St.

Scholastica’s College Tacloban

Maharlika Highway, Brgy. Campetic, Palo, Leyte

Name: Sofia Marie A. Maca Course/Year/Section: BS-Psychology 2A

Reflection Paper No.: 3 Instructor: Mr. Rene C. Lacaba

The article offers some examples of how circumstances can diminish one’s culpability in an
immoral situation. Can you think of other examples?

The first thing that comes to my mind after reading the question is when we stay neutral
or quiet despite knowing that someone is being treated unfairly. I also find this situation very
timely and also I have seen and experienced a lot of circumstances similar to this. For an
instance, you are not the victim of abuse but the fact that you know that such inhumane actions
happened and you still choose to keep quiet for you are afraid appears like diminishing one’s
accountability because if you really care for other people and just like what the 2nd Greatest
Commandment teaches us, you could have expressed the same worry you have for yourself to
that victim of abuse, since you don’t need to become the victim for you to speak up, for
witnessing an immoral situation is enough for you to take actions. Likewise, when you ignore
someone’s mishaps because it doesn’t concern you. Remember that God teaches us to be
conscious of what other people feel, we should not be insensitive to the point that we are trying
to invalidate where they are coming from just because we have better life status than them,
however, it should be a step closer for you to use your privilege in speaking up and helping the
poor. Another is when the goal of your action is for the goodness of someone however, your way
of doing it involves immoral acts but because of the purpose of your goal you try to justify your
wrongdoings, like robbing someone so that you could help and give the needs of your family, in
spite of your reason it still takes you to an immoral situation and it doesn’t make your purpose
become better.
 Therefore, we should always consider the drive and our actions if it is immoral or not
because in order for a circumstance to be considered moral both purpose and actions should be
aligned in goodness.