Conscience: Thomas Aquinas & Sigmund Freud OCR A-Level Religious Studies

An in-depth exploration of conscience in ethics, covering Aquinas, Butler, Freud and Freud, and debates about moral authority and moral decision-making.

This resource provides a comprehensive and exam-focused exploration of the topic of conscience, as set out in the OCR A-Level Religious Studies (Ethics) specification. It is designed to support both teaching and independent study, offering clear explanations of key theories, scholars, and evaluative debates surrounding moral decision-making.

Topics Covered

1. The Nature and Role of Conscience

• What is meant by conscience in moral philosophy
• Whether conscience is an innate moral faculty or socially developed
• The role of conscience in moral decision-making

1. Aquinas and Conscience

• Aquinas’ understanding of synderesis and conscientia
• The relationship between reason, natural law, and conscience
• Conscience as the application of moral knowledge to particular situations
• Strengths and criticisms of Aquinas’ account

1. Sigmund Freud and the Development of Conscience

• The psychoanalytic account of conscience
• The role of the superego, id and ego in moral development
• psychosexual development
• Guilt, repression, and the influence of society and upbringing
• Strengths and weaknesses of Freud’s approach

1. Conscience, Moral Authority and Moral Disagreement

• Is conscience a reliable guide to moral truth?
• Can conscience justify moral disagreement or immoral actions?
• The problem of mistaken conscience
• Whether conscience should always be followed
• Comparison between Aquinas and Freud

Past essay question outlines