CHAPTER 4: THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF

ETHICS

Introduction

Ethics is a science that investigates the nature

of human conduct. In the process of the nature of
human conduct, it is important that we differentiate
between the human act and the act of man. The
distinction between this two is an important process
in the determination of the morality of man’s action.

The Nature of Human Act

HUMAN ACTS – are actions that proceed from the

deliberate free will of man. These actions are
therefore done with knowledge and consent willfully
carried out by the person.

THE PRINCIPLES INVOLVED IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES

OF THE ACTION

Paul Glenn (1968) writes five principles involving the

TWO CATEGORIES OF ACTS OF MAN implications of the circumstances of the act:

1. Natural involuntary actions- these actions of man

that are performed intuitively or involuntarily.
2. Natural voluntary actions – are actions that are
within the control of man’s will but only for some
period of time.
1. An indifferent act can become good or evil through
circumstances.
2. A good act can become evil through circumstances.
3. An intrinsically good act can become better or an
intrinsically evil can become worse through
circumstances.
4. An evil act can never become good through
circumstance.
5. A good act done with evil means destroys the entire
objective goodness of the act.