Foundations of Morality Flashcards
What is NOT Morality?
Knowledge, personal preferences, social mores and secular laws
What is Morality?
Everything relating to a man’s free actions and the final end to be attained through them
How do we know what morality includes?
The same divine revelation
Is every act a person does moral/immoral?
No, some things we do are outside of our intention
What are the acts of man?
The things we do that do not engage our powers of intellect or will (breathing, heart beating)
What does morality include?
The supernatural end, the rule of the normal order human actions
What are human acts?
Acts that man deliberately chooses to do they have moral dimension to them .
What can any given intentional act be?
good, bad, or sometimes neutral
What is one way we can be immoral?
Our failure to act when we ought to
When is a human act morally good?
When it serves the purpose of helping man attain his last end (God) - these acts must glorify God
What is an immoral human act?
A human act is morally bad when it is out of harmony with the purpose of a man’s glorifying and attaining communion with God.
What does immoral act prevent us from doing?
Experiencing the supernatural happiness God has for us
What are some examples of immoral human acts?
Willful murder, blasphemy, assault, failure to act when you should (omission)
When is a human act morally neutral?
When it neither furthers nor disrupts man’s goal of attaining communion with and glorifying God
When is an act no longer morally neutral?
Once will is used
What are 5 things man must choose to engage in human act?
- Free from compulsion
- Free from the effects of disease that can affect his will or ability to understand
- Free from things that affect ability to give attention (must be awake, not inebriated)
- Have attained the age of reason
- Know the substance and quality of the act they are choosing
What does “free from compulsion” mean?
The act must be voluntary, not in response to threats, etc.
What is the typical age of reason?
7
What is ignorance?
not knowing something you should know
What is the object?
the good toward which the act deliberately directs itself, the “end” of why we are doing things
What should the object be when intentionally committing an act?
The first thing a person questions about their own acts and the acts of others
When does intention exist?
Intention exists within the person acting deliberately
Does intent determine if an act is moral?
No, the ends do not justify the means ( Such as giving gifts to the poor, but they were stolen)
What are the circumstances?
the surrounding situations going on
What does the circumstance do?
They effect what you ought to do ,but the intent mixed with the circumstances carries moral weight too
What are the criteria for an action to really be moral?
Doing the right thing, the right way, for the right reason
Define: Ignorance of quality
Occurs when a person does an act, not knowing the thing itself is wrong, but having intended to do evil
Define: Concomitant Ignorance
Happens at the same time as an act of the will, you want something to happen, do an act that isn’t meant to bring it about as a result, but it happens incidentally
Define: Consequent Ignorance
This type follows the act usually involves purposefully not knowing things you could know, therefore not having to act
Define: Antecedent Ignorance
Precedes the will, causes an act that the person would not have made if that had known better
Define: Invincible Ignorance
Ignorance that can’t be eradicated even after all due prudent, and reasonable care has been taken to remove it
Define: Vincible Ignorance
Can be eradicated, an immoral action done in studied or consequent ignorance make the action even more culpable.
