Conscience, Human Dignity, and Livelihood

As a past participant to some of the MOJ discussion on conscience and related issues, I would like to offer a few thoughts in response to some of the recent postings. It is clear that a wide variety of individuals today, both in the US and abroad, are facing challenges to their consciences. In this context, I often think of our fellow Catholics in the People’s Republic of China. Some of the recent MOJ debate has concentrated on physicians and pharmacists. In some of this dialogue, a distinction was drawn between members of these two professions. It seems that one view makes a distinction between these two groups in that the sanctions they face can lead to a threat of livelihood for physicians but not for pharmacists. Is that really the case?

Let me suggest that any person has a right to claim the exercise of conscience and that those opposed to this exercise of conscience may take actions that threaten that person’s livelihood and possibly even that individual’s life. Let us take the case of the auto mechanic who is employed by the only place where his specialty and trade are in need. The employer (and only employer) runs a so-called “chop shop” in which stolen cars are broken up into components and sold. Our mechanic of conscience so far has worked only on legal activities, but his employer begins to apply pressure that he must now participate in the shop’s illegal activities. Knowing that there is no other place to go (the mechanic must stay in this community because of his family) for employment, does this fellow not risk loss of his livelihood?

Let us take another case of high school students. Most are good kids; a few get into mischief; some engage in dangerous anti-social behavior. In this case, there is student who minds her business, but she is targeted by a clique from the last group I identified. She is pressured and threatened to engage in dangerous, illegal conduct by members of this last group. There is no escape in that she cannot leave school; if she says anything to her parents or the school authorities, she has good reason to believe that the bullies will initiate reprisals that will lead to serious injury or death. In conscience, she stands her ground and refuses to comply with the demands. Does she not risk loss of her livelihood?

Let us take a third case. Private Jones is a member of an elite military unit in a dangerous foreign assignment where the military are pursuing terrorist suspects. The military unit finds and detains suspects. A superior decides to use interrogation methods that violate applicable international humanitarian law and international law. Private Jones realizes this and finds ways of not participating in these illegal activities for a while. But the day comes when pressure is put on Private Jones to assist in these unlawful methods. In conscience, the private resists, but more pressure is applied—pressure that threatens the private’s status in the elite unit. Does Private Jones not risk loss of livelihood?

Let us take a fourth case. After much difficulty in finding a university teaching post because of national financial constraints in higher education, Professor Davis has recently joined the faculty of Mosquito State University. She weathered the hiring battles and finally got a prized teaching post. What initially seems to be a stroke of good luck is not. The University has authorized the faculty to hire another person in an increasingly difficult job market. Thousands of candidates apply and a few are called on campus to be interviewed. Professor Davis is attracted to one candidate in particular because they both share similar philosophies on life and teaching. However, just before the faculty vote that will determine who will be the successful candidate, a senior member of the faculty who also chairs the rank and tenure committee stops by Professor Davis’s office and “suggests” that Professor Davis not vote for Davis’s favorite candidate. Even though the hiring vote is done by “secret” ballot, Davis knows that how each member of the faculty votes can be determined. Professor Davis, in conscience, is compelled to vote for this candidate, but Davis also knows the consequences for her presently untenured career. Does Professor Davis not risk loss of livelihood because of the exercise of conscience?

I believe that the distinction between physicians and pharmacists about losing or not losing their livelihood is not a helpful one. All persons have human dignity, and all persons of conscience can find themselves in situations where their integrity and their well-formed consciences in which they rely on the objective moral order can be assaulted. These assaults can occur in the daily life of the person wherever he or she works and lives. They can occur to someone who is a member of a learned profession and someone who is not. These pressures know no boundaries that are based on age. They can exist throughout the human condition. They do not visit only members of elite professions; they can threaten virtually anyone including our local pharmacist.   RJA sj