Why conscience matters : A theory of conscience and its relevance to conscientious objection in medicine

Journal article


Symons, Xavier. (2023). Why conscience matters : A theory of conscience and its relevance to conscientious objection in medicine. Res Publica. 29(1), pp. 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11158-022-09555-2
AuthorsSymons, Xavier
Abstract

Conscience is an idea that has significant currency in liberal democratic societies. Yet contemporary moral philosophical scholarship on conscience is surprisingly sparse. This paper seeks to offer a rigorous philosophical account of the role of conscience in moral life with a view to informing debates about the ethics of conscientious objection in medicine. I argue that conscience is concerned with a commitment to moral integrity and that restrictions on freedom of conscience prevent agents from living a moral life. In section one I argue that conscience is a principle of moral awareness in rational agents, and that it yields an awareness of the personal nature of moral obligation. Conscience also monitors the coherence between an agent’s identity-conferring beliefs and intentions and their practical actions. In section two I consider how human beings are harmed when they are forced to violate their conscience. Restrictions on the exercise of conscience prevent people from living in accord with their own considered understanding of the requirements of morality and undermine one’s capacity for moral agency. This article concludes with a consideration of how a robust theory of conscience can inform our understanding of conscientious objection in medicine. I argue that it is in the interest of individual practitioners and the medical profession generally to foster moral agency among doctors. This provides a prima facie justification for permitting at least some kinds of conscientious objection.

Keywordsmoral psychology; harm; ground projects; emotion; integrity; agency; professionalism
Year2023
JournalRes Publica
Journal citation29 (1), pp. 1-21
PublisherSpringer
ISSN1572-8692
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s11158-022-09555-2
PubMed ID35789952
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85132817807
PubMed Central IDPMC9244116
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Page range1-21
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online24 Jun 2022
Publication process dates
Accepted12 May 2022
Deposited21 Jul 2023
Place of publicationNetherlands
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