Philosophy of Voluntariness

Voluntariness of Human Act

• Voluntariness is the ability to act with full knowledge and freedom.
• Types of Voluntariness:
  • Perfect Voluntariness: Acting with full knowledge and freedom, like playing a favorite game.
  • Imperfect Voluntariness: Acting without full understanding or freedom, like a person under the influence of drugs.
  • Simple Voluntariness: Acting willingly, regardless of liking or disliking it. Can be positive (performing an activity, like studying) or negative (omitting an activity, like avoiding drugs).
  • Conditional Voluntariness: Acting against one's will due to external circumstances, like studying for an exam.

Distinction Between Direct and Indirect Voluntariness

• Direct Voluntariness: The act is primarily intended.
• Indirect Voluntariness: The act is a consequence of the primarily intended act.
• A person is morally responsible for both directly and indirectly willed actions and their consequences, but only under certain circumstances, like being able to foresee the consequences and having a moral obligation to avoid them.

Acts with Double Effects

• An act with double effects, one good and one evil, is morally permissible under four conditions:
  • The action itself must be good or morally indifferent.
  • The good effect must not come from the evil effect.
  • The intention must be to achieve the good effect, with the evil effect being a tolerated consequence.
  • The good effect must outweigh the evil effect in importance.

Significance of Human Acts

• Human acts reflect a person's thoughts and desires, revealing their moral character.
• People are judged based on their actions.

Modifiers of Human Act

• Modifiers of human acts are factors influencing a person's disposition towards an action, affecting voluntariness and accountability.
• Modifiers of Human Acts:
  • Ignorance: Absence of knowledge, affecting the voluntariness and accountability of an act.
    • Vincible Ignorance: Remediable ignorance, where the person could have known better.
    • Invincible Ignorance: Unremediable ignorance, where the person could not have known better, absolving them of responsibility.
    • Affected Ignorance: Intentional ignorance to avoid responsibility.
  • Passions: Strong emotions that can affect judgment and voluntariness.
  • Fear: Apprehension of an evil, can either diminish or enhance voluntariness depending on the severity.
  • Violence: External force that compels a person to act against their will, absolving them of responsibility.
  • Habit: A recurring action that diminishes voluntariness over time.
• These modifiers can lessen a person's moral responsibility for their actions.

The End of the Agent

• The end of the agent refers to the intention or purpose behind the act.
• It can significantly influence the morality of the action, even if the action itself is good.
• Principles governing the end of morality:
  • A good act performed for a good purpose becomes even better.
  • An evil act performed for an evil purpose becomes worse.
  • A good act done for an evil purpose is morally evil.
  • An evil act can never be made good by a good intention.

Circumstances

• Circumstances are the surrounding factors that can influence the morality of an act.
• Principles governing circumstances in morality:
  • An indifferent act can become good or evil by circumstance.
  • A good act can become evil by circumstance.
  • An intrinsically good or evil act can become better or worse by circumstance.
  • An evil act can never become good by circumstance.
  • A gravely evil circumstance destroys the goodness of an objectively good act.
  • A minor evil circumstance does not destroy the goodness of an objectively good act.

Moral Standard and Moral Dilemmas

• Values are things we hold dear, like relationships, experiences, or objects.
• Ethics is the study of moral principles guiding our actions.
• Apparent good refers to evil acts disguised as good.
• Our actions should align with good values to ensure happiness.

This quiz explores the concept of voluntariness in human actions. Participants will learn about the different types of voluntariness, including perfect, imperfect, simple, and conditional voluntariness. Additionally, the distinction between direct and indirect voluntariness will be discussed.