Augustine on Moral Conscience

Abstract

There are widely differing accounts of Augustine's place in the early history of the notion of conscience. While some regard his contribution as groundbreaking, others consider that he only stressed interiority more than earlier authors. Starting with a contrast with Jerome, the present article aims at clarifying Augustine's specific contribution and the place of conscience in his moral thought.

Seeking the Place of Conscience in Higher Education: An Augustinian View

“…It is unlucky not least because, on the witness of not a few scholars, Augustine writes a formative chapter in the history of conscience [12,13]. We already observed this at work in his account of Genesis 3.…”

“…It is the act by which human beings become reflective and responsible agents, locating their "moral placement" in a network of moral relations ( [7], pp. [13][14][15]. This view implies that agency is a process not a presupposition.…”

“…As Manfred Svensson rightly argues in his account of the Augustinian conscience, Augustine's integration of conscience into his account of illumination does not entail an ontologist theory of divinely imparted knowledge. "[H]is insistence on conscience as vox Dei…by no means excludes the idea that conscience is a part of the process of moral reasoning… Augustine's conception of conscience is not a form of inner illumination that confers moral certainty apart from reason, sense and emotion, but rather an act of judgment integrates these faculties and activities in the search for a good life" ( [13], p. 51).…”

A clear case for conscience in healthcare practice

“…Conscience accommodates two differing, yet inter-related concepts—voice of conscience as a reflex, a gut feeling that something is morally wrong and consciousness as a reflective insight into the impact of our actions 20 21. This owes a great debt to Christian doctrineiii and it is perhaps unsurprising that the concept of conscience has diminished with the rise of secular ethics.…”