience is an innate sense of right and wrong that creates a strict sense of guilt when violated and that, in its truest form, performs a vital role in social and personal betterment.

It is a mechanism that evaluates the worthiness of

our desires, urges, and actions. It is a moral

compass that points to goodness and excellence.

II.II. Human Human ConscienceConscience

The end of Human Conscience.

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

III.III. Attitudes Toward Attitudes Toward ConscienceConscience

Try to hear your conscience.

To bypass the chatter of negative thoughts, raging

emotions, and tempestuous temptations, you will

need to spend some quiet time with yourself. Your

conscience is your best friend. Relax in a

comfortable chair, without distraction, and give it

the opportunity to speak to you. With patience

and practice, your conscience will always be at

your side, available for guidance.

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

III.III. Attitudes Toward Attitudes Toward ConscienceConscience

Learn to think before you act.

Instead of acting in the heat of the moment,

pause; think things over, and act rationally and

morally rather than emotionally. Faced with a

choice, choose to do the right thing, to be

responsible. Develop sensitivity with constant

awareness and practice. A highly refined

conscience reacts to wrongdoing as quickly as

an eyelid reacts to dust.

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

III.III. Attitudes Toward Attitudes Toward ConscienceConscience

Remember that the voice of conscience is not a

suggestion, but an obligation.

Also remember that to know what is right and

not do it is as bad as doing wrong.

Judge your progress by your actions, not your

good intentions.

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

III.III. Attitudes Toward Attitudes Toward ConscienceConscience

Evaluate your motives. Don’t do good

for acclaim or happiness, but because it

is the right thing to do.

Gain liberation by becoming the master

of your life. Do this by becoming the

slave of your conscience. The freedom

you will gain is not the right to do what

you want, but the power to do what you

ought.

The end of Attitudes Toward Conscience.

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Lesson 15—The Damned Human Race

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