Ethics: The Human Act PDF

ETHICS The Human Act Fernandino J. Pancho Prayer before study, St. Thomas Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding. Take from me the double darkness in which I have be...

ETHICS The Human Act Fernandino J. Pancho Prayer before study, St. Thomas Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding. Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, Prayer before study, St. Thomas and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. St. Dominic and St. Thomas – pray for us. Objectives Identify the constituents of Human Acts. Explain the morality of human acts Judge human acts reasonably and with impartiality Concept of Human Act How can we know what a being is? A being is known by its action. Concept of Human Act Human Act (Actus Humani) are actions that proceed from insight into the nature and purpose of one’s doing and from consent of free will. Human Act are acts which proceed from insight and free will. Human Act can also rightly be called personal act. Human Act : St Thomas human actions are those over which one has voluntary control human actions are not products of deterministic causal forces. They are products of our own free judgment (liberum arbitrium), the exercise of which is a function of both intellect and will. human actions are actions that are governed by a reasoned consideration of what is true and good. Not all actions are considered Human Act ⦿ Acts of Man (actus hominis) are actions performed without intervention of intellect and free will. ⦿ It comprises: ⚫ All spontaneous biological and sensual processes, like nutrition, breathing, sensual impressions. ⚫ All acts performed by those who have not the use of reason, like people asleep, lunatics, drunken people ⚫ Actions which merely happen in the body or through the body without the awareness of the mind or the control of the will. Constituents of human acts human act must be knowing and deliberate act human act must be free human act is a voluntary act Constituents of human acts 1. human act must be knowing and deliberate act: deliberation means advertence (direct attention) or knowledge in the intellect of what one is about and what this means. deliberation about the means to perform an action and about the end to be achieved. So deliberation means knowledge. Awareness or consciousness of the conditions and implications of one’s action. It is a knowing act. Example: “a hunter knows what he is doing. He sights a deer and he knows that it will soon die.” Constituents of human acts 2. human act must be free: A human act is determined by the will and by nothing else. It is under the control of the will. It is called a free act. Every human act must be free. You are not forced by facticity. Since it is free act, it can be done or be left undone. Freedom Freedom is the power to choose between two or more courses of action without being forced to take one or the other by anything except our own will. – The whole moral life revolves around the use of freedom. – The good use of freedom guarantees man the affirmation of his better self and the achievement of the purpose of life. – The abuse of freedom is the origin of man’s guilty conduct. – True liberty dignifies man; misuse of liberty debases him. Authentic Freedom is not “the right to say and do anything,” but to “do the good, truth, justice and love.” Constituents of human acts 3. human act is a voluntary act: Latin for will is “voluntas” (volition). To say that a human act is voluntary is to say that it is a will-act. A voluntary act is defined as the act which proceeds from an intrinsic principle with knowledge of the end. A voluntary act proceeds from the will and depends upon the will. A voluntary act is a will-act, not only a “willed act” When man knows the end of his work to the greatest degree and moves towards it, the voluntary character of his actions is present to the greatest degree. Illustration ⦿ A certain BU student is aware of the regulations concerning the wearing of ID before entry & during inside the campus. (Knowledge) ⦿ He/She is free to wear or not to wear the ID before entry & during inside the campus. (Freedom) ⦿ He/she did not wear the ID and consequently disobeys the regulation of BU (Voluntariness)  Does a human being knows his/her action to be good or evil before doing an act? The morality of human acts depends on: a. the object chosen b. the end sought or the intention c. the circumstances of the action aka: Sources of Morality A. The Object (finis operis) It is the direct effect of the human action It is the first quality determining or describing the human act. The basic factor of morality, the very substance of moral act. It is always and necessarily the result of the act, independent of intention and circumstances. The object is not the matter of which a thing is made but the matter about which something is done.  Examples: Human Act Direct effect/Object of the human act Eating Preservation of human life/self Theft Stealing other’s property Cheating Getting a good grade which you do not deserve Giving Alms To relieve the poverty of the poor Lying To deceive other person Selling Property is transferred from one to another Studying Getting a a good & deserving grade b. Intention/Motive (finis operantis) It is the reason or purpose behind our acting. The reason or purpose on why the person did the action. It is the plan or determination of the will to bring about a certain effect. Principles of Intention 1. An objectively good act may receive more goodness. GOOD ACT + GOOD INTENTION = DOUBLY GOOD ACT(more goodness) Example: - He taught street children how to read so they can do better in school. 2. An objectively evil act may become more evil becuase of bad intention/motive. BAD ACTION + BAD INTENTION = DOUBLY BAD ACT(more evil) Example: - He accepted bribes so that he can continue his gambling habit. 3. An objectively good act may become morally evil because of intention. GOOD ACT + BAD INTENTION = BAD ACT Example: - When a person give alms to a poor girl with the intention of seducing or raping her. 4. An objectively evil act can never become good in spite of the good intention/motive. BAD ACTION + GOOD INTENTION = BAD ACT Example: - He stole money so he can send his children to school. - He cheated in the exam so he can maintain his scholarship and help out in the family. 5. An indifferent/neutral act may become morally good. NEUTRAL ACTION + GOOD INTENTION = GOOD ACT Example: - He writes stories in order to inspire others. 6. An indifferent/neutral act may become morally bad. NEUTRAL ACTION + BAD INTENTION = BAD ACT Example: - He writes stories in order to destroy the reputation of others. C. Circumstances Circumstances are conditions modifying human actions, either by increasing or by diminishing the moral responsibility attending them. Conditions which affect the voluntariness of the act. A condition that affects what happens or how somebody reacts in a particular situation. The SEVEN Circumstances that affects the morality of our actions: WHO - the person/subject who does or receives the action. WHERE - the place/setting of an action. WHAT - the object/effect of an act. WHY - the intention/motive that moves the person to an act. WHEN - the time of the action performed HOW - the different conditions/modalities such as consent, violence, fear, ignorance or voluntariness. BY WHAT MEANS – the ways/methods/process of an act. Principle - Circumstances 1. Circumstances may increase or diminish the goodness or badness of an action Example: To steal a working animal from a poor farmer is worse act than to steal it from a rich man. 2. Circumstances may change a good or indifferent act into a punishable one. – Example: To sleep is an indifferent act. But a guard sleeping at his post during his duty will be punished by his commander.  A human act, in order to be morally good, must be perfect according to the three elements: object, intention and circumstances. Any deficiency will make a human act morally evil. “Bonum ex integra causa: malum ex quocumque defectu” (The good results from whole perfection; the evil from any defect)  Human Actions are good (moral) when they have the moral perfections and fullness required by the object of the actions. – i.e. When human acts agree with the standards or norms of morality which are human reason, conscience and natural law. Human actions are evil (immoral) when they are contrary to the moral perfections required by the object of the action.  What do you think? Look for a partner, choose only one and apply the principles on human act. 1. A person plans to donate P1,000 to the church. However, on his way to the church, the money was stolen from him, and he was not able to donate it? Did the person (donor) do good? 2. A group of people are planning to rob a bank. On the day they plan the robbery, the bank burned down, and they were not able to rob it. Did the people (robber) do something bad?