CONSCIENCE

PREPARED BY ARTIAGA, A. | BAJARO, L. | CONCEPCION, A. | LONGORIA, W. | OPERIO, P.

CONSCIENCE

1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2 IMAGES AND ELEMENTS OF CONSCIENCE

3 TYPES OF CONSCIENCE

4 LEVELS OF CONSCIENCE
CONSCIENCE

5 FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE

6 FORMATIVE FACTORS

7 CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
AND
BACKGROUND
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The concept of “conscience", as commonly used in its moral sense, is
the inherent ability of every healthy human being to perceive what is right and
what is wrong and, on the strength of this perception, to control, monitor,
evaluate and execute their actions. Such values as right or wrong, good or evil,
just or unjust, and fair or unfair have existed throughout human history but are
also shaped by an individual’s cultural, political and economic environment.
The closer our inner state of conscience identifies with the higher perception of
these concepts, such as good, right, just, and fair, the higher our degree of
“conscience", and less physical stress is experienced if we feel that we act
according to these concepts. It can be said that “conscience" is the degree of
integrity and honesty of each human being because it monitors and determines
the quality of one’s actions.
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
One who acts with a “clear conscience" has the advantage of feeling inner
peace, which is a feeling that mitigates the adverse physiological effects
experienced in times of stress. Conscience is the “highest authority" and
evaluates information to determine the quality of an action: good or evil, fair or
unfair and so on. Consequently, conscience has the ability and the authority to
decide how information will be used, either for good or for evil. However,
conscience is usually influenced by and modified in its decisions by the natural
instincts of humans for “survival" and “perpetuation". In other words,
conscience determines our final decisions for action after evaluating, in a split
second, all of the above parameters.
 ETYMOLOGY

• The word “conscience” is derived from the Latin words

cum + scientia (sire)

together to know
 DEFINITION
• Is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral
quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of perf
orming, or has already completed. (CCC)

• Understood as a kind of inner voice which guides us in our moral life. This
can mean our basic tendency toward the good, the “voice always
summoning us to love the good and avoid evil.” (CFC)

• An awareness of oneself which helps an individual act and thus become the
kind of person he or she is capable of becoming.

• Persons’ inner dialogue with God who calls each one to act like the
man/woman he or she is.
IMAGES AND
ELEMENTS OF
CONSCIENCE
IMAGES OF CONSCIENCE
Catechism #1776
“Our most secret core and sanctuary” where we
encounter God; our heart.

Catechism #1776 (Romans 2: 14-15)

A law inscribed in our hearts by God and recognized
as our own; its voice calls us “to love and do what is
good and avoid evil”.
IMAGES OF CONSCIENCE

Our moral compass that direct us to good or evil.

Our moral sensory faculty: capacity to see, feel, hear,

smell and touch the good; moral appetite as we judge
moral questions.
 ELEMENTS OF CONSCIENCE
1. Moral judgement that discerns what is right or wrong.
- the faculty which makes known to man his decision and urges him to fulfill
them.

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

- the faculty distinct from reason, will and feeling, situated at the very depth
and center of the human person which gives to man an understanding of
his meaning and destiny, an awareness of the divine purpose behind the
world.
 TYPES
OF
CONSCIENCE
 TYPES OF CONSCIENCE

Antecedent & Consequent Certain & Doubtful

Antecedent Conscience
Certain Conscience
- the judgment on the morality
- it passes judgment without
of an action is done even
fear of error
before a particular action is
performed
Doubtful Conscience
- it is uncertain about the
Consequent Conscience
morality of an act
- it evaluates an act already
committed
 TYPES OF CONSCIENCE

Right & Erroneous

Right or True Conscience
- it presents good as good and evil as evil
- it agrees or disagrees with the objective norms of morality

Erroneous or False Conscience

- it mistakenly judges something good to be evil, and something
evil to be good
- it may result from a malformation of one’s conscience due to
ignorance or wrong information
KINDS OF ERRONEOUS CONSCIENCE
TYPES OF CONSCIENCE

Lax Conscience
-it makes one think that grave sins are only slight matters
-one that is insensitive to the good that ought to be done and the
evil that ought to be shunned

Scrupulous Conscience
-one that sees sin in everything, or which magnifies mere trifles into
enormous crimes
-one that frequently thinks that it is sinning when in fact it is not
Weak Conscience
-one that may know what is right but hasn't the courage or spiritual
power to do what is right
-it may know what is wrong and sinful and yet it does it
 LEVELS
OF
CONSCIENCE
LEVELS OF CONSCIENCE
FEAR CONSCIENCE
•A person acts only to escape
punishment, to be praised or accepted
by authority.

•The person’s sense of good and bad

is NOT based on what truly is good
and bad.

•HIS BASIS: The approval/

disapproval of authority.
LEVELS OF CONSCIENCE
MORAL/ETHICAL CONSCIENCE
•A person acts on the basis of his
VALUES. It deals with concrete
individual values.

•If the law is disobeyed, one sees it

not only as act against authority but
also an act against a true good or
value.

•HIS BASIS: What is morally right.

LEVELS OF CONSCIENCE
CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS CONSCIENCE
•The Christian faith illumines, clarifies
and deepens what we know is truly
worthy of being a person.

•We feel the connection with our

personal and loving relationship with
God.

•HIS BASIS: After the example of Christ.

FORMATION
OF
CONSCIENCE
 FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE
CFC 725:
Our conscience is gradually formed through the natural educational agents of:

Influence of
Daily School Parish
friends & social
upbringing training catechesis
contracts
 FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE
CFC 726:
A “Christian Conscience” is formed gradually in faith and through personal
and ecclesial prayer life, through:

1. By attending to the word of God and the teachings of the Church.

2. By being responsive to the indwelling Holy Spirit

3. By critical reflection on our concrete moral choices and experiences of daily

life.
FORMATIVE
FACTORS OF
CONSCIENCE
FORMATIVE FACTORS OF CONSCIENCE
1. Heart Factors
- Jesus’ teachings and actions; our
prayer and sacramental life
- Morals

2. Mind Factors
- sacred and certain doctrines of
the Church
- Doctrines
CONCLUSION
 CONCLUSION
Conscience is an integral part of a person. It is present in all persons.
It is our core and sanctuary where we can meet God. Thus, nothing is more
intimate in us than our conscience.
As a reminder, it is important to educate our conscience so that our it
can avoid making incorrect judgments about acts to be performed or already
performed (CCC 1790b). As disciples of Christ, we are called also to form our
conscience constantly throughout our lives. We need to form a right conscience
that is in harmony with God’s will and law.
Thank you