UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

The Morality of Human

Acts and Moral
Accountability
 Topic Outline
•Definition of Human Acts
•Basic Elements of Human Acts
•Major Determinants of the Morality of Human
Acts
•Modifiers of Human Act

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 Intended Learning Outcomes
•Recognize human acts from acts of man.
•Identify and explain major morality
determinants.
•Discuss various modifiers of human act.
•Realize the importance of moral
accountability.

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The Morality of Human Acts and Moral Accountability
 Definition of Human Acts
•Actions performed knowingly, freely, and
voluntarily.
•Acts of man are instinctive actions.

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Basic Elements of Human Acts
•Must be deliberate.
•Performed in freedom.
•Done voluntarily.

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Major Determinants of the Morality
of Human Acts
•The object of the act.
•The motive or intention.
•The circumstances.

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Modifiers of Human Act
1. Ignorance – performed in the absence of
necessary knowledge.

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Modifiers of Human Act
1. Ignorance – performed in the absence of
necessary knowledge.

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Modifiers of Human Act
1.1. Principles Governing Ignorance:
• Invincible ignorance
• Vincible ignorance
• Affected ignorance

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Modifiers of Human Act
2. Passion or Concupiscence – a strong
feeling or emotion.

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Modifiers of Human Act
2.1. Principles Governing Passion or
Concupiscence:
• Antecedent passions diminishes accountability.
• Consequent passions increases accountability.

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Modifiers of Human Act
3. Fear – impulsive acts in avoidance of
threatening evil

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Modifiers of Human Act
3.1. Principles Governing Fear:
• Voluntary, if done with fear.
• Involuntary, if because of fear.

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Modifiers of Human Act
4. Violence – Using physical force to compel
someone act against his will.

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Modifiers of Human Act
4.1. Principles Governing Violence:
• Actions resulting from violence are involuntary.
• Should resist against the unjust aggressor.

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Modifiers of Human Act
5. Habit – the effect of actions done
repeatedly.

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Modifiers of Human Act
5.1. Principles Governing Habit:
• Habit is voluntary in cause.
• Actions from habitual inclination is voluntary.
• Resisted habits lessens voluntariness.

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 Summary
•Human acts by principle are voluntary.
•Identified as right or wrong by moral
determinants.
• The modifiers principles determines our
accountability.

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 Activity
General Instructions:
•Write in one whole sheet of paper.
•Submit at mm/dd/yyyy at hr:min.

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 Activity
Criteria in every item:
• Cogency/Soundness – 10 points
• Clarity of the answer – 5 points
• Conciseness – 5 points

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 Activity
1. Make a list of actions considered as human
acts and acts of man and justify why they
are considered as such by applying our
discussion about the human acts.

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 Activity
2. Assess the morality of the “discrimination of
the minority” by applying the elements of
human act, determinants of the morality,
and modifiers of human act.

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 References
•Fernandez, Apolinar, et. al. 2018. Ethics:
Deciding What’s Right and Wrong. SMKC
Printshoppe. Davao City.

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