Religious Ideas - Aquinas

Question 1

Synderesis

Answer 1

Rational part of mind - natural disposition
Good is to be done and evil is to be avoided
This must govern all human reasoning and its own natural orientation to do good and avoid evil
Repeated use of right reason which person acquires knowledge of basic moral principles

Question 2

Conscience

Answer 2

Comes from God and use reason and logic to help understand what god intended for us
‘Bound in conscience but they stand alone under no compulsion’ - not forced to follow god - free we’ll
God given reason = innate
Practical reason arrives as and understands the primary precepts that were ordained by God
Conscience applied through secondary precepts

Con = ‘ the faculty of reason making moral decisions’ and natural ability to see right and wrong
If we use reason correctly, gradually come to know what’s good - develop synderesis

Question 3

Conscientia

Answer 3

The acc. Ethical judgement person makes which leads to a particular course of action based upon principles - practical application of conscience
Informed by synderesis - comes together to create conscience

Question 4

Why do ppl make mistakes?

Answer 4

Conscience is fallible

Person doesn’t know the moral law that should be applied to the situation, person is guilty of sin because should have known it - misuse of reason - apparent good

If person hasn’t been hasn’t been informed ab facts of the case then person not responsible for wrong decision

Question 5

Must be followed

Answer 5

What conscience dictates = true to person - must be followed
Truth comes from God so to go against conscience = go against god = sin
Might mean that sometimes con might be in error and lead to misdeeds but should still follow it - far superior to anything else we could use

‘That he who acts against his conscience always sins’

Question 6

Evaluation

Answer 6

WEAKNESSES:

Can’t win, sin if you follow and sin if you dont follow conscience
Admits his view not infallible, con can go away from the correct path by following apparent goods
Ignores fact that large no. Of ppl. Act irrationally because their reasoning is limit
All aware of synderesis rule but if we look at state of world today my be tempted to say ppl follow rule fo self interest

STRENGTHS:

Emphasis on reason - good since reason allows us to make freely chosen moral decision which to many is the essence of being a moral being - free will
Straight forward