CHAPTER 2:

HUMAN ACTS &

ACTS OF HUMAN
WHAT IS A HUMAN ACT?
 HUMAN ACT
 THIS IS REFERRED TO AS THE HUMAN ACTIVITY OF
MAN AS MAN BY WHICH HE ATTAINS AN END HE
WANTS TO OBTAIN.
 HUMAN ACTS ARE THOSE ACTS OF RATIONALITY OF
MAN.
 HUMAN ACTS ARE THOSE PERFORMED BY A PERSON
WHO IS ACTING KNOWINGLY, FREELY, AND
WILLFULLY. THESE ACTIONS ARE DELIBERATE,
INTENTIONAL, OR VOLUNTARY.
 PAUL J. GLENN
“ AN ACT WHICH PROCEEDS FROM THE
DELIBERATE FREE WILL OF MAN”
 CLASSIFICATION OF HUMAN ACTS

 ELICITED
• ARE ACTS THOSE PERFORMED BY THE WILL BUT ARE NOT BODILY
EXTERNALIZED.
• ARE ACT THAT BEGINS AND ARE PERFECTED IN THE WILL.
• WISH, INTENTION, CONSENT, ELECTION, USE, AND FRUITION.

 COMMANDED
• ARE MENTAL AND BODILY ACTIONS PERFORMED UNDER THE COMMAND
OF WILL. THESE ARE EITHER INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL ACTIONS.
• ARE ACT THAT BEGINS IN THE WILL, AND ARE PERFECTED BY THE BODILY
ACTIONS UNDER THE CONTROL OF WILL.
• INTERNAL ACTIONS, EXTERNAL ACTIONS AND MIXED ACTIONS.
 ELICITED ACTS
 WISH
 IS THE TENDENCY OF THE WILL TOWARDS AN OBJECT,
WITHOUT CONSIDERING WHETHER IT IS ATTAINABLE OR
NOT. THE OBJECT OF WISHING INCLUDES THE
IMPOSSIBLE, OR THAT WHICH IS REMOTELY POSSIBLE,
SUCH AS WINNING THE LOTTO.
 INTENTION
 IS THE TENDENCY OF THE WILL TOWARDS AN OBJECT
WHICH IS ATTAINABLE, WITHOUT NECESSARILY
COMMITING ONESELF TO GET IT. A STUDENT, FOR
INSTANCE, MAY INTENT TO STUDYWITHOUT APPLYING
HIMSELF TO THE TASK.
 ELICITED ACTS

 CONSENT
 IS THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE WILL TO CARRY OUT THE
INTENTION. A STUDENT SHOWS CONSENT TO THE ACT OF
STUDYING WHEN HE ACCEPTS THE REASONS AND
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR UNDERTAKING THE ACT.
 ELECTION
 IS THE SELECTION OF THE WILL TO THOSE MEANS TO
NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE INTENTION. THE STUDENT,
FOR INSTANCE, MAY ELECT TO STAY IN THE LIBRARY TO
STUDY HIS LESSONS, OR SEEK A FRIEND TO HELP HIM.
 ELICITED ACTS

 USE
 IS THE COMMAND OF THE WILL TO MAKE USE OF THE
MEANS OF ELECTED TO CARRY OUT THE INTENTIONS,
SUCH AS WHEN THE STUDENT MAKES UP HIS MIND TO
STAY IN THE LIBRARY TO STUDY.
 FRUITION
 IS THE ENJOYMENT OF THE WILL DUE TO THE
ATTAINMENT OF THE INTENTION. THE STUDENT MAY
FEEL SATISFIED ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF LEARNING THE
LESSON AND BEING PREPARED TO THE CLASS.
 COMMANDED ACTS
 INTERNAL ACTIONS
 ARE THOSE PERFORMED MENTALLY THROUGH THE COMMAND OF THE WILL,
SUCH AS READING, RECALLING, IMAGINING, AND REFLECTING.
 EXTERNAL ACTIONS
 ARE THOSE PERFORMED BODILY, SUCH AS WALKING, DANCING, TALKING,
AND WRITING.
 ALL ETERNAL ACTIONS DERIVE THEMESELVES FROM THE INTERNAL ACTS,
SINCE EVERY DELIBERATE ACTS IS THE FIRST THOUGHT OF AND DECIDED
MENTALLY. THUS, PHILOSOPHER SPEAK OF THE HUMAN ACTS AS “BEING THE
FIRST IN INTENTION, BUT LAST IN EXECUTION”(PAUL GIENN, ETHICS: A
CLASS MANUAL IN MORAL PHILOSOPHY, p. 7-8)
 MIXED ACTIONS
 ACTS INVOLVE THE EMPLOYMENT OF BODILY POWERS AND MENTAL
POWERS.
 ELEMENTS OF HUMAN ACT

 KNOWLEDGE
 AN ACT DONE KNOWINGLY, WHEN THE DOER IS CONCIOUS (ALL
SENSES ARE ACTIVE, SENSORY-PERCEPTION IS FUNCTIONAL)
AND AWARE OF THE REASON AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS
ACTIONS. IT IS SUPPLIED BY THE INTELLECT AND DIRECTS THE
WILL TO WANT THE OBJECT IT PROPOSES.
 FREEDOM
 AN ACT IS DONE WHEN THE DOER ACTS BY HIS OWN INITIATIVE AND
CHOICE WITHOUT BEING FORCED TO DO SO BY ANOTHER PERSON OR
SITUATION. HE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAS DONE THEM
BECAUSE HE WANTED TO AND HE CAN EXPLAIN WHY HE WANTED TO
DO THEM.
 ELEMENTS OF HUMAN ACT

 VOLUNTARINESS
 VOLUNTARINESS OR VOLITION COME FROM THE LATIN WORD
“VOLUNTAS” WHICH MEANS THE WILL.
 AN ACT IS DONE WILLFULLY WHEN THE DOER CONSENTS TO THE
ACTS, ACCEPTING IT AS HIS OWN, AND ASSUMES
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ITS CONSEQUENCES. IT IS NATURALLY
INCLINED TO THE GOOD, BUT MAN MAY SOMETIMES
DELIBERATELY CHOOSE EVIL.
 DEGREES OF VOLUNTARINESS OF
HUMAN ACT
 PERFECT AND IMPERFECT VOLUNTARINESS
 PERFECT VOLUNTARINESS IS PRESENT WHEN THE AGENT FULLY
KNOWS AND INTENDS TO ACT.
 IMPERFECT VOLUNTARINESS, WHEN THERE IS SOME DEFECT IN
THE AGENT’S KNOWLEDGE OR INTENTION OR BOTH.
 SIMPLE AND CONDITIONAL VOLUNTARINESS
 SIMPLE VOLUNTARINESS IS AN ACT DONE FOR IT IS SIMPLY INTENDED,
OR UNDONE FOR IT SIMPLY NOT INTENDED.
 CONDITIONAL VOLUNTARINESS AN ACT DONE IF THERE IS THE
EXISTENSE OF A CERTAIN CONDITION.
 DEGREES OF VOLUNTARINESS OF
HUMAN ACT
 DIRECT AND INDIRECT VOLUNTARINESS
 DIRECT VOLUNTARINESS IS PRESENT WHEN THE AGENT WILLED
ITSELF TO ATTAIN AN END.
 INDIRECT VOLUNTARINESS, AN ACT SERVING AS AN EFFECT
THAT IS NOT DIRECTLY INTENDED, OF AN ACT SERVING ITS
CAUSE WHICH IS DIRECTLY INTENDED.
 POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE VOLUNTARINESS
 POSITIVE VOLUNTARINESS IS AN ACT OF COMMISION.
 NEGATIVE VOLUNTARINESS AN ACT OF OMMISION.
 MORAL DISTINCTION OF HUMAN
ACT
 MORAL ACTIONS
 ARE THOSE IN CONFORMITY WITH THE NORM OF MORALITY. THEY ARE GOOD AND
PERMISSIBLE ACTIONS. SUCH AS WORKING, STUDYING, PAYING DEBT, TELLING THE
TRUTH, ETC.

 IMMORAL ACTIONS
 ARE THOSE WHICH ARE NOT IN CONFORMITY WITH THE NORM OF
MORALITY. THEY ARE EVIL AND PROHIBITED ACTIONS. SUCH AS CURSING,
STEALING, CHEATING, LYING, ETC.
 AMORAL ACTIONS
 ARE THOSE WHICH STAND NEUTRAL OR INDIFFERENT TO THE NORM OF
MORALITY. THESE ACTS ARE NIETHER GOOD NOR EVIL, BUT THEY BECAME
GOOD OR EVIL BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. PLAYING BASKETBALL
BECOMES MORALLY WRONG WHEN IT CAUSE A STUDENT TO MISS HIS
 WHAT IS AN ACTS OF HUMAN?

 ARE ACTS THAT HAPPEN “NATURALLY” ACTS DONE

WITHOUT SELF-AWARENESS, WITHOUT
DELIBERATION, REFLECTION, CONSENT,
INSTINCTIVE, SPONTANEOUS ACTS THAT HUMAN
BEINGS SHARE WITH OTHERS.
 ACTIONS COMMITED BY UNCONSCIOUS AND
INSANE PERSONS, BY THE INFANTS, OR BY THOSE
WHO ARE PHYSICALLY FORCED TO DO SOMETHING
ARE ACTS THAT HAPPEN “NATURALLY” .
HOW DOES ACTS OF HUMAN
DIFFER FROM HUMAN ACT?
CHARACTERISTIC OF ACT OF HUMAN

 DONE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE

 THIS ACT OF MAN DOES NOT REQUIRE EMPLOYMENT OF THE
RATIONAL FACULTIES OF INTELLECT AND FREEWILL.
 WITHOUT FREEDOM OF CHOICE
 THE POWER OF FREEWILL TO DETERMINE THE ACT IT CHOOSE TO
ELICIT OR NOT IS NOT INVOKED AND EMPLOYED.
 INVOLUNTARY
 DOES NOT PROCEED FROM BOTH KNOWLEDGE AND FREEDOM,
REQUIRING NO DECISION OF THE WILL TO MAKE THE AGENT
INTEND AND WILLFULLY DO SUCH ACT OR NOT.