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On Conscience: Two Essays
Prepared and co-published by the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, this book is a combination of two lengthy essays written by Cardinal Ratzinger and delivered in talks when he was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Both talks deal with the importance of conscience and its exercise in particular circumstances. Ratzinger's reflections show that contemporary debates over the nature of conscience have deep historical and philosophical roots. He says that a person is bound to act in accord with his conscience, but he makes it clear that there must be reliable, proven sources for the judgment of conscience in moral issues, other than the subjective reflections of each individual. The always unique and profound insights that the new Pope Benedict XVI brings to perennial problems reminds the reader of his strong warning before the recent Papal conclave of the great dangers today of the dictatorship of relativism.
82 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2006
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171 people want to read
About the author
Pope Benedict XVI
943 books935 followersOriginally
Joseph Ratzinger
, a noted conservative theologian before his election in 2005, Benedict XVI strove against the influence of secularism during his papacy to defend traditional Catholic teachings but since medieval times first resigned in 2013.
After Joseph Ratzinger served a long career as an academic and a professor at the University of Regensburg, Pope Paul VI appointed him as archbishop of Munich and Freising and cardinal in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome as prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, one most important office of the Roman curia. He also served as dean of the college of cardinals.
Benedict XVI reigned 265th in virtue of his office of bishop of Rome, the sovereign of the state of Vatican City and the head of the Church. A conclave named him on 19 April 2005; he celebrated his inaugural Mass on 24 April 2005 and took possession of his Lateran cathedral basilica of Saint John on 7 May 2005.
Benedict XVI succeeded Saint John Paul II, predecessor and his prolific writings on doctrine and values. Benedict XVI advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the increase of many developed countries. Relativism denied objective truth and moral truths in particular; he viewed this central problem of the 21st century. With the importance of the Church, he understood redemptive love of God. He reaffirmed the "importance of prayer in the face of the activism" "of many Christians engaged in charitable work." Benedict also revived a number and elevated the Tridentine Mass to a more prominent position.
Benedict founded and patronized of the Ratzinger foundation, a charitable organization, which from the sale of books and essays makes money to fund scholarships and bursaries for students across the world.
Due to advanced age on 11 February 2013, Benedict announced in a speech in Latin and cited a "lack of strength of mind and body" before the cardinals. He effectively left on 28 February 2013.As emeritus, Benedict retained the style of His Holiness, and the title and continued to dress in the color of white. He moved into the newly renovated monastery of Mater Ecclesiae for his retirement. Pope Francis succeeded him on 13 March 2013.
(more info on Ratzinger Foundation: https://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology...)
After Joseph Ratzinger served a long career as an academic and a professor at the University of Regensburg, Pope Paul VI appointed him as archbishop of Munich and Freising and cardinal in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome as prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, one most important office of the Roman curia. He also served as dean of the college of cardinals.
Benedict XVI reigned 265th in virtue of his office of bishop of Rome, the sovereign of the state of Vatican City and the head of the Church. A conclave named him on 19 April 2005; he celebrated his inaugural Mass on 24 April 2005 and took possession of his Lateran cathedral basilica of Saint John on 7 May 2005.
Benedict XVI succeeded Saint John Paul II, predecessor and his prolific writings on doctrine and values. Benedict XVI advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the increase of many developed countries. Relativism denied objective truth and moral truths in particular; he viewed this central problem of the 21st century. With the importance of the Church, he understood redemptive love of God. He reaffirmed the "importance of prayer in the face of the activism" "of many Christians engaged in charitable work." Benedict also revived a number and elevated the Tridentine Mass to a more prominent position.
Benedict founded and patronized of the Ratzinger foundation, a charitable organization, which from the sale of books and essays makes money to fund scholarships and bursaries for students across the world.
Due to advanced age on 11 February 2013, Benedict announced in a speech in Latin and cited a "lack of strength of mind and body" before the cardinals. He effectively left on 28 February 2013.As emeritus, Benedict retained the style of His Holiness, and the title and continued to dress in the color of white. He moved into the newly renovated monastery of Mater Ecclesiae for his retirement. Pope Francis succeeded him on 13 March 2013.
(more info on Ratzinger Foundation: https://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology...)
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 21, 2016
This should be in everyone's list of tiny books with clear messages. Two incredibly important and impressive essays from Ratzinger on conscience.
August 21, 2008
If you like to HAVE YOUR BRAIN PAN EXPLODED, I suggest you give this book a gander.
May 20, 2010
A short but profound discussion of what conscience is. By the way, it's not a green-light for what I want, or want to believe. Fantastic work.
June 30, 2015
In the first essay, Ratzinger uses the question of whether or not conscience binds as a entrance into a broader discussion of what conscience is and how it is formed. Is it really the case that a man can only be held responsible for what his conscience tells him, so that the less he knows, the less responsible he is, and the easier his salvation will be?
Ratzinger calls for a more thoughtful understanding of conscience and a return to the distinction between two levels of conscience: (Platonic) anamnesis, or the divine spark planted within us, which must be recollected in the manner described by Plato through the careful guidance of culture, experience, and moral authority, and (Thomistic) conscientia, or the judging faculty, formed by many factors, including the will. In the end, he argues that "the conviction a person has come to (conscientia) certainly binds in the moment of acting" but that this does not "signify a canonization of subjectivity. It is never wrong to follow the convictions one has arrived at--in fact, one must do so. But it can very well be wrong to have come to such askew convictions in tenge first place, by having stifled the protest of the anamnesis of being."
In the second essay, Ratzinger bemoans the modern era's failure to educate the moral sense because of its total focus on what can be quantified. He argues that a return to the formation of the moral sense is necessary for any true progress to be made in society, because although calculation can teach man how to make bombs, it cannot teach him how to use them. He then goes on to discuss four commonly-suggested sources of morality: observation of the concrete world, conscience, the will of God, and the community. He points out what each can contribute and in what way each is limited, and in the end suggests (through Plato) that it is not through "scholastic inquiry", but rather only when the four are in dialogue (as the bishops and theologians must be in dialogue) that man can have the "familial discussion" that Plato sees as necessary for fanning the divine spark into full flame. He compares conscience to language: it belongs to man by essence, and is not external to him, but it must be formed and trained by many external means.
Both essays contain the Psalmist's plea that God would save him from his hidden sins, which Ratzinger sees as the greatest danger: a sick conscience that does not know it is sick, and therefore cannot be healed. Both essays also contain the Platonic idea of anamnesis, that is, a spark of divine memory planted within (Ratzinger shies away away from the use of 'natural law'), which must be brought out and cultivated by the "guarantor" of divine (and thus, after the incarnation, communal) memory - the Church.
- I gave the book four stars because I wanted a more thorough argument for and account of anamnesis, how it functions, and how it relates to the Logos. Ratzinger seems to think that observation of the fundamental experience of guilt is adequate argument for this essay, but I wanted more - especially since anamnesis forms the heart of his understanding of conscience.
Ratzinger calls for a more thoughtful understanding of conscience and a return to the distinction between two levels of conscience: (Platonic) anamnesis, or the divine spark planted within us, which must be recollected in the manner described by Plato through the careful guidance of culture, experience, and moral authority, and (Thomistic) conscientia, or the judging faculty, formed by many factors, including the will. In the end, he argues that "the conviction a person has come to (conscientia) certainly binds in the moment of acting" but that this does not "signify a canonization of subjectivity. It is never wrong to follow the convictions one has arrived at--in fact, one must do so. But it can very well be wrong to have come to such askew convictions in tenge first place, by having stifled the protest of the anamnesis of being."
In the second essay, Ratzinger bemoans the modern era's failure to educate the moral sense because of its total focus on what can be quantified. He argues that a return to the formation of the moral sense is necessary for any true progress to be made in society, because although calculation can teach man how to make bombs, it cannot teach him how to use them. He then goes on to discuss four commonly-suggested sources of morality: observation of the concrete world, conscience, the will of God, and the community. He points out what each can contribute and in what way each is limited, and in the end suggests (through Plato) that it is not through "scholastic inquiry", but rather only when the four are in dialogue (as the bishops and theologians must be in dialogue) that man can have the "familial discussion" that Plato sees as necessary for fanning the divine spark into full flame. He compares conscience to language: it belongs to man by essence, and is not external to him, but it must be formed and trained by many external means.
Both essays contain the Psalmist's plea that God would save him from his hidden sins, which Ratzinger sees as the greatest danger: a sick conscience that does not know it is sick, and therefore cannot be healed. Both essays also contain the Platonic idea of anamnesis, that is, a spark of divine memory planted within (Ratzinger shies away away from the use of 'natural law'), which must be brought out and cultivated by the "guarantor" of divine (and thus, after the incarnation, communal) memory - the Church.
- I gave the book four stars because I wanted a more thorough argument for and account of anamnesis, how it functions, and how it relates to the Logos. Ratzinger seems to think that observation of the fundamental experience of guilt is adequate argument for this essay, but I wanted more - especially since anamnesis forms the heart of his understanding of conscience.
January 10, 2014
Short and to the point Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI does a spectacular job of describing the nature of conscience. The book is very short, and is broken up into 2 parts, one more recent in a convention on Bioethics and the other back in the 80s to Bishops concerning their roles as being called not only to pass down but to live out morality.
He makes it known that Conscience has taken on a new meaning, and that we worship conscience like as if it were God rather than being a witness to God, however we are unaware of the fact that Conscience is more like an organ [a muscle] that needs to be worked out, formed properly that it may realize its God-given Potential therefore we ought to see it less like some infallible oracle that merely we use or hide behind to serve or justify our own subjectivity and passions.
He recognizes in his presentations, that Conscience is meant to be something that gets us to see the world "As-It-Is" rather than as "What-We-Want-It-To-Be" but if it is poorly formed [i.e. if it doesn't recognize the Transcendent] then it merely becomes an organ of self-justification in a sea of gray (i.e. Subjectivism and Relativism) rather than a sharp perceptible tool that can focus in and begin to see the Black and the White in things, in truth also he points out that even a notion of Objectivity, the presence of individual Conscience, and the wisdom of the ages in Tradition all point to Divine Commandment and thus, Revelation.
I am especially pleased to hear that he to recognizes that conscience can become fallible when it does not even recognize it is doing something wrong, pointing out that the SS in Nazi Germany carried out their acts of objective evil in Good Conscience. Truly, it is our job to sharpen our Conscience and the home of the bastion of Objectivity, Tradition, and Development of Conscience will only be found in the Catholic Church because it goes beyond one locale and one time or another, because of the Divine Revelation which under girds its teachings.
He makes it known that Conscience has taken on a new meaning, and that we worship conscience like as if it were God rather than being a witness to God, however we are unaware of the fact that Conscience is more like an organ [a muscle] that needs to be worked out, formed properly that it may realize its God-given Potential therefore we ought to see it less like some infallible oracle that merely we use or hide behind to serve or justify our own subjectivity and passions.
He recognizes in his presentations, that Conscience is meant to be something that gets us to see the world "As-It-Is" rather than as "What-We-Want-It-To-Be" but if it is poorly formed [i.e. if it doesn't recognize the Transcendent] then it merely becomes an organ of self-justification in a sea of gray (i.e. Subjectivism and Relativism) rather than a sharp perceptible tool that can focus in and begin to see the Black and the White in things, in truth also he points out that even a notion of Objectivity, the presence of individual Conscience, and the wisdom of the ages in Tradition all point to Divine Commandment and thus, Revelation.
I am especially pleased to hear that he to recognizes that conscience can become fallible when it does not even recognize it is doing something wrong, pointing out that the SS in Nazi Germany carried out their acts of objective evil in Good Conscience. Truly, it is our job to sharpen our Conscience and the home of the bastion of Objectivity, Tradition, and Development of Conscience will only be found in the Catholic Church because it goes beyond one locale and one time or another, because of the Divine Revelation which under girds its teachings.
February 19, 2010
Ratzinger defineşte conştiinţa drept "bastion al libertăţii" umane, fiind cea mai înaltă normă căriea omul se poate supune chiar şi împotriva autorităţii. Puterea de justificare a conştiinţei subiective nu trebuie să ducă la o validare a relativismului, la o dictatură a pluralismului moral. Deoarece stâlpii de reazem ai existenţei umane sunt identificaţi în domeniul religios şi cel moral, Cardinalul arată că "sentimentul de vinovăţie, capacitatea omului de a recunoaşte vina, aparţine în mod structural constituţiei spirituale a omului. Sentimentul de vinovăţie perturbă calmul conştiinţei şi este la fel de necesar omului ca durerea fizică", deoarece atunci ştii sigur că trupul funcţionează şi este capabil să identifice o infecţie. "Cine nu mai este capabil să simtă vină este bolnav din punct de vedere spiritual". Aptitudinea omului pentru adevăr este o garanţie a asemănării omului cu Dumnezeu.
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November 8, 2011
A powerful book with two incredible essays on conscience by then-Cardinal Ratzinger. One of the key themes here is anamnesis of God -- which might loosely be rendered memory of God. I think this idea, which occurs frequently in Ratzinger and Benedict's thought, is one of his great contributions to the Church. Ratzinger does a good job of showing why conscience cannot be mere subjectivism, but must be rooted in the Truth and Logos. I highly recommend this short, but dense essays.
June 10, 2008
The ability of Pope Benedict to construct a logical, easy to follow argument is astounding. The more I read by this man the more my respect grows. A great essay detailing the need for individuals to do moral work through out their lives. I can't do either essay justice, but would be of intrest to non-Catholics as well.
March 9, 2017
The conscience matters. But what if that conscience is badly formed? What, then, do we allow to form our conscience? Because of the crucial question of what conscience is and how it is formed, a person sins when he or she does not follow his or her conscience. ...but it does not follow that the person who does follow his or her conscience does not sin.
January 10, 2017
Un muy breve libro que reúne a dos intervenciones de Benedicto XVI tratando el tema de la conciencia humana. Una pequeña gran joya sobre el tema y que puede servir de introducción a quien sea que el interese esta cuestión examinada por una inteligencia privilegiada.
September 11, 2016
Amazing, as usual. Short, succint two addresses that pack in a lot of practical truth.
November 25, 2021
On Conscience is brilliant little book by pope emiratus Ratzinger and it is composed in two essays that talk how Catholic Church sees conscience and morality, why are they important, what happens to the humans when we reject it, how we need to talk about it in the modern world. Im so glad I found this little book, it is very short, i have read it in one day but it opened my eyes in a profound way. Joseph Ratzinger is and always will be treasure of the Catholic Church.
May 15, 2022
In the first essay, Ratzinger deftly weaves his way through two conflicting conceptions of conscience, arguing that conscience is neither a purely subjective matter, nor an infallible source of judgement. Rather, conscience is always measured by the truth of reality, and while it is a deeply personal and active power, a healthy conscience presupposes a certain attentiveness to reality. Thus while one can commit an immoral action in ignorance, the action itself is still objectively wrong, and the guilt lies in one’s inattentiveness to reality and the truth of their own being.
The second essay looks at the different sources of moral knowledge that inform the conscience.
One of my favorite points in the second essay is that “morality” is not a set of abstract rules or principles. It exists and takes it shape in our lives within the “mores"-the ways and customs-of a community. He asks at a certain point, "what happens when new knowledge and technological progress are introduced in a community in a way that outpaces that community's way of life and “mores,” with the obvious moral implications this has for the formation of conscience? This is a particularly poignant question that many mindful families are asking themselves in contemporary Western culture.
As always from Ratzinger, clear, lucid and thought-provoking. An excellent and remarkably concise presentation of a challenging subject. I would have liked a bit more explanation in the first essay on how he understands Plato's theory of anamnesis in relation to conscience.
The second essay looks at the different sources of moral knowledge that inform the conscience.
One of my favorite points in the second essay is that “morality” is not a set of abstract rules or principles. It exists and takes it shape in our lives within the “mores"-the ways and customs-of a community. He asks at a certain point, "what happens when new knowledge and technological progress are introduced in a community in a way that outpaces that community's way of life and “mores,” with the obvious moral implications this has for the formation of conscience? This is a particularly poignant question that many mindful families are asking themselves in contemporary Western culture.
As always from Ratzinger, clear, lucid and thought-provoking. An excellent and remarkably concise presentation of a challenging subject. I would have liked a bit more explanation in the first essay on how he understands Plato's theory of anamnesis in relation to conscience.
May 5, 2012
oh my. way over my head and incredibly challenging. for every paragraph i had to take 3 days to digest it. it was intense. the second essay i thought was better then the first. there were a few times where i was thinking wow that was incredibly beautiful, like when he mentions the Church not being outdated and how she would betray humanity if she renounced the guardianship of Truth. and conscience being a a witness and an organ not an oracle and how we need to care for it, form it, and educate it. it was also food for thought when he mentioned the tree of knowledge which man eats does not give him knowledge of good and evil but rather blinds him to discern the difference. wow. ill probably come back and read this at a different time in my life but for now only 2/5.
September 12, 2016
very helpful.
both essays contains very insightful articulations of the Church teaching on conscience.
accessible language as well (as for most of Pope Benedict XVI writings)
both essays contains very insightful articulations of the Church teaching on conscience.
accessible language as well (as for most of Pope Benedict XVI writings)
December 18, 2019
It's an excellent introduction to the Catholic understanding of conscience and truth.
December 17, 2021
Simple, erudite book on such an intriguing topic. The first essay raises very interesting questions about the morality of the Church such as "how is it today that it is often framed as a burden that makes life more difficult?"
The second essay does a deeper look at prevailing outlooks toward to the conscience and seeks understanding in its roots. To convincing things come out: it is rooted fundamentally in a belief in God, and in a community.
"Conscience is an organ not an oracle. It is an organ because it is something that for us is a given, which belongs to our essence, and not something that has been made outside of us. But because it is an organ, it requires growth, training and practice."
"In the last analysis, the language of being, the language of nature, is identical with the language of conscience. But in order to hear that language, it is necessary, as with all language, to practice it."
The second essay does a deeper look at prevailing outlooks toward to the conscience and seeks understanding in its roots. To convincing things come out: it is rooted fundamentally in a belief in God, and in a community.
"Conscience is an organ not an oracle. It is an organ because it is something that for us is a given, which belongs to our essence, and not something that has been made outside of us. But because it is an organ, it requires growth, training and practice."
"In the last analysis, the language of being, the language of nature, is identical with the language of conscience. But in order to hear that language, it is necessary, as with all language, to practice it."
March 9, 2023
Before he was Pope Benedict XVI. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was a scholar and theologian of remarkable depth. These two brief essays explain, in scholarly yet accessible fashion, the dangers of relying ONLY on the individual conscience to determine what a moral course of action would be. Without some benchmark - in this case, the Magisterium of the Catholic Church - individuals are prone to proof-texting as a method of formation of conscience, choosing what snippets of texts and teachings will buttress their conviction that what they wish to do is morally good, instead of approaching moral questions with a spirit of humility and charity. It only took a couple of hours to read this through for the first time, but I expect to return to it annually, probably during Lent, as it is a valuable tool for examining the state of MY conscience and my soul.
July 6, 2019
Two essays on conscience that explore the relationship between autonomous and authoritative morality and between subjectivity and objectivity. Thought provoking and sharp. I was particular struck by the proof and statement that "[Guilt lies] not in the present act, not in the present judgement of conscience, but in the neglect of my being that made me deaf to the internal promptings of truth."
Well worth a read
Well worth a read
May 4, 2021
A needed book for our times. He formulates excellent questions that are based on current societal issues. He also wrestles with offering definitions and ways of understanding the conscience. He also presents a profoundly beautiful way the responsibility that each individual has in terms of forming their conscience. I know I will be returning to this book regularly, and I highly recommend everyone read it.
January 24, 2022
Conscience what I learned
The wisdom of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger always leaves me in awe of his wisdom. He explains things so simply that I can understand what he is saying. I love Ratzinger, I wish I had all of his wisdom and written s.
The wisdom of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger always leaves me in awe of his wisdom. He explains things so simply that I can understand what he is saying. I love Ratzinger, I wish I had all of his wisdom and written s.
August 13, 2023
Helpful reflections on an important topic. Very good points, and his connections with ethical history (especially Plato) are illuminating. A short book that gives me a lot to reflect upon.
November 13, 2016
Ratzinger offers an illuminating study of conscience, especially clearing away misconceptions of what it is not, distinguishing between popular yet mistaken notions of conscience as being an individual's infallible subjective conviction about what is right (hence trapping one in a solipsistic, moral subjectivism) and an authentic Catholic understanding.
Observing that "the reduction of conscience to subjective certitude betokens at the same time a RETREAT from truth", Ratzinger turns to the examples of Cardinal John Henry Newman and the philosopher Socrates as proper examples of conscience. For Newman, "conscience signifies the perceptible and demanding presence of the voice of truth in the subject himself ... the overcoming of mere subjectivity in the encounter of the inferiority of man with the truth from God". Newman recognized the duty to obey the truth rather than his own preferences, even at the cost of severing friendships and ties with the Anglican church. As an exemplary "man of conscience -- who never acquires tolerance, well being, success, public standing and approval on the part of prevailing opinion at the expense of truth."
According to Ratzinger's analysis, two standards can assist us in ascertaining the presence of a "real voice of conscience": 1) it is not identical to personal wishes or taste; 2) it cannot be reduced to social advantage, to group consensus, or to the demands of political or social power. It is this fidelity to the truth above and beyond our personal preferences that
Ratzinger also introduces (or resurrects, rather, from Platonic philosophy) the concept of "anamnesis" -- remembering. On an ontological level,
St. Basil describes the same concept succinctly, "the love of God is not founded on a discipline imposed on us from outside, but is constitutively established in us as the capacity and necessity of our rational nature."
While Ratzinger concurs that one is bound to act in accord with his conscience, even if such conscience is mistaken, he nonetheless recognizes that conscience itself must be brought under judgement, beyond that of the subjective reflections of the individual. Inherent in the concept of conscience, says Ratzinger, is "the obligation to care for it, to form it and educate it. Conscience has a right to respect and obedience in the meaure in which the person himself respects and gives it the care its dignity deserves."
To this end, parents, teachers, and the church all play a necessary role in providing for the formation and education of conscience and our capacity to listen and respond to it, absent which conscience can "be stamped out [and] falsified so that it can only speak in a stunted and distorted way."
History is repelete with examples of how "the silence of conscience can become a deadly sickness for an entire civilization."
Observing that "the reduction of conscience to subjective certitude betokens at the same time a RETREAT from truth", Ratzinger turns to the examples of Cardinal John Henry Newman and the philosopher Socrates as proper examples of conscience. For Newman, "conscience signifies the perceptible and demanding presence of the voice of truth in the subject himself ... the overcoming of mere subjectivity in the encounter of the inferiority of man with the truth from God". Newman recognized the duty to obey the truth rather than his own preferences, even at the cost of severing friendships and ties with the Anglican church. As an exemplary "man of conscience -- who never acquires tolerance, well being, success, public standing and approval on the part of prevailing opinion at the expense of truth."
According to Ratzinger's analysis, two standards can assist us in ascertaining the presence of a "real voice of conscience": 1) it is not identical to personal wishes or taste; 2) it cannot be reduced to social advantage, to group consensus, or to the demands of political or social power. It is this fidelity to the truth above and beyond our personal preferences that
Ratzinger also introduces (or resurrects, rather, from Platonic philosophy) the concept of "anamnesis" -- remembering. On an ontological level,
"the phenomenon of conscience consists in the fact that something like an original memory of the good and the true (they are identical) has been implanted in us ... an inner ontological tendency toward the divine. From its origin, man's being resonates with some things and clashes with others. This anamnesis of that origin, which results from the god-like constitution of our being ... is an inner sense, a capacity to recall, so that the one whom it addresses, if he is not turned in on himself, hears its echo from within. He sees: that's it! that's is what my nature points to and seeks."
St. Basil describes the same concept succinctly, "the love of God is not founded on a discipline imposed on us from outside, but is constitutively established in us as the capacity and necessity of our rational nature."
While Ratzinger concurs that one is bound to act in accord with his conscience, even if such conscience is mistaken, he nonetheless recognizes that conscience itself must be brought under judgement, beyond that of the subjective reflections of the individual. Inherent in the concept of conscience, says Ratzinger, is "the obligation to care for it, to form it and educate it. Conscience has a right to respect and obedience in the meaure in which the person himself respects and gives it the care its dignity deserves."
To this end, parents, teachers, and the church all play a necessary role in providing for the formation and education of conscience and our capacity to listen and respond to it, absent which conscience can "be stamped out [and] falsified so that it can only speak in a stunted and distorted way."
History is repelete with examples of how "the silence of conscience can become a deadly sickness for an entire civilization."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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