Conscience vs. Conscious — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 11, 2024
Conscience is an inner sense of right and wrong, while conscious refers to awareness or wakefulness.
Difference Between Conscience and Conscious
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Conscience acts as an internal moral compass, guiding individuals on what is right or wrong based on moral principles. Conversely, being conscious is about being awake, aware, and able to comprehend one's surroundings and thoughts.
The role of conscience is often linked to ethics and morality, influencing decisions and actions through feelings of guilt or approval. On the other hand, consciousness encompasses the mind's state, including perceptions, sensations, and cognitive functions.
Conscience can lead to feelings of guilt or moral satisfaction, depending on whether actions align with one's moral beliefs. In contrast, consciousness is neutral, simply denoting the state of being aware without an inherent moral dimension.
The development of conscience is influenced by societal norms, upbringing, and personal experiences, which shape one's sense of morality. Consciousness, however, is a fundamental aspect of human cognition, necessary for experiencing and interacting with the world.
While conscience dictates the moral rectitude of actions and thoughts, being conscious is essential for any cognitive processing, including the awareness of one's conscience and its judgments.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Inner sense of right and wrong
Awareness or wakefulness
Linked to
Ethics, morality
Mind's state, cognitive functions
Results in
Feelings of guilt or moral satisfaction
Awareness of surroundings, thoughts
Influenced by
Societal norms, upbringing, experiences
Cognitive processes
Role
Guides moral decisions
Enables perception and cognition
Compare with Definitions
Conscience
Influenced by ethics and personal beliefs.
Her conscience was shaped by her community's values.
Conscious
State of being awake and aware.
She was conscious of the noise in the room.
Conscience
Reflects on past actions to evaluate morality.
Her conscience was clear knowing she had done the right thing.
Conscious
Involves awareness of thoughts and surroundings.
He became conscious of his breathing during meditation.
Conscience
Inner moral compass guiding right and wrong.
His conscience wouldn't allow him to lie.
Conscious
Fundamental for cognitive processing.
Being conscious is essential for problem-solving.
Conscience
Can lead to guilt when moral standards are not met.
His conscience was troubled after the argument.
Conscious
Neutral regarding morality.
She was conscious of the facts, but her decision was guided by her conscience.
Conscience
Guides behavior based on moral principles.
He followed his conscience and admitted the truth.
Conscious
Enables experience and interaction with the world.
He was fully conscious of the beauty around him on the hike.
Conscience
Conscience is a cognitive process that elicits emotion and rational associations based on an individual's moral philosophy or value system. Conscience stands in contrast to elicited emotion or thought due to associations based on immediate sensory perceptions and reflexive responses, as in sympathetic central nervous system responses.
Conscious
Aware of and responding to one's surroundings
Although I was in pain, I was conscious
Conscience
A person's moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one's behaviour
He had a guilty conscience about his desires
Ben was suffering a pang of conscience
Conscious
Having knowledge of something
We are conscious of the extent of the problem
Conscience
An awareness of morality in regard to one's behavior; a sense of right and wrong that urges one to act morally
Let your conscience be your guide.
Conscious
(of an action or feeling) deliberate and intentional
A conscious effort to walk properly
Conscience
A source of moral or ethical judgment or pronouncement
A document that serves as the nation's conscience.
Conscious
Characterized by or having an awareness of one's environment and one's own existence, sensations, and thoughts.
Conscience
Conformity to one's own sense of right conduct
A person of unflagging conscience.
Conscious
Mentally perceptive or alert; awake
The patient remained fully conscious after the local anesthetic was administered.
Conscience
The part of the superego in psychoanalysis that judges the ethical nature of one's actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration.
Conscious
Capable of thought, will, or perception
The development of conscious life on the planet.
Conscience
(Obsolete) Consciousness or awareness of something.
Conscious
Subjectively known or felt
Conscious remorse.
Conscience
The moral sense of right and wrong, chiefly as it affects a person’s own behaviour and forms their attitude to their past actions.
Your conscience is your highest authority.
Conscious
Intentionally conceived or done; deliberate
A conscious insult.
Made a conscious effort to speak more clearly.
Conscience
A personification of the moral sense of right and wrong, usually in the form of a person, a being or merely a voice that gives moral lessons and advices.
Conscious
Inwardly attentive or sensitive to something
As he spoke, he became increasingly conscious of his high-pitched voice.
Conscience
(obsolete) Consciousness; thinking; awareness, especially self-awareness.
Conscious
Showing awareness of or preoccupation with something. Often used in combination
A cost-conscious approach to health care.
A value-conscious shopper.
Conscience
Knowledge of one's own thoughts or actions; consciousness.
The sweetest cordial we receive, at last,Is conscience of our virtuous actions past.
Conscious
In psychoanalysis, the component of waking awareness perceptible by a person at any given instant; consciousness.
Conscience
The faculty, power, or inward principle which decides as to the character of one's own actions, purposes, and affections, warning against and condemning that which is wrong, and approving and prompting to that which is right; the moral faculty passing judgment on one's self; the moral sense.
My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,And every tongue brings in a several tale,And every tale condemns me for a villain.
As science means knowledge, conscience etymologically means self-knowledge . . . But the English word implies a moral standard of action in the mind as well as a consciousness of our own actions. . . . Conscience is the reason, employed about questions of right and wrong, and accompanied with the sentiments of approbation and condemnation.
Conscious
Alert, awake; with one's mental faculties active.
The noise woke me, but it was another few minutes before I was fully conscious.
Conscience
The estimate or determination of conscience; conviction or right or duty.
Conscience supposes the existence of some such [i.e., moral] faculty, and properly signifies our consciousness of having acted agreeably or contrary to its directions.
Conscious
Aware of one's own existence; aware of one's own awareness.
Only highly intelligent beings can be fully conscious.
Conscience
Tenderness of feeling; pity.
Conscious
Aware of, sensitive to; observing and noticing, or being strongly interested in or concerned about.
I was conscious of a noise behind me.
A very class-conscious analysis
Conscience
Motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
Conscious
Deliberate, intentional, done with awareness of what one is doing.
Conscience
Conformity to one's own sense of right conduct;
A person of unflagging conscience
Conscious
Known or felt personally, internally by a person.
Conscious guilt
Conscience
A feeling of shame when you do something immoral;
He has no conscience about his cruelty
Conscious
(rare) Self-conscious, or aware of wrongdoing, feeling guilty.
Passage=They found Aunt Carrol with the old lady, both absorbed in some very interesting subject ; but they dropped it as the girls came in, with a conscious look which betrayed that they had been talking about their nieces.
Conscious
The part of the mind that is aware of itself; the consciousness.
Conscious
Possessing the faculty of knowing one's own thoughts or mental operations.
Some are thinking or conscious beings, or have a power of thought.
Conscious
Possessing knowledge, whether by internal, conscious experience or by external observation; cognizant; aware; sensible.
Her conscious heart imputed suspicion where none could have been felt.
The man who breathes most healthilly is least conscious of his own breathing.
Conscious
Made the object of consciousness; known to one's self; as, conscious guilt.
With conscious terrors vex me round.
Conscious
Intentionally conceived;
A conscious effort to speak more slowly
A conscious policy
Conscious
Knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings and sensations and thoughts;
Remained conscious during the operation
Conscious of his faults
Became conscious that he was being followed
Conscious
(followed by `of') showing realization or recognition of something;
Few voters seem conscious of the issue's importance
Conscious of having succeeded
The careful tread of one conscious of his alcoholic load
Common Curiosities
What is the role of conscience in decision-making?
Conscience acts as a guide in decision-making, influencing choices based on an inner sense of morality.
Is being conscious the same as being alert?
Being conscious includes being alert but also encompasses general awareness of one's environment and thoughts.
How do conscience and consciousness interact?
Conscience relies on consciousness to be aware of moral dilemmas and to reflect on right and wrong.
How does conscience affect feelings of guilt?
Conscience can lead to feelings of guilt when actions conflict with one's moral standards.
Is it possible to be conscious of one's conscience?
Yes, one can be consciously aware of their conscience, especially when deliberating moral choices.
Can one be conscious without having a conscience?
Yes, being conscious refers to awareness and wakefulness, which is separate from having a moral sense or conscience.
Can societal norms influence one's conscience?
Yes, societal norms, along with upbringing and personal experiences, can shape an individual's conscience.
Is consciousness always linked to cognitive functions?
Yes, consciousness involves cognitive functions such as perception, thinking, and awareness.
Is being conscious enough to make moral decisions?
Being conscious is necessary for awareness, but moral decisions are guided by conscience, which evaluates right and wrong.
Can conscience change over time?
Yes, conscience can evolve with new experiences, learning, and shifts in personal or societal values.
Can animals have a conscience?
The presence of conscience in animals is debated, as it involves complex ethical reasoning often associated with human cognition.
Can one's conscience be wrong?
Conscience is subjective and based on personal or societal norms, so it can be in conflict with broader ethical principles.
What happens when conscience conflicts with desires?
This conflict can lead to moral dilemmas, where one must choose between what they desire and what their conscience dictates as right.
Does consciousness affect how we perceive morality?
Consciousness affects perception in general, including how we understand and react to moral concepts.
How does culture influence conscience?
Culture plays a significant role in shaping conscience by establishing the moral and ethical norms that guide individual behavior.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
