The Role of Conscience in Honesty and Corruption
The conscience has been variously defined as “the inner light”, “the voice of God” and “an echo of the voice of God”. The increase in lawlessness, violence and corruption worldwide raises the question of why some people seem not to have any conscience. Why do people steal from each other, maim and murder without any apparent concern for their own well being or sympathy for others?
Why do politicians steal the money of the people that could improve the lives of those who elected them to high office? Why do banks take advantage of the people whose money keeps them in business? Why do governments terrorize the people who elected them to high office, while they accept bribes to perform the duties they are paid to do? How can a human being behead an innocent human being? How can people endanger the lives of people seeking a better life as refugees or economic migrants? Why do some people kill and maim in the name of God or Allah? Why do some people seem not to have any conscience?”
Conscience is not an inner light, the voice of God or an echo of the voice of God. If it were any of these, then all men would feel pangs of conscience when they do wrong, but this is not the case in reality. The world would probably be a much better place. Conscience is a mode of operation of the intellect, sensibilities and will. Conscience does not tell us what to do, but that we ought to do what is right and not do what is wrong. When we obey, it rewards us with good feelings. When we disobey, it beats us up. We feel badly.
The function of the intellect is to choose the standard that is the datum against which we measure our motives and actions. It is the function of the will to enable us to act on our choices. Our feelings tell us when we have acted according to the dictates of the standard(s) that we have chosen. The reason that one person can perform a certain action and feel badly, while another can do so and not feel a thing, is that each has chosen different standards by which to rate his/her thoughts and actions.
This raises the question of whether we have free will. The answer is that we are free to choose what our thoughts and actions will be, but not free to act upon our wishes. This means that our wills are under bondage because the natural tendency of human beings is to do wrong. The power to act on choices must come to us from outside of ourselves. Most people find it in their beliefs about a spiritual power and obtaining enabling power to act from such an entity.
There remains the question of why people who go to church, mosque or shrine continue to do wrong, in spite of their beliefs. Perhaps the answer may be that they pay lip service to what they claim to believe, but their hearts are not in it. This is what prompted the Danish philosopher, Soren Kirkegaard to ask what is the point in building a magnificent edifice if one has no intention of living in it.
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Why do politicians steal the money of the people that could improve the lives of those who elected them to high office? Why do banks take advantage of the people whose money keeps them in business? Why do governments terrorize the people who elected them to high office, while they accept bribes to perform the duties they are paid to do? How can a human being behead an innocent human being? How can people endanger the lives of people seeking a better life as refugees or economic migrants? Why do some people kill and maim in the name of God or Allah? Why do some people seem not to have any conscience?”
Conscience is not an inner light, the voice of God or an echo of the voice of God. If it were any of these, then all men would feel pangs of conscience when they do wrong, but this is not the case in reality. The world would probably be a much better place. Conscience is a mode of operation of the intellect, sensibilities and will. Conscience does not tell us what to do, but that we ought to do what is right and not do what is wrong. When we obey, it rewards us with good feelings. When we disobey, it beats us up. We feel badly.
The function of the intellect is to choose the standard that is the datum against which we measure our motives and actions. It is the function of the will to enable us to act on our choices. Our feelings tell us when we have acted according to the dictates of the standard(s) that we have chosen. The reason that one person can perform a certain action and feel badly, while another can do so and not feel a thing, is that each has chosen different standards by which to rate his/her thoughts and actions.
This raises the question of whether we have free will. The answer is that we are free to choose what our thoughts and actions will be, but not free to act upon our wishes. This means that our wills are under bondage because the natural tendency of human beings is to do wrong. The power to act on choices must come to us from outside of ourselves. Most people find it in their beliefs about a spiritual power and obtaining enabling power to act from such an entity.
There remains the question of why people who go to church, mosque or shrine continue to do wrong, in spite of their beliefs. Perhaps the answer may be that they pay lip service to what they claim to believe, but their hearts are not in it. This is what prompted the Danish philosopher, Soren Kirkegaard to ask what is the point in building a magnificent edifice if one has no intention of living in it.
If you confuse about How to Set up an Offshore Mutual Fund get in touch with Us.
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