The word 良心 is formed by combining two characters: 良, meaning "good" or "virtuous", and 心, meaning "heart" or "mind". Together, they do not simply create a sum of "good heart", but instead synthesize into a profound concept of an innate moral compass, the inherent sense of right and wrong that is felt or judged within oneself. It represents the foundational idea of conscience as an internal, intuitive guide to ethical behavior, where the "heart" is seen as the seat of moral understanding and the "good" defines its essential nature.