THE ENDS OF

HUMAN ACT
Lesson 5
End
- The purpose or goal of an act

■ End of the Act – The natural termination or completion of an

activity.
■ End of the doer – the motive or reason why a person performs
an act
Kinds of End
1. Proximate End – The purpose which the doer wishes to
accomplish immediately.
2. Remote End – the purpose which the doer wishes to
accomplish sometime later.
3. Intermediate End – That which is sought as a means for
obtaining another thing
4. Ultimate End - Desired for its own sake
Principles that describe human activity:

1. Every action is performed for the sake of a definitive end or

purpose.
2. Every action is intended towards an ultimate end.
3. Every doer moves himself towards an end which he thinks
suitable to him.
The end as good

Man acts in order to obtain something good to himself.

Only what is good could be the end or purpose of an act.

Good – anything which fits or suits a function.

 Kinds of good
1. Essential Good- satisfies the basic needs of a person such as food,
clothing, shelter, etc.
2. Accidental or non-essential Good – are those which satisfies the
want of a person because of his particular situation such as sports cars,
expensive houses, private planes, etc.
3. Real Good – anything which has intrinsic value such as persons,
relationships, activities.
4. Apparent Good – An evil which is viewed subjective as something of
value such as cigarettes, prohibited drugs, vices.
5 Perfective Good – that which develops the potentials of a
person such as education, sports, arts, etc.
6. Non-perfective – Anything which simply contribute to the
external appearance like jewelries, expensive clothes, car, title.
7. Perfect Good – Complete in all aspects or the highest good
(Summum Bonum)- satisfies all human desires.
8. Imperfect Good – Lacking in some qualities or not complete.
Ex. material objects as an object of happiness such as money, sex,
“rock and roll”, etc.
■ The Ultimate End or purpose of human existence
can be subjective or Objective. The subjective
aspect is the attainment of happiness and the
objective aspect is the possession of the object
which can bring happiness.
For what ends or purposes human acts are performed
or What is the purpose of human existence under which
human acts are performed from sunrise to sundown?

■ Happiness
- a state of being or a state of perfection which
consists in the possession of an object what is
perceived as good, beautiful and desirable.
Happiness

■ Objectively – it refers to something having an intrinsic

value and capable of satisfying a human need.
■ Subjectively – It is the psychological state of feeling
contented resulting from the attainment of that which
is good itself.
Popular Ethical Practices in the Contemporary
World

1. Hedonism - pleasure is the ultimate goal of human

existence(Epicurus)
2.Utilitarianism – pleasure that which gives happiness
for the greatest number of people(John Stuart Mill).
3. Aristotelianism – A happy life is that which is in
accordance with virtue.
4. Thomism – The ultimate purpose consists in the
Beatific Vision.
5. Evolutionism -- The greatest good(happiness) is the
rearing of the greatest number of individuals with
perfect faculties, under given circumstances(Charles
Darwin). Implications: Survival of the fittest and the
fastest during pandemic and in global trade.
6. Existentialism - Personal fulfilment is the ultimate
goal of human existence and largely dependent upon a
person’s will power and personal convictions.