Final answer:
The theme of having a clear conscience and doing the right thing draws on the inner moral compass guiding individuals' actions and is prominent in literature and societal ethos. It emphasizes personal integrity and societal harmony and is exemplified through characters making morally correct choices, influenced by historical thoughts on morality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theme of having a clear conscience and doing the right thing is a reflection of the internal moral compass that guides individuals in decision making. Typically associated with ethical or moral dilemmas, it emphasizes the importance of acting in a manner that aligns with one's personal values and societal norms, even when faced with challenges or the prospect of personal loss. This theme often suggests that there is a universal or personal ethical mandate by which people abide, which dictates that they do what they deem to be morally correct.
Throughout literature, this theme can be explored in characters who struggle with choices and ultimately choose to act in accordance with their sense of right and wrong, rather than choosing a path that could be considered unethical or dishonest. In doing so, characters that uphold this theme illustrate the idea that keeping a clear conscience is valuable and leads to personal integrity and societal harmony. Figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson have historically championed the idea of living a life of modest means and moral clarity, which suggests a societal benefit to such individual morality.
Moreover, this theme also relates to the concept of 'good trouble' as introduced by figures like John Lewis, where ethical actions, though sometimes troublemaking, are aimed at creating positive changes and upholding justice. Thus, themes of having a clear conscience and doing what is right, not only affect personal fulfilment but also bear considerable implications for the betterment of society as a whole.