Human Acts: Attributes and Morality

• Actions reveal one's moral character because they stem from thoughts and desires.
• Personal identity and moral standing are based on choices and actions.

Attributes of Human Acts

• Human acts are performed knowingly, freely, and willfully, distinguishing them from instinctive acts not controlled by free will.
• An act is done knowingly when the person is conscious and aware of the reasons and consequences.
• The moral agent possesses complete knowledge before and after committing the act.
• Those below the age of reason, the senile, and the insane are incapable of moral judgment.
• An act is done freely when the person acts by their own initiative and choice, voluntarily.
• An act done under duress is not a voluntary action.
• An act is done willfully when the person consents to the act, accepts it as their own, and assumes accountability.
• An act lacking any of these attributes is either imperfectly voluntary or involuntary.

Kinds of Human Act

• Two kinds of Human Acts: Elicited and Commanded.

Elicited Act

• Actions performed by the will but not bodily externalized.
• Six kinds of elicited acts:
  • Wish: Tendency towards an object without considering its attainability.
  • Intention: Tendency towards an attainable object without necessarily committing to get it.
  • Consent: Acceptance of the will to carry out the intention.
  • Election: Selection of the will of means necessary to carry out the intention.
  • Use: Command of the will to make use of the means elected.
  • Fruition: Enjoyment of the will due to the attainment of the intention.

Commanded Act

• Mental and bodily actions performed under the command of the will.
• Internal actions are performed mentally.
• External actions are performed bodily, derived from internal acts.
• Philosophers describe human acts as "being first in intention, but last in execution."

Moral Distinction of Human Acts

• Based on conformity with norms of morality, acts are moral, immoral, or amoral.
• Moral actions conform to societal norms based on reason.
• Examples include working, studying, telling the truth, and loving.
• Immoral actions do not conform to societal norms and are unreasonable and unacceptable. -Examples include cursing, cheating, stealing, lying, and killing.
• Amoral actions are neutral or indifferent to norms of morality
  • For example, playing basketball is wrong after a student misses their class.
• Ethical and unethical are synonymous with right and wrong, concerning professional standards rather than moral laws.

The Evilness of an Immoral Act

• Immoral actions are intrinsically or extrinsically evil.
• Intrinsically evil acts are inherently wrongful like stealing, and killing.
• Extrinsically evil acts become wrongful due to external factors, such as motive or circumstances.

Voluntariness

• Derived from the Latin word "voluntas," meaning "Will."
• Voluntariness can be perfect or imperfect, simple or conditional.

Perfect Voluntariness

• Occurs when a person acts with full knowledge and complete freedom, acting out of their own decision.

Imperfect Voluntariness

• Occurs when a person acts without full knowledge or complete freedom.

Simple Voluntariness

• When a person performs any activity regardless of liking, and can be positive or negative.
• Positive voluntariness requires performing an activity and negative requires omitting an activity.

Conditional Voluntariness

• When a person is forced by circumstances to act in a way they would not under normal conditions.

Direct and Indirect Voluntary

• Direct voluntary act is the result of a primary intended act.
• Indirect voluntary act follows the primary intended act, representing unexpected outcomes.
• Accountability exists for actions directly intended, with liability for its consequences.
• Accountability also exists for indirect voluntary actions if:
  • The doer can foresee potentially evil results
  • The doer is free to refrain from actions causing foreseeable evil
  • The doer has a moral obligation not to do that which will result in something evil.

The Significance of Human Acts

• Human acts originate from intellect and will, expressing thoughts and desires and revealing moral character.
• People are judged by their actions.
• Condemning the sin but not the person is acceptable only if one does not rush to judge guilt.
• The statement is wrong if it means we should not blame a person for evil deeds.