Various notions of Conscience

• Feeling of guilt, worry, dissatisfaction, restlessness or a feeling of “hiya” when they do something wrong.

• Sincerity: to be “true to one’s self”: “I can do anything as long as it does not hurt anybody”

• What “authorities” tell them to do: the laws of the government, the Church, the parents, the “barkada.”

THE SUBJECTIVE NORM OF MORALITY

CONSCIENCE

As a subjective norm of morality,

Conscience has the final say in making moral decisions. It helps a person make the final judgement on how to act in a given situation.

Along with LAW, which is the objective norm of morality, conscience helps a person determine whether one is doing the right or the wrong.

CONSCIENCE• It is the inner voice summoning us

to love the good and avoid evil, by applying objective moral norms to our particular acts, and thus commanding: “do this, do not do that”. (CFC 723)

• Basic tendency toward the good (CFC 701)

• Conscience is man’s most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone w/ God whose voice echoes in his depths (GS 16)

THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REASONING, BASED ON MORAL PRINCIPLES,

CONSCIENCE JUDGES AN ACT AS GOOD OR BAD.

Conscience is a JUDGEMENT OF REASON

by which the human person recognizes

the moral quality of a concrete act (CCC 1796)

Two basic elements of Conscience

1. Moral judgment that discerns what is right and wrong.

2. Moral obligation or command to do good and avoid evil

MOMENTS• ANTECEDENT - Conscience which discerns.

(Before the act)

• CONCOMITANT- Conscience in action. “Am I doing the right thing?” (During the act)

• CONSEQUENT - Conscience which reviews, evaluates an action which has already been done. (After the act)

LEVELS OF CONSCIENCE

1. INSTINCTIVE LEVEL – Dominated by fear of punishment & desire for approval or reward.

• Natural level, normal for children.

2. MORAL / PHILOSOPHICAL - Operates on the ethical level, that is, not just on what is commanded by some “authority” but now from awareness of the inner good or evil of an act.

3. CHRISTIAN LEVEL – One’s Christian Faith illumines, clarifies & deepens what we perceive as truly worthy of being a person. It places moral striving as a personal call to wholeness & holiness.

We become conscious of the healing & liberating grace present in our very moral struggle & striving, as we are called to greater & fuller conversion into the persons that God has created us to become.

CONSCIENCE

• SINCERITY • CORRECTNESS

It is not enough to be sincere. It is important to be correct.

Ways by which our Conscienceis formed

• Through the natural education agents of family upbringing

• Our school training• Parish catechist• Influence of friends and social contacts

FORMATION OF CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE?

A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful.

The education of Conscience is a lifelong task• Formed gradually in faith and through personal

& ecclesial PRAYER LIFE: Studying the WORD of GOD & the

Teachings of the Church (Seek the moral guidance of the Church)

Responsiveness to the indwelling Holy Spirit. Examination of one’s conscience which is

a critical reflection on our concrete moral choices & experiences in daily life.

Types of Conscience1. Correct or true Conscience – corresponds

to objective moral values and precept

A good and pure conscience is enlightened by true faith, for charity proceeds at the same time “from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith” (CCC 1794)

2. False or erroneous conscience – one which mistakenly judges something as morally good which is objectively evil

CFC 727

Work of Conscience

To judge the good or evil of an act, by deciding on its three essential aspects:• the nature or object of the act• our intention as agents or doers of the act,

and • the circumstances which affect the

morality of the actCFC 728

Formation of Conscience

• INFORMED• ENLIGHTENED• FORMED

The Catholic Church as Moral Guide & Teacher:

• Bearer of Moral Tradition• A community of Moral discernment• Shaper of Moral Identity.