Chapter 3 : THE ACT

Module 4: The Human Act as Knowingly Done

Introduction

This module is concerned with developing your understanding of what

human act as knowingly is, the modifier of knowledge and, reason and impartiality
as minimum requirement of morality. It is hoped that the discussion, description
and explanation in this module will further help in your journey to the understanding
of ethics, especially knowledge as an essential attribute of human act. Make use of
this module to provide you with insights and ideas to help you understand
knowledge as an essential attribute of a human act.

Test Yourself (place your answer on page 93)

Instruction: Identify whether the following is knowingly done (K) or not

knowingly done (WK)

1. Praying 4. Biking
2. Breathing
3. Snoring. 5. Seeing something

Learning Objectives

With the completion of this self-learning module, you should be able to:

1. Describe knowledge as an essential attribute of human act.

2. Cite and explain the principles related to ignorance as a modifier of
knowledge.
3. Interpret what it means by saying reason and impartiality are the
minimum requirements of mortality.

Content

Preparatory Activities

Exercise (place your answer on page 93)

1. List down 3 actions you do which is reasonable (with

good reason).

2. List down 3 actions you do which is unreasonable

(without good reason).

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 Developmental Activities

Acts as knowingly Done

Another essential attribute for human act is knowledge. It means that you
should be sure that you know what you are doing. To will something, one has to
know beforehand. Man cannot choose or act unless he know which is a better
good. When a person chooses to act according to what he knows, he acts freely.
What can make man know what he is doing is his reason. . But the intellect does
not always determine the will.

Modifier Of Knowledge: Ignorance

We are familiar with the saying, “Ignorance of the law excuses no one”. This
implies that one should not act in the state of ignorance and the one who has done
wrong may n0ot claim ignorance as a defense.

Ignorance is the absence of knowledge which a person ought to possess. A

lawyer is expected to know his law, the doctor his medicine; and the manager, his
business operations. In the realm of morals, every one of age and reason is
expected to know at least the general norms of good behavior.

Ignorance is either vincible or invincible. Vincible ignorance can easily be

reminded through ordinary diligences and reasonable efforts. The ignorance of a
visitor regarding a particular address in a certain place is vincible, since he can
easily ask for information from a policeman or pedestrian.

Invincible ignorance is the type which a person without being aware of it,
or having awareness of it, lacks the means to rectify it. The ignorance regarding
missing persons or objects is often invincible. Thus a cook might be unaware that
the food he is cooking is contaminated.

Under the category of vincible ignorance is affected. This is the type which
a person keeps by positive efforts in order to escape responsibility. It is affected
ignorance when an employee refuses to read a memo precisely so that he may be
exempted from its requirements.

Principles:
1. Invincible ignorance renders an involuntary, A person cannot be held
morally liable if he is not aware of his state of ignorance. A waiter
who is not aware that the food he is serving has been poisoned
cannot be held for murder.

2. Vincible ignorance does not destroy but lessens the voluntariness

and the corresponding accountability over the act. A person who
becomes aware of the state of ignorance he is in has the moral
obligation to rectify it by exercising reasonable diligence in seeking
the needed information. To act with vincible ignorance is to act
imprudently. A waiter who suspects that the food he is serving has
been laced with poison has the moral obligation to ascertain the fact
or at least forewarn the guests about the suspicion.

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 3. Affected ignorance though it decreases voluntariness, increases the
accountability over the resultant act. Insofar as affected ignorance
interferes with the intellect, it decreases voluntariness. But insofar as
it willed to persist, it increases accountability. Certainly, refusing to
rectify ignorance implies malice. And the malice is greater when
ignorance is used as an excuse for not doing the right thing. Thus a
child who refuses to be guided by his parents has only himself to
blame for his wrongdoing.

Reason and Impartiality

Reason plays a vital role in Ethics as moral truths are truths of reason; a
moral judgment is true if it is espoused by a better reason than the alternatives. If
someone tells us that a certain action is immoral, we may ask why it is so and if
there is no reasonable answer, we may discard the proposition as absurd.

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Impartiality
It involves the idea that each individual’s interests and point of view are
equally important. It is a principle of justice holding that decisions ought to be
based on objective criteria, rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice or preferring
the benefit to one person over another for improper reason.

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 Closure Activities (place your answer on page 93)

1. Write in three (3) sentences the important learning you got from this
module.

2. Write in the space below one word that best describe what you feel
right now on finishing this module.
3. Write in one sentence what you think these learning can contribute in
developing your moral behaviour.

Synthesis/Generalization

A knowingly done act can be disturbed the by the presence of

ignorance. A knowingly done action must be product of reason and
impartiality, must be backed up with valid arguments and executed
without prejudice, selfishness and bias.

Assignment

“Same Sex Marriage: Good or Bad for our Society?”

1. Read and understand the short blog below

2. Write a comment (maximum of three sentences) stating your
stand and brief reason concerning the debate topic. Use
reason and impartiality in composing your comment. Post in

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 your FB.
3. Ask at least three friends (preferably adults) to write a
comment on your post.
4. Screen your post and its conversation thread and send to
your professor.

Same Sex Marriage: Good or Bad for our Society?

THE ISSUE cannot be ignored, as legislators and voters around the country
grapple with whether and how to recognize same-sex relationships.
 
Traditionally in this country, marriage has been defined as a religious and
legal commitment between a man and woman, as well as the ultimate
expression of love.
 
          On the other side, gay marriage, also known as same-sex marriage, is
marriage between two persons of the same sex. Homosexual relationships
are increasingly gaining acceptance in other countries, but still banned in the
Philippines. A same-sex marriage opponent argues that marriage between a
woman and a man is the fundamental, cross-cultural institution for insuring
that children have loving, committed mothers and fathers while on the other
side, a same-sex marriage advocate argues that recognizing same-sex
unions would be good not only for gay people, but also for society at large,
since society has an interest in supporting stable, loving relationships for all
its members. The question here is, “Is it already a fascinating time for social
revolution? Or is it still needed for us to nurture the traditional family values
essential to our society?”

 
Possible reasons for same sex marriage:
1.      Homosexuality is an accepted lifestyle nowadays with most evidence
strongly supporting biological causation.
2.      It doesn't hurt society or anyone in particular. Therefore, denying these
marriages is a form of minority discrimination.
3.      Legalizing same sex marriage will be a big help for orphanages since
same sex partners cannot pro-create which would probably brought them to
adopting orphans.
4.      The only thing that should matter in marriage is love.
5.      The same financial benefits that apply to man-woman marriages apply
to same-sex marriages.
 
Refer these to your siblings/children/younger friends:

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