Chapter 7

The End of Human Acts

A human person does not act aimlessly. His/her every action is done
for a purpose. The purpose of a human act is significant because it defines
the nature of the act and it reveals the moral judgment of the doer. 

The meaning of End of a human act

The End is the purpose or goal of an act. It is either the end of the act
itself or the end of the doer. 

The end of the act is the natural termination or completion of an activity. Consider
the following examples; the end of eating is nourishment that of reading is
comprehension that of talking is communication that of a basketball game is
scoring a goal. Therefore actions are identified by the natural end. 

The end of the doer is the motive or reason why a person performs an act. For
example; a person eats either to appease his hunger or to indulge in his appetite. A
student saves money because she wants to buy something or use it for vacation. 

Thus a person thinks first of a purpose before acting. When the purpose is
accomplished the person ceases to act. Hence, the motive is said to be “first
intention but, last in execution”. Actions are the means of fulfilling a person’s
wishes or intentions. 

Kinds of End

There are several kinds of End of the doer namely; proximate and remote,
intermediate, and ultimate.
 1. Proximate and Remote End
1. The Proximate End is the purpose which the doer wishes to
accomplish immediately. 
Example; Traveling – arriving in the destination
 
2.The Remote End is the purpose which the doer wishes to
accomplish sometime later. 
Example; Eating – its proximate end is the satisfaction of one’s
hunger, while its remote end is the promotion of one’s health.

2. Ultimate and Intermediate End  

1., The intermediate end is that which is sought as a means for

obtaining another thing. 

2., The ultimate end is that which is desired for its sake. 

The intermediate end may either lead to another intermediate,

or an ultimate end. The ultimate end completes the act and stops the
further activity.  

For example, a student may think of his/her graduation as

his/her ultimate purpose. The series of activities that engage
him/her in school, like attending classes, writing reports,
joining a club, and passing the exams are his/her intermediate
ends leading to the ultimate end of obtaining an academic
degree or diploma.  
A person who engages in a relationship the intermediate end of
this, like; dating for knowing one another well and the ultimate
end for is getting married. 
 Therefore, the ultimate end is the drive that moves a person to
act and undertakes even difficult and dangerous tasks. A series of
diverse actions find meaning to the ultimate end. Our routine daily
activities for instance are related to our ultimate desire to live.