CONSTITUENTS OF HUMAN ACTS

1. MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS Prof. Chris Pelias Institute of Arts and Sciences Far
Eastern University
2. • Ethics or Moral Philosophy- deals with human activity in as much as the acts are in
conformity with the natural end. The medium of knowledge is reason alone, setting out the
data of experience and acquired knowledge. • Derived from Greek word ‘ethos’- conscience •
Ethics excludes positive revelation of the Old and New Testaments as source of its moral
knowledge and guidance. • Ethics is concerned with norms, mores or traditions and
principles of behavior insofar as these principles are known by reason.
3. • Man’s Natural End Once a person reaches maturity, he faces a question for himself:
What should I do with my life? What is my purpose in life? Thus, his actions are all directed
to his goal, his purpose, his end. Human actions are characteristically an action for an end.
The principle of human acts is the end, goal or purpose. If no good (real or apparent) is
known by reason, no human act is performed
4. • The will is a blind faculty – no desire unless the reason shows there is something
desirable “ Nothing enters the mind without passing first through the senses.” Aristotle *
man’s action is good if it leads him to his end and bad if it drives him away from his ultimate
end. 2 kinds of good Apparent Good Real Good
5. • Attainment of the goal or end- the ultimate end necessitates acts. The ultimate end is a
fixed principle but the various means to attain it is not . Freedom of Choice applies to these
means. Morally good acts are those which are suitable to the attainment of the end. Morally
bad acts are those unsuitable to the attainment of ultimate end.
6. • Human Acts - actions that are free and deliberate - those that proceeds from the free and
conscious acts of man - act that is always done for a purpose - an act that after few
deliberation is performed knowledge of the end and consent of the will with
7. • - acts that are proper to man as man • - acts internal or external,bodily or spiritually
performed by a human being • ACTS OF MAN - ACTS THAT MAN PERFORM
INDELIBERATELY OR WITHOUT ADVERTENCE - man’s animal act of sensation (use
of senses) and appetition ( bodily tendencies)
8. - acts done abstractedly or with complete inadvertence - acts performed in infancy,
infirmity mind or the weakness of senility - acts done in sleep, in delirium, in the state of
unconsciousness
9. • CONSTITUENTS OR ELEMENTS OF HUMAN ACTS KNOWLEDGE _ product of
the mind after due intellection _ proceeds from the deliberate will Kinds of Knowledge
Abstract- purely speculative, knowledge that is not enough for morals _ it will lead to split
level christianity or to legalism _ Oftentimes children and students are guilty of this _
Religion and moral values are learned without appreciating it
10. • B. Evaluative knowledge _ knowledge applied or knowledge of appreciation is required
_ “what is objectively true must be subjectively true and meaningful for me” _ “ True
education aims at the formation of the human person with respect to his ultimate goal and
simultaneously with respect to the good of the society of which he is a member and in whose
responsibilities as an adult he has to share”
11. • MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS A. IGNORANCE _ the absence of knowledge _ is
the absence of knowledge that ought to be there ( privative) _ the absence of intellectual
knowledge in man ( negative) _ negation of knowledge
12. • Kinds of Ignorance A. Ignorance in its Object - Ignorance of the Law – is the ignorance
in the existence of a duty, rule or regulation ex. A young freshman comes to class with fever
to take an exam in chem not knowing that a memo has been passed prohibiting anyone to
attend his class with symptoms manifesting AH1N1
13. • 2. Ignorance of Fact – ignorance of nature or circumstances of an act as forbidden ex.
Pedestrian violates law not knowing that the underpass is in use already B. Ignorance in its
Subject 1. Vincible Ignorance (Conquerable Ignorance) - ignorance that can be supplanted by
knowledge by the use of ordinary diligence - ignorance is due to lack of proper diligence.

14. Kinds of vincible ignorance 1.1 Simply vincible- some effort has been done but not
enough to dispel the ignorance 1.2 Crass or Supine- result of total or nearly lack of effort to
dispel it 1.3 Affected- if positive effort has been done to retain the ignorance. • Past actions
cannot be judged with present knowledge
15. 2. Invincible Ignorance- ignorance that ordinary and proper diligence cannot dispel. this
is attributable to 2 causes; (a) the person has no realization of his lack of knowledge (b) the
person who realizes his ignorance finds his effort ineffective
16. • C. IGNORANCE IN ITS Result 1. Antecedent Ignorance – that which precedes all
consent of the will ex. The chef served a poisonous mushroom not knowing that it can cause
the death of its customers 2. concomitant- accompanies an act that would have been
performed even if the ignorance did not exist. ex. A student misses his ethics class but even if
he knows, he will still miss it.
17. 3. consequent- that which follows upon the act of the will ex. A doctor suspects that the
patient’s disease is cancerous but deliberately refrain from making sure, and does not inform
him.
18. PRINCIPLES 1. Invincible ignorance destroys the voluntariness of the act 2. Vincible
Ignorance does not destroy the voluntariness of an act 3. Vincible Ignorance lessens the
voluntariness 4. Affected ignorance is one way lessens and in another way increases
voluntariness
19. ll. ERROR- state of beleiving what is not true Like ignorance is a privation of right
knowledge and true insight due to false opinions and convictions because of deficient
education, influence of bad company, reading of misleading books and papers, insidous
influence of mass Media. Error is positive ignorance. “We all need erasers to our
pencils”.Principle of error follow Principle of Ignorance lll. Inattention – momentary
deprivation of knowledge
20. B. FREEDOM – Not the power to do what we like, but the the right of being able to do
what we know we ought to do in relation to our ultimate end. Responsibility- the ability of an
individual to give a fitting response to a human situation that involves human needs. Both
freedom and responsibility are interlinked with each other and as such inseparable – There
are many things in man that he would like to do but he cannot do. ex. To stay young forever,
to know everything
21. • Although his freedom is limited , he is free in his choices • His freedom lies on the fact
that once he made a decision no one can make him change his mind • When he chooses no
power whatsoever can force him to change his choice(dignity of man) • He can be enticed,
induced, persuaded but never forced. • His choice is not on his natural end but is free
determine himself towards the end and means to attain it
22. Impairments to Freedom 1. Antecedent or Inculpable Passion- occurs when it springs into
action unstimulated by the will. - always lessens the voluntariness of the act and diminishes
responsibility since it hinders reflection of reason and weakens attention - the stronger is the
passion the weaker is the intellect and will - does not destroys the responsibility of the agent
since knowledge and freedom maybe lessened but he is still the master of his act • If passion
is so great, as to make control impossible then the agent is temporarily insane and his act is
not human act but acts of man
23. 2. Consequent passion- follows the free determination of the act and is freely admitted
and consented to and deliberately aroused. - the will directly or indirectly stirs them up -
however great does not lessen the voluntariness since it is willed directly or indirectly. ex.
Planned revenge or assassination, reading pornography, singing hymns of praise
24. • 3. Fear- shrinking back of the mind because of an impending evil Kinds: a. Acts done
with fear or inspite of fear as when a person climbs a dangerous mountain at night . Fear in
this case accompanies an act whichin itself is voluntary b. Acts done from fear and through
fear or because of fear as when a person threatened with a gun yields his wealth to a thief. c.
fear maybe slight or grave according to the amount of proximity of the impending evil. The
danger of death or losing a big amount of property are cases of grave fear.

1.  The human activity of man as man  Act of rationality of man  Involves

understanding and free will  “an act which proceeds from the deliberate free will of man”
(Glenn:3)  The agent becomes responsible and accountable of such act  A human act can
be morally good or morally evil
2.  Activities of man as animal  Acts are not deliberately done nor voluntary  Performed
without the free will of the agent  Includes beating of the heart, dreaming, sensations by the
five sense organs  Do not demand responsibility from the agent  Amoral acts and not
subject to morality
3. Human Acts Acts of Human 1. The act must be deliberate. 1. They are done indeliberately.
2. The act must be free. 2. The acts are not done freely. 3. The act must be voluntary. 3. The
acts are done involuntarily.
4. ELICITED ACTS COMMANDED ACTS •A will-act begun and completed in the will
without bodily movement. • Body-mind acts which are done to carry out the elicited act of
the subject.
5. ELICITED ACTS COMMANDED ACTS Wish Internal Acts Intention Consent External
Acts Election Use Mixed Fruition
6.  If there is an act, the agent has an objective in mind.  For every act that is done, there
is always a corresponding end, or a goal.  It is this end that gives the act a reason for its
existence.
7. Responsibility is the ability of a person to respond to a need or problem in a situation. That
ability to respond is an internal quality of a person, which is free and voluntary yet morally
obligatory in himself.
8.  It is a man’s natural tendency of being attracted to what is good and beautiful and to be
repulsed from what is evil and ugly, after they have been presented by the intellect.  Will is
the counterpart of intellect.
9.  The will is free when it acts without any pressure from outside. It is free when it is
attracted to or repulses anything on a natural tendency.  Free will makes the agent become
responsible and accountable for his act.
10. Freedom of the will is the “power which men have of determining their actions according
to the judgment of their reason” - St. Thomas
11. Negative: freedom is the absence of constriction. Positive: freedom is the power to be
and to act under free will and choice.
12.  Our freedom is “situated” or limited by the rights of others, things or persons. Our
environment constricts our freedom. But man remains man despite the limitations of human
freedom. “Man cannot be reduced to historicity, to his environment, to determinism” (Dy,
Jr.:159)
13.  IGNORANCE Ignorance in its object Ignorance in its subject Ignorance in its
result  CONCUPISCENCE  FEAR  VIOLENCE  HABIT
1. Modifiers of Human Acts Ignorance Concupiscence Fear Violence HabitsIgnorance in
Ignorance in Ignorance in Antecedent Verbal its Object its Object Concupiscence With Fear
Violence Vices its Result Consequent Physical Virtue Vincible From Fear Law Antecedent
Concupiscence Violence Ignorance Ignorance Sexual Invincible Violence Fact Concomitant
Ignorance Ignorance Emotional Violence Penalty Consequent Ignorance
2. Modifiers of Human ActsIgnorance Concupiscence Fear Violence Habit
3. IgnoranceIgnorance in its Object Ignorance in its Object Ignorance in its Result Law
Vincible Ignorance Antecedent Ignorance Fact Invincible Ignorance Concomitant Ignorance
Penalty Consequent Ignorance
4. “Invincible Ignorance “Vincible Ignorance does notdestroys the voluntariness of destroy
the voluntariness of an act.” an act.” Ignorance “Affected Ignorance, in one Vincible
Ignorance lessens way lessens, and in anotherthe voluntariness of an act.” way increase
voluntariness.”
5. Concupiscence Antecedent Concupiscence Consequent Concupiscence
6. Concupiscence “Consequent “Antecedent “Antecedent Concupiscence,
howeverConcupiscence lessens Concupiscence does not great, does not lessenthe
voluntariness of an destroy the voluntariness the voluntariness of an act.” of an act.” act.”
7. With Fear Actions may be doneFrom Fear
8. Fear“An act done from fear, however great, is simply voluntary, although it is regularly
also conditionally involuntary.”
9. Verbal ViolenceEmotional Physical Violence Violence Violence Sexual Violence
10. Violence “Acts elicited by the will are not subject to violence; external acts caused
violence, to which due resistance is offered, are in no wise imputable to the agent.”
11. Vicious Bad Habits VicesHabits Virtue Good Habits Virtuous
12. Habit “Habit does not destroyvoluntariness; and acts fromhabit are always voluntary,
atleast in cause, as long as the habit is allowed to endure.”
LEARNINGS:

Human actions is based on your personality there is a prior knowledge and a deliberate
evaluation whether to do an action or not. Human action is full knowledge of the action,
performed with the use of free will and acted upon voluntarily. Human acts are voluntary we are
not forcing to do something good or bad in our community. Human actions are crucial for any
moral theology because it is through a human being’s free actions that human beings are moral
beings. Human acts as defined by the catechism are not merely anything that human beings may
causally bring about. A human act is what humans do through their free and deliberate
choices. All such choices in particular instances can be evaluated as being either morally good
or bad choices, and typically lead to good or bad actions respectively. The Christian community
thus produces a way of working that challenges the structures of the fallen world, and sometimes
brings it into conflict with the world’s power holders. The intent of the community is not to clash
with the world but to transform it. When work is performed in this way, every profession can be
an act of witness by practicing the structures of justice, righteousness, and beauty brought forth
by God’s kingdom.