HUMAN ACTS

Human Act The human activity of man as man Act of rationality of man Involves understanding and free will “an act which proceeds from the

deliberate free will of man” (Glenn:3)

The agent becomes responsible and accountable of such act

A human act can be morally good or morally evil

Acts of Man Activities of man as animal Acts are not deliberately done nor

voluntary Performed without the free will of the

agent Includes beating of the heart,

dreaming, sensations by the five sense organs

Do not demand responsibility from the agent

Amoral acts and not subject to morality

Comparison of the Characteristics of Human Acts and Acts of Human

Human ActsActs of Human

1. The act must be deliberate.

1. They are done indeliberately.

2. The act must be free.

2. The acts are not done freely.

3. The act must be voluntary.

3. The acts are done involuntarily.

Classification of Human Acts

ELICITED ACTS COMMANDED ACTS

•A will-act begun and completed in the will without bodily movement.

• Body-mind acts which are done to carry out the elicited act of the subject.

ELICITED ACTS COMMANDED ACTS

Wish Internal ActsIntention

Consent External ActsElection

UseMixed

Fruition

Existence of Human Act If there is an act, the agent

has an objective in mind. For every act that is done,

there is always a corresponding end, or a goal.

It is this end that gives the act a reason for its existence.

Human Act and ResponsibilityResponsibility is the ability

of a person to respond to a need or problem in a situation. That ability to respond is an internal quality of a person, which is free and voluntary yet morally obligatory in himself.

Free Willand

Freedom

“Will” It is a man’s natural

tendency of being attracted to what is good and beautiful and to be repulsed from what is evil and ugly, after they have been presented by the intellect.

Will is the counterpart of intellect.

Human Free Will The will is free when it acts

without any pressure from outside. It is free when it is attracted to or repulses anything on a natural tendency.

Free will makes the agent become responsible and accountable for his act.

Freedom of the will is the “power which men have of determining their actions according to the judgment of their reason”

- St. Thomas

Freedom Negative: freedom is

the absence of constriction.

Positive: freedom is the power to be and to act under free will and choice.

Our freedom is “situated” or limited by the rights of others, things or persons. Our environment constricts our freedom.

But man remains man despite the limitations of human

freedom. “Man cannot be reduced to historicity, to his

environment, to determinism” (Dy, Jr.:159)

The Modifiers of Human Act

IGNORANCEIgnorance in its objectIgnorance in its subject

Ignorance in its result CONCUPISCENCE FEAR VIOLENCE HABIT

Antecedent Ignorance

Concomitant Ignorance

Consequent Ignorance

Moral Principles

Principle 1

INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE MAKES

AN ACT INVOLUNTARY

Principle 2

VINCIBLE IGNORANCE DOES NOT RENDER THE ACT INVOLUNTARY, BUT

REDUCES THE VOLUNTARINESS AND THE

CORRESPONDING ACCOUNTABILITY OVER THE ACT (Agapay:22)

Principle 3

AFFECTED IGNORANCE IN A WAY REDUCES AND

IN ANOTHER WAY INTENSIFIES

VOLUNTARINESS .

Principle 4

ANTECEDENT CONCUPISCENCE DIMINISHES THE

VOLUNTARINESS OF THE ACT.

Principle 5

ANTECEDENT CONCUPISCENCE DOES

NOT ELIMINATE VOLUNTARINESS OF AN

ACT.

Principle 6

ACTS DONE IN FEAR ARE VOLUNTARY

(Glenn:41)

Principle 7 AN ACT DONE OUT OF

FEAR, HOWEVER GREAT, IS SIMPLY VOLUNTARY, ALTHOUGH IT IS ALSO

REGULARLY CONDITIONALLY

INVOLUNTARY (Glenn:41)

Principle 9

AN AGENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR

THE EVIL EFFECT OF HIS INDIRECT

VOLUNTARY ACT.

Principle 10

THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE EFFECT

Principle 8 EXTERNAL ACT WHICH ARE COMMANDED, PERFORMED

BY A PERSON UNDER PENDING VIOLENCE WHICH COULD BE

REASONABLY RESISTED, ARE INVOLUNTARY AND,

THEREFORE NOT IMPUTABLE (Agapay:25)

Prepared by:Ma. Jheneva C. Magpantay

Alyssa V. HeguerraBSE-II ENGLISH