A generation without conscience
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- Category: Philosofaith
- Written by M. U. Ndagi
- Hits: 539
Animals have been ordained by natural law to traverse the course of their development through innate guidance by relying upon their instincts. However, instincts are not capable of assuming this regulatory role in the case of human beings. It is man’s conscience sufficiently guided by reason that regulates not only his life but also distinguishes him from other animals.
In the great battlefield within the human spirit, there is always a tough battle going on between conscience and instinct. These two powers are pitched in a relentless battle where each of them seeks to overpower the other. In order that we may benefit from our inner powers and remain secure from their harm, we must bring our instincts under the control of conscience. Let us ensure that our urges, impulses and motives, submit in complete obedience to the authority of conscience. It is not possible to achieve harmony with the order of the universe without making sacrifices because sacrifice itself is a law of life. We can achieve piety and greatness if we subject our own egocentric desires to the critique of conscience.
Like reason, conscience is a major moderating instrument over instincts. It warns man that someone or something may be watching. The inner moral voice that keeps calling man from within is indeed a watch over his words and actions. The nature of conscience is one of the attractive phenomena of creation even though some psychologists including Sigmund Freud deny the inherent nature of conscience. They believe that conscience is a product of civilization and therefore lacks any essential roots in the human psyche. Freud in his psychological analysis pays no attention to inner factors that form the source of good and bad actions. One strongly doubts if there is any human society where dishonesty, injustice and breach of trust are considered as virtues; or where honesty, justice and trust are recognized as vices. Freud’s theory might only sound reasonable if man had learnt to distinguish between good and evil through experience. Freud’s denial of the innate nature of conscience – in the sense understood by ethics – inevitably leads him to a total negation of all moral values and spirituality.
Conscience seldom makes any error in its judgments. The various errors of human beings in their social life result either from the errors of reason or the senses or a consequence of conscience losing its power of resistance against violent impulses. Errors observed in man’s life cannot be regarded as misjudgment on behalf of conscience, because conscience only examines the conclusions and data provided by reason and sensory faculties. Man’s failure to use his reason properly could make him prone to sins and vices, which would cast a shadow of shame and guilt over him. When man turns to himself after committing an offence or sin, a painful feeling of guilt and shame envelops his entire being. This is what is called conscience. Allah (SWT) says in Qur’an 75: 1 – 2 “I swear by the Day of Resurrection; I swear by the reproachful soul”. This verse refers to the inner cry of reproach and blame that arises from the depths of man’s conscience as “the reproachful soul”. A man once asked prophet Muhammad (SAW) about the sign by which he might know the reality of his faith. The prophet (SAW) said: “If thou derive pleasure from the good which thou hast done, thou art a true believer”. The man asked: In what doth a fault consist? The prophet (SAW) said: “when anything pricks thy conscience, forsake it”.
Conscience is not only a reliable guide in the centre of life, it is also a fair and honest witness over man’s conduct; keeps a watch over it; and declares what it observes. A person may say with the tongue something which is opposite to what he holds in his heart, or may hide his secret thoughts by controlling his apparent movements. But he certainly has no power to silence the voice of conscience or stop it from reproaching him. Conscience cannot be deceived. Conscience readily flogs every criminal or vicious person with the whip of guilt and regret. Conscience is permanent and universal. It is the very essence of an individual’s character. It gives man the power of resisting temptations and defying them. It is conscience that sets man on his feet and frees him from the domination of his own passions.
When the rebellious part of a man’s heart attempts to undermine his conscience by making him captive to lusts; iman (faith) becomes the best support to lean upon. With sincere faith in Allah, conscience acquires the capacity to suppress instincts in all circumstances. With faith, man is able to resist the hostile pressure of desires. One of the most important factors that give clarity of vision to the intellect is fear of God (taqwa). Fear of God illuminates the intellect and opens the gate of wisdom wide before man. When fear of God takes hold of the heart, it puts desires and passions in chains making them docile and tractable.
Like wisdom, conscience derives from a genuine fear of Allah (SWT). A man without conscience is absolutely a man without piety. The brazen manner in which most Nigerians do things today makes us wonder if ours is not a generation without conscience. It is not conscience when people speak from both sides of their mouths or say that which negates universal truth. An insensitive leader, who betrays the trust and confidence of those who gave him the mandate to serve, is obviously not a man with conscience; the electorate whose vote is for the highest bidder lacks conscience; a teacher who abets examination malpractice is far from having any conscience; a student who spends more time attending night parties than he spends in the library, or spends more time driving around town than he reads his books is certainly unguided by his conscience; a child who thinks he is doing his parents a favour by respecting them lacks conscience; a wife who refuses to protect the property of her husband is without conscience; a scholar who fails to practise that which he preaches is grossly deficient in conscience. All corrupt practices and tendencies stem from lack of conscience. This explains why bribe takers and givers are people short of conscience.
There is no doubt that man is constantly threatened by desires and passions. However, conscience is there to keep his instincts in check. It has a power greater than that which is possessed by external police authorities. But, where conscience fails to exert enough influence over man’s turbulent psychic impulses, genuine faith rooted in the depth of his heart takes over the challenge to reject illegitimate desires. May Allah (SWT) guide us to allow conscience to prevail over our immoral, fiendish and self-seeking desires, amin.
In the great battlefield within the human spirit, there is always a tough battle going on between conscience and instinct. These two powers are pitched in a relentless battle where each of them seeks to overpower the other. In order that we may benefit from our inner powers and remain secure from their harm, we must bring our instincts under the control of conscience. Let us ensure that our urges, impulses and motives, submit in complete obedience to the authority of conscience. It is not possible to achieve harmony with the order of the universe without making sacrifices because sacrifice itself is a law of life. We can achieve piety and greatness if we subject our own egocentric desires to the critique of conscience.
Like reason, conscience is a major moderating instrument over instincts. It warns man that someone or something may be watching. The inner moral voice that keeps calling man from within is indeed a watch over his words and actions. The nature of conscience is one of the attractive phenomena of creation even though some psychologists including Sigmund Freud deny the inherent nature of conscience. They believe that conscience is a product of civilization and therefore lacks any essential roots in the human psyche. Freud in his psychological analysis pays no attention to inner factors that form the source of good and bad actions. One strongly doubts if there is any human society where dishonesty, injustice and breach of trust are considered as virtues; or where honesty, justice and trust are recognized as vices. Freud’s theory might only sound reasonable if man had learnt to distinguish between good and evil through experience. Freud’s denial of the innate nature of conscience – in the sense understood by ethics – inevitably leads him to a total negation of all moral values and spirituality.
Conscience seldom makes any error in its judgments. The various errors of human beings in their social life result either from the errors of reason or the senses or a consequence of conscience losing its power of resistance against violent impulses. Errors observed in man’s life cannot be regarded as misjudgment on behalf of conscience, because conscience only examines the conclusions and data provided by reason and sensory faculties. Man’s failure to use his reason properly could make him prone to sins and vices, which would cast a shadow of shame and guilt over him. When man turns to himself after committing an offence or sin, a painful feeling of guilt and shame envelops his entire being. This is what is called conscience. Allah (SWT) says in Qur’an 75: 1 – 2 “I swear by the Day of Resurrection; I swear by the reproachful soul”. This verse refers to the inner cry of reproach and blame that arises from the depths of man’s conscience as “the reproachful soul”. A man once asked prophet Muhammad (SAW) about the sign by which he might know the reality of his faith. The prophet (SAW) said: “If thou derive pleasure from the good which thou hast done, thou art a true believer”. The man asked: In what doth a fault consist? The prophet (SAW) said: “when anything pricks thy conscience, forsake it”.
Conscience is not only a reliable guide in the centre of life, it is also a fair and honest witness over man’s conduct; keeps a watch over it; and declares what it observes. A person may say with the tongue something which is opposite to what he holds in his heart, or may hide his secret thoughts by controlling his apparent movements. But he certainly has no power to silence the voice of conscience or stop it from reproaching him. Conscience cannot be deceived. Conscience readily flogs every criminal or vicious person with the whip of guilt and regret. Conscience is permanent and universal. It is the very essence of an individual’s character. It gives man the power of resisting temptations and defying them. It is conscience that sets man on his feet and frees him from the domination of his own passions.
When the rebellious part of a man’s heart attempts to undermine his conscience by making him captive to lusts; iman (faith) becomes the best support to lean upon. With sincere faith in Allah, conscience acquires the capacity to suppress instincts in all circumstances. With faith, man is able to resist the hostile pressure of desires. One of the most important factors that give clarity of vision to the intellect is fear of God (taqwa). Fear of God illuminates the intellect and opens the gate of wisdom wide before man. When fear of God takes hold of the heart, it puts desires and passions in chains making them docile and tractable.
Like wisdom, conscience derives from a genuine fear of Allah (SWT). A man without conscience is absolutely a man without piety. The brazen manner in which most Nigerians do things today makes us wonder if ours is not a generation without conscience. It is not conscience when people speak from both sides of their mouths or say that which negates universal truth. An insensitive leader, who betrays the trust and confidence of those who gave him the mandate to serve, is obviously not a man with conscience; the electorate whose vote is for the highest bidder lacks conscience; a teacher who abets examination malpractice is far from having any conscience; a student who spends more time attending night parties than he spends in the library, or spends more time driving around town than he reads his books is certainly unguided by his conscience; a child who thinks he is doing his parents a favour by respecting them lacks conscience; a wife who refuses to protect the property of her husband is without conscience; a scholar who fails to practise that which he preaches is grossly deficient in conscience. All corrupt practices and tendencies stem from lack of conscience. This explains why bribe takers and givers are people short of conscience.
There is no doubt that man is constantly threatened by desires and passions. However, conscience is there to keep his instincts in check. It has a power greater than that which is possessed by external police authorities. But, where conscience fails to exert enough influence over man’s turbulent psychic impulses, genuine faith rooted in the depth of his heart takes over the challenge to reject illegitimate desires. May Allah (SWT) guide us to allow conscience to prevail over our immoral, fiendish and self-seeking desires, amin.
Articles
A generation without conscience
Category: Philosofaith Written by M. U. Ndagi Hits: 539
Animals have been ordained by natural law to traverse the course of their development through innate guidance by relying upon their instincts. However, instincts are not capable of assuming this regulatory role in the case of human beings. It is man’s conscience sufficiently guided by reason that regulates not only his life but also distinguishes him from other animals.In the great battlefield within the human spirit, there is always a tough battle going on between conscience and instinct. These two powers are pitched in a relentless battle where each of them seeks to overpower the other. In order that we may benefit from our inner powers and remain secure from their harm, we must bring our instincts under the control of conscience. Let us ensure that our urges, impulses and motives, submit in complete obedience to the authority of conscience. It is not possible to achieve harmony with the order of the universe without making sacrifices because sacrifice itself is a law of life. We can achieve piety and greatness if we subject our own egocentric desires to the critique of conscience.
Like reason, conscience is a major moderating instrument over instincts. It warns man that someone or something may be watching. The inner moral voice that keeps calling man from within is indeed a watch over his words and actions. The nature of conscience is one of the attractive phenomena of creation even though some psychologists including Sigmund Freud deny the inherent nature of conscience. They believe that conscience is a product of civilization and therefore lacks any essential roots in the human psyche. Freud in his psychological analysis pays no attention to inner factors that form the source of good and bad actions. One strongly doubts if there is any human society where dishonesty, injustice and breach of trust are considered as virtues; or where honesty, justice and trust are recognized as vices. Freud’s theory might only sound reasonable if man had learnt to distinguish between good and evil through experience. Freud’s denial of the innate nature of conscience – in the sense understood by ethics – inevitably leads him to a total negation of all moral values and spirituality.
Conscience seldom makes any error in its judgments. The various errors of human beings in their social life result either from the errors of reason or the senses or a consequence of conscience losing its power of resistance against violent impulses. Errors observed in man’s life cannot be regarded as misjudgment on behalf of conscience, because conscience only examines the conclusions and data provided by reason and sensory faculties. Man’s failure to use his reason properly could make him prone to sins and vices, which would cast a shadow of shame and guilt over him. When man turns to himself after committing an offence or sin, a painful feeling of guilt and shame envelops his entire being. This is what is called conscience. Allah (SWT) says in Qur’an 75: 1 – 2 “I swear by the Day of Resurrection; I swear by the reproachful soul”. This verse refers to the inner cry of reproach and blame that arises from the depths of man’s conscience as “the reproachful soul”. A man once asked prophet Muhammad (SAW) about the sign by which he might know the reality of his faith. The prophet (SAW) said: “If thou derive pleasure from the good which thou hast done, thou art a true believer”. The man asked: In what doth a fault consist? The prophet (SAW) said: “when anything pricks thy conscience, forsake it”.
Conscience is not only a reliable guide in the centre of life, it is also a fair and honest witness over man’s conduct; keeps a watch over it; and declares what it observes. A person may say with the tongue something which is opposite to what he holds in his heart, or may hide his secret thoughts by controlling his apparent movements. But he certainly has no power to silence the voice of conscience or stop it from reproaching him. Conscience cannot be deceived. Conscience readily flogs every criminal or vicious person with the whip of guilt and regret. Conscience is permanent and universal. It is the very essence of an individual’s character. It gives man the power of resisting temptations and defying them. It is conscience that sets man on his feet and frees him from the domination of his own passions.
When the rebellious part of a man’s heart attempts to undermine his conscience by making him captive to lusts; iman (faith) becomes the best support to lean upon. With sincere faith in Allah, conscience acquires the capacity to suppress instincts in all circumstances. With faith, man is able to resist the hostile pressure of desires. One of the most important factors that give clarity of vision to the intellect is fear of God (taqwa). Fear of God illuminates the intellect and opens the gate of wisdom wide before man. When fear of God takes hold of the heart, it puts desires and passions in chains making them docile and tractable.
Like wisdom, conscience derives from a genuine fear of Allah (SWT). A man without conscience is absolutely a man without piety. The brazen manner in which most Nigerians do things today makes us wonder if ours is not a generation without conscience. It is not conscience when people speak from both sides of their mouths or say that which negates universal truth. An insensitive leader, who betrays the trust and confidence of those who gave him the mandate to serve, is obviously not a man with conscience; the electorate whose vote is for the highest bidder lacks conscience; a teacher who abets examination malpractice is far from having any conscience; a student who spends more time attending night parties than he spends in the library, or spends more time driving around town than he reads his books is certainly unguided by his conscience; a child who thinks he is doing his parents a favour by respecting them lacks conscience; a wife who refuses to protect the property of her husband is without conscience; a scholar who fails to practise that which he preaches is grossly deficient in conscience. All corrupt practices and tendencies stem from lack of conscience. This explains why bribe takers and givers are people short of conscience.
There is no doubt that man is constantly threatened by desires and passions. However, conscience is there to keep his instincts in check. It has a power greater than that which is possessed by external police authorities. But, where conscience fails to exert enough influence over man’s turbulent psychic impulses, genuine faith rooted in the depth of his heart takes over the challenge to reject illegitimate desires. May Allah (SWT) guide us to allow conscience to prevail over our immoral, fiendish and self-seeking desires, amin.