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Objection 1: It would seem that conscience is a power; for Origen
says [Commentary on Rm. 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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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 to Objection 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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