A2 Religious Ethics Revision Conscience 2
JOSEPH BUTLER ( )
Joseph Butler was Bishop of Durham from 1750 and a supporter of ‘natural theology’ – a system of theology based on reason alone, without the support of revelation
Butler argued that the conscience is the means by which an individual makes a moral decision
Butler Every human being has the ability to reflect on moral issues, and they have an awareness of two basic, and possibly conflicting, principles, self-love self-love and love of others love of others (benevolence)
Butler Conscience directs us towards concentrating on the interests of others and away from love of self
Butler People do not normally choose to do evil
Butler Rather, they pursue their own interests or cause with which they identify evil evil is a by-product of this.
Problem! Butler’s hypothesis appears to have been proved wrong in the events of recent history, in which people quite clearly appear to have chosen evil over good
Ian Huntley & Maxine Carr (the Soham murders) Peter and Rosemary West Peter Sutcliffe (The Yorkshire Ripper)
SELF-LOVE The desire for happiness for the self It is not a passion or emotional response, nor is it merely instinctive
SELF-LOVE Is when a person ‘can reflect upon themselves, and their own interest or happiness, so as to have that interest an object to their minds’
BENEVOLENCE The desire for the happiness of others (altruism)
Conscience ‘adjudicates’ between these two interests
guide It behaves as a guide gift from God a gift from God to show the way towards the good
Because it is from God, it should be obeyed without question
IIIIt has universal authority in all moral judgements
How do we know it? Through INTUITION
The mind is able to perceive abstract concepts or truths normally believed to be beyond empirical experience
What Butler believed While Aquinas argued that conscience was the ‘voice of reason Butler stated that conscience derived from intuition
What Butler believed Individuals make moral decisions without any thought to the sanctions of an external law
What Butler believed Man is a law unto himself
What Butler believed The obligation to obey the law is, through its source in human nature, put there by God
What Butler believed The demands of conscience are compelling without any recourse to an external authority
What Butler believed The conscience is self- authenticating
What Butler believed Gave conscience absolute authority
What Butler believed Required that the conscience be followed without question
What Butler believed This leads to TWOproblems
Problem One The conscience may be misled or misinterpreted
Problem Two Intuition is impossible to cross-reference as it is given absolute authority ( Remember the Non-Cognitivists? )
Problem Two Intuition relates and answers only to itself
Problem Two This could ‘permit’ a person to behave in a way that does not provide for the happiness of others
The End