When you are making ETHICAL decisions, how much help is your CONSCIENCE? Is conscience generally trustworthy?

Answer 1

The idea of a "conscience" is one I have never really grasped. I think it refers to the set of moral values that one lives by. Assuming this is correct, my moral standards dominate my ethical decisions.

Answer 2

Yes, I think your conscience has to play a part in ethics. Because various theories of Ethics use conscience as a means of evaluating things.

For instance, when you look at the world from a universal standpoint, you are looking at it from your viewpoint of right and wrong.

But when you look at it from another theory, you are looking at it from the standpoint of what will harm the least amount of people. From that theory, you would look at it from the other side of the coin - how will the opposing side be harmed. To me, that uses my conscience as well because I don't want to hurt other people.

When looking at an issue from a legal standpoint, the same thing applies. Will following the law harm anyone? Again, my conscience comes into play.

Answer 3

All decisions are based on conscience.

Our logic and intuition tell us where there is consistence or contradictions, so we may distinguish what is true from false, and can make valid informed choices. It evaluates both factual evidence and ideas or feelings based on faith, to distinguish truth. Even when our conscience is corrupted by biases interfering with our ability to make objective choices, our conscience itself will send emotional signals telling us that something is conflicting so that we look to address or resolve the problems logically.

So it is even capable of self "de-bugging" if we learn how to read the signals correctly. In that sense it is trustworthy, and we merely need to learn to work with it correctly to resolve contradictions instead of suppressing them by false justification when our conscience indicates otherwise.

Answer 4

If your conscience is clean, it is very much trustworthy to help you in making good decisions.

1Timothy 3:9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

Answer 5

Whenever I need to make a decision like that, I ask just one question, "Will (whatever the action is that I'm questioning) harm anyone other than the person (usually me) making the decision to preform those actions?". If that answer is no, as far as I can tell, then I have no problem with it. Now, that doesn't mean I'm never going to do anything unethical. I'm not perfect, far from it. I just wont try to fool myself into believing that what I'm doing is right. I don't have to feel like I've never done wrong in order to be at peace with myself.

Answer 6

I ascribe to the secular view, which holds that conscience is a product of both nature and nurture, and is the area of brain function pertaining to our interactions with other human beings in our families, communities, society. It is only trustworthy if the brain is functioning properly, and since everything we do originates in the brain, we do not have free will, so it is critical that an individual be psychologically healthy and reasonably knowledgeable to function as a productive and pro-social human being.

Answer 7

Ethical decisions are purely based on your conscience. And no, it isn't trustworthy

Answer 8

ROTFLMBO...I do try and always be ethical to my standards...but yeah...my conscience sometimes has an over rid switch...one I am a sinner and two I am onery.
The Skeptical Christian
Grace and Peace
Peg

Answer 9

I think our conscience is just the Holy spirit trying to influence our emotions and draw us towards Gods will. You ever notice how, your conscience always acts up when we sin? yeah, I bet thats what it is. Its a reminder to do the good thing next time.

Answer 10

I would say that it is generally trustworthy. but we have 'free will' when it comes to our conscience - does this mean our conscience is God?