Newman's Illative Sense
John Henry Newman's theory that conscience involves the illative sense—a faculty for reaching moral conclusions through subtle, holistic reasoning that cannot be reduced to strict logical rules.
Real World
A seasoned nurse who senses a patient is deteriorating before test results confirm it is exercising something close to Newman's illative sense — holistic, experience-integrated judgment that resists reduction to explicit rules.
Exam Focus
Link Newman's illative sense to his broader epistemology of belief; 'explain' questions expect you to show how it differs from purely deductive moral reasoning.
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