Morality

of
Human
ethics

acts
Introducti
on
This Chapter deals with the good and evil (i. e.,
the morality) of human acts, explains the
nature of morality, and studies the criterion or
norm by which the morality of acts is known. It
then establishes the determinants of morality,
i. e., the points of contact which human acts
have with their measure or norm and
according to which the acts are known as good
or evil.
 Topic
Outline
These are what we
going to discuss
1 2

ARTICLE 1: ARTICLE 2:
MORALITY AND ITS THE DETERMINANTS OF
NORMS MORALITY
MORALIT
Y
“The quality of human
acts that categorizes
them as good or evil.”

Basis for Judgement:

Actions are deemed
good if they fulfill
tendencies, appetites,
or desires.
MORALIT
Y
Ultimate End: Human acts aim
towards the Summum Bonum
(God) and perfect happiness.

Moral Assessment: Actions are

good if they lead towards the
ultimate end; evil if they detract
from it.
 THE NORM
OF
MORALITY
ETERNAL LAW (DIVINE REASON):
• Defined as Divine Reason and Will, it represents the
ultimate standard for moral behavior and the ordering of
the universe.
• Serves as the ultimate Norm of Morality.
• Good Acts: Those in harmony with the Eternal Law.
• Evil Acts: Those that conflict with the Eternal Law.

CONSCIENCE (HUMAN REASON) :

• The mechanism by which humans recognize and interpret
the Eternal Law in the context of individual actions.
 • Ultimate Norm: The
THE Eternal Law,

NORM OF reflecting divine

principles.
MORALIT
Y
• Proximate Norm:
Conscience, which
applies these
principles to
 DEFINITION
OF MORALITY
• Morality refers to the relationship
between human actions and their
norm or standard.

• Morality is the quality of a human

act that determines whether it
aligns with what it should be as a
step toward the ultimate goal of
human action.
 DEFINITION
OF MORALITY
• Morality is not just an external
classification or a label; it is
inherently tied to the nature of the
human act itself.

• A human act can be judged either

objectively (as a deed performed) or
in terms of its circumstances
(including the intentions or end of
the agent).
 DEFINITION
OF MORALITY
• While a human act is free and moral
because it is free, freedom alone
does not define morality.

• Morality is a characteristic of a free

act, but it formally resides in the
act's relation to the norm of what it
should be—the Norm of Morality.
DIVISION OF
MORALITY
1. Material and Formal
• A human act considered in itself as
a deed performed stands in relation
to the Norm of Morality as
materially good or evil.
• A human act considered as
conditioned by the agent's
understanding and will, stands in
relation to the Norm of Morality as
DIVISION OF
MORALITY
1.Intrinsic and Extrinsic
• Material or objective morality is
intrinsic when the human act, as a
deed performed, stands by reason
of it's very nature in relation to the
Norm of Morality as good or evil.
• Material or objective morality is
extrinsic when the stand or relation
of an act to the Norm of Morality is
 THE
• Since the morality of human
acts consists in their relation to

DETERMINAN their norm, it becomes

necessary to ask, what points

TS of of contact exist between

human acts and this norm.
MORALITY • When measured by the norm,
show the act as measuring up
or not measuring up to that
norm; these points determine
the good or evil of the act.
 THE
• One circumstance stands out
as most important, and we give

DETERMINAN it special consideration apart

from all other circumstances of

TS of the act: this is the

circumstance called the end of
MORALITY the agent.
• Three determinants of morality:
1.The act itself
2.The end of the agent
3.The circumstances other than
the end of the agent
A. Object
• meant the human act performed, the
deed done.
• If an act as object is good or evil, we say
as we have learned that it has objective
morality. If an act, considered
abstractly, is indifferent (i. e., neither
good nor bad), its morality is
determined by the end for which it is
A. Object
1.Custom cannot account for the universal
acceptance of some acts as good in themselves
and of other acts as intrinsically evil.
2.Human legislation cannot account for the
universal acceptance of some acts as good in
themselves and of other acts as intrinsically
evil.
3.The arbitrary decision of God’s will cannot
account for the universal acceptance of some
 In view of the • The Theory of Moral Instinct or

truth Moral Sense (called Moral

Intuitionism or Moral
established, that Sensualism), which asserts that
there we discern good and evil by a
is such a thing blind instinct or by a sense
as intrinsic faculty, and not by our

morality—we are understanding.

• The Theory of Usefulness
forced (called Utilitarianism), which
to reject many asserts that what is discerned
moral theories as useful (to individual men or
B. End of the
Agent
• we mean that which the agent (doer,
performer of an act) intends or wishes
to achieve by his act. It is the end he
has in view, his purpose, his motive in
performing the act
• A human act which is good in itself (i. e.,
as object) may still be evil by reason of
the end (of the agent) for which it is
How far does
the influence
of the end of
the agent
extend?
 • An objectively good act
performed for a good purpose
(i. e., a good end of the agent)
takes on a new goodness from
The answer to the good end; and if it have
these questions several good ends, it takes on

may be easily a new goodness from each.

• An objectively evil act
discerned in the performed for an evil purpose
following (i. e., an evil end of agent)
principles: takes on a new malice or evil
from the evil end; and if it have
several evil ends, it takes on a
new malice from each.
 The answer to • An objectively evil act can
never become good by reason
these questions of a good end.
may be easily • An act which is indifferent
discerned in the objectively becomes good if
following done for a good end, and evil if
principles: done for an evil end.
 C. The
Circumstance
• conditions that affect an act and may

s
affect it morally although they do not
belong to the essence of the act as such
• conditions without which the act could
exist, but which happen to affect or
qualify it in its concrete performance.
 • WHO? Circumstance of person.
• WHAT? Circumstance of
quantity or quality of the object
• WHERE? Circumstance of
To explain these place.
circumstances in • WITH WHAT ALLY?

detail: Circumstance of means or

instrument.
• IN WHAT CONDITION? HOW?
Circumstance of manner.
• WHEN ? Circumstance of time.
• WHY? Circumstance of end of
the agent.
 • An indifferent act becomes

The ethical good or evil by reason of its

circumstances.
principles • A good act may become evil by
involved in the reason of circumstances.
matter of • A good or evil act (objectively)
circumstances as may become better or worse

determinants of by reason of circumstances,

morality are the and may even take on

specifically new goodness or
following: malice from its circumstances.
• An evil act can never be made
 The ethical • A circumstance which is
principles gravely evil (mortally sinful)

involved in the destroys the entire goodness of

an objectively good act.
matter of • A circumstance which is evil,
circumstances as but not gravely so (not mortally
determinants of sinful), does not entirely
morality are the destroy the goodness of an

following: objectively good act.

 Thank you
for listening!
bagazon pimentel yagonia