Class 4:

Modifiers
of
Human Acts
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
Topics:
Modifiers of Human Acts
(Definition of Terms)

Ignorance
Passion
Fear
Violence
Habits
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
*Human Acts –
acts done with full knowledge &
“ full deliberation (KFV)

*RESPONSIBILITY
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

*Acts of Man –
acts done without full knowledge &
“ full deliberation
(3Is)
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

*Modifiers of Human Acts –

factors affecting knowledge &
deliberation
- freedom
- voluntariness
thus, affecting responsibility
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

Ignorance
Passion
Fear
Violence
Habits
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
IGNORANCE
- lack of knowledge
which one should possess
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
IGNORANCE
- lack of knowledge
which one should possess
> NEGATIVE (-) ignorance
- NO knowledge
(absence of knowledge)

> POSITIVE (+) ignorance

- WRONG knowledge
(presence of incorrect knowledge)
Sino ito?
 Sino ito?

Possible Answers:
-- “I do not know him!” (“Hindi ko siya kilala.”)
(This shows NEGATIVE Ignorance because respondent has
no knowledge of the matter.)

-- “He is Andres Bonifacio!” (“Siya ay si Andres Bonifacio!”)

(This shows POSITIVE Ignorance because respondent has
incorrect/wrong knowledge of the matter.)
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Kinds of IGNORANCE
(in relation to human acts)

1. Ignorance in its object

- the thing of which the
person might be ignorant
2. Ignorance in its subject
- in the person whom the
ignorance exist
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Kinds of IGNORANCE
1. Ignorance in its object
- the thing of which the person might be
ignorant
a. Ignorance of the LAW – ignorance of
the existing duty or rule
b. Ignorance of the FACT – ignorance
of the nature or circumstances
of the act as forbidden.
c. Ignorance of the PENALTY –
ignorance of the precise punishment
attached in the law.
 Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
 Kinds of IGNORANCE
2. Ignorance in its subject
- in the person whom the ignorance exist.
a. Invincible ignorance
b. Vincible ignorance
c. Affected ignorance
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Kinds of IGNORANCE
2. Ignorance in its subject
- in the person whom the ignorance exist.
a. Invincible ignorance
- Ignorance that cannot be overcome
either because
>> a person does not realize
his own state of ignorance, or
>> it is almost impossible for him to
acquire the proper knowledge of the
matter.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
b. Vincible ignorance
- Ignorance that can be removed
by ordinary efforts

-- crass ignorance
(NO EFFORT to know)
-- simple vincible ignorance
(NOT ENOUGH EFFORT to know)
-- affected ignorance
(EFFORT NOT TO KNOW)
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Principles and Guidelines
1st Principle
- Invincible ignorance makes an act
involuntary.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Principles and Guidelines

2nd Principle
- Vincible ignorance does not destroy, but
lessens the voluntariness and responsibility
of the agent.
• When hardly any effort has been used to
remove ignorance, the agent with vincible or
conquerable ignorance is culpable.
• The degree of culpability of vincible
ignorance: depends on amount of effort put
to get proper information, the importance
of the matter, and the obligation of the agent
to acquire knowledge on the matter.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Principles and Guidelines

3rd Principle
- Affected or pretended ignorance does not
excuse a person from his bad actions; on the
contrary, it actually increases their malice.
 IGNORANCE: Summary of Principles
IGNORANCE Effect on ACT
Invincible ignorance - Act is Involuntary
Vincible ignorance - Voluntariness of act
- Voluntariness not
destroyed
- Responsibility for the
act (depends on effort of agent to
get information, importance of the
matter, obligation to know)
Affected ignorance - No excuse for bad action
- Malice of the action
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

Ignorance
Passion
Fear
Violence
Habits
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
PASSION
- an impulsive inclination/tendency
towards a sensible good, or
away from a sensible evil
(undesirable or harmful things)

- an undergoing in the body that is

manifested outwardly
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Kinds of PASSION
1. Concupiscible Passions

2. Irascible Passions
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Kinds of PASSION
1. Concupiscible Passions
Passions which deal with
the good and the evil, simply.
Ex. Love-hatred,
desire-aversion,
joy -sadness
Joy - Sadness
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Kinds of PASSION
2. Irascible Passions
Passions which deal with
a good that is difficult to attain, or
evil that is difficult to avoid
Ex. Hope-despair,
daring-fear,
anger
Despair - Hope
Daring - Fear
Anger
 11 PASSIONS
Concupiscible Passions

LOVE HATE
DESIRE AVERSION
JOY or DELIGHT SADNESS or SORROW

Irascible Passions

HOPE DESPAIR
COURAGE FEAR
ANGER
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Morality of Passions
1. If PASSIONS are directed
towards the attainment of our
final end, they can move one to
do good.
2. If PASSIONS are directed away
from the attainment of our final
end, they can move one to
do evil.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Morality of Passions

3. Antecedent passions – passions that

may arise spontaneously before
the will can control the
psychological situation
(thus, this is an act of man)

4. Consequent passions - passions that

are deliberately aroused and
consented by the will to allow a
more prompt and willing action
(thus, this is a human act)
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Principles (Passions, Freedom & Responsibility)
1st Principle
- Antecedent passions lessen
voluntariness of an act.
2nd Principle
- Antecedent passions does not
destroy the voluntariness of an
act.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Principles (Passions, Freedom & Responsibility)

3rd Principle
- Consequent passion,
however great, does not
lessen voluntariness of an act.
 PASSION: Summary of Principles

PASSION Effect on ACT

Antecedent Passion - Voluntariness of act
- Does not destroy
Voluntariness of act

Consequent Passion - Act is Voluntary

(no matter how great)
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

Ignorance
Passion
Fear
Violence
Habits
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

FEAR
- a disturbance of the mind
caused by the thought of a
threatening evil
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

FEAR
- a passion that can be either
antecedent or
consequent concupiscence
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Effects of FEAR on Voluntariness

1st Principle
- Acts done with fear are voluntary.
 Soldier acting
through fear
-- Voluntary Act

______________________________________________________________________________
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Effects of FEAR on Voluntariness

2nd Principle
- Acts done through fear are
simply voluntary because such acts
are performed with deliberation
and are chosen by the moral agent
as the most convenient alternative
under the present circumstances
(although it is regularly also
conditionally involuntary).
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Effects of FEAR on Voluntariness

3rd Principle
- Acts done because of fear or panic
are involuntary.
______________________________________________________________________________

Soldier acting
because of fear
or panic

-- Involuntary Act
 Soldier acting
through fear
-- Voluntary Act

______________________________________________________________________________

Soldier acting
because of fear
or panic

-- Involuntary Act
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Effects of FEAR on Voluntariness

4th Principle
- Fear, considered as an ordinary
passion, may increase or diminish the
voluntariness of human acts according
to the rules established earlier.
 FEAR: Summary of Principles

FEAR Effect on ACT

Acts done with fear - Act is Voluntary
Acts done through fear - Act is Voluntary
Acts done because of - Act is Involuntary
fear or panic
Fear, as an ordinary - or Voluntariness
passion (as shown above)
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

Ignorance
Passion
Fear
Violence
Habits
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
VIOLENCE (or COMPULSION)
- the application of external
force on a person by another
free agent for the purpose of
compelling him to do
something against
his/her will.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Principles
1st Principle
- External actions, or commanded
actions, performed by a person
subjected to violence, to which
reasonable resistance has been
offered, are involuntary and are not
accountable.
2nd Principle
- Elicited acts are not subject to violence
and are therefore voluntary.
 VIOLENCE: Summary of Principles

VIOLENCE Effect on ACT

External Acts or - Act is Involuntary
Commanded Acts - Victim not
done by one accountable
subjected to violence

Elicited Acts are not - Act is Voluntary

subject to violence
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

Ignorance
Passion
Fear
Violence
Habits
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
HABITS
- a constant way of doing
things acquired by the repetition
of the same act.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

Good Habits are

eventually developed
into VIRTUES

while

Bad Habits are

considered VICES.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Guidelines

1st Principle
- Acts which are performed by
“the force of habit” are still done
voluntarily.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Guidelines

2nd Principle
- If a habit has been contracted
absolutely and involuntarily, then the
existence of the habit and the acts
which proceed unintentionally from
the habit will lack voluntariness and
responsibility, as long as the person
concerned remains ignorant of the
existence of such a habit.
Class 4: MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
> Guidelines

3rd Principle
- If an evil habit has been contracted
voluntarily, but a positive and
constant effort is being made to
counteract it, the acts inadvertently
proceeding from the habit are
considered involuntary. Therefore,
such acts are not imputable to the
agent.
 HABITS: Summary of Principles

HABITS Effect on ACT

Acts performed by - Act is Voluntary
“force of habit”
Habits contracted - Lack voluntariness
involuntarily (so long as and responsibility
agent is ignorant of existence
of such habit)
If a voluntary bad habit is - The lapse is considered
being corrected with involuntary
constant positive actions,
and a lapse happens…
 VIDEO

CHECK OUT THIS LINK FOR THE KWENTONG JOLLIBEE VIDEO “KAHERA”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw66Da0GFPM
 Video Analysis
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

• What modifiers of human acts (of the

young lady kahera and her grandmother)
were at play in this video story?
• How did these modify their human acts?
• Towards what end?
Homework #3
Form:
On - A4 Bond Paper**
Margins - 1” around
Spacing - 1.5
Font Type - Calibri/Arial/
Times New Roman
Font Size - 12

**Use the WHOLE A4 bond paper to fully

explain your answers.
Grading System:
80% - Content
15% - Form/Syntax/Style
5% - Promptness