Whether Conscience Be a Power?
Objection 1: It would seem that conscience is a power; for Origen
says [*Commentary on Rom. 2:15] that "conscience is a correcting and
guiding spirit accompanying the soul, by which it is led away from
evil and made to cling to good." But in the soul, spirit designates a
power--either the mind itself, according to the text (Eph. 4:13), "Be
ye renewed in the spirit of your mind"--or the imagination, whence
imaginary vision is called spiritual, as Augustine says (Gen. ad lit.
xii, 7,24). Therefore conscience is a power.
Obj. 2: Further, nothing is a subject of sin, except a power of the
soul. But conscience is a subject of sin; for it is said of some that
"their mind and conscience are defiled" (Titus 1:15). Therefore it
seems that conscience is a power.
Obj. 3: Further, conscience must of necessity be either an act, a
habit, or a power. But it is not an act; for thus it would not always
exist in man. Nor is it a habit; for conscience is not one thing but
many, since we are directed in our actions by many habits of
knowledge. Therefore conscience is a power.
_On the contrary,_ Conscience can be laid aside. But a power cannot
be laid aside. Therefore conscience is not a power.
_I answer that,_ Properly speaking, conscience is not a power, but an
act. This is evident both from the very name and from those things
which in the common way of speaking are attributed to conscience. For
conscience, according to the very nature of the word, implies the
relation of knowledge to something: for conscience may be resolved
into "cum alio scientia," i.e. knowledge applied to an individual
case. But the application of knowledge to something is done by some
act. Wherefore from this explanation of the name it is clear that
conscience is an act.
The same is manifest from those things which are attributed to
conscience. For conscience is said to witness, to bind, or incite,
and also to accuse, torment, or rebuke. And all these follow the
application of knowledge or science to what we do: which application
is made in three ways. One way in so far as we recognize that we have
done or not done something; "Thy conscience knoweth that thou hast
often spoken evil of others" (Eccles. 7:23), and according to this,
conscience is said to witness. In another way, so far as through the
conscience we judge that something should be done or not done; and in
this sense, conscience is said to incite or to bind. In the third way,
so far as by conscience we judge that something done is well done or
ill done, and in this sense conscience is said to excuse, accuse, or
torment. Now, it is clear that all these things follow the actual
application of knowledge to what we do. Wherefore, properly speaking,
conscience denominates an act. But since habit is a principle of act,
sometimes the name conscience is given to the first natural
habit--namely, "synderesis": thus Jerome calls "synderesis"
conscience (Gloss. Ezech. 1:6); Basil [*Hom. in princ. Proverb.], the
"natural power of judgment," and Damascene [*De Fide Orth. iv. 22]
says that it is the "law of our intellect." For it is customary for
causes and effects to be called after one another.
Reply Obj. 1: Conscience is called a spirit, so far as spirit is the
same as mind; because conscience is a certain pronouncement of the
mind.
Reply Obj. 2: The conscience is said to be defiled, not as a subject,
but as the thing known is in knowledge; so far as someone knows he is
defiled.
Reply Obj. 3: Although an act does not always remain in itself, yet
it always remains in its cause, which is power and habit. Now all the
habits by which conscience is formed, although many, nevertheless
have their efficacy from one first habit, the habit of first
principles, which is called "synderesis." And for this special
reason, this habit is sometimes called conscience, as we have said
above.
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