Aquinas' Theological Approach to Conscience
Summary
Aquinas' theological approach sees conscience as reason applying God's Natural Law. He divides conscience into two parts: Synderesis—an infallible inner principle from God that directs us toward good and away from evil, like a "moral compass" that always points to the primary precepts (worship God, preserve life, reproduce, educate, live in society); and Conscientia—fallible practical judgment where we apply synderesis to specific situations. This is where mistakes happen. Aquinas says conscience is binding—we must follow it, even if it's wrong (though we're not guilty if we couldn't have known better). Conscience "witnesses, binds, and torments" us through guilt when we disobey.
Detailed Explanation
What is Aquinas' Theological Approach?
Definition
Aquinas views conscience as reason's application of God's Natural Law to human actions. It's a psychological process grounded in God's design of human nature.
The Two Components of Conscience
1. Synderesis (The Infallible Foundation)
What it is:
- An innate, infallible habit of practical reason that grasps the first principles of natural law
- Given by God to all humans as part of our rational nature
- Always directs us toward good and away from evil
The Synderesis Rule
"Do good and avoid evil". This is the fundamental principle that cannot be mistaken or lost from the human mind.
The Primary Precepts (Five Natural Inclinations)
Aquinas identifies five primary precepts that flow from synderesis:
Worship God
Our natural inclination toward the transcendent
Live in an Ordered Society
Our social nature
Reproduce
Our biological drive to continue the species
Educate/Learn
Our intellectual nature
Defend/Preserve Human Life
Our instinct for survival and protection of innocent life
Memory Aid: WORLD
Worship, Ordered society, Reproduction, Learning/Education, Defence of innocent = primary precepts
2. Conscientia (The Fallible Application)
What it is:
- The active process of applying synderesis and the primary precepts to specific situations
- Forms secondary precepts—specific moral judgments about particular actions
- Fallible—can make mistakes due to ignorance, bad habits, or corrupt culture
How it Works
1. Synderesis provides the primary precepts (e.g., "preserve human life")
2. Conscientia applies this to a situation (e.g., "euthanasia ends human life")
3. Conscientia forms a secondary precept (e.g., "euthanasia is wrong")
Example: Euthanasia
Primary precept: "Preserve human life"
Application: Euthanasia ends a human life
Secondary precept: "Euthanasia is wrong"
The Binding Nature of Conscience
Aquinas' Key Claim
Conscience is binding—it is always wrong to disobey your conscience, even if it's mistaken.
Two Types of Ignorance
Invincible Ignorance
Couldn't have known better (not your fault)
Example: You genuinely didn't know the primary precept applied to this situation
Result: Not guilty, not morally blameworthy
Vincible Ignorance
Could have known better but didn't (your fault)
Example: You were too lazy to think carefully, or your conscience was corrupted by bad habits
Result: Guilty and morally blameworthy
How Conscience "Witnesses, Binds, and Torments"
Aquinas describes three functions:
Witnesses
Conscience tells us what is right and wrong before we act
Binds
Conscience creates a moral obligation we must follow
Torments
Conscience causes guilt (remorse) when we disobey
Mechanism
Our reason knows the moral law through synderesis. When we act against it, we experience guilt because we deep down know we've done wrong.
Real Goods vs. Apparent Goods
Real Goods
Actions that truly fulfill our natural telos (purpose) and align with primary precepts
Apparent Goods
Actions that seem good due to faulty reasoning but are actually bad
Example
Someone might reason that euthanasia is compassionate (apparent good), but it's actually wrong because it violates the primary precept of preserving life (real good).
Strengths of Aquinas' Approach
Respects Human Rationality
Conscience develops through reason and education, not just blind obedience. Allows for moral growth and sophistication.
Accounts for Guilt
Explains why we feel guilty when we do wrong—our reason tells us we've violated God's law.
Biblical Foundation
Rooted in Scripture (Romans 2:15) and Christian tradition. Connects conscience to God's design of human nature.
Flexibility Within Structure
Infallible synderesis provides firm foundation, but conscientia allows for application to complex situations.
Weaknesses of Aquinas' Approach
Verification Problem
How do we know synderesis is from God and infallible? Can't be empirically verified.
Moral Disagreement
If synderesis is infallible, why do people have different moral intuitions? Why do some people intuit that euthanasia is permissible while others don't?
Cultural Relativity
Conscientia can be corrupted by culture, but Aquinas doesn't fully explain how to distinguish corrupted from correct conscience.
The Bindingness Problem
If conscience is mistaken, why must we still follow it? Seems irrational to follow a wrong judgment.
Scholarly Perspectives
Thomas Aquinas
"The first practical principles... belong to a special natural habit which we call 'synderesis'... Synderesis is said to incite to good, and to murmur at evil, inasmuch as through first principles we proceed to discover, and judge of what we have discovered. Conscience is the application of knowledge to our acts, that we may judge whether they are right or wrong."
Aquinas defines synderesis as the innate habit grasping first principles, and conscience as the application of these principles to judge actions.
Thomas Aquinas
"Every conscience, whether right or wrong, whether the issue of right reason or perverted, binds. It binds us in such a way that he who disregards conscience commits sin. The conscience is binding, even when it is mistaken."
Aquinas's controversial claim that conscience always binds, even when mistaken, because following conscience is how we fulfill our duty to God's law.
Key Takeaways
Two Parts of Conscience
Synderesis (infallible foundation) + Conscientia (fallible application) = Conscience
WORLD Memory Aid
Worship, Ordered society, Reproduction, Learning, Defence of innocent = primary precepts
Synderesis is Infallible
Always directs us to good; can't be lost from the human mind
Conscientia is Fallible
Can make mistakes due to ignorance, bad habits, culture
Conscience Binds
Must always be obeyed, even if mistaken (though not blameworthy if invincibly ignorant)
Real vs. Apparent Goods
Real goods fulfill our telos; apparent goods seem good due to faulty reasoning
Quick Reference: Aquinas' Conscience at a Glance
| Component | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Synderesis | Innate habit grasping first principles (do good, avoid evil) | Infallible |
| Primary Precepts | Five natural inclinations (Worship, Order, Reproduce, Learn, Defend) | Infallible |
| Conscientia | Application of principles to specific situations | Fallible |
| Secondary Precepts | Specific moral judgments (e.g., "euthanasia is wrong") | Fallible |
| Conscience | Whole process (synderesis + conscientia) | Binding (must be obeyed) |
| Guilt | Torment when we disobey conscience | Natural result of violating synderesis |