D.

Freedom and Moral

Act

The Morality of
Human Acts
1.

MAN AS THE ACTING PERSON

The Morality of Human Acts

I. HUMAN ACTS and ACTS OF MAN

II. CONSTITUENT PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN ACTS
III.DETERMINANTS/SOURCES OF MORALITY
IV.MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACT

I. HUMAN ACTS and ACTS OF MAN

HUMAN ACTS
ACTUS HUMANI

ACTS THAT PROCEED FROM REASON AND FREE WILL

RIGHTLY CALLED PERSONAL ACTS

ACTS OF MAN
ACTUS HOMINIS

ACTIONS WHICH ARE PERFORMED WITHOUT THE

INTERVENTION
OF THE INTELLECT AND THE FREE WILL
THEY COMPRISE ALL SPONTANEOUS,
BIOLOGICAL AND SENSUAL PROCESSES
INDELIBERATE, INVOLUNTARY, NOT FREE, NOT UNDER ONES
CONTROL, AND BEYOND THE MIND AND WILL

CALLING

FALLING ASLEEP

KISSING

COFFEE SPILL

BUMP

PUTTING MOBILE PHONE IN A CUP OF COFFEE

VIOLATING TRAFFIC

ANKLE INJURY

BEHIND THE DOOR

CONFUSED

ACTS of MAN
ACTUS HOMINIS

More Examples:

falling in love
crying
beating of the heart
digestion
actions of a child who has not come to the use of reason
actions while asleep
all spontaneous reactions
actions of (really) drunken person

II. CONSTITUENT PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN ACTS

(Essential Conditions)

1. Knowledge

2. Freedom

Freedom is the ability to act without restraint.

In the context of internal control,
freedom is also known as self-determination, individual sovereignty, or autonomy.

3. Voluntariness

Voluntariness of ones action is a will-act,

wherein there must be both the knowledge and freedom in the
agent.
.

When an object is proposed, the will, on account of its

unlimited scope,
may love or hate, embrace or reject it.

Whenever there is deliberation in the understanding,

there is freedom in the will, and the consequent act is free;
vice versa, whenever an act proceeds from the will
without deliberation, it is not free.

III. DETERMINANTS/Sources OF MORALITY

1. THE OBJECT / THE ACT ITSELF
FINIS OPERIS

THE OBJECT IS THE ACT OF THE WILL.

It is the primary source for the judgment of an action
The action or the deed itself
The matter of human act
The object chosen is a good toward which the will deliberately
directs itself.

2. CIRCUMSTANCES
THE CONDITIONS OUTSIDE THE ACT (not part of the act)

that influence or affect the act by increasing or lessening

its VOLUNTARINESS or freedom thus AFFECT THE
MORALITY OF THE ACT

These CIRCUMTANCES are:

1. the PERSON (it answer the questions:)
2. the PLACE
3. the TIME

WHERE?
WHEN?

4. the MANNER

HOW?

5. the CONDITION of the Agent

6. the THING ITSELF
7. the MEANS

WHY?

WHAT?

BY WHAT MEANS?

WHO?

CIRCUMSTANCE

1. The Circumstance of Person

2. The Circumstance of Place
3. The Circumstance of Time
4. The Circumstance of Manner
5. The Condition of the Agent
6. The Circumstance of the Thing Itself
7. The Means

EXAMPLES
Circumstance of PERSON
- refers to the doer (agent) of the act and the
receiver or person to whom the act is done.
1. An act of giving aid to orphans is GOOD, but if it
is done by a Metro Aide (who is poor himself)
the good ACT becomes better or more
meritorious than if it is done by a big-time
businessman who earns millions of pesos a week.

Circumstance of PERSON

EXAMPLES

2. Stealing from a beggar

Killing the pope or president (by the virtue of the positions)
the bad ACT becomes worse by reason of the
person to whom the act is done.

EXAMPLES
Circumstance of PLACE
- Refers to the particular space or locality where the act
is done or performed

1. Creating scandal inside the church

Creating scandal outside the church
.the bad ACT can become worse, when it is
done in particular place.

EXAMPLES
Circumstance of TIME
- Refers to the exact or definite moment or hour when the
act is performed.

1. Fasting during Ash Wednesday/

Good Friday
2. Sleeping in the classroom during exam
.the good ACT can becomes better, or a bad
act becomes worse by reason of the time when
the act is performed.

EXAMPLES
Circumstance of MANNER
- Refers to the WAY THE AGENT manage to do his act.
- how did the agent do the act?

- A young man manages to have sexual

relationship with a young woman who is not
his wife by making her believe in his false
promise of marriage

EXAMPLES

Condition of the AGENT

- In what condition was the agent when he/she
performed the act how did the agent do the act?
- was the agent ignorant or influenced by fear,
habits, emotions, etc.?

1. Failure to attend Mass on Sunday

. Bad in itself, but if a person is invincibly ignorant that it
is Sunday and fails to attend Mass, there is no sin
committed.

EXAMPLES

Circumstance of the THING ITSELF

- Denotes the special quality of the object

1. The money stolen is P1M vs P1

2. Object stolen is a famous relic (like the
crown of Sto. Nino) vs. ballpen
3. Object desecrated is the statue of Rizal
vs. picture of popeye

The MEANS

EXAMPLES

- By what means? and By whose help?

1. A person robs a bank with help of the

banks security personnel
( an inside-job robbery)

3. THE END INTENDED BY THE AGENT / INTENTION

FINIS OPERANTIS

It is the objective of the act

The reason or the intention
for doing an act.

THE REASON FOR WHICH THE AGENT UNDERTAKES THE

ACT
The movement of the will toward the end
It is an essential element to the moral evaluation of an
action

INTENTION

1. An act which is good in itself and is done for a good

end becomes doubly good
2. An act which is bad itself and is done with a bad end
becomes doubly bad
3. An act which is good itself and is done with a bad
intention becomes bad.
4. An act which is bad itself and is done with a good end
does not become good
5. An indifferent act which is done for a good end
becomes good.
6. An indifferent act which is done for a bad becomes
bad.

Intention
An act which is good in itself
and is done for a good end
becomes doubly good

An act which is bad itself and

is done with a bad end
becomes doubly bad

1. Good action
+ good intention
_____________
= doubly good

2. Bad action
+ bad intention
__________
= doubly bad

Ex. He gave money to the poor to

alleviate their suffering

Ex. He accepted a bribe so that

he could continue his vices.

Intention
An act which is good itself and
is done with a bad intention
becomes bad.

An act which is bad itself and

is done with a good end
does not become good

3. Good action
+ bad intention
_____________
= bad/evil

4. Bad action
+ good intention
__________
= bad/evil (lesser guilt)

Ex. The governor went to the

flood victims so that the
reporter would report of his
kindness

Ex. He cheated in the exam so

that he will not be debarred.

Class Activity

1. Divide into groups of 7-9.

2. Think of a situation which can be good or bad
depending on the Object, Circumstance, and
Intention.
3. Make TWO skits that will show the situation:
Skit No. 1 should show that it is good.
Skit No. 2 should show that it is bad.
4. The skit presentation must not exceed 10 minutes
5. Maximum 30 points based on:
Creativity 10 points
Reality of the situation 10 points
Content and correctness of the given example 10 points

KINDS OF VOLUNTARY ACTS

1. PERFECTLY VOLUNTARY ACT

IS AN ACT WHICH IS PERFORMED WITH FULL ATTENTION
AND FULL CONSENT OF THE WILL.

2.

IMPERFECTLY
VOLUNTARY

IS AN ACT IF ATTENTION OR
CONSENT OF THE WILL
OR BOTH TOGETHER ARE
IMPERFECT
Thus a person who acts under the
influence of FEAR may act with full
attention but with imperfect
consent.

3.DIRECTLY
VOLUNTARY
Example:
Murder for the sake of revenge
or
Murder for reasons of robbery and profit

IF THE ACT IS
INTENDED AS
AN END IN
ITSELF OR
IF IT IS
INTENDED AS
A MEANS FOR
ANOTHER END

4.

INDIRECTLY VOLUNTARY

IF AN ACT IS NOT INTENDED BUT MERELY PERMITTED

AS THE INEVITABLE RESULT OF AN OBJECT DIRECTLY WILLED .
Ex. A pregnant woman with a cancer of the uterus, the surgeon
removed the cancerous uterus. Thus the baby was aborted.

5. POSITIVELY VOLUNTARY ACT

THE WILL EFFECTS SOMETHING POSITIVELY
BY EXERCISING ACTIVE INFLUENCE ON THE CAUSATION OF AN OBJECT

EXAMPLE:
INJURING A NEIGHBOR
BY SETTING HIS HOUSE
ON FIRE

6. NEGATIVELY VOLUNTARY ACT

THE WILL EFFECTS SOMETHING NEGATIVELY BY VOLUNTARY
OMISSION
OF AN ACT WHICH COULD HAVE AVERTED AN EVIL TO
ANOTHER PERSON OR HELPED HIM TO SECURE A GOOD
EXAMPLE: NOT TO EXTINGUISH A person on FIRE

IV. MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

Factors which may affect any of the constituents VOLUNTARY
human acts
These factors may diminish ones culpability
(guilt, fault, responsibility, blameworthiness)
These are obstacles affecting the voluntariness of human acts

IMPAIRMENTS OF REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE:

1. IGNORANCE
1.1. invincible (unconquerable)
1.2. vincible

IMPAIRMENTS TO FREE CONSENT:

2.PASSION/ CONCUPISCENCE
3.FEAR AND SOCIAL PRESSURES
4. VIOLENCE
5. DISPOSITIONS AND HABITS

1. IGNORANCE
Ignorance is merely the lack or absence of
knowledge of a person capable of knowing a
certain thing or things
.

TWO types: invincible and vincible.

- INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE

AN IGNORANCE WHICH cannot be cleared up (or dispelled),

or KNOWLEDGE THAT IS LACKING AND CANNOT BE ACQUIRED.
No VOLUNTARINESS OF THE MALICE AND HENCE NO
RESPONSIBILITY TOO.

EXAMPLE

A driver who does not know the

speed limit along the highway
will rev up or accelerate at a
speed above the limit.

Impossible for the individual to remove his IGNORANCE

because he has no way of suspecting that he is
IGNORANT

EXAMPLE

Dr. Makabuhay is seriously ill and

knows that he should take some
medicine
or
apply
different
methods of treatment.
He does all he can to learn what
he should do, but with no success

His IGNORANCE about the proper remedies is INVICIBLE

EXAMPLE

A negrito who has been living all

his life in the mountains, and who
happens to come to Manila for
first time, and violates traffic
laws.
Not held responsible for violating the LAW

SUMMARY: Invincible ignorance = lacking in knowledge,

and such lack of knowledge is NOT responsibility of the
AGENT.

- VINCIBLE IGNORANCE
Ignorance that which CAN AND SHOULD BE
DISPELLED

This implies CULPABLE NEGLIGENCE

Kinds of VINCIBLE ignorance: 1. simple, 2. crass, 3. affected

EXAMPLE

One doubts whether on MONDAY there would

be quiz or not. He asks a classmate but his
classmate has a doubt also. He can get rid of
his doubt if he asks his prof. or asks their class
president. But he does not take the trouble of
inquiring any of them.

1. SIMPLE vincible one uses some, but NOT enough

diligence in an effort to remove
ignorance.

The ACTION is culpable, however, culpability is LESSENED by

the presence of ignorance

EXAMPLE

Dr. Masipag discovers in his patient certain

symptoms which he does not recognize.
Because of laziness though he can easily
consult his medical books and fellow
physicians Dr. Masipag makes no attempt to
ascertain the nature of the disease indicated
by those symptoms.
2. CRASS or supine vincible a kind of ignorance which,

though not directly willed, could and

should be cleared up, but left wholly
undisturbed.

The culpability is LESSEN yet makes one gravely culpable if it

concerns a matter of GRAVE importance.

EXAMPLE

A cfad student is doubtful whether their Philo prof will

have a long quiz today or not. In order that she may
NOT know the schedule, she hides her notebook in
PHL 5 and her diary where her daily school activities
are listed. This is done so that she can use the excuse
that she does not know that there is NO QUIZ.
3. AFFECTED vincible which is deliberately fostered in
order to avoid any obligation that
knowledge might bring to light.

Not lack of knowledge and deliberate unwillingness to dispel

her ignorance
In regard to MATTER of serious importance is GRAVELY culpable

SUMMARY:

Invincible ignorance no responsibility

or culpability
(w/o knowledge = no voluntariness)

Vincible ignorance do not eliminate

MORAL RESPONSIBILLITY but
LESSENS /GRAVER it
(negligence & omission)

2. PASSION OR CONCUPISCENCE
A MOVEMENT OF THE SENSITIVE (irrational) APPETITE WHICH IS
produced
BY THE GOOD OR EVIL APPREHENDED BY THE mind

MOVEMENT
OF THE
SENSITIVE
APPETITE
THAT
PRECEDES
THE FREE
DECISION OF
THE WILL

Passion
= feelings
& emotions

TWO types OF PASSION/CONCUPISCENCE

1. ANTECEDENT arises spontaneously before the previous
judgment of
reason& before the will controls the
psychological situation.
2. CONSEQUENT which is DELIBERATELY aroused by the will to
ensure a
more prompt and willing operation.
1. Carlo is bullied by his classmate since then they were in their high
school days. By continuously imagining over an insult, Carlo build up
such a state of frenzy that he finally attacks and kills his classmatesc
2. A boy who is in danger of being drowned suddenly becomes
panic-stricken and forcibly seizes a companion who also drowns.
3. Maria loves Pedro so much, such that in a moment of salvage
rage, Maria, who is so jealous, kills Pedro.

3. FEAR
A MENTAL AGITATION OF DISTURBANCE BROUGHT
ABOUT BY THE APPREHENSION OF SOME PRESENT OR
IMMANENT DANGER

This DANGER may be bodily

injury, loss of reputation or
riches, harm to a friend, etc.

Real? Or imaginary?
TWO types OF FEAR:
1. Grave fear aroused by the presence of a danger regarded as
SERIOUS.
ex. Fear of death, or loss of a leg
2. Slight fear aroused by less or not serious which can be easily
avoided.
ex. Fear of losing ones coin purse
ex. Fear of death when riding a plane on a slightly misty day (not

4. VIOLENCE
AN EXTERNAL FORCE APPLIED
TO COMPEL A PERSON TO DO SOMETHING CONTRARY TO
HIS WILL
VIOLENCE IS CAUSED BY SOME PHYSICAL OR PSYCHIC
AGENT

THERE 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

TWO GENERAL types of violence:

Perfect violence - one in which complete resistance is given.
Imperfect violence occurs when some resistance is shown
but NOT as MUCH as should be.
EX.

A man robs a young student and ask to give him her

bag containing her ipad and Samsung S4 phone. The
student refuse to give up her belongings, and fights
back. However, since the man is stronger than the
student , he succeeds in doing his EVIL intention.

What type of violence is it?

the young student in a way, responsible for th

Not responsible

EX.

A girl is carried off bodily by two young male

acquaintances. The girl resist somewhat but it was
not enough. She could have freed herself from her
captors by screaming or shouting for help. The girl,
by not offering strong resistance, which she shows
would be effective, is judge to consent to the evil
into which she is taken.

Do you agree? or not

Was girl, has responsibility

in a way, for what had
happened
to
her?
Yes. Her guilt,
however,
is NOT as great as it
would be if no violence was present

5. HABITS
Inclination to perform some particular action acquired
by repetition, and characterized by a decreased power
of resistance and an increased facility of
performance.

Sometimes called:

second

nature

If disposes to evil = VICE

If disposes to good = VIRTUE

WO PRINCIPLES on imputability of EVIL action

1. Evil habits

do not lessen

the imputability of evil actions

if the habit has been

recognized as evil and is freely permitted
to continue.
performed by force of habit

lessen the imputability of evil actions performed by force

of habit if one is sincerely trying to correct the
habit
2. Evil habits

Truly, a person is seen as morally responsible for

his/her actions if and only when he/she uses his/her
FUNDAMENTAL freedom as person.
But his/her actions cannot simply be judged as GOOD
or BAD unless the three SOURCES of defining
MORALITY of the human acts, namely, the ACT itself,
the circumstances, and the intention are clearly
considered and investigated.
However, one has still to consider and look at some MODIFIERS
of the human acts that may either INCREASE, LESSEN, or
completely LOSE the culpability of the human agent.

WHERE AM I?