Conscience and Morality

Abstract

<p>This thesis is a study of morality from the ontological point of view. I take as my main clue Heidegger's criticism of the moral interpretation of conscience in his Being and Time. This criticism enlightened me with the thought that conscience is associated with authentic existence, while morality is associated with inauthentic existence. Therefore, in this thesis morality is investigated in light of its connection to conscience.</p> <p>My main argument is that conscience is the center of the existence of the Self, while morality is based on the misunderstanding of the Self that speaks silently in conscience. Therefore, my central claim is that the movement from conscience to morality coincides with the transition from authentic to inauthentic existence. Furthermore, I show that this movement happens twice. The first movement coincides with the transition from the original existence of the Self to human existence. The second movement coincides with the transition from authentic to inauthentic (everyday) human existence.</p> <p>Although Heidegger emphasizes the importance of the call of conscience in authentic Being-one's-Self, he does not really put conscience in the center of human existence, because the principle of his ontology is the concept of Being rather than the concept of the Self Therefore, in this thesis I reinterpret his ontology in terms of the Self and base my study of morality on this reinterpretation.</p>