In Reply to: Re: What is "conscience"? posted by Miguel on February 19, 2004 at 03:08:12:
You offer a good criticism of my discussion on conscience. People without empathy can't reason their way out of a bag concerning the harm their actions may cause.
I also support setting forth some basic rules and consequences for breaking the rules. There have been times in my life when I was tempted to engage in what I defined as "civil disobedience." In other words, I was willing to break the law because I felt the law was unjust.
However, when I considered whether I was willing to do time for committing the crime, I was stopped cold in my felonious tracks. Simple fear of the consequences that would come with breaking the law and getting caught caused me to make some choices that were, in the end, in my own best interest.
So here's a major principle that guides my conscience: If I do the crime, am I willing to do the time?
One drawback: This doesn't work so well for folks who aren't afraid of prison, fines & penalties, or social disapproval.