The Morality of the Human Act

8/12/2019 The Morality of the Human Act

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The Morality of the

Human Act and SinMLC: Chapter 3;

CCC1749-1775; 1846-1876


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Introduction: Three Rational

Principles of the Moral Life

Freedom: Makes a person a moral agent

(actor)

Conscience: Gives us the capacity to

discover Gods will as written in our souls

Law: Does not limit freedom, but allows it

to function properly


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The Drama of the Moral Life

Right moral conduct perfects the humanbeing, and wrong moral conduct degradeshim.

Man, unlike lowers beings, is responsiblefor his actions because he possesses anintellect and a will. He can think andchoose deliberately.

The responsibility makes sin possible; butit also makes holiness possible.


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The human act vs.

the acts of a human

An act carries with it moral consequences

when the agent exercises his intellect and

will in performing the act. These are

human acts.

An act is not moral (amoral) when it is

accomplished without knowledge or

deliberation. These are the acts of ahuman.


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Determining whether an act

is good or evil.

Human acts can be morally evaluated.

An act is human if it is freely chosen in

consequence of a judgment of conscience.

They are judged to be good or evil.

There is a distinction, although it is slight,

between the morality of an act and theculpability of the actor.


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The morality of human acts

depends on:

The object chosen;

The end in view or the intention;

The circumstance.These are the sources of the morality of

human acts.


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The object chosen

It is a good toward which the will deliberatelydirects itself.

Called the finis operis, literally the end of thework.

The goal of the action, not the physical activity ofthe act.

When the will chooses an object toward whichthe act is directed, the intellect has made a

judgment about whether this act is in conformitywith the true good.

There are objective norms of morality thatexpress the rational order of good and evil.

The what of an act.


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The intention or end

Resides in the acting subject. Also called the

finis operantis(the end of the worker).

The end (object) is the first goal of the intention

and indicates the purpose pursued in the action.The intention is the movement of the will towards

the end.

The intention aims at the good anticipated fromthe action undertaken.

The Why of an act.


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Object and Intention in relationship

In determining the morality of an action it

is the object of the action, not the intention

of the agent that is of primary importance.

A good intention does not make behavior

that is intrinsically disordered (in its

object), good.

However, a bad intention makes a good

act evil.


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Circumstances

These are secondary elements of the moral

act which contribute to increasing or

diminishing the moral goodness of evil of

human acts.

Circumstances can also diminish or

increase the actors responsibility for an act.

***Circumstances cannot change the moral

quality of an act in itself.***


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Good acts and Evil acts

A morally good act necessitates that allthree elements (object, intention,circumstance) be good.

An evil end can corrupt a good object.Act whose object is evil can never be agood even if the intention and

circumstances are good. This is becausechoosing an evil object entails a disorderof the will.


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Situation Ethics

It is therefore wrong to judge the morality of anact by simply considering the intention whichinspire the act or the circumstances whichsupply the context of the act.

There are acts which in and of themselves areintrinsically evil by reason of their object and cannever be justified by intention or circumstance.

One may not do evil so that a good can result.

This type of moral thinking is called SituationEthics and has been condemned by Pope JohnPaul II in Veritatis Splendor.


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Proportionalism

According to proportionalism no act can bejudged intrinsically evil simply by reason of thewrong moral object.

Basically, proportionalism seeks to justify an act

by weighing the good that an act does againstthe evil that it produces. If the act is determinedthat it will produce more good than evil,

justification for the act can be found in thecircumstances and motive.

Therefore, proportionalists will excuse anintrinsically moral evil if they can justify that goodwill come from it.


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Sin

Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and rightconscience; it is failure in genuine love for Godand neighbor caused by perverse attachment tocertain goods.

It is any utterance, deed, or desire against theeternal law. It is an offense against God.

At the heart of sin is disobedience, a revoltagainst God through the will.

Sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience ofJesus.

The root of sin is in the free will. Sin woundscharity in the heart.


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Kinds of Sin

Distinguished according to their objects, or

according to the virtues they oppose, or

according to the commandments they violate.

They can be classified according to whom theyoffend: God, neighbor, oneself.

They can be divided into spiritual and carnal.

They can also be divided into sins of thought,word, deed, or omission.


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Gravity of Sin

All sin is serious!

There are two main distinctions according togravity: Mortal and Venial.

Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart andnecessitates sacramental reconciliation withGod.

Venial sin offends and wounds charity, butallows it to subsist. Venial Sins weaken charity

and manifest a disordered affection for createdgoods.

Deliberate and unrepentant venial sins disposesus to committing mortal sin.


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Conditions for a mortal sin

Three conditions must be met.

1. Grave Matter: specified by the 10

Commandments

2. Full Knowledge of the sinful character of

the act.

3. Full Consent sufficiently deliberate of apersonal choice


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Mitigating Culpability

Unintentional ignorance can diminish or evenremove the culpability for a grave offense.(invincible ignorance)

No one should be ignorant of the principles of

the moral law which are written into the heart ofman. (vincible ignorance)

Feelings and passions can diminish thevoluntary and free character of the offense;

external pressures or pathological disorders canalso mitigate culpability for an action.

Sin committed through malice (deliberate choiceof an evil) is the gravest sin.


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Mercy and Forgiveness

There are no limits to the mercy of God,but anyone who deliberately refuses toaccept his mercy by repenting, rejects the

forgiveness of his sins and the salvationoffered by the Holy Spirit.

Such hardness of heart can lead to finalimpenitence and eternal loss.

Where sin increased, Grace overflowedall the more. Rom 5:20


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The Proliferation of Sin

Sin creates a proclivity to sin.

Sin engenders vice by repetition of the sameacts.

Vices are called capital sins because theyengender other sins and other vices.The seven deadly sins are: pride, avarice, envy,wrath, lust, gluttony, sloth.

Sin gives rise to social situations and institutions

that are contrary to the divine goodness.Structures of sin are the expression and effectof personal sins. The constitute social sinbecause they lead their victims to do evil in their

turn.


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Cooperation in Sin

Sin is a personal act, but we do have

responsibility for sins committed by other when

we cooperate with them by:

A. participating directly and voluntarily in them;B. ordering, advising, praising, or approving

them;

C. not disclosing or not hindering then when wehave an obligation to do so;

D. protecting evil-doers.


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Fortifying oneself against Sin

The practice of Virtue.

Prayer, in particular asking for the grace to

overcome temptation (Our Father).

The Eucharist, which has as one of its

effects the protection against committing

Mortal sin.

Removing from ones life those things or

persons that lead one into sin.

The Morality of the Human Act

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