MORALITY OF HUMAN

ACTS
Ethics is concerned on:

• Right action

• Good character

• Good life
Key Points from the Catholic Moral teachings
HUMAN ACTS may be right or Moral judgments do not apply to
wrong, done with… ACTS OF MAN
• Knowledge • No knowledge
• Freedom • No freedom
• Voluntariness • No voluntariness

Human acts may be right or wrong. The doer is NOT morally

The doer is RESPONSIBLE for the responsible for the act and its
act and must face its consequences. consequences.
Modifiers of HUMAN ACT: circumstances
that affect the doer’s moral responsibility
• Ignorance • Habits
-- invincible ignorance removes • Passions
moral responsibility;
-- vincible ignorance reduces • Fear
moral responsibility;
• Violence
-- affected ignorance increases
moral responsibility.
Determinants of morality
Act itself: Intention:
• Some acts are deemed right in • Purpose, what the doer would
themselves; WANT to happen as a result of
• Many are deemed wrong in the act.
themselves; • Function of the intellect
• Most are neutral – neither right
nor wrong in themselves, but
CAN be right or wrong depending
on other determinants.
Determinants of morality
Consequence: Circumstances:
• The ACTUAL result of the act; • All other factors not covered by
• Often, if not always, an act the other 3; may –
would have multiple (a) Aggravate;
consequences; (b) Mitigate;
• Some consequences are short-
(c) Exempt; or
term, others are long-term;
(d) Justify
• Many consequences are not
foreseen.
Ideally, all determinants are right
at the same time,
or at least neutral,
for an act to be morally right.
 But ethical theories tend to
put more emphasis on SOME.
Example 1: Consequence
Hedonism:
• Pleasure is good.
• Suffering is evil.
• Therefore, an act is moral if it
maximizes pleasure and
minimizes (if possible,
eliminates) suffering.
• Morality is a matter of personal
satisfaction.
Utilitarianism:
• Extends hedonism beyond the
individual;
• The greatest good (pleasure) to
the greatest number;
• Morality is about maximizing
both the benefit and the number
of beneficiaries.
Example 2: Motive
Deontological Ethics Situation Ethics
(Kant): (Fletcher):

• An act is right if it is done out of • An act is right if it is done out of

DUTY and GOOD WILL. LOVE.