MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTS Human Acts Acts of Man Basic Element of Human Acts • Types of Voluntariness Major Determinants of the Morality of Human Acts Four Types of Circumstances Specific Types of Circumstances Modifiers of Human Acts 1) Ignorance • Types of Ignorance 2) Passion 3) Fear Act done ‘with’ fear Act done ‘out’ of fear 4) Violence 5) Habit

1. MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTS
Human Acts (ActusHumani)
Actionsthatare done freely,knowinglyand
voluntarily,voluntaryacts.
(e.g.stealing, dancing)
Acts of Man
Actionsthathappeninthe person‘naturally’;
involuntaryacts.
(e.g. digestion,beating of theheart,hearing)
Basic Elementof Human Acts
1) Deliberate (knowingly)
2) Performedinfreedom(freely)
3) Done voluntarily(willfully)
 Types ofVoluntariness
o Perfect
Presentina personwhofullyknowns
and intendedanact
o Imperfect
Presentina personwhoacts without
fullyrealizingwhathe meanstodo,or
withoutfullyintendingthe act
o Conditional
Presentina personwhoisforcedby
circumstancesbeyondhiscontrol to
performan act whichhe wouldnotdo
undernormal conditions
o Simple
Presentina persondoinganact
willfully,regardlessof whetherhe likes
to do itor not
Major Determinantsof the Morality ofHuman Acts
1) Objectof the Act (The Act Itself)
‘WHAT’the persondoes
2) Motive
‘WHY’ the persondoeswhathe does
3) Circumstances
Variousconditionsoutside the act
 Four Types of Circumstancesthat Affects
the Moralityof an Act
o MitigatingCircumstances
Diminishthe moral goodorevil inan
act
o Aggravating Circumstances
Increase the degree of moral goodor
evil act
o JustifyingCircumstances
Showadequate reasonforsome acts
done
o SpecifyingCircumstances
Give new anddistinctspeciesof moral
goodor evil
 SpecificTypesof Circumstancesthat
Affectsthe Moralityof Human Acts
o WHO (doer)
o WHERE (setting of an action)
o BY WHAT MEANS
o WHY(motive)
o HOW (mannerof theact)
o WHEN (timeof theaction)
o TO WHOM(receiver of the action)
ModifiersofHuman Acts
1) Ignorance
Absence of knowledge
 Types ofIgnorance
o Vincible
Thistype of ignorance canbe corrected
i. Affected(classification)
Pretendingtobe ignorantin
orderto escape blame
o Invincible
Thistype of ignorance is notcorrectable
2) Passion
Strongfeelingoremotion
 Classification
o Antecedent
Weakenthe will powerof aperson
withoutcompletelyobstructinghis
freedom;itwill diminishthe
accountabilityof the resultant’sact
o Consequent
The person whowillfullyactsfollowing
hispassionandallowshimselftobe
completelycontrolledbyit;itwill
increase accountability
3) Fear (specialkind of passion)
The disturbance of the mindof a person
whoconfrontedbyan impendingdangerof
harm to himself orlovedones.
 Act done ‘with’fear (voluntary)
The personacting withfearisactingin
spite of hisfearand still verymuch
control of hisconduct;it doesn’t
exemptapersonfrommoral and legal
responsibility

2.  Act done ‘out’ offear (involuntary)
The personis actingbecause of intense fear
and panicis doingsomethinginvoluntary
and withouthisconsent;exemptsaperson
frommoral andlegal responsibility
4) Violence
Referstoany physical force exertedona person
by anotherfree agentforthe purpose of
compellingthe saidpersontoact againsthis
will.
 Absolute violence
Excludesanyvoluntarinessfromthe forced
action
 Relative violence
Lessensthe voluntariness fromthe forced
action
5) Habit
Constantand easywayof doingthingsacquired
by the repetitionof the same act.
 Deliberatelyadmittedhabit
Doesnot lessenvoluntariness
 Opposedhabit
Lessensvoluntarinessorprecludesit