# Consciousness Studies/Medieval Concepts

It is sometimes said that before the 17th century, there was no
distinction between conscience and consciousness (both being referenced
by the same Latin word \'conscius---from \'conscientia\'). One feature
of the soul being its ability to know itself, and the soul being
witnessed also by God, there was a sense in which conscience was a
knowledge of the inner life shared with God. In fact, Boris Hennig [^1]
proposes that Descartes did not invent an entirely new sense of
conscience, but if anything adapted this Augustinian sense of the term.
The Augustinians themselves can be said to have adapted this use of
conscius from the Latin Stoics like Seneca. On the other hand the
Ancient Greek philosophers were clear that there was a problem of mind
and the work of Descartes can be seen as more directly connected with
Aristotle rather than with medieval philosophy.

## References


[^1]: \"Cartesian Conscientia\", *British Journal for the History of
    Philosophy* 15(3) 2007: 455 -- 484.
