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CONSCIENCE
IN THOMAS AQUINAS: A PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The modern
world is characterized by violence, riots, wars, terrorism, and abortion, which
constitute threats to the peaceful co-existence of men. Analysts have strived to bring out solution
to the problem in their various capacities. Both the advocates of peace and
terror, theists and atheists explicitly or implicitly speak and write about
conscience and its place in the pursuit of particular causes. Hence the notion
of conscience is a point of interest to all.
The term
conscience appears in the constitutions of many nations today as well as in the
official documents of the church. Civil
rights activists have often used the terms “white conscience”, “public
conscience” Christian conscience” and so on, as weapons of remedy against
various ills and excesses of ideologies.
Scholastic philosophers are themselves neither unanimous nor constant in
their use of the word conscience.
This
overview is nevertheless sufficient to show that conscience embodies various
meanings and covers situations ranging from view of life to personal
conviction, social values and objective standard of conduct for different
peoples. The nature of conscience has,
as a result, been variously interpreted as an interior voice, a faculty, an act
of judgement, a habit, etc. The lack or
absence of unanimity in the usage and interpretations of conscience by both
secular and ecclesiastical writers often blur and make ambiguous its true
meaning. Thus, the ordinary man is all
the more perplexed with regard to its function as a norm of morality. In this
light, it is an onerous task to arrive at an understanding of the nature of
conscience and its obligation.
Authority
irks modern man. For him, freedom is the absence of restraint. In many democratic countries, for instance,
freedom becomes equated with irresponsibility.
Often the basis of dissent is sought in conscience, which serves as an
arsenal of defense against the demands of authority. In moral matters, the emphasis is on personal
autonomy that refuses to look beyond self, for moral values and guidance. However, appeals to conscience in cases like
these often result in an inability to resolve moral problems. The consequence is chaotic existence, which
has become the mark of our times.
This long
essay is an attempt to clarify some of the uncertainty that surrounds the word
conscience using the philosophical framework of St. Thomas Aquinas.
1.1 Background Of The Study
Conscience
is man’s nearest guide with regard to his moral decisions on actions. Man makes a rational judgement over the
actions performed or about to be performed in order to know how good or bad
they are. He does this because of the
natural inclination to attain happiness and satisfaction. Hence, conscience is of interest to all. Teachers make lesson on it, leaders consider
it, parents address their children on it, Christians respect it; lawyers act on
it; while philosophers examine it critically.
Aquinas’
attention was drawn to the issue of “conscience” as a result of the hot debate
on the relationship of conscience and synderesis as well as its nature in the
Middle Ages. He looked into the matter
to see if there were any distinguishing features of conscience, its operation
in the intellect with regard to the actions of man. He came out with the conclusion that
conscience incites or binds. There is no
doubt that his stand on the issue alleviated the problem to a certain
extent. However, it is still subject to
critical examination, because his view appears to be very subjective.
Thomas
Aquinas {c. 1225-74} was born into an aristocratic family at Roccasecca in the
south of Italy. He studied philosophy
and theology at Cologne with and under Albert the Great. Aquinas’ best-known work is his Summa
Theologia and others like Scriptum Super Sententiarum, Quaestiones Disputatae
De Veritate, Summa Contra Gentiles, which he wrote around 1254 to 1273. He died on March 7, 1274 in the Cistercian
abbey at Fossanova.
1.2 Statement Of The Problem
A historical survey of philosophers
and thinkers who delved into the problem of conscience shows that conscience
and synderesis are inevitable in making moral decisions on actions. However, man cannot appreciate and
appropriate this function of the human intellect without an epistemological
cleansing in order to see the relationship between synderesis and
conscience. Aquinas’ doctrine
established that conscience has a binding force whether true or erroneous[1].
This means that one who yields to erroneous conscience is not free from a bad
act. Does it imply that one with
erroneous conscience must act wrongly?
What measure could be employed to correct the error and how? The problem of a doubtful conscience entails
a feeling of uncertainty about something as to the lawfulness or obligation of
an action. Aquinas’ reply seems naïve:
of course, “a man needs only to put aside his error for he is really not in a
quandary”[2].
1.3
Purpose Of The Study
The main objective of this work is to
expose and make a philosophical reflection on Aquinas’ doctrine on conscience,
his understanding of conscience and synderesis. An attempt will be made to see
the relationship between Aquinas idea of conscience and man as a moral being in
quest of ultimate end. I shall attempt also to contribute to resolving the
problem of error and doubtful conscience, in addition to what Aquinas has said
about the problem.
1.4 Scope Of The Study
I am concerned in this research
work with Aquinas’ teaching on antecedent conscience not consequent conscience,
since only the former is a norm of morality.
I am bent on finding out exactly the ‘quid’ of his antecedent moral
conscience with its attendant obligation.
1.5
Method Of Research
The method of research is expository
and analytical since our objective is to know and understand Aquinas’ thought
and it’s relevance to man as a moral
being that acts for an ultimate end. The
word “conscience” throughout the work is to be taken as antecedent moral
conscience unless noted otherwise.
1.6 Division Of Work
The work is divided into four
chapters. The first chapter is the
preliminary consideration of the research. The second chapter takes a look at
the idea of conscience before Aquinas.
The third chapter exposes Aquinas doctrine on conscience. In the fourth
chapter I shall reflect on the relevance of his doctrine to man as a being with
ultimate end. After that we shall
conclude the essay.
[1] II Sent. , dist. 39, q. 3, a. 3.
[2] II Sent. , dist. 39, q. 3, a. 5.
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