Lesson 3: THE HUMAN ACT

Actions, since they are products of our thoughts and desires, reveal our moral
character. What we are and what becomes of us as persons depends on our choices
and actuations.

Objectives:

At the end of the chapter, the learner is expected to:

1. Explain the different attributes of human act.
2. Differentiate elicited acts from commanded acts.
3. Distinguish intrinsic evil from extrinsic evil.
4. Practice the different types of voluntariness at home and in the community.

Input 1: Attributes of Human Act

Human Acts are those performed by a person who is acting knowingly, freely,
and wilfully. These actions are deliberate, intentional, or voluntary. They are
differentiated from the acts of man which are instinctive and are not under the control of
the freewill.

An act is considered a human act, when it is done knowingly, freely and willfully.

1. An act is done knowingly when the doer is conscious and aware of the reason
and the consequences of his actions. Every normal person of age is presumed to
act knowingly. However, children below the age of reason, the senile and the
insane – are considered incapable of moral judgement.

2. An act is done freely when the doer acts by his own initiative and choice without
being forced to do so by another person or situation. An action done under
duress and against one’s freewill is not a voluntary action. A person is not acting
freely when he gives up his money to a robber who threatens him with a knife.

3. An act is done wilfully when the doer consents to the act, accepting it as his
own, and assumes accountability for its consequences.

An act which lacks of any of the above mentioned attributes is either imperfectly
voluntary or involuntary.
Kinds of Human Acts

Human acts are either elicited or commanded acts.

A. Elicited acts are those performed by the WILL but are not bodily externalized
such as the following:
1. 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 a lotto.
2. Intention - Is the tendency of the Will towards an object which is attainable,
without necessarily committing oneself to get it. A student, for instance, may
intend to study without applying himself to the task.
3. 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.
4. Election - Is the selection of the Will of those means necessary to carry out
the intention. The student, for instance, may elect to stay in the library to
study his lesson, or seek a friend to help him.
5. Use - Is the command of the Will to make use of the means elected to carry
out the intention, such as when the student makes up his mind to stay in the
library to study.
6. 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 for the class.

B. Commanded acts are the mental and bodily actions performed under the
command of the Will. These are either Internal or External actions.
Internal Actions
- Are those performed mentality, such as reasoning, revealing, imagining,
and reflecting.
External actions
- Are those performed bodily, such as walking, dancing, talking, and
writing.

All external actions derived themselves from the internal acts, since every
deliberate act is first thought of and decided mentally. Thus, philosophers speak
of human acts as “being first in intention, but last in execution”. (Paul Glenn,
Ethics: A Class Manual in Moral Philosophy, p. 7 -8).
Input 2: Moral Distinctions

On the basis of their conformity or non-conformity with the norm of morality,

human acts are either moral, immoral or amoral.

1. Moral actions are those in conformity with the norm of morality. They are good
and permissible actions, such as working, studying, paying debts, telling the
truth, loving someone, etc.
2. Immoral actions are those which are not in conformity with the norm of morality.
They are evil and prohibited actions, such as cursing, cheating, stealing, lying,
etc.
3. Amoral actions are those which stand neutral or indifferent to the norm of
morality. These acts are neither good nor evil, but they may become evil because
of circumstances. Playing basketball becomes morally wrong when it causes a
student to miss his class. Drinking wine is amoral, but excessive drinking is
wrong.

The adjectives ethical and unethical are respectively synonymous with right and
wrong, proper and improper. They best describe actions in relation to professional
standards rather than in relation to moral laws. A doctor who reveals information about
his patient is unethical but not necessarily immoral.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Evil

Immoral acts are either intrinsically or extrinsically evil.

– An act is Intrinsically evil when its wrongfulness is part of the nature of such
act. The act of stealing, because it consists in depriving someone of his property
against his will, is intrinsically evil.

– An act is extrinsically evil when its wrongfulness comes from an outside factor.
The act of alms-giving, though good in itself, is extrinsically evil when it is done
for purposes of building one’s public image. This indicates that actions which are
themselves good or neutral may become evil due to external actors, whether this
be the motive of the person or the circumstances of the act.

Activity 1:
Direction: Answer briefly the following:

1. Should a drunken man be made accountable if he were to accidentally burn a

house? Elaborate on your answer.
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 2. If a virgin is raped physically, entirely against her will, making all due resistance
to the rapist, did she lose morally her virginity? Cite the moral principle applicable
to this case?
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3. What moral principle is involved when a car driver who is involved in an accident
is charged with reckless imprudence causing damage to property?
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4. Is a drug addict still morally responsible for his acts over which he has no more
control? Explain your answer.
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Input 3: Voluntariness

Voluntariness or volition comes from the Latin “voluntas”, which means the
Will. An act is voluntary because it is done under the control of the Will. Voluntariness is
either Perfect or Imperfect, either Simple or Conditional.

1. Perfect Voluntariness is possessed by a person who is acting with full

knowledge and complete freedom. We act with perfect voluntariness when, for
instance, we are eating our favorite ice cream, or when we are telling a story to a
friend.
2. Imperfect Voluntariness is possessed by a person who acts without full
understanding what he is doing, or without complete freedom. We act with
imperfect voluntariness when we perform an act which we dislike.
3. Simple Voluntariness is the disposition of a person performing any activity
regardless of his liking or not liking it. Simple voluntariness is either positive or
negative.
It is Positive when the act requires the performance of an activity,
such as taking the train, going for a walking, or caring for a sick person.
It is Negative when it requires the omission of an activity, such as
refraining from talking, or not taking prohibited drugs.
 4. Conditional Voluntariness is disposition of a person who is forced by
circumstances to perform an act which he would not do under normal conditions.
A person who gives up his money to the robber is acting with conditional
voluntariness.

Directly and Indirectly Voluntary

Directly Voluntary – is the result of an act which is primarily intended.

Indirectly Voluntary – is the result of an act which follows or goes along with the
primarily intended act.
Ex. 1) A student watches a movie is to entertain himself (directly voluntary),
but, in so doing, he misses school (indirectly voluntary).
2) A couple enjoys walking in the park (directly voluntary), which causes
them to be mugged (indirectly voluntary).

A person is accountable for actions directly intended. Is he also accountable for

those indirectly willed acts or consequences? A person is accountable for indirectly
voluntary acts when:

1. The doer is able to foresee the evil result or consequence though in a general
way;
2. The doer is free to refrain from doing that action which would result in the
foreseen evil;
3. The doer has the moral obligation not to do that which would result in something
evil. (Paul Glenn: 18 -19)

Activity 2
Direction: Answer briefly the following:

1. Explain the difference between perfect and imperfect voluntariness.

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2. Is an indirect voluntary act intentional? If not, how does it happen or come about?
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 3. Illustrate the concept of indirect voluntariness in the case of surrendering your
wallet to a hold-upper; paying ransom money to kidnappers, for release of
hostages?
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4. In the light of the same concept of indirect voluntariness, why does the law hold
one responsible for the consequences of one’s action?
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Acts with Double Effect : Alfredo Panizo cites these principles (Ibid: 38-39):
1. A person is held morally responsible for any evil effect which flows from the
action directly willed and as a natural consequence of such action, though such
evil effect is not directly willed nor intended.

2. A human act with double effect, one good and another evil, is morally permissible
under four conditions. A violation of any of these conditions makes an act
unjustifiable. These conditions are:
a. The actions which produces double effects must be good in itself, or at least
morally indifferent.
b. The good effect must not come from the evil effect. It is never justified to do
evil in order to attain something good.
c. The purpose of the doer is the attainment of the good effect, with the evil
effect being tolerated as an incidental result.
d. The good effect must outweigh in importance the evil result.

These principles apply to “therapeutic abortion”, a medical process intended

directly to saving the life of the mother with the sad result of aborting the fetus.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HUMAN ACTS

Because human acts come from the intellect and the will, they express the
thoughts and desires of a person, revealing his moral character. Hence, people are
judged by their actions like trees by their fruits. We condemn a person for his evil deed
or praise him for doing what is good.

We often hear people say that they “condemn the sin but not the person” or
suspect. The statement is probably acceptable if it means we should not rush to judge
the guilt of a suspect. But the statement is wrong if it means we should not blame
people for their evil deeds, no matter how unfortunate are these acts. This is to condone
evil. Parent, for example, are inclined to be soft towards their children. Instead of being
horrified, they are amused that their kids are so smart.

Summative Assessment
Direction: Answer briefly the following:

1. What are the attributes of the human act?

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2. What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic evil?

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3. Is an indirect act voluntary act still voluntary? Justify answer.

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4. Give an example of an act having two effects, one good one bad.
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5. Is it morally allowed to do an act from which two effects, good and bad, follow? If
so, under what conditions?
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Assignment: Read the Moral Sensibility article below from the textbook we are using.
Write a reflection paper on what you have learned from that article.
Rubrics:
Depth of Reflection: Viewpoints and interpretations are insightful and well
supported. Clear, detailed examples are provided, as applicable.
Required Components: Introduction, Body, Conclusion
Format: Size: Short Bond Paper, Arial, Font 12, Single Space,
Observe Proper Indention, Justified
Structure: Writing is clear, concise, and well organized with excellent
sentence/paragraph construction.
Evidence & Practice: Response shows strong evidence of synthesis of ideas
presented and insights gained throughout the entire course.

Reading: Moral Sensibility

Moral Sensibility is our response towards what is right or wrong. Some people
have strong aversion towards wrongdoings, while some are dismissive of them. Some
are tolerant and stern, while others are tolerant and accommodating.
Persons who are liberal and open-minded are inclined to accept evil as a normal
occurrence, giving in to such thoughts as “Ganyan kasi tao lamang”, “kasi bata pa”,
“kasi walang aral”, or “kasi masam ang gising”.
People who are intolerant and strict are inclined to punish people “para matuto”,
“para di na umulit”, “para magbago”.
Moral sensibility may be compared to the sensitivity to pain. Some endure pain
longer that others can. Sensitivity to pain is a good thing because it warns us about a
danger. A moderate moral sensibility may be good to us too. It is moral sensitivity which
objects to an indecent behavior or an obscene movie. It is moral sensibility which
protests against an act of injustice or cruelty. It is moral sensibility which prevents us
from making a fool of ourselves.
We use to call moral sensibility as “delicadeza”. When a person is not scandalized
by what is wrong, when he does not recoil from what is outrageous, when he is not
ashamed of his vices – he is devoid of moral sensibility, he is “manhid”.
A person who lacks moral sensibility is inclined to act accordingly to his self-interest.
He would readily steal to enrich himself, or even commit murder to arrogate power.
Adolf Hitler is one such dangerous and wicked person.