At the end of the topic, you are expected to:

• State the ethical principles on modifiers of human acts applicable to a moral

experience.
• Determine the modifier/s present in a moral experience.
• Apply the ethical principles governing the modifiers of human acts in
determining the degree of moral responsibility in moral situations.

Find time to watch the full movie or video clips of “Miracle in Cell No. 7”
whether in its original Korean or Filipino Adaptation in YouTube or
other media sharing sites.

Is the father who got convicted and executed morally responsible for
the death of the little girl? Why? Why not?
Did he deserve to be executed?

As moral agents, are we always fully responsible for our actions? Are the impacts of
all our actions, be it positive or negative, always imputable (ascribable, attributable,
chargeable) to us? What happens when one or all of the three constituents of human acts are
absent?
There are certain factors or modifiers that affect human acts. They as well determine
the degree of our moral responsibility over the results of our actions.
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1) IGNORANCE - in general, it is the lack of knowledge regarding a certain thing.

IGNORANCE

IGNORANCE IN ITS IGNORANCE IN ITS IGNORANCE IN ITS

OBJECT SUBJECT RESULT

1) IGNORANCE OF LAW 1) VINCIBLE IGNORANCE 1) ANTECEDENT

is the ignorance in the
existence of a duty, rule or
regulation. This may include
ignorance of penalties
attached to the law or rule.
Ex. Mang Kanor and Aling
Ising came to Vigan for the
first time, aboard an (SUV).
They did not know that the
City Government of Vigan
strictly prohibits motorized
vehicles from passing
through Calle Crisologo. As
a result they were
apprehended.
2) IGNORANCE OF FACT
Is the ignorance of nature or
circumstances of an act as
forbidden
Ex. Sgt. Dalisay shot to
death retired Cpl. Borja, a
war veteran, due to the
latter’s alleged provocative
actions. Sgt. Dalisay did not
know that Cpl. Borja is
suffering from PTSD and
war shock (shell shock) and
that he was unarmed.
(CONQUERABLE
IGNORANCE)
❖ ignorance that can be
supplanted by knowledge
by the use of ordinary
diligence - ignorance is
due to lack of proper
diligence.
1.a) Simply vincible- some
effort has been done but not
enough to dispel the
ignorance
1.b) Crass or Supine- result
of total or nearly lack of
effort to dispel it
1.c) Affected- if positive
effort has been done to
retain the ignorance.
2) INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE
- ignorance that ordinary
and proper diligence cannot
dispel. This is attributable to
2 causes:
(a) the person has no
realization of his lack of
knowledge
(b) the person who realizes
his ignorance finds his effort
ineffective or nearly lack of
effort to dispel it
IGNORANCE
that which precedes all
consent of the will
ex. The chef served a
poisonous mushroom not
knowing that it can cause
the death of its customers
2) CONCOMITANT
IGNORANCE
accompanies an act that
would have been performed
even if the ignorance did
not exist.
ex. A student misses his
ethics class but even if he
knows, he will still miss
3) CONSEQUENT
IGNORANCE
that which follows upon the
act of the will
ex. A doctor suspects that
the patient’s disease is
cancerous but deliberately
refrain from making sure,
and does not inform the
patient

PRINCIPLES GOVERNING IGNORANCE

1) Invincible ignorance renders an act involuntary. A person cannot be held morally

responsible/liable if he/she is not aware of the state of his/her ignorance.
2) Vincible ignorance does not destroy, but lessens the voluntariness and corresponding
accountability over the act.
23) Affected/Pretended ignorance does not excuse a person from his/her bad actions; it
actually increases their malice.

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1) PASSION or CONCUPISCENCE – is a feeling, such as anger, of fear, of joy, or of
despair. It refers more specially to those bodily appetites or tendencies as experienced.

PASSION

ANTECEDENT PASSION CONSEQUENT PASSION

• occurs when it springs into action follows the free determination of the act
unstimulated by the will. and is freely admitted and consented to
• is that which precedes the placing of an and deliberately aroused. - the will directly
action according to the passion or in or indirectly stirs them up - however great
spite of it. does not lessen the voluntariness since it
• If a lawful act is placed despite the is willed directly or indirectly.
passion, the will has achieved greater
freedom and gained merit.
ex. Planned revenge or assassination,
For example, a young man who continues
reading pornography, singing hymns of
to study and pray in spite of sexual passion
praise
that he did not arouse has made his action
more voluntary and meritorious since he
has asserted his freedom at some cost.

PRINCIPLES GOVERNING PASSIONS

1) Antecedent Passions do not always destroy voluntariness, but they diminish accountability
for the resultant act. Example: Sa sobrang saya mo (passion) na nakita yung pangalan mo sa
official list ng honor students, naitulak mo yung bestfriend mo at siya ay nagalusan.
Accountable ka, though hindi fully, sa nangyari sa bestfriend dahil hindi naman siya
intentional.
2) Consequent passions do not lessen voluntariness, but may even increase accountability.
Ito ay dahil intentional na inarouse mo yung passions mo.

3) FEAR – is a mental agitation brought on by the apprehension of some present or imminent

danger. It is the disturbance of the mind of a person who is confronted by an impending harm
to himself or loved ones (Agapay 1991:24) Fear maybe slight or grave.
Note: May pagkakaiba ang 1) Ginawa mo na “may” takot at 2) Ginawa mo “dahil sa” takot.
PRINCIPLES GOVERNING FEAR
1) Acts done “with” fear are voluntary. The person concerned remains morally responsible of
his/her action, whether good or bad, right or wrong.
❖ Nagcheat ka dahil “may takot” kang bumagsak. The fear does not justify your act of
cheating.
❖ Tinolerate mo nalang yung pangangaliwa ng kasintahan mo dahil “may takot” ka na
hiwalayan ka niya. The fear does not justify your act of toleration.

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 ❖ Itinago mo ang iyong asawa na pinaghahanap ng batas dahil sa crime of murder dahil
“may takot” mo na lumaki ang mga anak mo na walang ang ama nila sa kanilang tabi,.
The fear does not justify your act of obstructing justice.
2) Acts done “because of” intense fear or panic are simply involuntary. A person when acting
out of extreme fear is not morally accountable of his/her action or conduct.
❖ You were having classes in the fifth floor when suddenly fire razed so quickly in the
storage room near the classrooms. The fire alarm rang. Everybody is in panic. As you
rushed going down through the fire exit, you accidentally pushed one of your
classmates which resulted to a serious physical injury. Here, the panic justifies your
act of pushing your classmate.
❖ You are in a money heist situation. Nakatutok yung baril sayo, you were asked to open
the vault of the bank (of which you are not allowed) and you did exactly what was
asked. Your act of opening the bank vault will be morally justified by the existence of
intense fear of getting shot.

4) VIOLENCE – is an external force applied by a free cause for the purpose of compelling a
person to perform an act which is against his will.
PRINCIPLE GOVERNING VIOLENCE
1) Any action resulting from violence is simply involuntary. Let it be clear, however, that this
does not justify violence.
❖ For example, you are being forced to take down your post that aims to raise your
concerns about online classes amidst pandemic by professors who throw violent
words at you and threaten to fail you. If you ever delete the post even if the post is
valid, your act of deleting will remain involuntary because you were violently forced.

5) HABIT – is a lasting readiness and facility, born of frequently repeated acts, for acting in
a certain manner.
PRINCIPLE GOVERNING HABIT
1) Habits do not destroy voluntariness and acts from habit are always voluntary, at least in
cause, as long as the habit is allowed to endure.

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CASE ANALYSES
Instruction: Read the following cases and answer the questions that follow. You are expected
to present your answers in a logical form: 1) State the salient facts of the case, 2) State the
principle (from the principles pertaining to the modifiers of human acts discussed above, and
3) Your conclusive/categorical answer based on number 1 and 2 (ex. Premises considered, A
is morally liable for the death of C)
a. While his wife was on a 2-year scholarship abroad, Bellamy was having an affair
with his maid Echo. Realizing that the affair was going nowhere, Echo told Bellamy
that she was going back to the province to marry her childhood sweetheart. Clouded
by anger and jealousy, Bellamy strangled Echo to death while she was sleeping in
the maid’s quarters. The following day, Bellamy was found catatonic (unresponsive)
inside the maid’s quarters. He was brought to the National Center for Mental Health
(NCMH) where he was diagnosed to be mentally unstable. Charged with murder,
Bellamy pleaded insanity as a defense. Is Bellamy morally liable for the death of
Echo?

b. Abby, a diagnosed schizophrenic, drowns five of her young children in the bathtub.
Abby promptly called the police station and informed them that her children are
dead. When the police officers arrive at Abby’s house, she informs them that she
killed her children so that they could leave this earth and enter heaven. What is the
moral liability of Abby over the death of her children?

c. Octavia of Skaikru, having defeated the champions of all other clans in a so called
“conclave” (a battle to death for leadership). Subsequently, she became the
commander to whom all clans should defer. She was aware that not all clans were
happy with the outcome of the conclave and that there is a possibility for an uprising.
With fear that some members of the clans would lead an uprising against here rule,
she ordered the execution of suspected opposition members. What is her moral
liability on the said execution?

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