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Permalink Reply by booklover on January 3, 2013 at 9:00am

Ignore it? 

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Permalink Reply by Humble Pie on January 3, 2013 at 2:07pm

Perhaps conscience is an artificial construct, and none of us have it. Or maybe, some criminals are criminals because that is the only thing They can conscientiously do, like a mother who steals food for her children.

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Permalink Reply by booklover on January 3, 2013 at 3:25pm

I think that can be true of some criminals.  There are laws I would break to protect my children if that was the only possible way to protect them.  But I wouldn't purposefully (purposely?) go out and commit a crime.

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Permalink Reply by Greg on January 3, 2013 at 4:19pm

Excellent question.

Socrates believed the voice in his head a gift from the gods; an inner daemon making him unique. More likely, we all have an ongoing discussion in our head, each of us debating the right thing to do. Cool calculation may reveal it profitable to disregard the winner of this debate. After repeatedly disregarding this inner voice, and possibly profiting, the weaker voice may appear as the stronger. That's called "losing your compass".

Personally, I believe being atheist means assuming a larger responsibility for those decisions of conscience. After all, the atheist can no longer rely on scripture or that booming voice from the sky to step in and lead the way. This complicates our lives in some ways yet simplifies it in others. I'm not led by simple instructions from elsewhere but I am more empathetic and have worked to better understand my place in society.

Maybe this is why crime goes down during economically prosperous times. The calculations result in different results. Of course, if the compass is completely lost, the calculations are rigged.

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Permalink Reply by booklover on January 3, 2013 at 4:29pm

Some of the things the bible says are so immoral they are sick.  Not a good book or a good compass to use!

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Permalink Reply by Napoleon Bonaparte on January 3, 2013 at 4:56pm

It's like in cricket.

Does a fast bowler deliberately aiming the ball at the batsmans couilles [french coloq.] have a conscience ? Or, should we ask the question, what for ?

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Permalink Reply by Travis Hedglin on January 6, 2013 at 5:16am

Most people have some sort of conscience, but most people have also been in a situation were they knowingly did something wrong. I am sure we could compile a huge list of those things, and even all the justifications and excuses we all had for doing them. Why should we assume if we did the same for criminals that the list would be much different, better or worse, we are all beings who value our own existence far more that most others after all?

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