Is there a difference between conscience and instinct?

[Anonymous]

[Levin]

Conscience comes from the (non material) spirit and is manifested semi tangibly through emotions or if you like, the subconscious. Conscience are those sudden pangs of guilt for instance, or that faint ringing in the background that you shouldn't be doing what you're doing, that it's going to cause pain and harm to yourself or others. Instinct is often mostly biological, or indeed, the most physical, matter. etc. Maybe to reproduce or fight or flight. That's my take on it.

[normalice]

conscience is one of many instincts. Sort of like asking if there is a difference between a square and a rectangle.

[Asker]

How is conscience an instinct?

[normalice]

the same way a newborn drinking milk from a boob is an instinct. Are you asking me to put it in 'survival' terms? Well, a species that develops a natural aversion to killing or otherwise harming its own members is more likely to survive.

[Asker]

So as an infant instinctually knows to nurse, you instinctually know you should help your friend move to his new house.

I don't believe you've made your point.

[normalice]

i don't think helping a friend move really falls under the criteria of conscience...

but, let's go with that. We are a social species. Our survival depends on our cooperation. So, a natural allure to helping each other is beneficial in that regard. Obviously, this instinct wouldn't have developed until we became a social species, and as we became a social species, we would have began with a tribal social structure. As such limiting our instinct to help to those within our tribe (i. e. 'friends') would have proven a useful instinct in a world populated by tribal communities.

[Asker]

So what falls under the criteria of conscience?

[normalice]

aversion to causing harm, in my opinion. "helping" others is just an extension of that.

[justbeinghonest]

Conscience is what your morals tell you to do or not to do. It will depend on who you are as a person and the way you were raised.

Animal instinct is what your body wants to do. You have barely any control because it is what hormones do. It is what keeps humans alive.

Source: my words XD

[SuperMommie13]

Conscience is what you think you should do and instinct is what you know you should do. That's what I think anyhow.

You think with conscience, with instinct you don't think it just happens.

[lauren1015]

Yes. Conscience is what gets in the way of instinct.

[Asker]

Example?

[lauren1015]

If your instinct says to push someone off a cliff, your conscience says " no. Not a good idea. That's not nice..."

[Asker]

We'll I think I see where you are going but I think your desire to push someone off a cliff can't be instinctual. Lol

How about this: you got 3 hours sleep and your alarm goes off because you've promised to help your friend move. Instinct says stay in bed- you need more sleep. Conscience says get up-you promised to help. Instinct tells you what your body needs to survive- conscience tells you what's right or wrong. Like you "ought" to do something or not.

Is that where you were going?

[lauren1015]

Yes! That's exactly what I meant :)

[RasmusAiken]

Instinct generates behavior without requiring thinking. Our conscience generates behavior we've taken time to think over.

[Anonymous]

I think they come from different brain centers.