Conscience in Making Ethical Choices - Essay Example

Should conscience always come first in making ethical choices?   October 23, 2009 2003 words   If one takes a close look atthe human civilization, one can not help noticing that there is a considerable number of aspects in which it is different from any other group which is formed by the living organisms. While some might point out the significance of such abilities as generating verbal interaction, it is clear that the rich as well as highly developed spiritual world is what really differs a human being from the rest of the creatures. In addition to that, there is another concept which is essential for understanding the human behaviour, namely conscience. Thus, it is beyond any doubt that it is particularly important in the decision making process. This paper will argue that in spite of being abstract notion, conscience should always come first in making ethical choices. To begin with, one should point out that it is generally thought that there is no stable algorithm which is able to determine every single decision that a person makes. In other words, “route to a decision is not predetermined by the mechanism. In this case we need an additional theory to explain voluntary choice”1. This means that the idea of conscience may become the element which is able to make the issue of the nature of the decision making process easier to understand. Indeed, when it comes to analyzing making a decision, there is a considerable number of variables that a person should take into account. Keeping that in mind, it is rather difficult to design a fine as well as well structured approach towards decision making in general. That is why one might heavily rely on conscience when it comes to the issue in question as this concept may provide a person with the required categories that could be later used to make a decision which a person considers to be correct. Another important implication that the lack of clearly defined mechanism of the decision making hold is that a person is free to choose its elements. In other words, some people might find it effective to rely on conscience while making a decision and other will dismiss this notion. Thus, the evidence as well as practice shows that if conscience comes first in the decision making process it brings positive consequences. However, a person should approach the notion of conscience with caution. The opponents of this argue that “conscience has become [the] mystery of decision-making, the enigma to which man assigns human quandaries and upon which he builds this artificial speculation as to the source of moral human choices”2. As a result this point of view encourages people not to place all the eggs into one basket. Indeed, in spite of the fact that the idea of conscience might appear to be quite useful, it is still rather vague and numerous scholars were not able to come to an agreement over its definition. Thus, there are many approaches to what makes conscience and how it is able to influence the decision making process. Nevertheless, the significance of the above mentioned idea may not be dismissed as even with all the numerous definitions that form it, conscience is critical for understanding the deep motives that have impact on the behavior of the people. As has been previously noted, the process of judgment that is performed by a human is different from the one that is performed by any other living creature in that sense that the formed is based on abstract notions, such as conscience. In other words, using it while considering right and wrong is one of the most humane things to do. That is why the concept of conscience should come first and be considered to be an irreplaceable element of the decision making process. There is another point of view which should be taken into account while examining the role that the above mentioned notion plays in lives of the humans. Thus, it happens so that the world of real life human Ethics might develop separately from the academic world. Indeed, Ancient Greece witnessed philosophers who presented their revolutionary views on many aspects of the human activity and are respected until the present moment. Nevertheless, the researchers argue that “in practice, the speculative arguments of Plato and Aristotle had little effect on the exercise of moral decision in firth- or fourth-century Athens. Instead moral thought and practice continued to operate in time-honoured ways, appealing to traditional standards, received maxims, and customary patterns of life”3. In other words, when it comes to evaluating the role that conscience plays in the decision making, one should also acknowledge its most powerful adversary – the tradition. It would not be a mistake to suggest that any society is reluctant to leave its ways which were supported by the continuous tradition. This results in the fact that people start being guided by the socially acceptable rules rather than their conscience. It is beyond any doubt that this is not the kind of influence that people should experience. In other words, if the conventional norms replace the concept of conscience and become the dominant force in the decision making, the latter will turn into a kind of activity where a person has no power over one’s decisions. Therefore, it is quite important to put emphasis on conscience within decision making process and make sure that it comes first. All this takes the researcher to the following issue: if the idea of conscience is involved while judging the correctness of the decision, there are only two outcomes for it whether the decision pleases conscience or it does not. As a result, this abstract notion is largely regarded as a suitable way to check if a person did right or wrong. That is why “the individual decision maker must always be aware of the possibility of deception, lack of openness, and short circuiting the process. But the dangers and possible abuses do not negate the fundamental role of the joy and peace of a good conscience”4. This means that the very process of decision making might be subject to influence of the above mentioned negative factors. However, it is clear that the difficulty at which making a right decision comes should not be used as an excuse for not engaging conscience. Indeed, while people might disregard the necessity to check their actions against the above mentioned abstract notion, one would not make a mistake pointing out that the presence of good conscience and lack of conflict with it may be considered to be as an effective way to validate the process that was implemented by a person. In other words, conscience should be involved while making an ethical decision as it provides a person which a stable set of coordinates. Another point which should be taken into account when it comes to evaluating the necessity to include conscience is its relation towards actions which are beneficial for the actor only. It is suggested that “an authentic conscience decision is based primarily on doing the right (just, honest, caring) thing and not self-serving motives”5. As one can clearly see on this example, the notion of conscience as well as self-serving motives is incompatible. That is why a person should always decide whether the decision is dedicated to bring positive consequences for the subject only or the other people as well. Since the former type of largely labelled as selfish, this kind of actions may not be called ethical. On the other hand, the second type is considered to be ethical and requires the use of conscience as a moral compass. It has been previously noted that the people were not able to work out a single definition of conscience, but a large array of definitions, each of which puts emphasis on a particular aspect of it. One might suggest that in this case the definition a contrario might be suitable: conscience should be considered to be a state that does not include self-serving motives. It is clear that this somewhat one dimensional definition, but it works perfectly when it comes to understanding the role of conscience in the decision making process. Finally, this approach might also be used to test the behaviour if it is ethical or not. For example, if the idea which is considered to be moral results in personal benefit only, it must be dismissed as such. What is really important when one analyzes the process of decision making and the place that conscience takes in it is the religious side of the issue. Indeed, if a representative of a religious group were asked whether the concept in question should be used in the process of decision making, one would not have any doubt about it. Thus, it is suggested that “Christian teaching would, then, not concern the subject matter of the decision. It would be a call to an existence guided by conscience”6. In other words, from the point of view of the religious worldview, engaging conscience while making an ethical decision is not an option: it should be regarded as one of the fundamental elements which should guide any kind of activity that is performed by a person. That is why one is encouraged make a distinction between the secular approach to the problem in question as well as the religious one. One might argue that when it comes to evaluating the latter point of view, the argument is solved easily. However, the ease with which this difficult dispute is resolved should not trick a person into thinking that the secular solution will be similar. In other words, it is quite significant to acknowledge that the issue of engaging conscience leads to numerous implications which can largely affect the outcome of the decision. Thus, for people who are involved in the active religious practice the use of conscience is inseparably connected to every part of their daily life. Finally, if one carries out a detailed research on the matter in question, one will be able to find that some of scholars were able to come to a rather explicit answer to the question. Thus, one of the books on conscience related issues and how it applies to a daily life of a person states the following: “If therefore a man does not, at every moment of deliberate choice ask the question, ‘What is the right thing for me to do here? What I ought to do?’ he is wilfully evading judgement-seat of conscience; and if his action is determined by any other decision except that of strict right and wrong, he is voluntarily running the risk of committing sin”7. As one can easily see, there is a strict answer to whether conscience should or should not be involved in the process of decision making. What is more important is that the author of this book utilized a completely secular point of view and did not rely on any kind of spiritually based practice. Indeed, this might be considered to be a valid claim as one can hardly doubt the objectivity of it. However, it is clear that the approach that is presented in the words above might be considered to be too rigorous for the majority of the people to follow as that would make their life rather difficult. Nevertheless, it provides a rather easy to understand answer to the problem in question. Having examined all the points which were articulated in the paragraphs above, it would be logical to come to the following conclusion: conscience should always come first when it comes to making an ethical decision. There may be several reasons for that. To begin with, it provides a person with a reliable set of moral coordinate and an effective tool to check the correctness. In addition to that, consciousness will allow a person to perform an action which will lead to a benefit of the other people as well. Keeping in mind all the positive consequences which were described above, it is quite natural that it should come first while making an ethical decision. References Battaglia, Walter L. Ethics as social conscience. Davis, Calif.: California Expert Software, 2007. Cavanagh, Michael. War and morality: Citizens Rights and Duties. New York: McFarland, 2012. Curran, Charles E. Conscience. New York: Paulist, 2004. Jonsen, Albert R., and Stephen Edelston Toulmin. The abuse of casuistry: a history of moral reasoning. Berkeley, Calif. [u.a.: U of California Pr., 1988. Kirk, Kenneth E. Conscience and its problems: an introduction to casuistry. New York: James Clarke, 2001. Miller, Charles. Conscience, denied. S.l.: Xlibris, 2010. Tödt, Heinz Eduard, and Ernst Scharffenorth. Authentic faith: Bonhoeffers theological ethics in context. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 2007. Read More