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HUMAN ACTS
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HUMAN ACTS AND ACTS OF MAN

Human Acts - actions which man performs knowingly

(knowing what youre doing), freely (you chose to do it)
and voluntarily (no one forced
you to do it).
- actions are the result of conscious knowledge and
subject to the control of the
will.

Acts of Man - actions which happen in a man instinctively

and are not within the control of the will.
- actions are biological and physiological such
as
metabolism, respiration, fear, anger, love and jealousy.
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ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES

It must be performed by a conscious agent who is aware of what he is doing and of its consequences. Children below the
age of reason, the insane, the senile are considered incapable of acting knowingly.

It must be performed by an agent who is acting freely, that is, by his own violation and powers. An action done under
duress and against ones will is not entirely a free action.

It must be performed by an agent who decides willfully to performed the act. This willfulness is the resolve to perform an
act here and now, or in some future time.

KINDS OF HUMAN ACTS

MORAL
DISTINCTIONS

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Evil

Extrinsic Evil actions that may be tolerated
provided the circumstance rendering it
to be wrong.
Intrinsic Evil actions that remain immoral
whatever is its justification.

Imputability of Human Acts

Imputability of Human Acts means that the person

performing the act is liable for such act.
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VOLUNTARINESS

Perfect Voluntariness is present in a person who

fully knows and fully intends an act.

Imperfect Voluntariness is present in a person

who acts without fully realizing what he means to
do, or without fully intending the act.

Conditional Voluntariness is present in a person

who is forced by circumstances beyond his control
to perform an act which he would not do under
normal circumstances.

Simple Voluntariness is present doing an act

willfully, regardless of whether he likes to do it or
not.

TYPES OF VOLUNTARINESS

INDIRECTLY VOLUNTARY
By Paul Glenn :

The doer is able to foresee

the evil result or effect, at
least in a general way;

The doer is free to refrain

from doing that which would
produce the foreseen evil;

The
doer
has
moral
obligation not to do that
which produces an evil
effect.

By Alfredo Panizo :

A person is held morally

responsible for any evil
effect which flows from the
action itself directly and
necessarily as a natural
consequence, though the
evil effect is not directly
willed or intended

A human act from which two

effects may result, one good
and one evil, is morally
permissible
under
four
conditions.

FOUR CONDITIONS ARE :

The action which produces double

effects must be good in itself, or at
least morally indifferent.
The good effect must not come from
he evil effect. To do evil in order to
achieve something good is not
justified.
The motive of the doer must be
towards the attainment of the good.
The evil effect is permitted only as an
incidental result.
The good effect must outweigh the
evil result in its importance.

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