MALONZO, KIEL ANDREW F.

BSN 1 - ETHICS - 33

1. How do the kinds of ignorance affect responsibility? At what stage in the human act do
freedom and responsibility come in? How do violence and fear affect responsibility?

Ignorance can affect one’s moral responsibility or obligation by making ignorance as an

excuse for one’s conveniency or advantage and moral accountability, but it depends on its type
and degree as ignorance may remove, diminish, leave unaffected, or even increase one's
culpability for a materially sinful act. For instances, not knowing the time is an example of
vincible ignorance but it will affect one’s moral responsibility or obligation once it results to
tardiness or being late always disrespectfully. An example for Affected ignorance is that when
you park your car into a PWD signed parking lot while being aware of it as it is convenient for
you. This will affect moral responsibility once you make an excuse or denying your mistake
of being ignorant with the sign or by overpassing it. In this case the person is fully aware of
his responsibilities but still ignoring and do not take actions towards it. Another type of
ignorance is the invincible ignorance where the person is could have known better and
increases one’s inculpability for a sinful act which shows that it may and may not affect one ‘s
responsibility depending to the case or situation.

On the other hand, freedom and responsibility takes place to person when a man reaches
his self-awareness and consciousness which eventually leads to maturity. Once a person is
matured enough, he/she will be able to handle things properly, one will know the limits of
freedom and will accordingly act to his/her moral responsibilities. Self-consciousness is being
aware of your own actions and responsibility, in human act, judgement is the stage where
freedom and responsibility occurs where is a man is having the right knowledge to make his
own judgments freely from his moral actions and responsibilities. Furthermore, self-
consciousness or maturity varied to age, experiences and knowledge, although, maturity it is
not a fixed concept to humans, it is impossible that one’s maturity will revert or diminish in
time instead it will improve awareness and your angle of maturity in life where a man has its
own freedom and responsibilities to do.

Finally, fear and violence are a human emotion and involuntary action that affects
responsibility. For example, once you stop yourself to do something morally for the reason of
being threatened of the current circumstances or not being held accountable. Fear and violence
are related through immoral actions, for example, you’ve witnessed a crime and you are being
held threatened and abused by someone that causes you to stop and do not help the case
regardless of the information you have. People having fear or experiencing violence can halt
responsibility as it might affects one’s physical and mental health. In addition, fear and acts of
violence is the result of emotional strain in one’s life. Strain can result from either losing
something of value, such as a career or marriage, or it can result from failing to attain
 something of value, such as financial stability or educational goals. Strain can also result from
having dysfunctional and strained personal relationships which all of these are part of our
moral responsibilities.

2. Why is that in civil responsibility the criminal acts like thief and murder have to be
consummated in order to be called civil crimes, and yet, in moral responsibility, the mere
intention even without consummation already constitute moral responsibility?

The civil responsibility law reflects a commitment to individuals who have been hurt or
involved as a result of another's acts. The law represents a communal determination that those
who have been damaged should be fairly paid, and that the person who did the injury should
compensate and be consummated according to the law. In morality, humans know the immoral
act or intention of someone based through the standards of human laws and moral nature or to
simple know what is good and bad. This also compromises unfulfilled moral responsibilities
carried by a person who committed immoral actions or violations.

legally, as we are living in a democratic country, in civil responsibility, first, it will be

needing to fulfill one’s responsibility or every aspect involved in the crime itself, where we
have laws and parameters to follow in these such actions. Civil responsibilities are tasks
bestowed upon citizens by their government to ensure a balance and justice between protection
and allegiance as part the person’s human and civil rights.