Conscience

Forms: 3– conscience, 3–6 concience, 4–6 conciens, -cyens, -sience, -syence, -syens, -sciens, -scyence, (5 consions, 6 concyence, conchons, consyenes, sconscyence, 7 contience). [a. F. conscience (cunscience) 12th c. (= Pr. conciencia, cossiencia, Sp. conciencia, It. coscienza), ad. L. conscientia privity of knowledge (with another), knowledge within oneself, consciousness, conscience, f. conscient- pr. pple. of conscīre, f. con- together + scīre to know; thus conscīre alii to know along with another, to be privy with another to a matter, thence, conscīre sibi to know with oneself only, to know within one’s own mind.

  In ME. conscience took the place of the earlier term INWIT in all its senses; cf. OHG. giwizza, Ger. gewissen, conscience. The word is etymologically, as its form shows, a noun of condition or function, like science, prescience, intelligence, prudence, etc., and as such originally had no plural: a man or a people had more or less conscience. But in sense 4 it came gradually to be thought of as an individual entity, a member or organ of the mental system, of which each man possessed one, and thus it took a and plural. So my conscience, your conscience, was understood to mean no longer our respective shares or amounts of the common quality conscience, but to be two distinct individual consciences, mine and yours. Where the word has continued to be used without the article, as in ‘the dictates of conscience,’ orig. parallel to ‘the dictates of prudence’ or ‘of common sense,’ the prevalent tendency is to personify Conscience as ‘this Deity in my bosom.’ In the 15–16th c., the word appears to have been often, by reason of its final s sound, associated with plurals like wits, brains, bowels, as patience is still in dialects. Cf. the illiterate spellings consions, conchons, etc.: hence apparently conscion- in CONSCIONABLE, CONSCIONED, CONSCIONLESS.)

  I.  Inward knowledge, consciousness; inmost thought, mind.

  † 1.  Inward knowledge or consciousness; internal conviction. Obs.

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., A. 1088. For I dar say, with conciens sure … His lyf wer loste an-vnder mone.

1382.  Wyclif, Heb. x. 2. The worschipers clensid oonys, hadden no conscience of synne ferthermore.

1533.  More, Lett. to T. Cromwell, Wks. 1424/2. For the conscience of mine own true faithful hart and deuocion toward him.

1561.  T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., II. 78. Discouraged and throwen down with conscience of his own miserie.

1633.  Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 227. A good man shall … enjoy the conscience of his own integrity.

1651.  Hobbes, Govt. & Soc., xvi. § 1. 262. Mankind, from conscience of its own weaknesse.

1667.  Milton, P. L., VIII. 502. Her vertue and the conscience of her worth.

1711.  Steele, Spect., No. 153, ¶ 2. The Conscience of a good Fame.

1719.  De Foe, Crusoe (1840), I. 104. Without sense of good, or conscience of evil.

1744.  Harris, Three Treat., III. XI. (1765), 200. A Conscience of having done nothing, but what is consonant to our Duty.

a. 1745.  Swift, Serm. Test. Consc., Wks. 1745, VIII. 233. The word Conscience properly signifies, that knowledge which a man hath within himself of his own thoughts and actions.

[1869.  Swinburne, Ess. & Stud. (1875), 221. The conscience of this sharpens and exasperates the temper of his will.]

  † b.  Internal or mental recognition or acknowledgement of something. Obs.

1382.  Wyclif, 1 Cor. viii. 7. Sothli summe with conscience of ydol til now eten as thing offrid to ydols [Cranm., Genev. some hauing conscience because of the idol; 1611 with conscience of the idole; Rev. V. 1881, some, being used until now to the idol].

1528.  Tindale, Wicked Mammon, Wks. (Parker Soc.), I. 92. Without conscience of God, and without knowledge of the true intent of fasting.

  † c.  Knowledge, feeling, sense. Obs. [So in Lat.]

1563–87.  Foxe, A. & M. (1684), III. 50. His judgement in religion … was grounded upon no firm conscience of doctrine.

  † 2.  Inmost thought; mind, ‘heart.’ Obs.

c. 1340.  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1196. Þe lede lay … Compast in his concience to quat þat cace myȝt Mene oþer amount.

c. 1500.  Lancelot, 1462. If yow has maad Thi confessione … And in thi conciens thinkith perseuere.

1529.  Wolsey, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 10. Ye knowe in your lernyng and consyens.

c. 1540.  Pilgr. T., 197, in Thynne, Animadv., App. i. Dessyring him to show me what he thought, in his consciens whan he had sought.

1611.  Shaks., Cymb., I. vi. 116. ’Tis your Graces That from my mutest Conscience, to my tongue, Charmes this report out.

  † b.  To speak or tell one’s conscience: to speak one’s mind, express one’s own conviction. Obs.

1563–87.  Foxe, A. & M. (1684), III. 467. I am not bound to tell you my Conscience of your demands.

1599.  Shaks., Hen. V., V. i. 123. By my troth, I will speake my conscience of the King.

  † 3.  Reasonableness, understanding, ‘sense.’ Obs. rare. (Cf. in all conscience, 10.)

1607.  Shaks., Timon, II. ii. 184. Why dost thou weepe, canst thou the conscience lacke, To thinke I shall lacke friends.

  II.  Consciousness of right and wrong; moral sense.

  4.  The internal acknowledgement or recognition of the moral quality of one’s motives and actions; the sense of right and wrong as regards things for which one is responsible; the faculty or principle that pronounces upon the moral quality of one’s actions or motives, approving the right and condemning the wrong.

  Opinions as to the nature, function, and authority of conscience are widely divergent, varying from the conception of the mere exercise of the ordinary judgment on moral questions, to that of an infallible guide of conduct, a sort of deity within us. Popularly, the word is often used for the whole moral nature; for its gradual individualizing and personification in this sense, see note in etymology.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 306. Wiðinnen us suluen, ure owune conscience, þet is, ure inwit, uorkuliinde hire suluen mid þe fure of sunne.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 26747 (Cott.). [Þai] will noght … wit scrift þair conscience ma clene.

c. 1325.  Metr. Hom., 32. And my consciens gan me meld, It schawed thar ful openlye That I led mi lif wrangwislie.

1340.  Hampole, Pr. Consc., 6574. Þe tende payne es gnawyng with-in Of conscience þat bites als vermyn.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 6452. That prest may never … knowe the conscience aright Of hym that is undir his cure.

1477.  Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 1. Whiche grace … droof me by reson and conscience.

1513.  More, Rich. III., Wks. 58/1. Such as had wit … & had no scrupilouse consience.

1555.  Eden, Decades, 96. His giltie conscience put him in feare.

1581.  Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 248. The conscience verilie is the knowledge, iudgement, & reason of a man, whereby euerie man in himselfe, and in his owne minde, being made priuie to euerie thing, y^t he either hath committed or not committed, doe either condemne or acquite himself.

1596.  Shaks., Merch. V., II. ii. 1. Ibid. (1602), Ham., III. i. 83. Thus Conscience does make Cowards of vs all.

a. 1602.  W. Perkins, Disc. Conscience, Wks. (1603), 619. I say that conscience is a part of the mind or understanding, to show that conscience is not a bare knowledge or judgement of the understanding (as men commonly write), but a natural power, faculty, or created quality, from which knowledge and judgement proceed as effects.

1651.  Hobbes, Leviath., xxix. A man’s conscience and his judgment is the same thing, and, as the judgment, so also the conscience may be erroneous.

1667.  Milton, P. L., III. 195. And I will place within them as a guide My Umpire Conscience.

1690.  Locke, Hum. Und., I. iii. § 8. Conscience … is nothing else but our own Opinion or Judgment of the moral Rectitude or Pravity of our own Actions.

1725.  Butler, Serm., ii. This faculty of conscience … was placed within to be our proper governor; to direct and regulate all under principles, passions, and motives of action. This is its right and office: thus sacred its authority.

1735–8.  Bolingbroke, On Parties, 8. Conscience alone determines their Conduct.

1823.  Byron, Island, I. vi. Man’s conscience is the oracle of God.

1858.  Froude, Hist. Eng., III. xvi. 360. Liberty of conscience has become a law of modern thought.

1872.  E. Peacock, Mabel Heron, ii. 17. With several twinges of conscience.

1882.  J. H. Blunt. Ref. Ch. Eng., II. 30. The conscience of the country turned against him.

1884.  T. Fowler, Progr. Morality, 29. In any tenable sense of the term, conscience stands simply for the aggregate of our moral opinion re-inforced by the moral sanction of self-approbation and self-disapprobation.

1885.  Martineau, Types Eth. Theory, II. 50.

Mod.  The conscience of the country is now awake to the wrong.

  b.  (with a and plural.)

1382.  Wyclif, 2 Cor. v. 11. Sothli I hope and in ȝoure consciencis vs for to be knowun [1388 that we ben opyn also in ȝoure consciencis].

1483.  Cath. Angl., 75. A Consciens, consciencia.

1548–9.  (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Offices, 34. They whose consciences by synne are accused.

1610.  Shaks., Temp., II. i. 278. I feele not This Deity in my bosome: Twentie consciences That stand ’twixt me and Millaine, candied be they, And melt, ere they mollest!

1669–70.  Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1875, II. 307. Under pretence of tender consciences.

a. 1853.  Robertson, Serm., Ser. III. xvi. 200. We come into this world with a moral sense; or to speak more Christianly, with a conscience.

1863.  Sat. Rev., 199. Paley once said, as an excuse for signing a document in the teeth of his expressed convictions, that he was not rich enough to keep a conscience.

  c.  For conscience sake [modern grammarians have introduced the apostrophe, conscience’ to indicate the possessive relation: see SAKE]: for the sake of, out of regard to, conscience.

1526.  Tindale, 1 Cor. x. 25. What soever is solde in the market, that eate, and axe no questions for conscience sake [so 1611, 1881].

1607.  Shaks., Cor., II. iii. 36. The fourth would returne for Conscience sake.

1647.  Clarendon, Hist. Reb. (1702), I. II. 87. All men would have submitted to it for Conscience sake.

1715.  De Foe, Fam. Instruct., I. iv. (1841), I. 92. You will suffer for conscience-sake.

1748.  Hartley, Observ. Man, II. iv. 372. Good Men ought to submit to the Ecclesiastical Powers that be, for Conscience-sake.

1876.  Mason, Eng. Gram. (ed. 21), 28. Sometimes the possessive case in … nouns that end in s, x, or ce, is merely marked by placing an apostrophe after the word … But this practice is now nearly obsolete, except in a few common instances, as, ‘for conscience’ sake,’ ‘for goodness’ sake.’

  d.  Good conscience: an approving conscience; a consciousness that one’s acts, or one’s moral state, are right; † also formerly, a well-regulated or sound conscience, one which judges correctly (obs.). Bad, evil conscience: an accusing or condemning conscience; a consciousness of having done wrong, or of being in a wrong moral state.

a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter, lxxxviii[i]. 13. Thabor … and her mon … in þi name ihesu sall glade thorgh goed consyence.

1382.  Wyclif, 1 Tim. i. 19. Hauynge feith and good conscience.

1523.  Will of Burwell (Somerset Ho.). Persones of right or of good conscience.

1573.  G. Harvey, Letter-Bk., 9. I wil do as men of best consciences do.

1611.  Bible, Transl. Pref., 6. This seemeth to argue a bad cause, or a bad conscience, or both.

1625.  Burges, Personal Tithes, 24. A good conscience … will sooner suspect his owne heart of couetousnesse, then his Pastors.

1631.  T. Powell, Tom of all Trades, 161. There is no coward to an ill conscience.

1649.  Bp. Hall, Cases Consc., I. ii. 24. A good conscience therefore will tell you that if … you have made a prey of him … you are bound to make restitution.

1744.  Harris, Three Treat., Wks. (1841), 80. What is that comfort of a good conscience?

1827.  J. Wilson, Noctes, in Blackw. Mag., April, 476. That sweet sound sleep that is the lot o’ a gude conscience.

  III.  Conscientious observance or practice; tenderness of conscience.

  † 5.  Conscientious observance or reverence of, or regard to. Obs.

1382.  Wyclif, 1 Pet. ii. 19. Forsothe this is grace, if for conscience of God ony man suffrith sorewes.

1483.  Plumpton Corr., p. xcv. Any article … which by reason of consions of right oweth or should be reformed.

1606.  G. W[oodcocke], trans. Hist. Ivtine, 113 b. Preferring the concience of their oath made to his father, before their latter promise.

1607.  Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1673), 585. If they have any conscience of publique good.

1654.  R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, A v. They … (in meer Conscience to publike Benefit) have depriv’d themselves of so great a Propriety.

1671.  H. M., trans. Erasm. Colloq., 102. It’s a wicked thing, for the conscience of the day, to suffer our brother to perish.

  16.  Practice of, or conformity to, what is right, equity; regard to the dictates of conscience; conscientiousness. Obs. or arch.

1393.  Gower, Conf., I. 62. An ypocrite is this, A man which feigneth conscience.

1538.  Starkey, England, iv. 121. Bycause hyt leynyth to equyte and consyence … I wyl … graunt thys to you.

1591.  Lambarde, Arch. (1635), 16. Not onely according to meere Right, and Law, but also after Equitie and good Conscience.

1604.  Shaks., Oth., III. iii. 203. Their best Conscience, Is not to leaue ’t vndone, but kept vnknowne. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., IV. iv. 660. I cannot with conscience take it.

1638.  Hamilton Papers (Camden), 53. I ame sure in them itt proceeds not out of conseince, bot meirlie … [they] durst not for feare irritat the Couenanters.

1767.  Blackstone, Comm., II. 328. A … had the legal … possession of the land, but B … was in conscience and equity to have the profits and disposal of it.

1772.  Mackenzie, Man of World, I. xv. Some folks, to be sure, would take more, but I love conscience in these matters.

1869.  Swinburne, Ess. & Stud. (1875), 283. They both impress us with a belief … in the care and conscience with which their scenes were wrought out.

  † b.  To do one’s conscience: to act according to one’s sense of right. Obs.

1691.  T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., p. xcviii. Magistrates are great Blessings … if they dare do their Conscience.

  † 7.  Tenderness of feeling, tender-heartedness.

c. 1385.  Chaucer, L. G. W., 1253, Dido. O sily wemen … fful of pite, of trouthe, of concience. Ibid. (c. 1386), Prol., 150. Al was conscience and tendre herte.

1393.  Gower, Conf., III. 200. Pompeie sigh his pacience And toke pite with conscience.

  † 8.  Tenderness of conscience with regard to an act, scruple; also compunction, remorse. Obs.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (1839), xxiii. 249. Þei han gret conscience and holden it for a gret synne to casten a knyf in the fuyr.

1467.  Paston Lett., No. 573, II. 303. Master Brakley owt for to be in gret consyens for syche thyngs as he had doone and seyd … in proving of Sir John Fastolfys wyll.

1475.  Bk. Noblesse, 34. King Lowes haveng, grete conscience that he heelde bethout title of right the duchie of Normandie.

1523.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccclxxxi. 641. But the bysshop had conscience to let hym dye.

1608.  Hieron, A Defence, III. 102. You haue so misused these things … that we can no longer continue them, without great conscience.

  b.  A matter of conscience: something about which scruples are or should be felt: cf. 11. Obs.

1557.  North, trans. Gueuara’s Diall Pr., 83 b/2. To kepe two wiues among the christians, is a great conscience. Ibid., 174 a/1. To a prince there can be no greater shame, nor conscience, then to beginne warres … to mainteine his owne pleasure.

  IV.  Phrases (from II and III).

  9.  Upon, in (one’s) conscience: by one’s sense of right, upon one’s word, truly. So in asseverations by, in, on, o’ my conscience. Also, as a mere exclamation of surprises, etc., my conscience! or simply conscience! (Sc.).

c. 1290.  S. Eng. Leg., I. 120/469. Ich hadde lothz bi mi concience don holi churche wovȝ.

1393.  Gower, Conf., II. 108. But upon youre conscience, Min holy fader, demeth ye.

1593.  Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., III. iii. 113. Now Warwicke, tell me euen vpon thy conscience Is Edward your true King? Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., III. i. 33. In my conscience sir, I do not care for you. Ibid. (1613), Hen. VIII., V. iv. 42. O’ my conscience twenty of the Dog-dayes now reigne in ’s Nose.

1655.  W. F., Meteors, II. 17. Some merrie fellow which of his conscience thinketh them not to be above three yards about.

1818.  Scott, Rob Roy, xxiii. ‘Ah—Eh!—Oh!’ exclaimed the Bailie. ‘My conscience!—it’s impossible—and yet—no! Conscience, it canna be!’

  10.  In (all) conscience, † of (all) conscience: in reason or fairness, by all that is right or reasonable (colloq.).

1568.  Abp. Parker, Corr. (1853), 326. I cannot of conscience favour them therein.

1592.  Day, Eng. Secretarie, I. (1625), 109. What in conscience the poore man is then able to pay, in respect of the other charges.

1608.  Shaks., Per., IV. ii. 23. They are too unwholesome, a conscience.

1622.  Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., 240. It is time inough, of conscience.

c. 1645.  Howell, Lett., I. 295. This is enough in conscience.

1649.  Bp. Hall, Cases Consc., I. iii. 29. The seller is bound in conscience … to intimate unto the buyer these faulty qualities.

1650.  B., Discolliminium, 2. He seems to be a Gentleman of too much understanding, of all Conscience.

1701.  Swift, Contests Nobles & Com., Wks. 1755, II. I. 15. It is too soon in all conscience to repeat this error again.

1768.  Sterne, Sent. Journ., Hotel at Paris. I have enough in conscience, Eugenius, said I.

1773.  Eliz. Bonhote, Rambles Mr. Frankly, I. 28. ‘And enough too, of all conscience,’ exclaimed I. ‘Five hundred pounds!—What a sum!’

1886.  Besant, Children of Gibeon, II. xxvii. The matter, which was bad enough in all conscience.

  11.  A matter of conscience: a matter in which conscience is concerned; hence to make (a thing) a matter of conscience: to treat or deal with it conscientiously or according to the dictates of conscience. To make (a) conscience (obs. or arch.): to make it a matter of conscience, to have scruples about, to scruple. So † to think it no conscience; also † to have (a) conscience: see 8.

1526.  Tindale, Rom. xiv. 23. He that maketh conscience [1611 doubteth] is dampned if he eate.

1579.  Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 92. Thou hast thought it no conscience to betray me.

1586.  Lett. Earle Leycester, 25. Therefore have we litle reason to trust her in that, wherof shee maketh so small a conscience.

1625.  Purchas, Pilgrimes, II. 1276. They will … make more conscience to breake a Fast, than to commit a Murther.

1671.  H. M., trans. Erasm. Colloq., 69. I make conscience to say thou lyest.

1685.  H. More, Cursory Refl., 21. For my part, I should make a conscience in abusing the World with such Trash.

1685.  Baxter, Paraphr. N. T., Matt. xxvii. 6. Arch-hypocrites make conscience of Ceremony, and make no conscience of Perjury.

1722.  De Foe, Plague (1754), 12. If he be one that makes Conscience of his Duty.

1788.  Priestley, Lect. Hist., I. ii. 24. A man who made no conscience of any villany.

1856.  Emerson, Eng. Traits, ix. 146. [He] makes a conscience of persisting in it.

  12.  To have the conscience: to consider or hold it right (to do something); hence ironically, to have the assurance or effrontery (to …).

1690.  Dryden, Amphitryon (T. s.v. Cool v.). I … saw him knocking at the gate; and I had the conscience to let him cool his heels there.

1856.  R. A. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), I. VI. iii. 170. He had the conscience to expect that we magistrates would meddle in his dispute and take his part.

Mod.  He actually had the conscience to ask the question in my own house.

  13.  Case of conscience: see CASE sb.¹ 7. Court of conscience: see COURT.

  V.  Transferred applications.

  † 14.  = BELLARMINE. Obs.

a. 1643.  W. Cartwright, Ordinary. Like a larger jug that some men call A bellarmine, but we a conscience.

  15.  Mech. = BREASTPLATE 3 b.

1874.  Knight, Dict. Mech., Conscience, a plate resting against the drill-head and enabling the pressure of the breast or hand to be brought upon the drill. A palette.

  VI.  16. Comb. a. objective, as conscience-pacifying, † -wasting, ppl. adjs.; b. instrumental and locative, as conscience-harried, -haunted, -pricked, -smitten, -stricken, -struck, ppl. adjs.; c. attrib., as conscience-qualm, -scruple; conscience clause, a clause in an act or law to ensure respect for the consciences of those affected, spec. one providing for the withdrawal of children in public schools from religious teaching disapproved by their parents; conscience money, money sent to relieve the conscience, e.g., in payment of a tax previously evaded, esp. in connection with the income-tax; conscience-wise adv., in relation to conscience.

1870.  W. E. Forster, Sp. Ho. Com., 17 Feb. After a limited period we attach what is called a *conscience clause.

1888.  Spectator, 30 June, 875. So long as the conscience clause is strictly enforced, and all parents are allowed to withdraw their children from the moral and religious education given if they disapprove it.

1662.  Earl Orrery, State Lett. (1743), II. 379. If they be not faithful to the *conscience-engagement.

1726.  De Foe, Hist. Devil, II. vii. (1840), 262. A timorous, *conscience-harried … wretch.

1885.  H. Conway, Family Affair, i. Those tender-minded persons who send *conscience money to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

1671.  Flavel, Fount. Life, ii. 32. *Conscience-pacifying and soul-quieting Blood.

1860.  Pusey, Min. Proph., 447. Just to satisfy their *conscience-qualms.

1880.  Browning, Dram. Idylls, Pietro. Pricks which passed for *conscience-scruples.

1849.  Miss Mulock, Ogilvies (1875), 37. *Conscience-smitten for the little notice she had taken of her cousin.

1819.  Shelley, Cenci, IV. ii. 39. Ye *conscience-stricken cravens.

1830.  Scott, Jrnl., 24 June. A kind of necessity which seems to haunt *conscience-struck men.

1646.  Fuller, Wounded Consc. (1841), 278. The committing of a *conscience-wasting sin.

1702.  Vanbrugh, False Friend, II. He never goes without a dram of *conscience-water about him, to set matters right again.

1845.  T. W. Coit, Puritanism, 205. Their ancestors, *conscience-wise considered, were better men than they are.