JOSEPH ERWIN GO SILANGIL

III. The Moral Act: 1. Feelings as Instinctive Response to Moral Dilemmas

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COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Understand the act of moral agents by describing their feelings as an instinctive response to moral dilemmas
whereas it defines reason and impartiality, explains the 7-step moral reasoning model, and recognizes the
importance of will as reason.

III. The Moral Act

∙ According to our previous lessons, a moral act or human act is a voluntary act that somehow under the
control or direction of the will. Strictly sense, a human act is a "consciously deliberated action"
(sinasadya), for it involves freedom, knowledge, and will.1
∙ However, in this topic, we will focus on the factors that affect the moral agent's action.

1. Feelings as Instinctive Response to Moral Dilemmas

∙ The feeling is an emotional state or reaction.2
∙ Instinctive is prompted (fast reaction) by instinct or propensity (a natural tendency).3 ∙ Thus,
an act that is based on feelings and instincts or propensity is called instinctive feeling.

1
https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/human-act. (Accessed on August
13, 2020).
2
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictiornary/feeling. (Accessed on September 30, 2020). 3
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instinctive. (Accessed on September 30, 2020).