Having conscience is a prerequisite for making moral decisions, in addition to consciousness. Give relevant instances to illustrate. (Answer in 150 words)
Veer SinghBegginer
Resources & Suggestions
Mains Answer Writing Latest Articles
On: February 22, 2025
Comments:
0
Indo-US Relation: Areas of Cooperation & Conflicts
Key Areas: Defense, technology, trade, energy, and regional cooperation. Key Areas of Cooperation 1. Defense and Security Transition from buyer-seller to co-production and technology sharing. India as a Major Defense Partner (MDP) and inclusion in STA-1. Access to advanced technologies, ...
On: February 22, 2025
Comments:
0
भारत-अमेरिका संबंध: सहयोग और संघर्ष के क्षेत्र
मुख्य विषय: भारत-अमेरिका संबंधों की मजबूती, विशेषकर रक्षा, प्रौद्योगिकी और क्षेत्रीय सहयोग में प्रगति। सहयोग के प्रमुख क्षेत्र 1. रक्षा एवं सुरक्षा सहयोग भारत और अमेरिका के बीच रक्षा संबंधों का विस्तार। प्रमुख रक्षा साझेदार (MDP) का दर्जा और STA-1 ...
On: February 22, 2025
Comments:
0
India’s Disaster Management
The article discusses the growing tensions between the Centre and states regarding disaster relief funding in India. It emphasizes the need for a transparent and equitable disaster management framework. Key Disaster Threats India Faces Increasing Frequency of Extreme Weather Events ...
A conscious person refers to a person who is awake and aware of his/her environment, such as a person who is environmentally conscious, financially conscious, emotionally conscious, etc. On the other hand, conscience refers to one’s internal sense of what is right and wrong. It is ‘a person’s moral sense of right and wrong as well as the consciousness of one’s actions. Both conscience and consciousness are parts of a system of information that governs one’s experience and decision-making process.
To make an ethical decision, one must not only possess consciousness but also conscience. Consciousness allows an individual to be aware of his/her place in the world, while conscience allows an individual to behave ethically, morally and in socially acceptable ways.
This can be discerned from the following examples:
Conscience along with consciousness help in avoiding conflict of interest and solving ethical dilemmas for better decision-making. Further, as per Kantian ethics, conscience acts as an inner court for ethical decision-making. Apart from consciousness and conscience, there are multiple factors that determine/influence the process of ethical decision-making, such as a person’s own value system and moral development, societal norms, legal frameworks, influence of family members and peers, personal experiences, etc.
We as humans, are based on a very complex and multifaceted narrative of emotions where many of these attributes might or might not converge with one another. Consciousness and Conscience are two of the attributes that are inculcated in beings for the functioning of their everyday life but they are often used interchangeably when they hold distinctive meanings.
Consciousness refers to awareness about oneself and also of one’s surroundings in all aspects where as Conscience refers to the moral judgement, the knowledge and application of right and wrong. Though consciousness is central to making ethical decisions, conscience also plays an equally vital role in the same. The first step to making an ethical decision is being aware and mindful of the situation but actually moving forward to make a rational ethical decision, one needs to posses the attribute of conscience because it provides us a moral framework and guidance that shapes our interpretation and actions.
For instance, many people are conscious that burning firecrackers on Diwali causes air, noise and land pollution and it has so many ill effects for the living and the non-living, but choosing to not burn them for the sake of temporary enjoyment and protecting the environment, is a sign of active conscience that helps one make an ethical decision. Another instance for the same could be, many young people are conscious that smoking or drinking are injurious, not just to oneself but could also cause unfortunate events in general for others too, but choosing not to engage in these activities despite peer pressure or social media outraging is the aspect of conscience that drives one to make an ethical decision.
Therefore, Consciousness and Conscience are related to each other in various aspects, especially in ethical reasoning and decision making but they hold different references. Where Consciousness is the base for ethical reasoning, conscience is what drives us to actually take an action and therefore, it is extremely important to possess conscience along with consciousness for ethical reasoning and decision making.
Consciousness allows individuals to be aware of their surroundings and actions, but conscience is crucial for making ethical decisions by discerning right from wrong. For instance, a surgeon might be conscious and skilled, but their conscience drives them to provide the best care, prioritizing patient welfare over personal gain.
Consider a business leader facing a dilemma: their company can maximize profits by using cheaper, environmentally harmful materials. Consciousness helps them understand the decision’s implications, but conscience guides them to choose sustainable materials, valuing environmental responsibility over profits.
Similarly, in everyday life, a person finding a lost wallet might be conscious of the opportunity to keep the money. However, their conscience will urge them to return the wallet to its owner, recognizing the ethical importance of honesty.
These examples demonstrate that while consciousness provides awareness, conscience is essential for making morally sound decisions that uphold ethical standards.
Hope this will be helpful to you.
Thankyou
We as humans, are based on a very complex and multifaceted narrative of emotions where many of these attributes might or might not converge with one another. Consciousness and Conscience are two of the attributes that are inculcated in beings for the functioning of their everyday life but they are often used interchangeably when they hold distinctive meanings.
Consciousness refers to awareness about oneself and also of one’s surroundings in all aspects where as Conscience refers to the moral judgement, the knowledge and application of right and wrong. Though consciousness is central to making ethical decisions, conscience also plays an equally vital role in the same. The first step to making an ethical decision is being aware and mindful of the situation but actually moving forward to make a rational ethical decision, one needs to posses the attribute of conscience because it provides us a moral framework and guidance that shapes our interpretation and actions.
For instance, many people are conscious that burning firecrackers on Diwali causes air, noise and land pollution and it has so many ill effects for the living and the non-living, but choosing to not burn them for the sake of temporary enjoyment and protecting the environment, is a sign of active conscience that helps one make an ethical decision. Another instance for the same could be, many young people are conscious that smoking or drinking are injurious, not just to oneself but could also cause unfortunate events in general for others too, but choosing not to engage in these activities despite peer pressure or social media outraging is the aspect of conscience that drives one to make an ethical decision.
Therefore, Consciousness and Conscience are related to each other in various aspects, especially in ethical reasoning and decision making but they hold different references. Where Consciousness is the base for ethical reasoning, conscience is what drives us to actually take an action and therefore, it is extremely important to possess conscience along with consciousness for ethical reasoning and decision making.