application - telling lies/breaking promises

• what would "traditional" christians such as augustine and schleiermacher conclude?

  conscience = voice of god, these actions go against God's law, it's likely God would tell us it's wrong/would cause guilt
• the conscience would be against lying and...?


  you'd be compelled to follow the conscience as it's the infallible word of God
• in schleiermacher's case, the conscience gives new revelations from God so...?

  it's possible there may be times when telling a lie might be necessary
• what would Aquinas conclude?

  lying is not rational, it conflicts with synderesis principle to seek good and avoid evil
• what primary precept does it violate?

  living in an ordered society
• fletcher believes the conscience is something that we "do" so...?

  no action is ALWAYS right/wrong, as love's decisions are made situationally
• fletcher emphasises using agapeic calculus, so what does he conclude?

  it would justify lying/breaking promises if it was the most loving thing to do e.g. - lying to your partner to prevent heartbreak/devastation
• what would freud conclude?

  if, as a child, your parents taught you not to lie, the "inner parent" would tell you it's wrong
• therefore...? (freud)

  the individual is likely to feel guilt arising from their subconscious
• however...? (freud)

  some may not feel this "guilt" arising from their subconscious, it's dependant on how they were brought up as a child
• what would fromm's authoritarian conscience say?

  that it is wrong because it shows disloyalty to society, which would lead to feelings of guilt/shame
• for fromm, what does lying go against?

  the supreme virtue of obedience
• the humanistic conscience (fromm) would also tell you it's wrong to cause harm to others lying etc HOWEVER...?

  it could be justified, for a greater, humanitarian good
• what would kohlberg say it depends on?

  what level of the moral development hierarchy you're at
• at post-conventional level, what do we consider?

  not just our needs, but the "greater good" of society
• according to kohlberg...?

  we cannot universalise telling lies/breaking promises