Human Person as Agent of Morality PDF

Human Person as an Agent of Morality How will you describe a moral person? View: Superman (Five for Fighting) “I’m more than a bird...I’m more than a plane. More than some pretty face beside a train. It’s not easy to be me!” A moral person is s...

Human Person as an Agent of Morality How will you describe a moral person? View: Superman (Five for Fighting) “I’m more than a bird...I’m more than a plane. More than some pretty face beside a train. It’s not easy to be me!” A moral person is someone whose actions are justifiable. His intentions, motives, and actions altogether desire for goodness. He follows what he thinks is right from his reasoning and conscience.  Human Person As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (# 362). affirms, “the human person, made in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual”  The human body is human and living precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul. As Pope John Paul II has said, the human person’s “rational soul is the form of his body,” and the “person, including his body, is completely entrusted to himself, and it is in the unity of body and soul that the person is the subject of his own moral acts.”  What is Morality? Morality (from the Latin moralitas "manner, character, proper behavior") is the quality of behavior or conduct that differentiates intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (moral) and bad (immoral). Christian morality is the belief that the best way to live is to try to live in keeping with the teaching of Jesus Christ. It is the art of correct living, that is, in accordance to the will of God.  The basis of all Catholic moral teaching is our belief in the God who created all things and in Jesus who taught us even better how to live. We believe we are created in God's image and that we, and all creation, are basically good. Yet we recognize our own tendencies toward evil, especially in an excess of our desires. The Ten Commandments are part of the code known to the early Israelites that helped them to live better lives in relationship with Yahweh.  View In the Beginning 1-2  Our moral life is based on trying to live and treat others as Jesus did. The Bible is the primary source for information on the life of Jesus. In it, we find that the Reign of God (or Kingdom of God) is the central focus of Jesus' teaching.  Three Characteristics of Man’s Moral Nature 1. Man by natural insight is able to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral. 2. Man feels himself obliged to do what is good and to avoid what is evil. (He is moved by the inner force of his being demanding that what is good “ought” to be done, and what is evil “ought” to be avoided. 3. Man feels himself accountable for his actions so that his good deeds merit reward, while his evil deeds deserve punishment.  Human Acts and Acts of Man Human acts are actions done freely and intentionally like playing, surfing the internet, reading a book, cheating during tests, or hurting someone. Human acts are differentiated from acts of man which are physiological and instinctive like breathing, feeling happy, or falling in love. Human acts are the results of what we think and desire, and these reveals our moral character or behavior. They are the subject of moral evaluation whether we are called and categorized as a moral or immoral, bad or good person  Characteristics of Human Act Human acts are those done by a person who is acting knowingly, freely, and willfully.  knowingly (knowledge) – the person is conscious and aware of the reason and the consequences of his actions. Reading is a human act because we know that it will increase our knowledge for we will learn something. Every person who is healthy physically and mentally is presumed to act knowingly.  willfully (will) - the person consents or agrees to the act, accepting it as his own, and assumes accountability for the result.  freely (freedom) – the person acts by his own choice and initiative. This means he was not influenced by another person or any situation to perform his action. It is not a voluntary action when a person does his action under pressure or against his will.  Moral Distinctions 1. Moral – actions that are in conformity or agreement with the norms of morality (good and permissible actions, such as telling the truth, helping the poor, etc.)  View A Virtuous Man 2. Immoral – actions that are not in conformity or in disagreement with the norms of morality (bad or evil actions like stealing, killing, hurting, etc.) 3. Amoral – actions that stand neutral or indifferent with the norms of morality (neither good nor bad actions, they become bad because of circumstances. Watching TV is amoral but becomes bad when you do not attend your class at that same time).  Impediments to a Human Act Impediments in terms of a human act refer to the factors that influence the person to perform a moral act or his disposition. We have to remember that a voluntary act is under the control of the intellect and will of the person. These impediments interfere with the intellect and will. 1. Ignorance - the lack or absence of knowledge needed by a person in doing an act. Every doctor is expected to know anything about sickness and its cure; the teacher his subject of specialization,etc. If these people do not know that, then they are responsible for any violation in accordance to the rule of morality. "ignorance of the law excuses no one” - the law applies also to those who are unaware of it and cannot use it as an “excuse or defense”. 2. Passion or Concupiscence - is an intense emotion which urges ones feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something. They are either tendencies towards desirable objects which refer to positive emotions like hope, love, bravery, and delight or tendencies away from undesirable objects which point to negative emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, and hatred.  “too much love will kill you” Passions in themselves are not evil but since they compel a person to act, they have to be controlled by reason in order not to result in an improper behavior. It is a noble thing to love but when you love the person extensively up to the point of limiting his freedom, then it is not good anymore.  View Green Day’s Passion 3. Fear - a distressing negative sensation or disturbance of the mind from a perceived danger. It is the natural mechanism occurring in a person to respond to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger by either confronting it or withdrawing from it.(also known as the fight or flight response)  Unreasonable fear really affects negatively a person’s behavior. A person who is afraid to jump from their burning house in spite of the instruction of the fire rescuers who will catch him below with a safety balloon is unreasonable. Because of that, he may be burned alive.  4. Violence - the use of any physical force to a resisting person that compels him to act against his will. The presence of force prevents a person to think clearly according to reason. Even the use of force by authorities like soldiers and policemen are subject to reasonable force.  View Worst Traffic Violence in the Philippines 5. Habit - a firm routine of behavior that is done regularly. Anything you do automatically without consciously thinking about it, or without specifically deciding to do it, is a habit. This is acquired and developed through a continuous repetition of a specific action over a period of time. It is either good or bad. Good moral habits are called virtues while the bad ones are called vices. Virtues are the underlying principles of a good moral being. On the other hand, vices are considered immoral, depraved, and degrading to the person. Vice: Hooked to Gadgets Pinoy Siri/Selfie Girl Judging the Morality of Human Acts Sources / Determinants of Morality The determinants of morality are the basis for judging whether an act is good or evil, moral or immoral. The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the three "sources" of the morality of human acts.  1. Object – this is the act- in-itself or the thing in which the will is primarily directed (what the acting person chooses to do). The object directly chosen by the will determines the basic morality (good or bad). The person's intellect sees this as according to moral standards (good – loving your parents) or not according to moral standards (evil - murder).  2. Intention – this is the motive which is the doer wishes to accomplish by his action. One act can have a multiplicity of intentions (Doing a favor to help someone and also to receive a favor in return). However, a good intention can never turn an evil act into a good one. However, an evil intention can make a good act into an evil one, such as giving alms to gain praise.  3. Circumstances – are particulars of the concrete human act which are not necessarily connected with its object. They are the historical elements surrounding the commission of an act, such as status of the doer, the place, the time, or the intensity of the act. These are the interrogative pronouns – who, what, where, with whom, how, and where.  Circumstances Who – refers either the doer or recipient of the act. (moron, senile, etc.) What – refers to the act itself and its quality (the number of victims determines the seriousness of the murder) Where – the place where the act is committed ( inside the church or secluded place) With whom – the accomplices or companion in the act ( the more people are involved,the more serious is the crime) How – refers to the manner the act is perpetrated homicide committed with cruelty is a heinous crime) When – refers to the time the act is committed (a murder committed when the victim is sleeping is more offensive than the one done when the victim is awake)  CIRCUMSTANCES contribute to increasing or diminishing the moral goodness or evil of human acts. They can also diminish or increase the agent’s responsibility. BUT, they cannot change the moral quality of acts. They cannot make neither good nor right an action that is in itself evil.  View The Bridge (Short version)  Principle of Double Effect The basic moral principle that we follow is to pursue and do good, and avoid that which is evil or bad. The principle of double effect is an ethical formula that enables someone to evaluate the moral dimensions of complicated moral issues that may involve consequences or side effects which are both positive and negative, good and bad. Because these consequences are side effects, and not directly willed, the choice that brings them about is morally acceptable.  Principle of Double Effect A human act with double effect, one good and another evil, is morally permissible under four conditions. A violation of any of these conditions makes an act unjustifiable.  These conditions are: 1.The nature-of-the-act condition. The action must be either morally good in itself or indifferent (amoral). 2. The means-end condition. The good effect is not produced by means of the evil effect or the evil effect is used to achieve the good effect. It is never justified to do evil in order to attain something good. (anti-Robin Hood) 3. The right- intention condition. The intention must be the achieving of only the good effect, with the evil effect being only an unintended or accidental side effect. 4. The proportionality condition. The good effect must be of equal or greater proportion to any evil effect which would result.