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Questions and Answers
What does absolute violence do to the concept of voluntariness in actions?
What does absolute violence do to the concept of voluntariness in actions?
Which of the following statements is true about actions resulting from force of habit?
Which of the following statements is true about actions resulting from force of habit?
What should a person confronted with violence do when resistance is impossible?
What should a person confronted with violence do when resistance is impossible?
How does an opposed habit affect voluntariness according to the content?
How does an opposed habit affect voluntariness according to the content?
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What does the moral responsibility of a person faced with an unjust aggressor depend on?
What does the moral responsibility of a person faced with an unjust aggressor depend on?
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What is invincible ignorance?
What is invincible ignorance?
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Which type of ignorance lessens accountability but does not eliminate it?
Which type of ignorance lessens accountability but does not eliminate it?
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How does affected ignorance impact moral accountability?
How does affected ignorance impact moral accountability?
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What are passions classified as in terms of their order of occurrence related to an act?
What are passions classified as in terms of their order of occurrence related to an act?
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Which statement accurately reflects the principle governing antecedent passions?
Which statement accurately reflects the principle governing antecedent passions?
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What is a characteristic of consequent passions?
What is a characteristic of consequent passions?
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Crimes of passion are considered voluntary because:
Crimes of passion are considered voluntary because:
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To which type of ignorance does a person actively choose to remain ignorant in order to avoid blame?
To which type of ignorance does a person actively choose to remain ignorant in order to avoid blame?
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What distinguishes human acts from acts of man?
What distinguishes human acts from acts of man?
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Which of the following is NOT a constituent of a human act?
Which of the following is NOT a constituent of a human act?
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What enhances accountability in the context of consequent passions?
What enhances accountability in the context of consequent passions?
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How are passions defined in terms of their moral nature?
How are passions defined in terms of their moral nature?
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What is defined as actions performed without deliberation and free will?
What is defined as actions performed without deliberation and free will?
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Which scenario illustrates a case of vincible ignorance?
Which scenario illustrates a case of vincible ignorance?
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What characterizes acts done with fear according to the principles governing fear?
What characterizes acts done with fear according to the principles governing fear?
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In what situation are acts considered involuntary due to fear?
In what situation are acts considered involuntary due to fear?
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To be considered truly voluntary, an act must originate from which aspect of a person?
To be considered truly voluntary, an act must originate from which aspect of a person?
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What is defined as violence in the provided content?
What is defined as violence in the provided content?
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Which statement is true regarding freedom in human acts?
Which statement is true regarding freedom in human acts?
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Which of the following is NOT a form of violence as described?
Which of the following is NOT a form of violence as described?
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What is the role of passions in human behavior according to the content?
What is the role of passions in human behavior according to the content?
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What impact do modifiers have on human acts?
What impact do modifiers have on human acts?
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Which condition must be met for a human act to be considered deliberate?
Which condition must be met for a human act to be considered deliberate?
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Which statement about fear and accountability is accurate?
Which statement about fear and accountability is accurate?
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Study Notes
Human Acts
- A human act is different from an act of man. Acts of man are shared with animals (e.g., breathing, digestion) and done without deliberation or free will, while human acts are performed with knowledge, freedom, and voluntariness.
Constituents of a Human Act
- Knowledge: The act must be deliberate, performed by a conscious agent aware of their actions and consequences (good or evil).
- Freedom: The act must be performed freely, with the agent’s own volition and power, without duress or external influence.
- Voluntariness: The act must be done willfully, with the agent’s resolve to perform the act, stemming from their core being.
Modifiers of Human Acts
- Modifiers are factors that affect a person's mental and emotional state, influencing the culpability of an act. They affect the qualities of knowledge, freedom, and voluntariness, making human acts less perfect.
Ignorance
- Ignorance is the absence of knowledge one should have in a given situation. It is either vincible (easily remedied) or invincible (unconquerable).
- Vincible Ignorance: Can be overcome with reasonable effort and diligence; it lessens the voluntariness and accountability of an act, and acting with vincible ignorance is considered imprudent.
- Invincible Ignorance: Doesn’t allow the individual to be aware of their ignorance, leading to involuntary action and non-accountability for the act.
- Affected Ignorance: A person deliberately chooses to remain ignorant to escape blame, which increases their malice.
Principles Governing Ignorance
- Invincible ignorance renders an act involuntary, as the person is not aware of their own ignorance.
- Vincible ignorance lessens voluntariness and accountability, as the ignorance could have been dispelled with effort.
- Affected ignorance doesn’t excuse a person from their actions, as it was a choice made to escape accountability.
Passions or Concupiscence
- Strong, powerful feelings or emotions, also referred to as bodily appetites, sentiments, or desires.
- Include both positive (love, joy) and negative emotions (fear, anger).
- Classified as antecedent (precede the act, predisposing a person to act) and consequent (direct results of the will, fully consenting to them).
Principles Governing Passions
- Antecedent passions don’t always destroy voluntariness but diminish accountability for the resulting action. They weaken willpower but don’t completely obstruct freedom.
- Consequent passions don't lessen voluntariness; they can even increase accountability, as the person chooses to be controlled by them.
Fear
- Disturbance of mind when confronted with an impending danger to oneself or loved ones.
- A passion prompting impulsive avoidance of a threat, with bodily disturbances.
- A test of one’s mental character.
Principles Governing Fear
- Acts done with fear are voluntary, as the person acts in spite of fear, retaining control.
- Acts done due to intense fear or panic are involuntary, exempting the person from moral accountability.
Violence
- Physical force exerted against a person to compel them to act against their will.
- Includes acts involving brutal force, like torture or mutilation.
Principles Governing Violence
- Any action resulting from violence is involuntary, as the person has no consent.
- When experiencing extreme fear from an aggressor, a person may not be morally responsible for their action, as resistance is impossible.
- Absolute violence excludes all voluntariness, as lack of consent eliminates the human act.
Habit
- A constant and easy way of doing things acquired through repetition of the same act.
- Facility for acting in a certain manner, born of repeated actions.
Principles Governing Habit
- Actions done by force of habit are voluntary in their cause, unless an effort is made to counteract the habit.
- Deliberate admitted habits don't lessen voluntariness, and their actions are voluntary in their cause.
- Opposed habits lessen voluntariness, sometimes completely, weakening the intellect and will.
- When actively fighting a habit, actions may be regarded as acts of man, as the person is making effort to change.
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Description
Explore the distinction between human acts and acts of man in this quiz. Understand the essential constituents of a human act, including knowledge, freedom, and voluntariness, as well as the modifiers that can impact these qualities. Test your understanding of how these concepts influence moral culpability.