The Moral conscience and the dynamics of decision:
23.The Moral conscience and the dynamics of
decision: the autonomous and relational dimension of conscience. The formation
of conscience: responsibility with respect to the conscience but also of the
conscience.
Introduction: In Christian theology, the moral
character of human actions is determined by their relation to God’s will. Man’s
actions are morally good if they agree with God’s will, and they are morally
bad if they disagree with it.
God will is not primarily expressed in a set of codified law and rules but
concerns an inner calling and a summons to accomplish a risk within the
universal plan of God for man and this world. This is
discussed in the moral theology. It concerns how Christian should behave. Thus
it becomes the theology of Christian life. Here is description of the
relationship of moral theology with other distinctive subject matters and
diffrentfuncton of the conscience.
Definition
of Moral Theology: Moral
theology is that branch of theology which states and explains the laws of human
conduct in reference to man’s supernatural destiny, the vision and fruition of
God. As a science, it investigates the morality of human acts, that is, the
moral good and the moral evil in conduct in relation to man’s ultimate end.
Christian Moral Theology is the scientific exposition of the ethical teaching
of the Gospel, or, more definitely, that theological discipline which sets
forth the laws, rules, and precepts man must know and obey in order to attain
his supernatural destiny.
Conscience: Conscience is a practical judgment (practical reason) on
the goodness or the malice of an act to be done or avoided, in the particular
circumstances in which a person is placed. It is the internal and proximate
rule of morality. It is the process in which the general norms of the moral law
are applied to a concrete action which a person is about to perform or has
performed, telling the person what his obligation is here and now or judging
his past acts. In this view conscience is a herald which voices the objective
law and a deputy which applies it to the concrete, individual situation. For
Augustine, conscience is the place of the loving discussion between God and
man, and therefore the voice of God. According to Vatican II (Gaudium
et Spes-16)Conscience is the most sacred core and sanctuary of a man where
Holy Spirit dwells.
Conscience can be defined as that faculty
which makes known to man his moral obligations and urges him to fulfill them.
It is not primarily a theoretical or scientific knowledge of moral values and
of good and evil; rather is shows man what his ultimate calling and the divine
Spirit require of him individually as his personal obligation and leads him to
perceive the binding force of these requirements.
Division
of Conscience: There
are many kinds of conscience, such as- i) Antecedent Conscience ii) Consequent
conscience iii) Right Conscience iv) An erroneous conscience vi) A scrupulous
conscience: v) A perplexed conscience: vii) A lax conscience: viii) The causes
of laxity of consciencexi) Probable Consciencex) A doubtful conscience ix)
Certain conscience xii) Improbable Consciencexi) Probable Conscienceand x) A
doubtful conscience.
Dynamic
role of Conscience on making Human Decision
We have different kinds of conscious. This
conscious helps us to make decision. Our right conscience always gives the
right decision. But many times we do not follow the decision of the right
conscious. Moreover, the faculty of Conscience goes into action when a person
wants to follow or has followed, and the moral obligation in the concrete
situation, are to be judged. The moral faculty then formulates a judgment,
which is called the dictate of Conscience or also simply Conscience. Conscience
is called an ultimate, practical judgment in contradistinction to a practical
judgment of speculative nature. For this judgment conscious play a role and
helps to take decision. We must obey a right conscience, both in doing what it
commands, in avoiding what is forbids, and in respecting what it command as a
means of perfection.
The
Autonomous Dimension of Conscience: Autonomous means man’s independence from moral command external to him,
including any divine law and will. In the case of the conscience, it is the
capacity of the conscience to be free from any sensible attitude and habitual
deeds. When the conscience is properly
formed, it attains the autonomous dimension. It becomes able to realize that
the moral goodness has its value in itself and dignity not for the sake of any
external authority who wills it. It comes through a motivated sense of duty not
by force but by a free and autonomous capacity of the right conscience.
Vatica-II states in GS-17 that Man achieves such dignity when, emancipating
himself from all captivity to passion, he pursues his goal in a spontaneous
choice of what is good, and procures for himself through effective and skilful
action, apt helps to that end.
The
Relational Dimension of the Conscience: The Relational Dimension of the Conscience is attitude to do good for
others. It is a threefold dimension to do good to others, self and ultimately
to God. As the teaching of the second Vatican council states that its voice,
ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, tells him
inwardly at the right moment:There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in
his depths. By conscience, in a wonderful way, that law is made known which is
fulfilled in the love of God and of one's neighbour.
Formation
of Conscience
Conscience plays an important role in human
life. So its proper formation is very essential. The Church also emphasize on
it because by Baptism, we belong to the family of God, the Church as children.
Then we need to maintain a moral standard which comes through the proper
formation conscience. It is a long process. Here are some points given below
for formation of Conscience.
a)
Sound Knowledge cum Vision:
It helps to make right decision and makes our judgment more accurate.
b)
Autonomous: It cops with all
situation and works automatically. Person enjoys God given gift of freedom
here.
c)
Proper Integration:As a
whole inner or totality of a person. It is at the level of cognitive,
conation/behavioral, affective which must be integrated by nature.
d)
Prudent Advice: It is
necessary to take good example of others, supports of others, cultivate and
practice of values. Formation should be according to the Gospel values-(study,
prayer and patience), teaching of the Church, examination (Gift of Holy Spirit)
of conscience to actualize and good example of others.
"Deep within his conscience man
discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its
voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil,
sounds in his heart at the right moment. . . . For man has in his
heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man's most
secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in
his depths."47
Moral
conscience,48 present at the heart of the person, enjoins him
at the appropriate moment to do good and to avoid evil. It also judges
particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are
evil.49 It bears witness to the authority of truth in reference
to the supreme Good to which the human person is drawn, and it welcomes the
commandments. When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God
speaking.
1778 Conscience 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 performing, or
has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow
faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the judgment of his
conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine
law:
Conscience
is a law of the mind; yet [Christians] would not grant that it is nothing more;
I mean that it was not a dictate, nor conveyed the notion of responsibility, of
duty, of a threat and a promise. . . . [Conscience] is a messenger of
him, who, both in nature and in grace, speaks to us behind a veil, and teaches
and rules us by his representatives. Conscience is the aboriginal Vicar of
Christ.50
1779 It is important
for every person to be sufficiently present to himself in order to hear and
follow the voice of his conscience. This requirement of interiority is
all the more necessary as life often distracts us from any reflection,
self-examination or introspection:
Return
to your conscience, question it. . . . Turn inward, brethren, and in
everything you do, see God as your witness.51
1780 The dignity of
the human person implies and requires uprightness of moral conscience.
Conscience includes the perception of the principles of morality (synderesis);
their application in the given circumstances by practical discernment of
reasons and goods; and finally judgment about concrete acts yet to be performed
or already performed. The truth about the moral good, stated in the law of
reason, is recognized practically and concretely by the prudent
judgment of conscience. We call that man prudent who chooses in
conformity with this judgment.
1781 Conscience
enables one to assume responsibility for the acts performed.
If man commits evil, the just judgment of conscience can remain within him as
the witness to the universal truth of the good, at the same time as the evil of
his particular choice. The verdict of the judgment of conscience remains a
pledge of hope and mercy. In attesting to the fault committed, it calls to mind
the forgiveness that must be asked, the good that must still be practiced, and
the virtue that must be constantly cultivated with the grace of God:
We
shall . . . reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts
condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.52
1782 Man has the
right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral
decisions. "He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor
must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in
religious matters."5
THE FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE
1783 Conscience must be informed and moral
judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It
formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good
willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable
for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to
prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings.
1784 The education of the conscience is a
lifelong task. From the earliest years, it awakens the child to the knowledge
and practice of the interior law recognized by conscience. Prudent education
teaches virtue; it prevents or cures fear, selfishness and pride, resentment
arising from guilt, and feelings of complacency, born of human weakness and
faults. The education of the conscience guarantees freedom and engenders peace
of heart.
1785 In the formation of conscience the Word
of God is the light for our path,54 we must assimilate it in
faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience
before the Lord's Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided
by the witness or advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of
the Church.
Conclusion: After all the discussion we can say that
Moral theology is related with anthropology, revelation, philosophy. All of
these branches work for the human being and God. Moral theology also discusses
the formation of our conscience and helps to do take decision with conscience.
With the divine relation natural law pays an important role to develop our
human growth.
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