Conscience implies doing or refusing to do something out of a concern for Right and Wrong under conditions that make such a difficult and even self-destructive circumstance. It is resistance to a temptation to hurt others. It is not an act of conscience to brush your teeth, as doing so is good for dental health. It is not simply avoiding traffic violations where one knows that the traffic cop is likely there.
It could be doing a job that you hate instead of quitting it because you have bills to pay, and you have no desire to stiff a creditor even if you could get away with it. It could be refusing to take advantage of a sexual opportunity that might give you bliss and pain and shame to an unwilling partner. It could mean dropping out of college to work to pay for medical treatments for a sibling . It could mean canceling a dream vacation so that you can take care of a parent in medical distress. It is the superego at its best.
Conscience at its best is heroism. Conscience at its greatest lack is sociopathy or psychopathy. Where conscience prevails, life is generally good. Where it is rare, the greatest evil is possible.
It could be doing a job that you hate instead of quitting it because you have bills to pay, and you have no desire to stiff a creditor even if you could get away with it. It could be refusing to take advantage of a sexual opportunity that might give you bliss and pain and shame to an unwilling partner. It could mean dropping out of college to work to pay for medical treatments for a sibling . It could mean canceling a dream vacation so that you can take care of a parent in medical distress. It is the superego at its best.
Conscience at its best is heroism. Conscience at its greatest lack is sociopathy or psychopathy. Where conscience prevails, life is generally good. Where it is rare, the greatest evil is possible.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.