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undesirable evil.
The Moral Good of Human Acts
WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE OF
THE ACTION?
THE NATURE OF HUMAN ACTS
• Morality can only be applied to Human Ignorance
acts. This is to distinguish from Acts of man. • Impairments of required knowledge for
• Acts of Man (actus hominis)- these are an action to be regarded as human act.
actions that are performed without • It is classified into two: invincible and
intervention of intellect and free will. vincible.
• Human acts (actus humani)- these are
actions that proceed from insight into the KINDS OF IGNORANCE
nature and purpose f one’s doing and from
consent of free will. In short, they are acts INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE
which proceed from insight and free will - It is which a man is not able to dispel by
such reasonable diligence, as is
ACTS OF MAN FOR BELMONTE consummate with the issue of an act and
• The natural acts of vegetative and sense. with one’s opportunities
However, these acts become human act o Not intended
when performed under the direction of the o In Morality: NOT CULPABLE
will. o Wala ka talagang alam
• Acts of persons who lack the use of reason.
Such in the case with children or insane VINCIBLE IGNORANCE
persons - If it could be removed by reasonable
• Acts or people who are asleep or under the diligence but is not because of
influence of hypnosis, alcohol, or other negligence or bad will. Vincible
drugs. In this case however, there may still ignorance is culpable. Vincible
be some degree of control by the will. Also, Ignorance can be simple, crass or supine
there is indirect responsibility if the cause and affected
of the loss of control is voluntary.
• Quick, nearly automatic reactions, called KINDS OF VINCIBLE IGNORANCE
primo-primi acts. These are reflex and o Simple: the agent has committed a not
nearly instantaneous reactions. serious negligence. It might be a result of
imprudence on the part of the person who
• Acts performed under violence or threat of
has neglected to enquire sufficiency or has
violence. This includes physical or in some
taken for granted to overcome his/her
cases, moral violence.
ignorance.
o Due to simple negligence
Constituents of Human Acts o Crass or Supine: the agent has committed
a serious negligence.
o Affected: Ignorance is kept up intentionally
Knowledge - It is the intellectual constituent of in this case, so that a person may not be
the human acts. Those actions that are desired bound by the law and have a greater
are fruits of knowledge. Those actions may be freedom to commit sin.
judged as moral and immoral o inetnional
- Importance: Person’s reason cannot will
without knowing what object he is CONDITIONS TO KNOW THE DEGREE OF
CULPABILITY OF AN AGENT
concerned with, without being master
I. First Condition: The amount of
and therefore, conscious of the act he is
to perform in order to realize the aim, effort put forth to get proper
information. Consideration is given
and without evaluating the action in its
to the difficulty that the agent will go
through in overcoming the the agent and form some knowledge
ignorance which the agent possess of the end.
II. Second Condition: The importance • Voluntariness is a characteristic of
of the matter. Knowledge about human act that is not simply chosen but
how to preserve life is more desired or willed.
important than how to put on an • All acts are human acts and not the other
outfit for a certain occasion. way around.
III. Third Condition: The obligation of
the agent to inquire proper
knowledge on the matter. If the
matter has to do with health, we
understand that ignorance and
SOURCES OF MORALITY
neglect of a medical professional • OBJECT OF THE ACT (finis Operis)
will be more unacceptable than the • INTENTION (finis operantis)
ignorance of a medical student. • CIRCUMSTANCES
Voluntariness
• Voluntariness is a formal quality of
human acts whereby any action or
omission results from a principle within
CIRCUMSTANCES • Consequent passions do not lessen
• Refers to the event, occasions or voluntariness but increase it.
conditions that may either INCREASE OR o Ikaw mismo yung nagsimula
DECREASE the responsibility of the para makasakit
agent the responsibility of the agent.
• Circumstances answers the question; o Consequent – after the act
who, when, where, with what means, o Antecedent – before the act
how.
• Who: The Subject or the person who Principle of Double Effect
does or receives the action This can only be applied if four conditions are
• Where: The setting or place where the met:
agent performs an action. 1. The act may not be evil in itself
• When: The Time of the action was 2. The evil and the good effect must at least
performed. i.e Sleeping during the class equally directly proceed from the act; or
• Circumstance of Means: The means of else immediate effect must be good
attaining the end 3. The intention of the agent must be good
• How: The way the agent manages to do 4. A proportionately grave reason must be
his act. had in order to justify the admission of
• May either increase or decrease the indirect evil effect (Unconcious)
the responsibility of the agent • If the object is evil in itself – not principle
of double effect
Morality of Passions • White lies, Bad action but good
• Passions are feelings, emotions or intention, then it is still bad
movements of sensitive appetite that