by Ian Caithness

Created on: March 15, 2010

The conscience derives from the Latin term 'conscientia' which means 'a person's moral sense of right and wrong'. Within that definition alone, we have the expectation that there is a moral compass inherent within our psyche. In the past, right and wrong would have been considered 'absolutes', defined according to the social expectations of that time. In the modern age of information, there is an ambiguity in the notion of 'right' and 'wrong' that makes it appear more relative than one would expect.

Quotations from the ages have mentioned the importance of the conscience, from William Shakespeare who said that 'I feel a peace within me above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience', Saint Augustine who said 'Conscience and reputation are two things. Conscience is due to yourself, reputation to your neighbour' and John Milton who said 'Give me the liberty to know, to utter, to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties'.

How does a person come to acquire a conscience based on an absolute or relative morality? All too often, we ignore the factors that have determined our perspective on all manner of things. The decision to go to work each morning is not a conscious decision. It is a subconscious decision that comes from our desire to earn, to live and to succeed. The decision to walk to do some shopping rather than take the car is a decision based on our understanding of the environment, our upbringing and other quizzical factors.

The conscience, however, is much more subtle. Researchers have suggested that a percentage of our personality is linked with our biological make-up and, if that is the case, what is to stop us believing that our moral compass is not also part of our heritage with our parents? Our conscience is ignored for the first years of our life because the concept of 'need' and 'want' are inseparable to us but, as we age, we grow to understand the importance of moral decisions that will affect our lives.

Our parents might make the decision which school we attend but it is our decision whether we chose to learn or not. Our conscience tells us that it is profitable to learn because we will have a greater earning potential, have a more comfortable lifestyle and be more attractive. All this is linked to Richard Dawkin's belief in the 'Selfish Gene', the genetic make-up which predisposes us to act on behalf of ourselves. The selfish gene causes us to make decisions that will profit us the most, which can include helping others.

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