Without a Conscience? How Did We Lose Our Inner Voice?

Michel de Montaigne, the 16th-century writer, wrote that conscience has astonishing power! It can drive us to self-criticism and self-criticism, and it sees us when no one else does. But it can also make us strong. Similarly, writers and thinkers like Shakespeare, Luther, Hegel, de Goethe, and others highlighted the importance of conscience: it generates internal conflicts, yet at the same time, it is an indispensable compass. But conscience is not something we celebrate today. Instead, we strive for harmony and inner peace. At least, that's what the massive self-help industry teaches us. This aligns perfectly with the spirit of the age, which seems increasingly brutal and unscrupulous in the media, politics, and economics. It's important to be confident, united, and convinced, not to have a different opinion.

"Thoughts." Conscience seems to be lagging behind the times in many ways. What is its state today? Has it lost its power?

This is the question Cecilia Siholm poses in this book. Through her exploration of the role of conscience in philosophy and art throughout history, she arrives at the here and now. Does conscience reside within us as individuals, within society, or somewhere in between?