A dilemma about following conscience

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fakename

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According to St. Thomas Aquinas it is bad to either follow a malformed conscience or to act contrary to a badly formed conscience.

But sometimes our conscience does tell us to do things which are arguably specious, even though they seem to be very justifiable (for instance it seems certainly good to kill abortionists even though from another POV, it seems specious since Catholics in general don’t do it and even say not to do it).

So then how do we avoid doing what our conscious tells us w/o going against our conscious?

Is this problem solved by probabilism and if so, how, and if not, then what other principle helps us in this case?
 
I’m pretty sure I’ve got the answer but let me check also.

(1) if someone is in such a dilemma then it is impossible for them to avoid sinning in which case one can argue that the moral impossibility of escape means that they cannot have any moral responsibility. Is this a good application of the rule that “no impossible thing is obligatory”?

(2) Also, according to the same Aquinas, it happens that one can use probabilism to avoid the dilemma by merely choosing a probably good action to take even though the action that you were contemplating was even more probable.
 
CCC:

II. THE FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE

1783 Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings.

1784 The education of the conscience is a lifelong task. From the earliest years, it awakens the child to the knowledge and practice of the interior law recognized by conscience. Prudent education teaches virtue; it prevents or cures fear, selfishness and pride, resentment arising from guilt, and feelings of complacency, born of human weakness and faults. The education of the conscience guarantees freedom and engenders peace of heart.

1785 In the formation of conscience the Word of God is the light for our path,54 we must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience before the Lord’s Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church.55

III. TO CHOOSE IN ACCORD WITH CONSCIENCE

1786 Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.

1787 Man is sometimes confronted by situations that make moral judgments less assured and decision difficult. But he must always seriously seek what is right and good and discern the will of God expressed in divine law.

1788 To this purpose, man strives to interpret the data of experience and the signs of the times assisted by the virtue of prudence, by the advice of competent people, and by the help of the Holy Spirit and his gifts.

1789 Some rules apply in every case:
  • One may never do evil so that good may result from it;
  • the Golden Rule: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them."56
  • charity always proceeds by way of respect for one’s neighbor and his conscience: "Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience . . . you sin against Christ."57 Therefore "it is right not to . . . do anything that makes your brother stumble."58
1806 Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going."65 "Keep sane and sober for your prayers."66 Prudence is “right reason in action,” writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle.67 It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.

(scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c1a7.htm#I)
 
Bookcat said:
CCC:

II. THE FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE

1783 Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings.

1784 The education of the conscience is a lifelong task. From the earliest years, it awakens the child to the knowledge and practice of the interior law recognized by conscience. Prudent education teaches virtue; it prevents or cures fear, selfishness and pride, resentment arising from guilt, and feelings of complacency, born of human weakness and faults. The education of the conscience guarantees freedom and engenders peace of heart.

1785 In the formation of conscience the Word of God is the light for our path,54 we must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience before the Lord’s Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church.55

III. TO CHOOSE IN ACCORD WITH CONSCIENCE

1786 Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.

1787 Man is sometimes confronted by situations that make moral judgments less assured and decision difficult. But he must always seriously seek what is right and good and discern the will of God expressed in divine law.

1788 To this purpose, man strives to interpret the data of experience and the signs of the times assisted by the virtue of prudence, by the advice of competent people, and by the help of the Holy Spirit and his gifts.

1789 Some rules apply in every case:
  • One may never do evil so that good may result from it;
  • the Golden Rule: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them."56
  • charity always proceeds by way of respect for one’s neighbor and his conscience: "Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience . . . you sin against Christ."57 Therefore "it is right not to . . . do anything that makes your brother stumble."58
1806 Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going."65 "Keep sane and sober for your prayers."66 Prudence is “right reason in action,” writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle.67 It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.

(scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c1a7.htm#I)
Click to expand...
I’ve read it before.

And also, what does “impossible” mean in the phrase “what is impossible is not obligatory”? Does “impossible” here mean “that which can never occur” (like a true contradiction) or does “impossible” here mean “that which practically cannot be done” (like if I’m on a break and I remember that I could drive home to maybe make amends with someone I wronged)?
  • the Golden Rule: “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.”
Does this moral rule have to be followed all the time? What does it mean? If I interpret it rightly, I think that it means that even we should want to be punished if we are bad since we do the same to others?
 
fakename said:
I’ve read it before.

And also, what does “impossible” mean in the phrase “what is impossible is not obligatory”? Does “impossible” here mean “that which can never occur” (like a true contradiction) or does “impossible” here mean “that which practically cannot be done” (like if I’m on a break and I remember that I could drive home to maybe make amends with someone I wronged)?
  • the Golden Rule: “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.”
Does this moral rule have to be followed all the time? What does it mean? If I interpret it rightly, I think that it means that even we should want to be punished if we are bad since we do the same to others?
Click to expand...
excellent post!
 
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