Freedom and Moral Act Flashcards
ACTS THAT PROCEED FROM REASON AND FREE WILL
HUMAN ACTS
/PERSONAL ACTS
ACTIONS WHICH ARE PERFORMED WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION
OF THE INTELLECT AND THE FREE WILL
ACTS OF MAN
THEY COMPRISE ALL SPONTANEOUS,
BIOLOGICAL AND SENSUAL PROCESSES
ACTS OF MAN
INDELIBERATE, INVOLUNTARY, NOT FREE, NOT UNDER ONE’S CONTROL, AND BEYOND THE MIND AND WILL
ACTS OF MAN
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
ACTS OF MAN
CONSTITUENT PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN ACTS (Essential Conditions)
Knowledge
Freedom
Voluntariness
is the ability to act without restraint.
Freedom
In the context of internal control, it is also known as self-determination, individual sovereignty, or autonomy
Freedom
is a will-act,
wherein there must be both the knowledge and freedom in the agent.
Voluntariness
the consequent act whenever an act proceeds from the will
without deliberation
not free
the consequent act whenever there is deliberation in the understanding
free
DETERMINANTS/Sources OF MORALITY
- THE OBJECT / THE ACT ITSELF
- CIRCUMSTANCES
- THE END INTENDED BY THE AGENT / INTENTION
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.
THE OBJECT / THE ACT ITSELF
THE CONDITIONS OUTSIDE THE ACT (not part of the act)
CIRCUMSTANCES
7 circumstances
The Circumstance of Person The Circumstance of Place The Circumstance of Time The Circumstance of Manner The Condition of the Agent The Circumstance of the Thing Itself The Means
- refers to the doer (agent) of the act and the receiver or person to whom the act is done.
Circumstance of PERSON
- Refers to the particular space or locality where the act is done or performed
Circumstance of PLACE
- Refers to the exact or definite moment or hour when the act is performed.
Circumstance of TIME
Refers to the WAY THE AGENT manage to do his act.
Circumstance of MANNER
“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.?”
Condition of the AGENT
Denotes the special quality of the object
Circumstance of the THING ITSELF
“By what means?” and “By whose help?”
Circumstance of The MEANS
It is the objective of the act
The reason or the intention for doing an act.
THE END INTENDED BY THE AGENT / INTENTION
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
THE END INTENDED BY THE AGENT / INTENTION
An act which is good in itself and is done for a good end
doubly good
An act which is bad itself and is done with a bad end
doubly bad
An act which is good itself and is done with a bad intention
bad
An act which is bad itself and is done with a good end
bad
An indifferent act which is done for a good end
good
An indifferent act which is done for a bad
bad
KINDS OF VOLUNTARY ACTS (7)
- PERFECTLY VOLUNTARY ACT
- IMPERFECTLY VOLUNTARY
- Conditional Voluntariness
- DIRECTLY VOLUNTARY
- INDIRECLTY VOLUNTARY
- POSITIVELY VOLUNTARY ACT
- NEGATIVELY VOLUNTARY ACT
IS AN ACT WHICH IS PERFORMED WITH FULL ATTENTION
AND FULL CONSENT OF THE WILL.
PERFECTLY VOLUNTARY ACT
IS AN ACT IF ATTENTION OR CONSENT OF THE WILL
OR BOTH TOGETHER ARE IMPERFECT
IMPERFECTLY VOLUNTARY
It is present in a person who is forced by circumstances beyond his control to perform an act.
Conditional Voluntariness
IF THE ACT IS INTENDED AS AN END IN ITSELF OR
IF IT IS INTENDED AS A MEANS FOR ANOTHER END
DIRECTLY VOLUNTARY
IF AN ACT IS NOT INTENDED BUT MERELY PERMITTED
AS THE INEVITABLE RESULT OF AN OBJECT DIRECTLY WILLED.
INDIRECLTY VOLUNTARY
THE WILL EFFECTS SOMETHING POSITIVELY
BY EXERCISING ACTIVE INFLUENCE ON THE CAUSATION OF AN OBJECT
POSITIVELY 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
NEGATIVELY VOLUNTARY ACT
Factors which may affect any of the constituents VOLUNTARY human acts
These factors may diminish one’s culpability
(guilt, fault, responsibility, blameworthiness)
These are obstacles affecting the voluntariness of human acts
MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
IMPAIRMENTS OF REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE: (1)
IGNORANCE
a. invincible
b. vincible
IMPAIRMENTS TO FREE CONSENT: (4)
PASSION/ CONCUPISCENCE
FEAR AND SOCIAL PRESSURES
VIOLENCE
DISPOSITIONS AND HABITS
merely the lack or absence of knowledge of a person capable of knowing a certain thing or things
IGNORANCE
two types of ignorance
invincible
vincible
AN IGNORANCE WHICH cannot be clear up (or dispelled), or KNOWLEDGE THAT IS LACKING AND CANNOT BE ACQUIRED.
INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE
lacking in knowledge, and such lack of knowledge is NOT responsibility of the AGENT.
INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE
Ignorance that which CAN AND SHOULD BE DISPELLED. This implies CULPABLE NEGLIGENCE
VINCIBLE IGNORANCE
Kinds of VINCIBLE ignorance: (3)
- simple, 2. crass, 3. affected
one uses some, but NOT enough diligence in an effort to remove ignorance.
SIMPLE vincible
The ACTION is culpable, however, culpability is LESSENED by the presence of ignorance
SIMPLE vincible
a kind of ignorance which,
though not directly willed, could and should be cleared up, but left wholly undisturbed.
CRASS or supine vincible
The culpability is LESSEN yet makes one gravely culpable if it concerns a matter of GRAVE importance.
CRASS or supine vincible
which is deliberately fostered in order to avoid any obligation that knowledge might bring to light.
AFFECTED vincible
Not lack of knowledge and deliberate unwillingness to dispel her ignorance
In regard to MATTER of serious importance is GRAVELY culpable
AFFECTED vincible
no responsibility or culpability
Invincible ignorance
do not eliminate MORAL RESPONSIBILITY but LESSENS /GRAVER it
Vincible ignorance
A MOVEMENT OF THE SENSITIVE (irrational) APPETITE WHICH IS produced BY THE GOOD OR EVIL APPREHENDED BY THE mind
PASSION OR CONCUPISCENCE
MOVEMENT OF THE SENSITIVE APPETITE
THAT PRECEDES THE FREE DECISION OF THE WILL
PASSION OR CONCUPISCENCE
TWO types OF PASSION/CONCUPISCENCE
ANTECEDENT
CONSEQUENT
arises spontaneously before the previous judgment of reason& before the will controls the psychological situation.
ANTECEDENT
which is DELIBERATELY aroused by the will to ensure a more prompt and willing operation.
CONSEQUENT
A MENTAL AGITATION OF DISTURBANCE BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE APPREHENSION OF SOME PRESENT OR IMMANENT DANGER
FEAR
TWO types OF FEAR:
Grave fear
Slight fear
aroused by the presence of a danger regarded as SERIOUS.
Grave fear
aroused by less or not serious which can be easily avoided.
Slight fear
AN EXTERNAL FORCE APPLIED
TO COMPEL A PERSON TO DO SOMETHING CONTRARY TO HIS WILL
VIOLENCE IS CAUSED BY SOME PHYSICAL OR PSYCHIC AGENT
VIOLENCE
TWO GENERAL types of violence:
Perfect violence
Imperfect violence
one in which complete resistance is given.
perfect violence
occurs when some resistance is shown but NOT as MUCH as should be.
Imperfect violence
Inclination to perform some particular action acquired by repetition, and characterized by a decreased power of resistance and an increased facility of performance.
HABITS
Sometimes called: “second nature”
HABITS
if habits disposes to evil
VICE
if habits disposes to good
VIRTUE
TWO PRINCIPLES on imputability of EVIL action
- Evil habits do not lessen the imputability of evil actions if the habit has been recognized as evil and is freely permitted to continue.
- Evil habits lessen the imputability of evil actions if one is sincerely trying to correct the habit
three SOURCES of defining MORALITY
ACT
circumstances
intention
