Assumption College of Nabunturan

Lesson 5: THE ENDS

OF HUMAN ACTS

Presented by: Group 5

 Meet the Group

Yasmin Abegail April Joy Ricki Mae Regie Russel

Objectives:
At the end of the chapter, the learner is expected to:
1.Define the end of the act and the end of the doer.
2.Identify the kinds of end of the human act and the
kinds of good.
3.Explain the principles of action and motivation and
the end as good.
4.Value the greatest good and happiness.
5.Examine the ethical theories in relation to the ends
of human acts.

Yasmin
Input 1: The Meaning of End

Input 1: The Meaning of End

• The “end” is the purpose or goal of an act.

• It is either the end of the act itself or the end of
the doer.

Yasmin
End of the act End of the doer

The end of the act is The end of the doer

the natural is the motive or
termination or reason why a person
completion of an performs an act.
activity.

Yasmin
KINDS OF END
The end of the doer is either (1) proximate and remote, (2) intermediate and ultimate

1. The proximate end is the purpose

which the doer wishes to accomplish
immediately. The remote end is the
purpose which the doer wishes to
accomplish sometime later.

Yasmin
KINDS OF END

The end of the doer is either (1) proximate and remote, (2) intermediate and ultimate

2. The intermediate end is that which is sought as a

means for obtaining another thing. The ultimate end
is that which is desired for its own sake. The
intermediate end may either lead to another
intermediate, or to an ultimate end. The ultimate
end completes an act and stops further activity.

Yasmin
ACTION AND MOTIVATION
The following principles describe human activity:
1. Every action is performed for the sake of a definite end or purpose.
Man is a motivated animal. For him to act, he must first have a
motive. A motive may be instantaneous as when one stands up to
answer the doorbell, or when one picks up something from the floor.
Some motives are modest and inconsequential. Some are significant
and important.

• An act done for a purpose is said to be deliberate or intentional. An

act done without an intended purpose is said to be accidental.

Yasmin
 ACTION AND MOTIVATION

The following principles describe human activity:

2. Every action is intended towards an ultimate end. Every
action is a move to accomplish something. The concept of
action implies an ultimate end, which would satisfy the
need of the doer. No sane person would take a bus without
wanting to go to someplace. Every traveler has a final
destination.

Yasmin
 ACTION AND MOTIVATION

The following principles describe human activity:

3. Every doer moves himself towards an end which he

thinks suitable to him. Man does not wish anything except
that which is beneficial or suitable to him. Hence, every
human act is a tendency towards what is good, because only
what is good is suitable to man. Nobody desires evil for its
own sake. The desire for money, for example, induces a
thief to steal. Evil actions are done for the sake of attaining
something good.

Yasmin
THE END AS GOOD

Man acts in order to obtain something good to himself.

Therefore, the concept of good is synonymous to that of
end or purpose. Man does desire evil for its own sake.
Only what is good could be the end or purpose of an act,
either the ultimate end or the intermediate end.
Aristotle defines “Good” as “anything which fits or
suits a function.” Food is good either because it suits
one’s taste, or the need for nourishment. Clothes are
good because they fit the personality of the user, or they
provide comfort. In higher level, actions are good when
they fit the moral integrity of a person.
April Joy
THE END AS GOOD
Those acts which fit human nature are said to be good.
They are “maka-tao,” those acts which are unfit to
human nature are evil, they are, “hindi maka-tao.”

Aristotle teaches that because it is the soul which

constitutes the essentiality of rational nature, the good
that truly fits man is that which fits the function of the
soul. This means that human acts are good when they
are consistent with reason. Accordingly, we speak of
actions as being in accordance or not with the “dictate
of reason.”

April Joy
THE END AS GOOD
Evil which is presented to the mind as something
good is called an apparent good. For example,
stealing is desired as good because it is an
opportunity for the thief to have something of value
for himself. Crimes are committed, because the
criminals regard their evil acts as instrumental to
getting something good. Thus, a student would cheat
during an examination in order to pass the subject.
A politician would wish his rival candidate
murdered because he wants to win the election.

April Joy
INPUT 2 : KINDS OF GOOD

1. Essential and Accidental

Essential good satisfy the need of person as a
human being. E.g. Food, clothing, shelter, tools
and education
Accidental good is that which satisfies the want
of a person because of his particular situations.
E.g. expensive clothes, big house, a flashy car
are personal wants of a rich man

April Joy
INPUT 2: KINDS OF GOOD

2. Real and Apparent

Real good is anything which has . E.g. things,
activities, relationships, or persons
Apparent good is an evil which is viewed
subjectively as something of value. E.g.
cigarettes, prohibited drugs and vices

April Joy
INPUT 2: KINDS OF GOOD

3. Perfective and Non-perfective

Perfective good is that which contributes to integral

growth or development of a person. E.g. education,
virtue, food, sports, and medicines
Non-perfective good is anything which merely
contribute to the external appearance or convenience
of a person. E.g. expensive clothes, money, title, or
car

April Joy
INPUT 2: KINDS OF GOOD

4. Perfect and Imperfect – anything lacking in some

qualities is imperfect. All material things is imperfect. A
perfect is a real good endowed with all essential qualities
needed to satisfy a need.

Perfection is ether absolute or relative. Absolute

perfection means complete in all aspects, which is
what we mean when speaking of a perfect score. A
relative perfection is complete only in some aspects.

April Joy
THE GREATEST GOOD

Every human activity is a tendency towards the attainment

of something good. Not only individual actions are tending
towards the acquisition of good, but human life itself, which
is the sum of all activities, is a movement towards the
possession of the greatest good.
• The greatest good or the “summum bonum,” in the
words of scholastic philosophers is that which is perfect in
itself and capable of satisfying all human desires.
• “Summum bonum” is also the ultimate good, because it
is the absolutely final thing which is sought for its own sake.

Ricki Mae
THE GREATEST GOOD

The purpose of human existence is the attainment of the greatest good.

The greatest good, according to Aristotle, happiness. He writes: “By
absolutely final, we mean that which is sought for its own sake, and
never as a means to something else. Happiness seems to be something
of that sort. We also pursue that for its intrinsic value, never as a
means; whereas we pursue honor, pleasure, wisdom, and all the
virtues, both for their own sake ( we would want them even if they lead
to nothing further) and for the sake of happiness, since we think we
shall attain happiness by means of them. But no onewants happiness
as a means to these other things, or indeed as a means to anything else
at all (ibid: 292)

Ricki Mae
THE MEANING OF HAPPINESS

Happiness is either objective or subjective.

Objectively, happiness refers to something having intrinsic
value and capable of satisfying a human need.
Subjectively, it is the psychological state of feeling contented
resulting from the attainment of that which is good in itself.
E.g. The toy (objective) makes the child happy (subjective).

Ricki Mae
THE MEANING OF HAPPINESS

Happiness contributes to the perfection of a person.

Hence, happiness is not just an emotion or something
having a value but a state of being.” It is the state of
perfection arising from the possession of what is good.
Just as the possession of wealth makes an individual a
rich man, the possession of the greatest good makes a
person perfectly happy.

Ricki Mae
WHAT PEOPLE DESIRE

1. Some people regard money or the acquisition of wealth as

the ultimate aim of their life. While the desire is
legitimate, money does not satisfy human desire
completely. The inordinate desire for riches makes one
avaricious and greedy. Wealth is a cause for worry for
them who fear losing it.

Ricki Mae
WHAT PEOPLE DESIRE

2. Some people regard health and physical beauty as

foremost in importance. Health, of course, is necessary
because it is prerequisite to a productive life. But health and
physical beauty are easily lost to illness and age.

Ricki Mae
WHAT PEOPLE DESIRE

3. Some people indulge themselves in worldly pleasures.

But pleasure in themselves are limited by our natural
capacity for them. They do not last for long and often lead
to unhappiness. Eating so much causes stomach ache if not
unwanted weight or obesity. Imprudent indulgence in
liquor, tobacco, drugs or sex exposes one to illness and
death.

Ricki Mae
WHAT PEOPLE DESIRE

4. Some people seek fame and power. But these things are
as perishable as the admired flowers in a vase. Fame and
popularity can easily be tainted by a rumor of
indiscretion. Power change hands as quickly and as often
as the direction of the wind.

Ricki Mae
WHAT PEOPLE DESIRE

5. Some people would want to dedicate themselves to the

cultivation of science and arts. This is a worthy pursuit
which leaves a mark in the lives of other people. But
knowledge is not useful unless it becomes an instrument for
helping other people.

Ricki Mae
WHAT PEOPLE DESIRE

6. Some people would consecrate themselves to the

religious life. But the practice of religion and the
cultivation of virtues are aimed at attaining spiritual
perfection.

Ricki Mae
 Input 3: NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL HAPPINESS

•Natural happiness is that which is attainable by

man through the use of his natural powers.
•Supernatural happiness is that which is attainable
by man through his own powers aided by the
infusion of grace from God.

Regie Russel
 THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE

The ultimate purpose of human life is the possession

of the absolutely greatest good. For Aristotle, the
object of natural happiness is not a single good, but
an aggregate of all the goods that fit the human
nature as such. The greatest good in this earthly life
consists of all values, both material and spiritual,
which contribute to man’s development as a human
being. Because these goods are multiple and varied,
man has to ranked in a hierarchy, from the lowest to
the highest (Ibid., 297)

Regie Russel
 THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE

The highest good according to Aristotle, pertains to the

intellect. Thus, he proposes that the ultimate purpose of
man in life is the contemplation of truth. The fullness of
knowledge is attainable through the practice of virtue.
Aristotle states that “Even if happiness is not sent from
heaven, but comes through virtue and learning or
training, it seems that it is one of the most godlike
things. The prize and end of virtue appears to be the best
thing, something godlike and blessed. Happiness will also
be within the reach of everyone, since, through learning
and exercise, it can be obtained by all who are not totally
corrupted as regards virtue’ (Ibid, 296).

Regie Russel
 THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE

It follows that perfect happiness which is absolute

and lasting happiness is not possible in this life,
since man’s natural powers are inadequate to
fulfill his needs. The power of the human intellect
fails to grasp the glory of God. But man may
approximate and anticipate perfect happiness by
keeping faith, by loving God and by neighbor, and
by practicing virtue. “Doing good is happiness in
itself.”

Regie Russel
ETHICAL THEORIES
The inquiry on the ultimate purpose of human life is a central theme in Ethics. Some theories include:

1. HEDONISM – is based on the teachings of Epicurus who

regards pleasure as the ultimate good of man. According to
him, pain is an evil to be avoided. And because some
pleasure may also cause pain, one must be choosy about his
pleasure. Contrary to the popular notion, Epicurus does not
recommend indulgence in sensual pleasures. But the word
“hedonist” is descriptive of a pleasure-seeking individual,
“a low-life”.

Regie Russel
ETHICAL THEORIES
The inquiry on the ultimate purpose of human life is a central theme in Ethics. Some theories include:

2. ARISTOTELIANISM – proclaims the supremacy of reason

over man’s lower appetites. Thus, the highest good of man is
the contemplation of divine truths. The Golden Mean –
reasonable life is that which is in accordance with
temperance, nothing by excess and nothing by defect.

Regie Russel
ETHICAL THEORIES
The inquiry on the ultimate purpose of human life is a central theme in Ethics. Some theories include:

3. THOMISM – is based on the teachings of Saint Thomas

Aquinas. It holds the ultimate purpose of man consists in
the Beatific Vision of God which, however, is possible only in
the next life and only with the aid of supernatural grace.

Regie Russel
ETHICAL THEORIES
The inquiry on the ultimate purpose of human life is a central theme in Ethics. Some theories include:

4. UTILITARIANISM – defines pleasure as that which gives

the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
John Stuart Mill, for example says that pleasure itself is
good, but even better when it experienced by the most
number of people.

Regie Russel
ETHICAL THEORIES
The inquiry on the ultimate purpose of human life is a central theme in Ethics. Some theories include:

5. EVOLUTIONISM – proceeds from the biological theories

of Charles Darwin. According to him, the greatest good is
the rearing of the greatest number of individuals, with
perfect faculties, under given circumstances. Accordingly,
moral values are factors of survival, either of the individual
or that of society. Inspired by this theory, Communism looks
forward to the evolution of a “classless society.”

Regie Russel
ETHICAL THEORIES
The inquiry on the ultimate purpose of human life is a central theme in Ethics. Some theories include:

6. •EXISTENTIALISM – laments the inadequacy of reason

to guide man in the complexities of life. The attainment of
personal fulfillment which is the ultimate purpose of one’s
life depends largely on one’s faith and personal conviction.
Existentialism is either theistic or atheistic. Notable
existentialists are Blaise Pascal, Soren Kierkegaard, Karl
Jaspers, and Jean Paul Sartre.

Regie Russel
Thank you!
Do you have any questions for us?