The Play of Conscience in Shakespeare’s England

This book explores the reckoning and judgement of conscience in Shakespeare's plays, demonstrating how these concepts are informed by the scholastic intellectual tradition, juridical procedures, and Reformation theology. It aims to examine the rubrics for thinking through, regulating, and judging actions and offer insights into what it is about conscience that developers want to grasp to eliminate the difference between human and non-human intelligences and achieve true AI.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 29 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Conscience is a distinguishing feature of humans that sets us apart from the most advanced AI systems. It encompasses various aspects of human intelligence, including reckoning, which involves deriving general laws from particular inputs and vice versa, and judgment, which involves contemplating the relationship between the reckoning system and the world. While AI developers have made significant strides in reckoning, they are still working towards creating judgment.

This book aims to shed light on the reckoning and judgment of conscience by examining these concepts in four early modern plays: "Everyman," "Doctor Faustus," "The Merchant of Venice," and "Hamlet." These plays were written during a period when the concept of conscience was undergoing significant development, influenced by various intellectual traditions, legal procedures, practical advice, and Reformation theology.

The primary objective of this book is to explore the rubrics for thinking through, regulating, and judging actions that define the various consciences of Shakespeare's day. By employing these rubrics, we can interpret questions of truth and action in early modern plays and gain insights into what it is about conscience that developers seek to grasp in order to eliminate the difference between human and non-human intelligences and achieve true AI.

In the first chapter, we will examine the scholastic intellectual tradition that informed the concept of conscience in early modern England. We will explore the works of prominent thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, and Jean Chretien, who laid the foundation for understanding conscience as a moral faculty that governs human actions.

The second chapter will focus on the juridical procedures of the court of Chancery, which played a significant role in shaping the understanding of conscience in early modern England. We will explore how legal cases and rulings influenced the development of conscience-related concepts and practices.

The third chapter will examine the practical advice of Protestant casuistry, which provided guidance on how individuals should navigate moral dilemmas and make ethical decisions. We will explore how casuists employed various strategies to help individuals discern between right and wrong and develop a conscience that was aligned with Christian principles.

The fourth chapter will explore Reformation theology, which emphasized the importance of individual conscience and the ability of individuals to discern between good and evil. We will examine how Reformation thinkers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin interpreted the Bible and developed moral guidelines that were grounded in the authority of Scripture.

Throughout the book, we will use the rubrics for reckoning and judgment of conscience to interpret questions of truth and action in the four plays. We will analyze how the characters in these plays navigate moral dilemmas and make ethical decisions, and how their consciences shape their actions and decisions.

In conclusion, this book offers a comprehensive exploration of the reckoning and judgment of conscience in early modern England. It provides insights into the complexity and multiplicity of the early modern concept of conscience, which was informed by various intellectual traditions, legal procedures, practical advice, and Reformation theology. By employing the rubrics for reckoning and judgment of conscience, we can interpret questions of truth and action in early modern plays and gain insights into what it is about conscience that developers seek to grasp in order to achieve true AI.

Weight: 485g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032398150