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8
Introduction
–doweshapesocialthinking?Dowehaveonlythemostgeneralrules
andprinciplesatourdisposal,theoreticallyestablishedintheformof
goldenrulesorcategoricalimperatives,andareleftinindividualin-
stancestothejudgmentsofourownconscience?Doanyintermediate
normsexist,applyingtospecificcategoriesofhumandeeds:totreat-
ingothersfordiseases,tobusinessactivity,tothetransmissionofin-
formationthroughthemedia,tocreationofworksofart,tofilmmak-
ing,normsapplicabletoeachparticularprofession?Theseareonly
someofthequestionsrelatedtotheissueofconscienceandofmoral
normsandprincipleswewanttodiscussindetailhere.
Tryingtounderstandtherelationshipbetweenthejudgmentsof
conscienceandthesocalleddetailedethics,inparticularethicsregu-
latingsociallife,itisworthwhilelookingatourknowledgeaboutcon-
science,withitstwostrands:thetraditionalone,developedmostlyby
ThomasAquinasandcontemporaryThomists;andthemodernap-
proachesreferringtodescriptionsoftheessenceofconscience,its
functions,types,formation.Attemptshavealsobeenmadeatcombin-
ingthesetwotraditions.Allanalysesconcerningthatmatteracquire
particularsignificanceinthespaceofsociallife,withitscomplex,
changingstructure,itsrelationshipsandculturalcodes.Theyaresub-
jectbothtocertainintegratinganddisintegratingprocesses,andthey
occurintrendsovertime.Recently,thesechangeshavegainedsuch
momentumthatitisimpossibletodefineameaningfulsetofnorms
whichcouldbefollowedbythosewhoneedtomakepromptdeci-
sions.Withallthesediverseconceptsandinterpretations,theissuesof
consciencehavebecomeveryinterestingtoday,andfathomingthem
outiscrucial.
Againstthebackgroundoftheaboveissues,onemightaskanother
question:ifthatisthecase,canorshouldprofessionalethicsexist,
formulatingnormsofethicalbehaviourspecificallyapplicabletoeach
particularprofession,intheconditionsofconstantlychangingsocial
andpoliticalrealityencompassingnotonlyprivate,butpubliclifeas
well?Consideringthesetwoattemptsatestablishingobjectivelyvalid
norms,suchasapplyatanytimeandplace,weshouldasktowhat
extentethicscanperformanadvisoryroleindisputes,conflicts,doubts
