Aquinas

• What is the theological approach of Aquinas focused on?

  Conscience and moral reasoning
• How does Aquinas distinguish humans from animals?

  Through ratio and reason
• What is the role of synderesis according to Aquinas?

  It directs us towards good and away from evil
• What is synderesis described as?

  A habit or learning process
• What does conscience represent in Aquinas' view?

  An act of the mind making moral judgments
• What is required for conscience to function according to Aquinas?

  Application of knowledge to moral decisions
• What are the types of ignorance identified by Aquinas?

  • Vincible ignorance: Responsible lack of knowledge
  • Invincible ignorance: Unresponsible lack of knowledge
• What is vincible ignorance?

  Lack of knowledge for which one is responsible
• How does Aquinas view acts committed under vincible ignorance?

  They are morally culpable
• What is invincible ignorance?

  Lack of knowledge for which one is not responsible
• What does Aquinas believe about God's judgment on those with invincible ignorance?

  God will not condemn them to Hell
• What does Aquinas say about God's mercy?

  God offers salvation despite mistakes
• How does Aquinas' view of conscience relate to moral decision-making?

  Conscience applies reason to moral choices
• If a person acts under vincible ignorance, what can be said about their moral responsibility?

  They can be held responsible for their actions
• In what situation would a person be considered to have invincible ignorance?

  When they have done all they can to inform themselves
• what is ratio


  reason - distinguishes humans from animals- fundamental part of humans - divine gift from God- humans deliberate over moral matters. ratio moves us to thinking from one thing to another
• what is synderesis

  directs us towards good and away from evil. sensuality within each of us which tempts us towards evil. synderesis is a habit or a learning, not a power, and humans can use ratio (ability to reason and make moral judgements) to cultivate the habit of synderesis
• what is conscientia

  Aquinas saw it is as an act within a human person (a pronouncement of the mind) arising when the knowledge gained from the application of ratio to synderesis is applied to something we do. Conscience is 'reason making right decisions'
• what are the two types of ignorance

  vincible and invincible
• what is vincible ignorance

  lack of knowledge which a person can be held responsible; they ought to know better. not seen as an excuse - someone who displayed vincible ignorance ignores moral culpable for acts carried out. cannot claim that 'conscience' justifies their actions
• what is invincible ignorance

  lack of knowledge for which a person is not responsible. it is when a person acts to the best of their knowledge, having done all they can to reasonably inform themselves, but nonetheless get it wrong and does not act in accordance with what is right and good. Aquinas does not believe that God will condemn humans for invincible ignorance. if they fear God and act accordingly to their conscience God, in his infinite mercy, will give them salvation even though they made a mistake
• what is meant by theistic foundation?

  conscience is deeply connected to God- ability to judge right and wrong is a gift from God, rooted in divine law. Aquinas- conscience is a tool through which humans participate in God's eternal plan
• what is meant by fallible

  can be wrong
• what is synderesis?


  natural inclination towards good and away from evil
• what is ratio


  reason- require phronesis
• what is phronesis


  practical wisdom
• what conscientia


  process of applying reason and synderesis to real life situations, guiding our choices
• what is meant by vincible ignorance?

  someone doesn't know something they reasonably should and could have learned. they are responsible for their error as they failed to make effort to learn
• what did Aquinas say synderesis does

  it was an infallible guide that cannot be wrong which provides us with universal moral truths, such as avoiding harm and doing good.
• what did Aquinas say ratio does

  allows us to take general principles of synderesis and apply them to specific situations.
• what is the architect analogy put simply

  just as an architect needs skill and knowledge to create a stable building, we must use reason and wisdom to build a morally stable life>
• what is the architect analogy?

  He compared moral reasoning to the way an architect designs and builds a structure. Just as an architect begins with general principles of design (such as knowledge of geometry and materials), a person starts with the universal moral truths provided by synderesis-the innate habit of knowing to do good and avoid evil. These principles are like the foundational plans that guide everything else.
• Next, the architect uses practical reasoning to apply these principles to specific situations, like deciding how to build a house on a particular site. Similarly, humans use ratio (reason) and phronesis (practical wisdom) to figure out how general moral truths apply to their unique circumstances. Just as the architect must adjust for different terrains or materials, we adjust our moral decisions to fit real-world complexities
• Finally, the building is constructed based on the architect's plan. In the same way, a person makes a concrete decision or judgment, which Aquinas called conscientia. This is the result of applying reason to action.

  However, just as an architect can make mistakes in calculations or planning, humans can also err in their moral judgments because of fallible reasoning or ignorance.
• In Aquinas' view, conscience is a process that combines our natural inclination toward good, the use of reason, and practical wisdom. While synderesis is always correct, the actual judgments we make can be fallible, influenced by ignorance or flawed reasoning. The architect analogy helps us understand how conscience works as a process of moving from universal principles to specific actions. Just as an architect needs skill and knowledge to create a stable building, we must use reason and wisdom to build a morally sound life.