A2 Religious Ethics
Revision
Conscience
Synderesis
&
Aquinas
SYNDERESIS
In NT, Greek word for
conscience is synderesis.
first used by Aristotle
became well-known through
St. Jerome
St. Jerome
“Synderesis is
the gleam of
conscience”
SYNDERESIS
the ability of the
mind to understand
the first principles
of moral reasoning.
St Paul
conscience bears
witness to the
requirements of
the law
Conscience is the
means by which a
person knows
they have done
wrong
THOMAS AQUINAS (1224 – 1274)
Synderesis is the
means of
distinguishing
between right and
wrong
THOMAS AQUINAS
a natural part of
mental activity
•it provides an
individual with moral
guidance.
THOMAS AQUINAS
Synderesis takes the
basic principles of
behaviour and applies
them, through the
conscience, to individual
situations.
THOMAS AQUINAS
Synderesis
is
never
mistaken!
An individual only does
wrong when the
conscience makes
mistakes when it applies
synderesis to a
situation
THOMAS AQUINAS
believed that
conscience was
binding, but that it
could be mistaken
the error was to
be treated in one
of two ways
A factual mistake
the individual did not
know that a general rule
applied to a particular
situation.
OR
A mistake that is due to
ignorance of a rule
the individual should have
known better.
A factual mistake
The individual is
not responsible
for their
wrongdoing.
Ignorance of a rule
The individual is
responsible for
the wrongdoing
THOMAS AQUINAS
Conscience
is the activity that
takes place when
reason is making
right decisions
THOMAS AQUINAS
It is the process
of weighing up
good and bad
THOMAS AQUINAS
Synderesis is right reason
the awareness of being
able to do good and
prevent evil
The Synderesis Rule
Seek to do that which
is the good and seek
to avoid that which is
the evil
Conscientia
distinguishes between
right and wrong
It makes and takes moral
decisions
THOMAS AQUINAS
Conscience is
the voice of
reason
The End
Now
just pass
the exam!