moral conscience
Ethical inner voice
Moral conscience is the inner sense of right and wrong that guides behavior and judges one's own actions.
It produces feelings of guilt when violated and satisfaction when followed.
The phrase is somewhat redundant—conscience already implies moral judgment—but emphasizes the ethical dimension: His moral conscience wouldn't let him stay silent.
Distinguished from practical or social considerations that might counsel different action.
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- guiltMoral self-reproach
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- remorseGuilt for wrongdoing
scruples · principles · inner voice · still small voice · nagging feeling · shame · right and wrong · good and evil · righteousness · duty · regret · soul · compass · judgment · values · confession · redemption · wrongdoing
- religious ethicsChristian ethics, divine command, divine law, love thy neighbor, sacred law
moral conscienceamorality
Lacking ethical concern
immorality · wickedness · base instincts · corruption · evil
moral consciencemoral blindness
Inability to recognize wrongdoing
psychopathy · sociopathy · remorselessness · hardened heart · callousness
moral consciencelicentiousness
Excessive disregard for morality
ruthlessness · unscrupulousness · expedience · Machiavellianism
moral, morals, morality, morally, immoral, immorality, amoral, amorality, moralize