MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

Criteria for Judging Moral Acts & Modifiers of Human Act

TYPES OF HABITS:

Virtue

• Disposes to God

Vice

• Disposes one to evil

HABITS

CONCUPISCENCE/ PASSION

• Sometimes called second nature; something deeply embedded in an individual, but ingrained by being acquired not being inborn.

• A movement of the sensitive appetite which is produced by good or evil as apprehended by the mind.
• Strong tendencies towards the possession of something good or towards the avoidance of something evil.

TYPES OF PASSION:

Antecedent

• Arises spontaneously before the will controls the situation

Consequent

• Deliberately aroused by the will to ensure a more prompt and willing operation

FEAR

Types of Fears:

Grave Fear

• aroused by the presence of a danger

Slight Fear

• aroused by a danger

• A mental agitation of disturbance brought about by the apprehension of some present or imminent danger. The danger maybe real or imaginary, for as long as something apprehended as a danger, it can cause fear.

IGNORANCE

3 CRITERIA FOR MORAL ACTS

• Lack or absence of knowledge in a person capable of knowing a certain thing or things.

1. THE ACT ITSELF

Invincible Ignorance

• type of ignorance which cannot be dispelled by ordinary diligence

Vincible Ignorance

• type of ignorance which can and should be dispelled.

Simple Vincible Ignorance

• when one uses some, but not enough diligence in an effort to remove ignorance.

Crass or Supine Ignorance

• lessens the imputability of an act. Still it makes one gravely culpable if it concerns a matter of grave importance.

Affected Ignorance

• regards to a matter of serious importance is gravely culpable.

• must be objectively good
• not intrinsically evil (i.e. the killing of innocents, torture, and rape).

2. THE PERSON'S SUBJECTIVE MOTIVE

• The goal or intention is the subjective criterion of the moral act.
• The end does not justify the means.

MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

3. THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE ACT OCCURS

• Finally, the conditions under which an act occurs is a factor in considering whether an action is moral

•Also known as obstacles affecting the voluntariness of human acts.

•These factors may diminish one’s culpability

ONE ACTS BECAUSE OF FEAR if it is fear that induces him to act so

ONE ACTS WITH FEAR if the fear merely accompanies one’s act but does not cause it.

References:

• Delany, J. (1910). Ignorance. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved July 28, 2015 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07648a.htm
• Marva, R. (2014). MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS. Retrieved July 28, 2015, from http://m.authorstream.com/presentation/rhysmarva-1528570-modifiers-human-acts/
• http://www.bigccatholics.com/2015/07/the-three-criteria-of-moral-acts.html

VIOLENCE

• An external force applied by someone on another in order to compel him to perform an action against his will.