Can the human conscience be scientifically proven to exist?

That depends on what exactly you mean by "conscience". If you're talking about some mystical ruleset imprinted upon the soul by the creator of the universe, then no. If you're talking about the fact that people tend to internalize the standards of their society to the point where they will follow a rule, even if it's not actively enforced, then yes.

Basically, as long as you're talking about human behavior, it can be studied. You need to be much more clear in your definition if you want a useful answer.

>Here's a good definition: An inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior.

In other words, an intuitive sense of morality, as distinct from a rationally deduced moral position?

We can certainly demonstrate that people report such a feeling. We can demonstrate (e.g. via the trolley problem) that people often have a strong sense of right and wrong, even in situations where they may have to think for some time before being able to justify it rationally. Presumably, we could couple that with MRI studies to study such effects further (though I'm not sure if such studies have been done or if so, what the results were).

We might also study how such a feeling is influenced by upbringing and other circumstances. We could investigate if any particular ideas are universal to humans or if we're blank slates, as it were. You could then go on to study the same things in other primates. Obviously, it's tricky, since we can't just ask them, but some studies have been done on chimps to see if they have some sense of right and wrong. They do.

So, basically, yes.

Not sure what your point is, though, nor am I clear on why you've chosen to ask your question in entirely the wrong section. Wouldn't this be more appropriate for psychology or neurology?

And I don't think this question is nearly as simple as you think it is. I think the problem is not that we're over-thinking it, but that you're under-thinking it, so to speak. Asking you to provide a definition of a key term of your question, a term which is by no means simple or unambiguous, is not unreasonable.

I asked a scientist for you. As you are in the wrong section.

Science aims to establish fact based on experimentation, currently they are WORKING on an experiment to establish CONSCIENCE. This is far more complex than you can imagine, its not simply a case of I think therefore I am.

Although i doubt you even spotted what i meant at the end there :D

Anyhow the question is not can it be proven but instead what criteria is needed to prove it exists. Sometimes we have the evidence but lack the question....

a. The awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong: Let your conscience be your guide.

b. A source of moral or ethical judgment or pronouncement: a document that serves as the nation's conscience.

c. Conformity to one's own sense of right conduct: a person of unflagging conscience.

2. The part of the superego in psychoanalysis that judges the ethical nature of one's actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration.

3. Obsolete Consciousness.

Idiom:

in (all good) conscience

In all truth or fairness.

My idea is that it can be proven.

MIMI

Well, it depends heavily on how you define it. If you can't define it, then the question of existence is meaningless. If you can define it, then unless it's a really useless definition, then we can scientifically test it.

For example, human consciousness could entail the ability to complete a self-reflective questionnaire. Then administering this questionnaire to people would be a scientific experiment capable of providing evidence for human consciousness.

Seriously, this science thing is amazing. Basically anything we can ever know can be proven with it!

The human consciousness, yes.

Our conscience, is the description of our moral obligation, it's a feeling, not really a tangible thing.

You have to have a useful, testable definition of the conscience in order to determine scientifically whether it exists.

No and no.

Of course, if I was an idiot like Daniel Dennett, I could try telling you it is an illusion, but I somehow doubt that you would be convinced.

Or course, empathy and moral choices can be measured and observed in human behaviour

Yes, by anthropological science.

No, the soul can't be proven by physical science