IMPEDIMEN

TS TO
MORALITY

The greater the knowledge and freedom, the

greater the voluntariness and moral responsibility
Hence, in order to determine the moral
responsibility of human actions, we must study
the various degrees of these components of the
voluntary act.

IMPAIRMENTS TO HUMAN FREEDOM ARE

REALITIES
WITH WHICH ETHICS AND JURISPRUDENCE
HAVE TO RECKON CONCERNING THE
MORALITY OF THE HUMAN ACT
IMPAIRMENTS OF REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE
IGNORANCE
ERROR
INATTENTION
IMPAIRMENTS TO FREE CONSENT
PASSION
FEAR AND SOCIAL PRESSURES
VIOLENCE
DISPOSITIONS AND HABITS

IGNORANCE
lack of knowledge which man should have of his
moral duties

Positive Ignorance
lack of knowledge that
is required of the
person

Negative Ignorance

lack of knowledge for it has no importance to

the person

DEGREES OF POSITIVE IGNORANCE

Invincible Ignorance that which cannot be overcome

by the person because:
he does not realize his own state of ignorance
it is almost impossible for him to acquire proper
knowledge of the matter

1st Principle: Invincible Ignorance makes an act

involuntary thus the agent is responsible for the said act.
Example: The speed limit in China is written
in Chinese.

IGNORANCE

Ignorance is lack of
knowledge
about a thing in a being
capable of
knowing.
Ignorance
is divided
as
invincible and vincible.

INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE
THAT IGNORANCE WHICH A MAN
IS NOT ABLE TO DISPEL
BY SUCH REASONABLE DILIGENCE
THIS COMPLETELY TAKES AWAY
THE VOLUNTARINESS OF THE
MALICE AND HENCE ITS
RESPONSIBILITY TOO.

DEGREES OF POSITIVE IGNORANCE

Vincible Ignorance that which can be removed by

ordinary efforts If hardly any effort is used to dispel
ignorance

2nd Principle: For as long as all the necessary effort

has been exerted, vincible ignorance may lessen the
degree of culpability of the human act.
Example: You are driving in Manila, so you
must know that there is color-coding.

DEGREES OF POSITIVE IGNORANCE

Affected Ignorance occurs when a person
positively wants to be ignorant in order
to plead innocent to a charge of guilt (with
malice)
3rd Principle: Affected or Pretended Ignorance
does not excuse a person from his
bad actions; on the contrary it actually increases
their malice.

VINCIBLE IGNORANCE
IGNORANCE THAT CAN BE DISPELLED
THIS DOES NOT TAKE
AWAY CULPABILITY
AS IT IS VOLUNTARY IN
CAUSE
OR IS PROVOKED BY
CONSCIOUS
NEGLIGENCE OR EVEN
BAD WILL

THREE KINDS OF VINCIBLE IGNORANCE

Simple exists when one uses some, but not

enough diligence in an effort to remove
ignorance
Crass or Supine though not directly willed,
could and should be cleared up but left wholly
undisturbed (caused by negligence or laziness)
Affected - it is deliberately fostered in order to
avoid any obligation that knowledge might bring
to light. (Not just the lack of knowledge but the
unwillingness of the person to dispel his
ignorance)

PRINCIPLES THAT APPLY TO IGNORANCE AND ITS

RESPONSIBILITY
INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE
PREVENTS THE HUMAN ACT
FROM BEING VOLUNTARY IN REGARD
TO THAT WHICH IS NOT KNOWN
VINCIBLE IGNORANCE
DOES NOT TAKE AWAY THE VOLUNTARINESS
DIMINISHES VOLUNTARINESS,
AS LONG AS THE IGNORANCE IS NOT AFFECTED
SIMPLE NEGLIGENCE OR LAZINESS
DOES NOT USUALLY IMPLY A FULL CONSENT
TO ALL THE POSSIBLE EVIL CONSEQUENCES
WHICH MAY COME THEREFROM

SIMPLE NEGLIGENCE OR LAZINESS

DOES NOT USUALLY IMPLY A FULL CONSENT
TO ALL THE POSSIBLE EVIL CONSEQUENCES
WHICH MAY COME THEREFROM
SUPINE IGNORANCE
IN A SERIOUS MATTER
GENERALLY MAKES THE SIN GRAVE
AFFECTED IGNORANCE
DOES NOT DIMINISH GUILT
BECAUSE THERE IS FULL CONSENT THERE IS
FULL CONSENT
TO THE SINFUL EFFECTS WHICH RESULT FORM
SUCH IGNORANCE

Exampl
es

1. A cook served a meal which contains

mushrooms which was sold to her by
careless merchants. Is the cook
responsible? NO
2. A doctor prescribed a medicine to a
person which worsens his sickness. The
doctor said he is so busy with many
patients that he did not have time to
study the latest research regarding the
sickness. Is the doctor responsible?
YES, BUT NOT FULLY

EXAMPLES
A businessman heard that there is a new
law on taxes that was just approved. He
intentionally did not read about it so he
does not have to follow the new laws. Is
the businessman responsible? YES

4. A team of government inspectors visited

a factory to find out if they comply with
labor laws. Upon arrival, they were
treated to lunch by the owner. They
reported that they did not see any
violations. Are the inspectors responsible? YES

ERROR
FALSE JUDGMENT OR CONVICTION
IT ARISES FROM DEFICIENT
EDUCATION,
BAD COMPANY OR
MISLEADING INFORMATION
ONE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE CONSEQUENCES
OF ERROR MADE IN GOOD
FAITH

INATTENTION
REFERS TO MOMENTARY
DEPRIVATION OF INSIGHT
IF ATTENTION IS COMLETELY LACKING,
THERE IS NO HUMAN ACT
BUT ONE IS RESPONSIBLE TO THE EXTENT
THAT THE ACT IS VOLUNTARY IN CAUSE

PASSION OR CONCUPISCENCE
A MOVEMENT OF THE
SENSITIVE APPETITE WHICH IS
MOVED
BY THE GOOD OR EVIL
APPREHENDED BY THE
MOVEMENT OF THE SENSITIVE
APPETITE
IMAGINATION
THAT PRECEDES THE FREE DECISION OF THE WILL

PASSION
Strong

tendencies towards the possession of

something good or towards the avoidance of
something evil.
11 chief passions:

love
hatred
joy
horror or dread
desire
sadness
despair
hope
courage
Passions
are not
fear
become
anger bad

bad in itself, but

when NOT controlled by reason.

PASSIONS MAY EITHER BE GOOD, BAD,

SPONTANEOUS, PREMEDITATED
DEPENDING ON CIRCUMSTANCES
Good- when ordered by the rational
will help man in the practice of
virtue or the attainment
of morally good

Antecedent Passions
- passions that are elicited or arise before it is
controlled by the will
- spontaneous

Example: hatred upon

seeing your father hurt
your mother.

BAD- when used by the

rational will to accomplish
morally evil actions

Consequent Passion
-passions
that are already passed through the
intellect and controlled
by the will
-premeditated

Example: You keep on thinking

about how your boyfriend hurt
you, so you plan something to
hurt him back.

PRINCIPLES ON PASSION
Antecedent passion lessens voluntariness, and
therefore lessens responsibility.
Consequent passion increases voluntariness,
and therefore increases responsibility.

Two (2) Types of Concupiscence

1.Antecedent Concupiscence
arise spontaneously before the previous
judgment or reason and before the will
controls the previous judgment of reason
and before the will controls the
psychological situation
-. Precedes the act of the will and is not
willfully stimulated by the will
-. Lessens the freedom, and hence, the
responsibility of the agent because
antecedent passions tend to blind the
judgment of the intellect and block the
freedom of the will
Example : sudden feelings of joy, hatred,
pity, grief, anger, etc. as reactions to

2. Consequent Concupiscence
It is deliberately aroused by the will to
ensure a more prompt and willing
operation
Consequent passions, however, do not lessen
the voluntariness but may increase it
because these passions are deliberately
excited and they are
voluntary in
themselves
Example : continuously imagining and
brooding over an insult received from an
enemy, a person may
build himself/herself
to such a state of frenzy that
she/he
finally attacks and kills his/her enemy,

DIVISIONS OF PASSIONS
CONCUPISCIBLE
PASSION THROUGH WHICH THE SOUL
IS SIMPLY INCLINED TO SEEK WHAT IS SUITABLE
ACCORDING TO THE SENSES,
AND TO FLY FROM WHAT IS HURTFUL.
IRASCIBLE
WHEREBY AN ANIMAL RESISTS THE ATTACKS OF
ANY AGENTS
THAT HINDER WHAT IS SUITABLE AND INFLICT
HARM;
AND THIS IS CALLED THE IRASCIBLE,
ITS OBJECT IS SOMETHING ARDUOUS,
BECAUSE ITS TENDENCY IS TO OVERCOME AND
RISE ABOVE OBSTACLES.

FEAR
IS MENTAL TREPIDATIONDUE TO AN
IMPENDING EVIL
IT IS FEAR OF THE SENSES AND NOT
INTELLECTUAL FEAR
WHICH IS ONE OF THE PASSIONS
INTELLECTUAL FEAR
FOR EXAMPLE THREAT OF TORTURE
DOES NOT JUSTIFY DENIAL OF FAITH
THE EMOTION OF FEAR
WHICH COMPLETELY DARKENS THE
MIND OR PARALYZES THE WILL
EXCUSES FROM IMPUTABILITY


FEAR

a disturbance of the mind

cause by the thought of a
threatening evil.
Acts done with fear or in spite
of fear fear accompanies an
act which in itself voluntary
Acts done from or through fear
or because of fear when a
person is threatened

Climbing a mountain

You go to night clubs with your

boss because you are afraid you
might lose your job if you do not.

PRINCIPLES: EFFECTS OF FEAR ON THE

VOLUNTARINESS OF HUMAN ACTS
Acts done with fear are voluntary
(although they may not be pleasant)

Acts done from fear or through fear or

disturbance of the mind, in a certain sense
is involuntary for the agent is obliged to choose
to avoid the greater evil. It lessens the
voluntariness but it does not destroy it.

Two Types of Fear :

Fear aroused by the presence of
a danger that is regarded by
most
people as serious

Grave

Fear aroused by danger that is

not serious and a grave danger
that
is not very probable

Slight

VIOLENCE
COMPULSIVE INFLUENCE BROUGHT TO BEAR
UPON ONE
AGAINST HIS WILL BY SOME EXTRINSIC
AGENT.
VIOLENCE IS CAUSED BY SOME PHYSICAL OR
PSYCHIC
THERE AGENT
IS NO IMPUTABILITY,
EXCEPT INSOFAR AS THE
INNER WILL MAY HAVE
CONSENTED
OR EXTERNAL RESISTANCE
HAVE FALLEN SHORT
OF THE DEGREE NECESSARY
AND POSSIBLE IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCE

INTERNAL RESISTANCE IS ALWAYS

NECESSARY

WHILE EXTERNAL RESISTANCE MAY NOT ALWAYS

BE CALLED FOR
IT IS REQUIRED ONLY TO THE EXTENT
THAT IT IS FORESEEN TO BE EFFICACIOUS
IN PREVENTING ACTION OR FORESTALLING
SCANDAL

Two (2) General Types of

Violence
Perfect one in which complete
resistance is given. Every possible
means of physical resistance is
utilized as in the case of a woman
being raped by three men, she
resists perfectly but her resistance
is not good enough

Imperfect when some resistance

is shown but not as much as
should be

VIOLENCE

application of external force on a person by

another free agent for the purpose (Compulsion)
of compelling him to do something against his
will.
Principle:Physical Actions resulting from
violence are involuntary by themselves.

EXAMPLES
A woman resists three rapists as much as she
can, and is overpowered.

A person is beaten up until he

is forced to lie
during a police investigation.

You do not resist because it

You resist, but not to the full extent that youwould be useless

can, then you are still responsible, but not fully.

anyway, then you are NOT
responsible.
Example:
Two suspicious looking people knock on your

Example:

While riding a jeepney, a

front door. You refuse to open it, but when they person points a gun
to you and he tells you to
insist you open the door anyway, and they rob
collect all the Cell phones of
the house.
the other passengers.

HABITS

-a constant and easy way of doing things acquired

by the repetition of the same act

** What is important is the EFFORT of the

person to free himself from the habit
** Culpability of acts from habit increases or
decreases depending upon the effort exerted

HABIT
Can be a virtue or a vice.
A vice does not lessen the responsibility.
Example: I spit on the floor out of habit.
A vice can lessen responsibility if one is trying to
correct it.
Example: I am trying to correct my habit of
saying bad words.

HABITS
FACILITY AND READINESS OF
ACTING IN A CERTAIN MANNER
ACQUIRED BY REPEATED
ACTS
DELIBERATELY ADMITTED
HABITS DO NOT LESSEN
VOLUNTARINESS
AND ACTIONS RESULTING
THEREFROM
ARE VOLUNTARY AT
LEAST IN THEIR CAUSE

Sources:

OPPOSED HABITS
LESSEN VOLUNTARINESS
AND SOMETIME
PRECLUDE IT
COMPLETELY
THE REASON IS THAT
HABIT WEAKENS
INTELLECT AND WILL
IN A THE CONCRETE
SITUATION IN A SIMILAR
WAY.

Christian Ethics (Moral Theology in the Light of Vatican II)

Rev. Dr. Karl H. Peschke, SVD
Christian Morality in Contemporary Society Esteban
Salibay, Jr.

CLASS ACTIVITY
1. Divide into groups of 5
2. Think of one situation for each of the Modifiers of Human Act.
It should show that the responsibility of
person changes because of the modifier.
3. Describe each situation in the class.
Example: A waiter in a restaurant did not issue a receipt to a
customer.
He did this because he was told not to do it, and he feared losing his job.
(Modifier is fear).
4. Each situation is worth 5 points.

Read each case very

carefully. Identify the
impairment (s) present.
State the morality of the
moral agents act and
justify your answer by
using a moral principle
applicable to the given
situation.
1. A senior student working on one of the
building floors
suspects that a recently hired cleaner is taking a petty
cash from patients when they are too sick to know of it.
She says to herself, what you dont know wont hurt
you, and fearing a scene if she brings the matter to the
attention of the nurse in charge, she decides not to
investigate the matter further but to let her suspicion
remain just that.
2. A young man deliberately reads an obscene book before a
date with his girlfriend. What follows next is sexually
deviant behavior known as PMS.