What is Morality ?

Determinants of Morality:Human Acts, Circumstances,Intention Constituents of Human Acts: Knowledge, Consent, Voluntariness An action is a movement, a deed, a performance, done by anything or anyone. Acts differ as human acts, acts of man, natural acts, acts of nature, brutal acts, and acts of brute. A brute ia an animal, a beast. Only brutes can do acts of brute. Brutes can also do acts of man, natural acts and brutal acts. Nature includes land, sea, sky, etc. Only nature can do acts of nature. Natural acts and brutal acts can also be done by nature. A human being is a rational animal, whether man or woman, a human being has "Ratio",the Greek word for reason. Human beings can do human acts, acts of man, natural acts, and brutal acts; but never acts of nature or acts of brute. A human act is a free and deliberate act done with the aid of reason. The constituents of human act are: knowledge, consent, and voluntariness. Epistemology is a branch of Philosophy which is a study of knowledge. Epistemology comes from two Greek words: "Logos" which means study and "Epistemus" meaning knowledge. The origin of the word knowledge is the Greek "Gnos". Knowledge is cognition, the first-level awareness comes from sensory perception, with the next level input of information into the mind.The data is then stored in the mind as memory. The next time the human being encounters the same situation, recognition sets in as repeated cognition of the first encounter of the situation. Recognition makes use of memory recall. The sources of knowledge include reason and experience. Sensory perception becomes part of experience.Whether a first deed or repeated performance, a human act is stored in the mind as experience. Reason makes the analysis of the data and decides to use or not the stored information. In the absence of experience, reason supplies lack of information. Consent is an element of human act. A human act must be free, no coercion, no force. A human being must have the willingness to do or not to do the action. A human being has the freedom to choose between a right or wrong action. If he chooses a right action, good consequences follow. If he decides to do the wrong action, he suffers bad consequences. A human being must use reason before doing any action. There must be thorough deliberation in his mind, whether to do or not to do, to do right or to do wrong; otherwise regret becomes a consequence. Regret does not come in the beginning, it only sets in the end as a result of the action. Voluntariness is another element of human act. Another term for voluntariness is volition. Voluntariness cannot exist without any of the two constituents: knowledge and/ or consent. Voluntariness is considered Perfect voluntariness when there is full knowledge and full consent. Imperfect voluntariness occur when either consent or knowledge is lacking. Either, with full knowledge and no consent; or with no knowledge and full consent, the resulting constituent is Imperfect voluntariness. Voluntariness can still be classified as direct or indirect.

Direct voluntariness includes the intention to do the action. Indirect voluntariness does not have the intention to do the action. A circumstance is a specific detail surrounding a situation.Circumstances are the facts surrounding a case.These will determine the penalty/punishment. Circumstances will answer the questions:What?circumstance of nature, Who?circumstance of person,Where? circumstance of place,When?circumstance of time,How?circumstance of manner,and Why?circumstance of reason. Circumstances are classified as: Aggravating,Mitigating,Extenuating, Specifying,Exempting,and Justifying. Aggravating circumstances increase the gravity of the case. Mitigating circumstances will partly excuse the seriousness of the case. Extenuating circumstances will lessen the gravity of the case. Specifying circumstances give particular details of the case as to relationship,age,profession,and the like. Exempting circumstances will make a crime committed but no criminal to be punished. Justifying circumstances will allow no crime committed,thus,no criminal to be punished. Intention is a very special type of circumstance,answering the question Why?It deals with the motive,plan,or premeditation of the act.It affects the voluntariness of a human act as direct or indirect voluntariness. A norm is a standard, a criterion, a guide, a basis. Morality is the quality of rightness or wrongness of human act. So, a norm of morality is the standard for determining the quality of rightness or wrongness of human act. There are different norms of morality, the objective, the subjective and some defective norms. The LAW is an objective norm of morality.It is an ordinance of reason. Different laws comprise the Hierarchy of Laws.The eternal law is a divine law made by God.It is the highest law superseding any other law.The natural law is next in the hierarchy. It is also made by God which He placed in nature for human beings to interpret.The lowest in the hierarchy is the human positive law which is made by human beings.We need to emphasize the law as positive since there are negative laws made by man which are detrimental to humanity as a whole.There are two kinds of human positive laws which are the ecclesiastical law and the civil law. Ecclesiastical laws are made by the church and the civil laws are made by the state. Conscience- the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience. 2. the complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual. 3. an inhibiting sense of what is prudent: I'd eat another piece of pie but my conscience would bother me.

II. CONSCIENCE (Subjective Norm of Morality)it is the proximate norm of morality|- it is what confronts an action as good or bad Function = t o e x a m i n e , j u d g e a n d p a s s a s e n t e n c e o n a l l m o r a l actions Etymologyfrom latin conscientia which means trial of oneself b o t h i n accusation and defense

Definitionan act of practical judgment of reason deciding upon an individualaction as good and to be performed or as evil to be avoided Practical judgmentit is an interference whose conclusion leads to s o m e t h i n g practicable because its function is to determine what ought to be done in ag i v e n s i t u a t i o n . = a f t e r t h e c o m m i s s i o n o f a n a c t , t h e conscience assumes the role of approving or reproaching it is also a practical judgment because it is an interferencel e a d i n g t o a p r a c t i c a b l e c o n c l u s i o n = a s a n i n t e r f e r e n t i a l reasoning, it makes use of the principles of natural law . Thus,the conscience i s b u t a n e x t e n s i o n o f t h e N a t u r a l L a w w h i c h guides man to seek the good of his nature KINDS OF CONSCIENCE1) CORRECT OR TRUE - judges what is good as good and what is evil as evil 2) ERRONEOUS OR FALSEjudges incorrectly that what is good is evil and what is evil is good. Factor from which errors in conscience flows: a) Mistake in inferential thinking ( s u c h a s d e r i v i n g a w r o n g conclusion from a wrong principles)

b)Ignorance of the Law c)I g n o r a n c e o f t h e F a c t a n d o t h e r c i r c u m s t a n c e s m o d i f y i n g human actions d)I g n o r a n c e o f f u t u r e c o n s e q u e n c e s e s p e c i a l l y t h o s e dependent on the freewill of others Inculpable Conscience error is not willfully intended Culpable Conscience if error is due to neglect or malice Difference between them:the distinction between voluntary and involuntary error culpable = voluntary inculpable = involuntary = honest mistake 3) CERTAIN - subjective assurance of the lawfulness or lawlessness of a certain act- the person is sure of his/her decision it is possible however to be sure of something as god when in fact itis just the opposite, and vice-versa Theologians believed that a certai n conscience should always bef o l l o w e d s o a s t o preserve the integrity of the human reason t o contradict is morally guilty. 4) DOUBTFULa v a c i l l a t i n g c o n s c i e n c e , u n a b l e t o f o r m a d e f i n i t e j u d g m e n t o n a certain action.i t s h o u l d b e f i r s t a l l o w e d t o s e t t l e i t s d o u b t s b e f o r e r e s o r t i n g t o action 5) SCRUPULOUSa rigorous conscience extremely afraid of committing evil- meticulous and wants inconvertible proofs before it acts 6) LAX - one which refuses to be bothered about the distinction of good andevil- rushes on and is quick to justify itself - having this kind of conscience, one follows the impulse of bahala na attitude on matters of morals FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE - It is our obligation to cultivate a clear and true conscience = we canaccomplish it: a)Studying and searching for truths in the laws and in the sciences

b) Cultivation of good habits this means that the practical truths wediscover must be internalized and then externalized in actions c) Militate against evil, condemning it where we find it not only turnour back on evil but to fight against it. d) Developing proper use of freedom Human Freedom if it is true freedom in action, it is not submissionto the coercive pressure of external force, but self-fulfillment throughinner love of the good in accordance with the pattern of divine holinesswhich is the eternal law reflected in man s own nature

CONCLUSION C o n s c i e n c e = o u r e x a l t e d participation i n t h e e t e r n a l l a w o f God because its function is to reveal our likeness our likeness to God. It is therefore, the voice of God within us. - it is compulsory because it operates within the realm of truthand sound reason = only when it impels us to act according to o u r r a t i o n a l i n s i g h t s t h a t i t i s t r u l y t h e v o i c e o f G o d b u t i f i t d eviates from the correct norm, it ceases to be rational and nolonger now the voice of God. As long as it operates according to sound rational insight = it is infallible , it should then be followed Conscience insofar as it is the voice of God - it assumes the authority of God. G o d i s t h e u l t i m a t e n o r m t o w h i c h conscience must conform to.