In a conversation with Atticus in chapter 11, Scout tells her father that he must be wrong for defending Tom Robinson, considering the negative reactions from the majority of the community members, who disagree with his decision to defend a black man. Atticus responds by telling his daughter that each person is entitled to his or her own opinion, but before he can live with other folks, he must learn to live with himself first. Atticus then says,

The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience (Lee, 108).

Atticus is essentially attempting to explain to his daughter that he feels morally obligated to defend Tom Robinson regardless of the community's opinion. Given the fact that Atticus is a religious, honorable, morally upright man, he is committed to doing the right thing, which is defending Tom. Atticus feels that it is imperative to follow his conscience or he would be labeled a hypocrite. Atticus also knows the dangers and stress involved in defending Tom Robinson but follows through with his difficult decision because it is the right thing to do.