DDevelopment Stages of evelopment Stages of ConscienceConscience

1.1. Instinctive or InstructiveInstinctive or Instructive

o At this level, an act is judged as good if it is At this level, an act is judged as good if it is rewarded, and evil if it is punished.rewarded, and evil if it is punished.

GoodGood: : RewardedRewardedBadBad: Punished: PunishedExample: Example: A young boy at this level may surrender a lost A young boy at this level may surrender a lost wallet to the DOSS office because he knows he will win wallet to the DOSS office because he knows he will win the praise of his teachers and his classmates for being the praise of his teachers and his classmates for being honest. honest.

2. Ethical or Moral2. Ethical or Moral

oAt this level, a person begins to realize that the goodness or evilness of an act does not depend on the approval or disapproval of others or on the prospect of a reward or punishment.

oAt this level, a person begins to understand person begins to understand that particular acts uphold universal human that particular acts uphold universal human values, regardless of whether the act is met values, regardless of whether the act is met with approval or criticism.with approval or criticism.

Example: Example: A young man brings a lost wallet to the A young man brings a lost wallet to the DOSS office because he understands that it is DOSS office because he understands that it is objectively important to do so.objectively important to do so.- - Doing what gives him a sense of his authentic identity and character. Doing what gives him a sense of his authentic identity and character.

3. Christian or Religious3. Christian or Religious

o At this stage individuals begin to see their At this stage individuals begin to see their moral acts as a response of faith to God – to moral acts as a response of faith to God – to do what is good and to live the fullness of a do what is good and to live the fullness of a graced life. graced life. o Persons with a Christian conscience judge as Persons with a Christian conscience judge as act to be good or evil based on the teachings, act to be good or evil based on the teachings, the life, and the perfect example of Jesus the life, and the perfect example of Jesus Christ. Christ.

Example: Example: A young man at this level may bring a wallet to A young man at this level may bring a wallet to the DOSS office because he recognizes that this the DOSS office because he recognizes that this simmple act is a concrete response to the call of Christ, simmple act is a concrete response to the call of Christ, as well as a reflection of deep personal relationship as well as a reflection of deep personal relationship with Him. with Him.

How do we form and inform our How do we form and inform our conscience?conscience?

““For a person to be truly human and For a person to be truly human and loving, he or she has to form and loving, he or she has to form and follow his or her conscience. Since follow his or her conscience. Since conscience is not a law unto itself but conscience is not a law unto itself but applies objective moral laws and applies objective moral laws and values to discern moral good or evil, values to discern moral good or evil, we have the moral obligation to form we have the moral obligation to form our conscience for it to be truly our conscience for it to be truly informed, truly mature, and truly informed, truly mature, and truly Christian.”Christian.”