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 SuperSententiarum, Quaestiones Disputatae DeVeritate,
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.