Impediments to a Human Act

Impediments to a Human Human Act I.

Ignorance - is the absence of knowledge needed by man in the performance of an act.

 Kinds of Ignorance a. Invincible Ignorance – the lack of required knowledge that ordinary efforts, conscientiousness, and proper diligence cannot remove.  b. Vincible Ignorance – the lack of required knowledge that ordinary efforts, conscientiousness and  proper diligence can dispel.

Impediments to a Human Act  Kinds of Vincible Ignorance a. Antecedent Ignorance  –  –  when ignorance

comes before the will can decide on the morality of an act. Here, action is done   because of ignorance and through ignorance.

has causal causal effect effect on on b. Concomittant Ignorance   –– has the action. The action is performed in ignorance and with ignorance. c. Consequent Ignorance –– ignorance is dependent on the will’s decision.

Impediments to a Human Act  II. Concupiscence or Passion  –  – is the natural inclination of the sense of appetite towards what is is consciously perceived as a sensuous evil.  Kinds of Concupiscence a. Antecedent Concupiscence  –– is present before any act of  the will is made due to the suddenness of the passion as surging forth uncontrolled.  b. Consequent Concupiscence –– is present when the intellect is aware of the hidden passion, and the will chooses to fosters or to arouse the passion.

Impediments to a Human Act III. Fear - is the apprehension of an impending danger  and prompts the agent to shrink from the threatening evil. IV. Violence – is the exercise of an outside physical force upon a resisting person to compel him to act against his will. V. Habit – is the a firm and stable behavior pattern of  acting with ease and readiness as a result of acts frequently repeated. Good moral habits are called virtues.

Norms of Morality It is an authoritative standard to which a human act must conform to be morally good. 

Criteria to be considered: 1. It must not be subject to change. 2. It must be universal. 3. It must be accessible to all. 4. It must apply to all conditions of life. 5. It must be a single standard.

Law A rule enacted or customary in a community and recognized as a joining or prohibiting certain actions and enforced by the imposition of penalties.  Eternal Law  – – the highest norm of morality. It is the objective and the universal law whereby God orders, directs and governs the entire universe and the ways of the human community according to the plan of His Divine wisdom and love.  Natural Law  – – unchanging moral principle common to all human beings; an observable law la relating lati to naturall phenomena. he

Conscience It is the most secret core and sanctuary of man. There he is alone with God, whose voice echoes in his depths. 

 Dimensions of Conscience a.

b.

c.

Synderesis – is the basic tendency or capacity within us to know and to do the good. Moral Science –– is the force of conscience. conscience. It It empowers us to search out the objective moral values in each specific situation in order to discover the right thing to do. Conscience –– the specific judgment of the good which ‘I must do’ in this particular  situation.

Sources of Moral Wisdom: Formation of Conscience Experiences a. Testimony of Scripture  b. Rich heritage of stories, images, language, rituals, c. devotional practices, and spiritual disciplines which nurtures one’s moral vision and practices. Four Points of Moral Analysis 1. Agent Beliefs 2. Situational analyses 3. Moral norms 4.

Kinds of Conscience 1.

2.

 Antecedent  –  – if the judgment on the morality of an action is passed before the action is realized. Consequent  –  – if it evaluates an act already  performed. 2.1. Right  –– if the actions conforms to the objective norms of morality 2.2. Erroneous –– if the act conform to the objective norms of morality.

1.

Vincible –– the error can be corrected with some good will and thus, culpable.

Kinds of Conscience 4. Invincible – – the moral agent is not aware of any error and thus,

inculpable.

4.1. Perplexed  – – when confronted with two alternative

 precepts the agent is afraid of choosing any of the alternatives.

4.2. Lax – – without sufficient evidence, the person is inclined

to judge a thing to be lawful when in reality, it is unlawful, slightly evil when actually it is gravely evil.

4.3. Scrupulous – when practical reason cannot definitely decide whether the action to be done is good or evil.

Kinds of Conscience 5. Certain - when judgment is passed with no fear whatsoever of being in error. 6. Doubtful – when practical reason cannot definitely decide whether the action to be done is good or evil.