MANASTHEACTINGPERSON Humanacts(actushumani) actsthatproceedfromreasonandfreewill rightlycalledpersonalacts Actsofman(actushominis) actionswhichareperformedwithoutthe interventionoftheintellectandthefreewill theycompriseallspontaneousbiologicalandsensual processes CONSTITUENTSOFHUMANACTS 1.

ACTS 1. Knowledge thefacultyofthought theintellectdiscernsinagivenobjectboth perfectionandimperfection,bothgoodand evil,andthereforepresentsittothewillas desirableinonerespectandundesirablein another 2. Freedom theabilitytoactwithoutrestraint inthecontextofinternalcontrol,freedom isalsoknownasself determination,individualsovereignty, orautonomy Whenanobjectisproposed,thewill,onaccountofits unlimitedscope,mayloveorhate,embraceorrejectit. Wheneverthereisdeliberationintheunderstanding,thereis freedominthewill,andtheconsequentactisfree;viceversa, wheneveranactproceedsfromthewillwithoutdeliberation, itisnotfree,butnecessary. Freewill Everyvoluntaryactofmanincludesanecessaryelement:the questforgoodandafreeelement:thechoiceoftheconcrete objectinwhichthegoodissought. Ifamanisnotfreetochoosewhathewouldlikeaccordingto hisinsightandwillbuthastoactagainsthiswill,hisactionis notfreeandconsequentlynotahumanact. KINDSOFVOLUNTARYACTS 1. Perfectlyvoluntaryact anactwhichisperformedwithfull attentionandfullconsentofthewill 2. Imperfectlyvoluntary anactifattentionorconsentofthewillor bothtogetherareimperfect 3. Directlyvoluntary iftheactisintendedasanendinitselforif itisintendedasameansforanotherend 4. Indirectlyvoluntary

ifanactisnotintendedbutmerely permittedastheinevitableresultofan objectdirectlywilled PrinciplesofIndirectlyWilledActs PrinciplesofDoubleEffect o Objectthemoralobjectmaynotbeevilinitself o Timethegoodandevileffectmustproceedat leastequallydirectlyfromtheact o Intentiontheintentionoftheagentmustbegood; theagentmaynotintendorapproveoftheevil effect o Proportionalitytheremustbeaproportionately gravereasoninordertopermittheevileffect Briefly Undertakinganactionfromwhichgoodandevileffectsare foreseenispermissibleif: o theactioninitselfisnotevil, o thebadeffectisnotintended, o thereissufficientlygravereasontopermittheevil Positivelyvoluntaryact thewilleffectssomethingpositivelybyexercising activeinfluenceonthecausationofanobject forexample,injuringaneighborbysettinghishouse onfire Negativelyvoluntaryact thewilleffectssomethingnegativelybyvoluntary omissionofanactwhichcouldhaveavertedanevil toanotherpersonorhelpedhimtosecureagood forexample,nottoextinguishafirealreadystarting inaneighborshouse DETERMINANTSOFMORALITY 1. Theobject(finisoperis) thateffectwhichanactionprimarilyand directlycausestheobjectchosenisagood towardwhichthewilldeliberatelydirects itself 2. Circumstances theparticularsofthehumanactwhichare notnecessarilyconnectedwiththehuman actbutwhichaffectthemoralityoftheact Kindsofcircumstances Who,what,where,when,withwhatmeans,how Circumstancescaninfluencethemoralityofanact o Inthepositivesense, Acircumstancecanmakebetteranactgoodinits object. Acircumstancecanmakegoodanindifferentactin itself. o Inthenegativesense,

Acircumstancecanmakeworseanactevilinits object. Acircumstancecanmakeevilanactindifferentin itself. Theendintendedbytheagent(finisoperantis) thereasonforwhichtheagentundertakes theact maybethesameastheobjectoftheaction inwhichcase,finisoperisandfinis operantisarethesameinplaceofend intentionisalsooftenusedtonamethe thirdsourceofmorality intentionresidesintheactingsubject IMPEDIMENTSTOMORALITY Impairmentstohumanfreedomarerealitieswithwhich ethicsandjurisprudencehavetoreckonconcerningthe moralityofthehumanact IMPAIRMENTSOFREQUIREDKNOWLEDGE Ignorance lackofknowledgeaboutathinginabeingcapable ofknowing Invincibleignorance thatignorancewhichamanisnotableto dispelbysuchreasonablediligencethis completelytakesawaythevoluntarinessof themaliceandhenceitsresponsibilitytoo VincibleIgnorance ignorancethatcanbedispelled doesnottakeawayculpability voluntaryincauseorisprovokedby consciousnegligenceorevenbadwill generallydiminishesvoluntarinessand responsibility,sinceactualinsightatthe timeofactingislacking Threekindsofvincibleignorance 1. Supinedonotexertefforttoknowwhatone shouldknow 2. Simplyvinciblelaziness 3. Affectedignorancelyingaboutknowing PrinciplesThatApplyToIgnoranceandItsResponsibility 1. Invincibleignorancepreventsthehumanactfrom beingvoluntaryinregardtothatwhichisnotknown. 2. Vincibleignorancedoesnottakeawaythe voluntarinessnordiminishesvoluntariness,aslong astheignoranceisnotaffected. 3. Simplenegligenceorlazinessdoesnotusuallyimply afullconsenttoallthepossibleevilconsequences whichmaycometherefrom. 4. Supineignoranceinaseriousmattergenerally makesthesingrave. 3.

5.

Affectedignorancedoesnotdiminishguiltbecause thereisfullconsenttothesinfuleffectswhichresult fromsuchignorance. falsejudgmentorconviction arisesfromdeficienteducation,badcompanyor misleadinginformation oneisnotresponsiblefortheconsequencesoferror madeingoodfaith

Error

Inattention referstomomentarydeprivationofinsight ifattentioniscompletelylacking,thereisnohuman actbutoneisresponsibletotheextentthattheact isvoluntaryincause IMPAIRMENTSTOFREECONSENT Passionorconcupiscence amovementofthesensitiveappetitewhichis movedbythegoodorevilapprehendedbythe imaginationmovementofthesensitiveappetitethat precedesthefreedecisionofthewill DIVISIONSOFPASSIONS Concupiscible passionthroughwhichthesoulissimply inclinedtoseekwhatissuitableaccording tothesenses,andtoflyfromwhatis hurtful

Irascible wherebyananimalresiststheattacksof anyagentsthathinderwhatissuitableand inflictharm; itsobjectissomethingarduous,becauseits tendencyistoovercomeandriseabove obstacles

 Fear

ismentaltrepidationduetoanimpendingevil itisfearofthesensesandnotintellectualfear whichisoneofthepassions

Intellectualfear forexample,threatoftorturedoesnotjustifydenial offaith Emotionoffear completelydarkensthemindorparalyzesthewill excusesfromimputability Violence compulsiveinfluencebroughttobearuponone againsthiswillbysomeextrinsicagent causedbysomephysicalorpsychicagent Thereisnoimputability,exceptinsofarastheinnerwillmay haveconsentedorexternalresistancehavefallenshortofthe degreenecessaryandpossibleinthecircumstance. Internalresistance alwaysnecessary Externalresistance maynotalwaysbecalledfor requiredonlytotheextentthatitisforeseentobe efficaciousinpreventingactionorforestalling scandal Habits facilityandreadinessofactinginacertainmanner acquiredbyrepeatedacts deliberatelyadmittedhabitsdonotlessen voluntariness actionsresultingtherefromarevoluntaryatleastin theircause Opposedhabits lessenvoluntarinessandsometimesprecludeit completely,thereasonisthathabitweakens intellectandwillinatheconcretesituationina similarway