CONSCIENCE MODULE

11

Names: _____________________________________________________________

Course and Block: _____________________________________________________________

Instructor/Professor: ______________________________________________________________

Date: ______________________________________________________________

.
MODULE INTRODUCTION AND FOCUS QUESTION(S):

In module 10 we have discussed the objective norm of morality, the

law which guides and directs us to find our authentic freedom. As explained
an objective norm does not limit man’s freedom but actually perfects
his/her freedom. It is being said that the exercise of one’s freedom is a
limitation of another’s freedom. Law is the binding force to avoid conflicts
in the performance of one’s freedom. Another way that guides and directs
our freedom is the so called the subjective norm of morality, our Conscience.
In this module 11, we will discuss the nature of conscience and its
application in the exercise of human acts and freedom. In this module I ask
what conscience is. Is conscience written in man’s heart to direct him/her
in his/her ultimate end? Why it is called subjective norm? Is conscience leads
me to exercise my authentic freedom? Is my conscience a source of
limitation and restrictions of my freedom? Why I feel guilty when I commit
wrong even nobody knows it? Is my conscience the first mentor in my
decision making? Why my conscience approves & commends; reproaches &
condemns me before, during and after doing an action?
Opening Prayer

and take from me the double

darkness in Which l have been
born,

an obscurity of both sin and

In the name of
ignorance.
the Father, and
of the Son, and of Give me a sharp sense of
the Holy Spirit. understanding, a retentive
Amen. memory, and the ability to
grasp things correctly and
Creator of all
fundamentally.
things,
Grant me the talent of being
true Source of
exact in my explanations,
light and wisdom,
lofty origin of all and the ability to express
being, myself with thoroughness and
charm.
graciously let a
ray of Your Point out the beginning, direct
brilliance the progress, and help in
penetrate into completion; through Christ our
the darkness of Lord.
my
understanding
In the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
 PRETEST

Let’s find out how much you already know about this topic. Think and give your best answers to the question by
Yes or NO. Please answer all items. Take note of your answers and look for the right answer as you go through this
module.

1. Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral
quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has
already complete. (YES) (NO)

2. A person who acts against it commits a moral evil. (YES) (NO)

3. Synderesis is a word used by Scholastic philosophers to express the quality by which human being are naturally
perceives the truth of the self-evident principles of the moral order. (YES) (NO)

4. Conscience is a practical moral judgment on the morality of a particular action. (YES) (NO)
5. Conscience is the proximate norm of personal morality. (YES) (NO)

Quaestio

Anticipation Reaction Guide (ARG)

What are your ideas when you think about the subjective norm of morality? Do you think conscience perfects
the nature of human being? Why I need to abide in the dictates of my conscience when I have the Intellect and Will to
know what is evil and good? Is the dictate of Conscience obligatory to follow? Is conscience the inner voice of God? Can
conscience err? Is my conscience always right or correct? Start the module by answering the first column of the
Anticipation Reaction Guide (ARG).

Instruction: Respond to each statement twice. Once before the lesson and again after reading the discussion of the
lesson

 Write I believe if you agree with the statement

 Write I don’t believe if you disagree with the statement
 Response Before Statement Response After the
the Lesson Lesson

1. Man has no moral obligation to follow his/her

conscience.
2. Conscience is a creation of religious institutions in
order to infuse fear and obedience for them.
3. Conscience which is a personal moral criterion
limits man’s freedom.
4. St. Thomas believed that man has the capacity to
know moral truths and principles.
5. Conscience is the first moral guide that guide
human being to do good and avoid evil.
Engage yourself…

Inspiring you to know more about the subjective norm of morality please engage yourself watch the video and by
making a moral compass or to make a right decision. As you contemplate try to think what and how this subjective will
help you achieve your ultimate happiness. Also visualize what will be the world or mankind without that inner voice on
their head. Try also to imagine how Jesus Christ taught and guides us to follow our conscience.

Activity 1. Watch this video while you reflect.

Conscience Alley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYxUvNpYXuo

Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide. It’s not always easy to choose to do what is right, but if you listen to your conscience,
you will usually know what choice you should make. For each of the following items, describe the choice you should make.
Include two additional temptations you might face and the choice you should make in the face of each.

TEMPTATIONS IF I FOLLOW MY
CONSCIENCE

1. __________________________
1. My mom caught me lieng. I can
__________________________
lie again to cover up my first ____________________
lie. 2. __________________________
2. My friends/classmates want __________________________
me to help them cheat on a ____________________
test 3. __________________________
3. My friends are spreading a
__________________________
rumor about one of our
____________________
classmates. 4. __________________________
4. My parents told me not to go __________________________
to a party with my friends that I __________________________
really want to go to. I can do it __________________________
anyway; they’ll never know. ________________
5. (What are your greatest
5. __________________________
temptations/desires)
__________________________
_________________________
__________________________
_________________________ __________________
______________________
 Objectio

Most of the people today do not regard the importance of their conscience. Most of us disobey even the simplest
instructions or admonishments of our conscience. Some thinks that It is another way of God’s power curtailing our exercise
of freedom. Some people conscience is a creation of religious institutions to infuse fear and obedience for them. People
believe that it is one way of making us always feel guilty of the things we have done good or wrong. It is one way of
investigating, judging and passing sentence on our thoughts, words and actions.

Activity 2. Watch the videos link below and discover what the importance of conscience is. Take note what you
understand from the videos.
CONSCIENCE explained by Hans Wilhelm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJMAuuOUYiE
Formation of Conscience | Catholic Central: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slG07L6pBgs

Analysis/Sed
Contra

A. The subjective norms of morality: Conscience as Man’s Sanctuary

Read and Watch: To deepen your understanding and find meaning on what is the subjective norm of morality, read all
articles and watch all videos that will guide you in this module. Take note what you understand. Go to the link provided
below, read, watch and understand how human thoughts, words and action must be in accordance with the law.

Reading Materials

What is Conscience? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWqZTRnVkR4

Conscience: https://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~korsgaar/CMK.Conscience.E.Ed.pdf
The role of Conscience: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-
planning/catholic-teaching/upload/Role-of-the-conscience-2.pdf
Conscience and Moral Development: http://cdn.theologicalstudies.net/61/61.1/61.1.6.pdf
The Christian Conscience: Where Our Freedom and the Truth Intersect:
https://ir.stthomas.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&context=sod_mat

Video Materials
GCSE RE Catholic Christianity - Conscience | By MrMcMillanREvis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmx9b4aUlkw
Conscience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYM8pP4QhCE

Write below what you understand from your reading and watching about the subjective norm of morality.
 Respondio

Now that you are done with this module. Try to capture and analyze the scenario.

People of today mostly disregard the admonishment of their conscience and follow what they believe that is only good
and right for them. They always cried foul when they are corrected by their personal and proximate moral intuition. As
a person with conscience you are required to create a digital poster that would encourage people to follow their
conscience. You are to present this digital poster to the Bishop, the Rector of UST, and the VP for Religious Education
of UST for approval and imprimatur. Your presentation will be evaluated by group of Theology professors designated
by the Director of CREED. The evaluation will be based on creativity, persuasiveness, and coherence to the teachings
the Church. You have to post it in your facebook timeline and share it as many as you can.

Rubrics for your Performance Task (Designing a digital poster)

Skills Below Standard Just Meets the Adequately Meets Exemplary
(70-74%) Standard Standard (91-99%)
(75-80%) (81-90%)
Creativity The digital poster The digital poster The digital poster The digital poster
does not only an attempt to demonstrates the totally demonstrates
demonstrate the demonstrate the socio-cultural, the socio-cultural,
socio-cultural, socio-cultural, political, economic political, economic
political, economic political, economic realities and realities and
realities and realities and conscience of the conscience of the
conscience of the conscience of the student, family, student, family,
student, family, student, family, others and the others and the
others and the others and the society as a whole society as a whole
society as a whole. society as a whole
 Persuasiveness The digital poster The digital poster The digital poster The digital poster
does not persuade, only an attempt to demonstrates absolutely
encourage or persuade the socio- persuasively the persuasive in
capture the socio- cultural, political, socio-cultural, demonstrating the
cultural, political, economic realities political, economic socio-cultural,
economic realities and conscience of realities and political, economic
and conscience of the student, family, conscience of the realities and
the student, family, others and the student, family, conscience of the
others and the society as a whole others and the student, family,
society as a whole. society as a whole others and the
society as a whole
Coherence to the The digital poster The digital poster The digital poster is The digital poster is
teachings of the does not show only attempts to coherent to the totally coherent to
Church coherence to the articulate its socio-cultural, the socio-cultural,
socio-cultural, coherence to the political, economic political, economic
political, economic socio-cultural, realities and realities and
realities and political, economic conscience of the conscience of the
conscience of the realities and student, family, student, family,
student, family, conscience of the others and the others and the
others and the student, family, society as a whole It society as a whole It
society as a whole. It others and the is somehow is absolutely
is not coherent to society as a whole It coherent to the coherent to the
the social teachings is not coherent to teachings of the teachings of the
of the Church. the teachings of the Church. Church.
Church.

Post-Test

Instruction: In your own words make a moral decision logically and conscientiously in 5 sentences. Choose only one.
(Minimum of Five (5) paragraph)

1. Myra is part of a four-person mining expedition. There is a cave-in and the four of them are trapped in the
mine. A rock has crushed the legs of one of her crew members and he will die without medical attention.
She’s established radio contact with the rescue team and learned it will be 36 hours before the first drill can
reach the space she is trapped in.
She is able to calculate that this space has just enough oxygen for three people to survive for 36 hours, but
definitely not enough for four people. The only way to save the other crew members is to refuse medical aid
to the injured crew member so that there will be just enough oxygen for the rest of the crew to survive.

Should Myra allow the injured crew member to die in order to save the lives of the remaining crew
members?
2. Rodrigo is part of a group of ecologists who live in a remote stretch of jungle. The entire group, which
includes eight children, has been taken hostage by a group of paramilitary terrorists. One of the terrorists
takes a liking to Rodrigo. He informs Rodrigo that his leader intends to kill him and the rest of the hostages
the following morning.
 He is willing to help Rodrigo and the children escape, but as an act of good faith he wants Rodrigo to torture
and kill one of his fellow hostages whom he does not like. If Rodrigo refuses his offer, all the hostages
including the children and Tom will die. If he accepts his offer, then the others will die in the morning but
Rodrigo and the eight children will escape.
Should Rodrigo torture and kill one of his fellow hostages in order to escape from the terrorists and save the
lives of the eight children?
3. Ken is a doctor. One of his patients, whom he has diagnosed as HIV positive, is about to receive a blood
transfusion prior to being released from the hospital. He has told Ken, in the confidence of their doctor-
patient relationship, that after he gets his transfusion, and his medicine from Ken, he intends to infect as
many people as possible with HIV starting that evening.
Because Ken is bound by doctor-patient confidentiality, there is no legal way to stop this man from carrying
out his plan. Even if Ken warned the police, they would not be able to arrest him, since his medical
information is protected.
It occurs to Ken that he could contaminate his medication by putting an untraceable poison in it that will kill
him before he gets a chance to infect others.
Should Ken poison this man in order to prevent him from spreading HIV?
CLOSING PRAYER

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of

the Holy Spirit. Amen.

May God the Father bless us.

May God the Son heal us.
May God the Holy Spirit enlighten us, and give
us
eyes To see with, ears to hear with,
hands to do the work of God with, feet to walk
with,
a mouth to preach the word of salvation with,
and the angel of peace to watch over us and
lead us at last, by our Lord’s gift, for the
Kingdom.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen..
 References:

 Catechism for the Catholic Church. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church (2011). http://rokreligiouseducation.com/wp-
content/uploads/2015/11/50667YOUCATPgsp_00000007751.pdf

 Do Catechism of the Catholic Church Faith Seeking Understanding.

https://fsubelmonte.weebly.com/uploads/1/9/7/1/19715887/fsu1.pdf Ott, L. (1974). Fundamentals of Catholic
Dogma. Tan Books and Pub, Inc. USA.

 Panizo, A., OP, (1964)). Ethics or Moral Philosophy. Novel Publishing Co. Manila.