2 - Voluntariness of Human Actions Flashcards
Degrees of Voluntariness
A. Perfect and Imperfect
B. Simple and Conditional
C. Direct and Indirect
D. Positive and Negative
E. Actual, Virtual, Habitual, Interpretative
when the agent fully knows and fully intends the act
Ex: telling a lie to your parents
Perfect
when there is some defect in the agent’s knowledge, intention, or both
Ex: adding details in narrating an event
Imperfect
is present in a human act done, whether the agent likes or dislikes doing it
Ex: washing the dishes after the family meal
Simple Voluntariness
is present in the agent’s wish to so something other than that which he is actually doing, but doing with dislike
Ex: washing the dishes with a wish of just watching TV
Conditional Voluntariness
is present in a human act willed in itself
Direct Voluntariness
is present in that human act which is the foreseen result of another act directly willed
Indirect Voluntariness
A human act that is directly willed is called
voluntary in se
While that wish is indirectly willed is called
voluntary in causa
A father kills a rabbit for dinner. He direct;y wills the act of killing as a means to an end to be achieved. He also directly wills the dinner as an end to be achieved by this means.
(There is direct voluntariness in every aspect of the act.)
Suppose that the rabbit is a pet of his children. It gave them pleasure every time they played with it. The father knows that if he kill the rabbit, it will cause his children sorrow. Nevertheless, he kills the rabbit to have something for dinner.
(There is indirect voluntariness in the sorrow experienced by the children.)
The father’s direct act of killing the rabbit is called
voluntary in se
while the result, sorrow of his children, which he does not directly will, is called
voluntary in causa
is present in a human act of doing, performing. It is present in an act that the agent is ought to do and is doing it.
Ex: A student attends class on his scheduled time
Positive Voluntariness
is present in a human act of omitting, refraining from doing. It is present in an act that the agent is not ought to do but is doing it.
Ex: A student deliberately misses class
Negative Voluntariness
(intention) is present in a human act willed here and now
Ex: The “I do” vows of a man and woman during the marriage rites.
Actual Voluntariness
(intention is present in a human act done as a result of (or in virtue of) a formerly elicited actual intention even if that intention be here and now forgotten
Ex: The faithfulness of the husband/wife with his/her spouse throughout their married life.
Virtual Voluntariness
(intention) is present in a human act done in agreement with, but not as a result of, a formerly elicited and unrevoked actual intention. Consider this example:
Habitual Voluntariness
You make an intention to be baptized in a Catholic religion. Years passed by, you did not realize it nor you revoked it. One day, you became seriously ill, fighting for your life. A priest came over and baptized you in your unconscious state. Here, the act of receiving baptism is in agreement with the actual intention once made and unrevoked.
You posses the then habitual voluntariness for the act of receiving the sacrament of baptism.
(intention) is that voluntariness which, in the judgement of prudence and common sense, would be actually present if opportunity or ability for it were given.
Interpretative Voluntariness
or voluntariness in causa, is present in that human act which is an affect, foreseen or foreseeable, of another act directly willed.
Indirect Voluntariness
The agent (does of the action) is responsible (imputable) for the evil effect of a cause directly willed when the following conditions are met:
When he can readily foresee the evil effect, at least in a general way
When he is free to refrain from doing what causes the evil effect
When he is bound to refrain from doing what causes the evil effect
Principle of Indirect Voluntariness
The agent may lawfully perform an act which has two effects, one good and one evil, when the following are met:
When the evil effect does not come before the good effect so as to be a means to it
When there exists a reason, proportionately grave or weighty, which call for the good effect
When the agent intends the good effect exclusively, and merely permits the evil effect as a regrettable side-issue
Principle of Double Effect (Second Question)
