Conscience

The concept of conscience — the inner sense of right and wrong — is one of the most debated topics in ethics and philosophy of religion. The AQA A-Level specification requires you to understand a range of perspectives on the nature, origin, and authority of conscience, from theological accounts (Aquinas, Butler, Newman) to secular psychological explanations (Freud, Piaget, Kohlberg, Fromm). The central question is: what is conscience, and should we always follow it?

Key Definition: Conscience is the inner faculty or sense by which a person judges the moral quality of their own actions, intentions, and character. Different thinkers disagree fundamentally about its origin (God, reason, socialisation) and its authority (infallible, fallible, or merely psychological).

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Aquinas (1225–1274): Synderesis and Conscientia

Aquinas provided the most influential theological account of conscience. He distinguished between two aspects:

Synderesis

Synderesis (sometimes spelled synteresis) is the innate, unchanging disposition to seek good and avoid evil. It is a fundamental principle of practical reason implanted in all rational beings by God. Synderesis is never wrong — it always points towards the good.