Group 2

Presentation
MEMBERS:
TOLENTINO, KRISTAN
PABLO, ALLISA ERICKA
SANGALANG,ALMIRA
BRILLO, ALTHEA DE GUZMAN
MASILANG, JACQUELYN
KABIGTING,JULLIUS
BREZUELA,MA.PAULA JEAN D.
GARCIA,PRINCESS JOY
MARUCOT,RAGIESAM
LAXAMANA,WESLIE DG.
Chapter 2 :

MAN AS A
PERSON
 Chapter 2: Man as A Person

Ethics is the study of man as a moral being.

What goals we assign to ourselves, what
actions we choose to do, and how we treat
others depend on how we understand
ourselves as a human being.
Socrates is wise indeed for proposing that
the starting point of wisdom is "to know
oneself "
 Filipino Beliefs

 Filipinos believe that ..

1. Man is a creature of God.
2. Man has an immortal soul.
3. Man has an assigned destiny in life.
4. Man must do good or else be punished by God.
5. Man by nature is good but is morally weak.

 Regarding morality, Filipinos believe that ...

1. Morality is "batas ng Diyos"
2. A person should respect his humanity, "pagkatao"
3. A person should love and care for his family.
4. A person should strive to live peacefully with others.
5. A person should fear God and His punishment
 Rational Animal

Man is an organism composed of a material body

and a spiritual soul. He is the whole of his materiality
and immateriality, the substantial union
(hylomorphic) of body and soul, matter and spirit.
This essential wholeness is what we call human
nature.
Human nature is made up of man's biological,
psychological, and rational powers.
 Rational Animal

The biological powers are (1) nutrition, (2)

locomotion, (3) growth, and (4) reproduction.
 The psychological powers include those of the
senses, such as smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing,
perceiving, imagining and remembering; and those
acts of emotions, such as love, hatred, desire,
disgust, joy, sorrow, fear, despair, and courage.
The rational powers are those of the intellect and
the will - comprehension and volition, respectively.
 Natural Law

 All human powers or faculties are operational

tendencies towards what is good to man as a rational
animal. In this sense, human nature is the natural
law because, like the laws of society, it directs man in
all his activities.
Natural law applies only to man as a rational
animal. When we speak of an act as "contrary to
natural law", we mean the act to be against human
nature or humanity
 A Moral Being

Three characteristics reveal man's moral nature:

1. Man by natural insight is able to distinguish
between good and evil, right and wrong,
moral and immoral.
2. Man feels himself obliged to do what is good
and to avoid that what is good what is evil.
3. Man feels himself accountable for his
actions so that his good deeds merit reward,
while his evil deeds deserve punishment.
 A Moral Being

These characteristics show man's innate perception

of truth, duty, and law.
Contrary to this view is the theory suggesting that
human nature as a blank sheet (tabula raza) on
which culture writes its text, so that man is merely
the product of social interaction and his behavior is
nothing more than "a reflex of social
conditioning"(Erich Fromm, Beyond the Chains of
Illusion, 29)
 Man as Person

Man is born as an individual, or person. Person is

human nature actualized and manifested in the
history of place and time.
Etymologically, the word "person" comes from the
Greek "prosophon" which is the mask worn by stage
actors. The Latin "personare" alludes to the mask
which is constructed so as to project forcefully the
voice of the actor.
 Underneath the person is human nature which is
the principle of human activity.
We also refer to person as "self' or "ego".
 Personality & Character

Personality is the sum of those physical attributes

and tendencies which define a person's distinctive
behavior.
In layman's terms, personality consists of the
physical qualities and mannerisms of an
aesthetically refined person.
As persons, all men are equal regardless of race.
However, one person may have more personality
than another.
 Personality & Character

Character, however, refers the person's choice of

values and his intelligent exercise of his freedom.
(Vernon Jones, Meaning of Character, Collier's
Encyclopedia, V-708)
While personality is an aspect of the body,
character is an aspect of the human soul. We
describe personality as pleasant or unpleasant, but
we speak of character as good or bad in the moral
sense.
 Moral Character

Character is the will of the person directing him

towards a recognized ideal. This is how human
actions are significant because they actualize man's
potential to be what he truly is as a rational being.
When a person falls short of the expectation, he is
said to have bad character. On the other hand, a
person who lives up to the ideals of his humanity is
said to have good character, or moral integrity.
 Moral Character

Character is not the product of a moment's

inspiration, but a disciplined tendency to
choose the right thing in any given
circumstance. It is adherence to what is true,
beautiful, and good in us.
History counts men of great character who acted
against and above the prevailing beliefs and practices
of their day, like Jesus Christ, Sakya-Muni or
Buddha, Confucius, Gandhi, Martin Luther King,
Jose Rizal, Ninoy Aquino, Pope John Paul Il, and
many more.
 Social Dimension of the Person

Society is but an extension of the person.

Ethics is particularly relevant because of man's social
nature. The golden rule, for that matter, is concerned
about the other person.
Among modern thinkers, George Hegel teaches that
man is fully developed in his participation in family
life, civic community, and in the State.
Likewise, Thomas Hill Green (1836-1882) expresses
the conviction that a person's morality must identify
itself with public welfare.
 Chapter 2 :
THE HUMAN ACT
 ACTIONS, SINCE THEY ARE PRODUCTS OF OUR
THOUGHTS AND DESIRES, REVEAL OUR MORAL
CHARACTER.
W H A T W E A R E A N D W H A T B E C O M E S O F U S A S
PERSONS DEPENDS ON OUR CHOICES AND ACTUATIONS.
 Attributes of Human Act

Human acts are those performed by a person who

is acting knowingly, freely, and willfully.
 These actions are deliberate, intentional, or
voluntary.
They are differentiated from 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.
 Attributes of Human Act

1. An act is done knowingly when the doer is

conscious and aware of the reason and the
consequences of his actions.
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.
3. An act is done willfully 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
2. Intention is the tendency of the Will towards an
object which is attainable, without necessarily
committing oneself to get it.
3. Consent is the acceptance of the Will to carry out
the intention.
 Kinds of Human Acts

4. Election is the selection of the Will of those means

necessary to carry out the intention.
5. Use is the command of the Will to make use of the
means elected to carry out the intention
6. Fruition is the enjoyment of the Will due to the
attainment of the intention.
 Kinds of Human Acts

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 mentally.
such as reasoning, recalling, imagining, and
reflecting.
External actions are those performed bodily, such
as walking, dancing, talking, and writing.
All external actions derive themselves from the
internal acts, since every deliberate act is first
thought of and decided mentally.
 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.
2. Immoral actions are those which are not in
conformity with the norm of morality.
3. Amoral actions are those which stand
neutral or indifferent to the norm of
morality.
 Moral Distinctions

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.
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 factors, whether this be the motive of the person
or the circumstances of the act
 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.
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.
 Voluntariness

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.
• It is negative when it requires the omission of an
activity.
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.
 Directly and Indirectly Voluntary

The result of an act which is primarily intended is

said to be directly voluntary.
The result of an act which follows or goes along with
the primarily intended act is indirectly voluntary. A
student watches a movie is to entertain himself
(directly voluntary), but, in so doing, he misses
school (indirectly voluntary). Or a couple enjoys
walking in the park (directly voluntary) which causes
them to be mugged (indirectly voluntary).
 Directly and 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).
 Acts with Double Effect

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:
1) The action which produces double effects
must be good in itself, or at least morally
indifferent.
 Acts with Double Effect

2) The good effect must not come from the evil

effect.
3) The purpose of the doer is the attainment of
the good effect, with the evil effect being
tolerated as an incidental result.
4) 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 Significance of Human Acts

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. Parents, for example, are
inclined to be soft towards their children. Instead of
being horrified, they are amused that their kids are
so smart
 Chapter 4 :
MORAL
ACCOUNTABILITY
H U M A N A C T S , B E C A U S E T H E Y A R E V O L U N T A R Y ,
ARE ACCOUNTABLE ACTS.
A C T I O N S A R E I M P U T E D O N T H E
DOER AS ITS PRINCIPAL CAUSE AND, THEREFORE,
DESERVING OF EITHER REWARD OR
PUNISHMENT.
 The Subject of Human Acts

The subject of a human act is any person who is

capable of acting intelligently and freely. Like the
ship captain who assumes full responsibility for the
ship and its cargo, a person is accountable for his
decisions and actuations. A person is either guilty or
innocent, deserving or undeserving of punishment.
Business organizations, institutions, associations, or
unions which are constituted by law as juridical
person are also subject of human acts. Like the
individual person, these organizations can sue and
be sued for their actions.
 Sanctions and Penalties

The penal laws of the country provide for a system

of punishment for wrongdoings, ranging from fines
to imprisonment. The capital punishment or death
penalty is reserved for "heinous crimes" Unless also
prohibited by the laws of the land, no punishments
are imposed on immoral acts. However, immoral
acts carry with them the burden of guilt, remorse and
shame.
The Scriptures speaks of death as the punishment
for sins. It means both physical and spiritual death.
 Sanctions and Penalties

The medical science traces many illnesses to

immoralities and spiritual disorientation.
Evil acts and habits cause suffering and
unhappiness, not only to the victims, but to the
perpetrator and his relatives. The shamefulness of
such actions is shared by all the members of the
family of the guilty. And there is the risk of being
ostracized, losing a job, or being abandoned by loved
ones.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

A voluntary act is under the control of the

intellect and will of a person. There are,
however, factors that may influence the intellect and
will so that actions are not perfectly voluntary.
These factors are called modifiers of human.
Because they interfere with the application of the
intellect and will, they either reduce or increase
accountability.
The following are the modifiers of the human act: (1)
Ignorance (2) Passions, (3) Fear, (4) Violence, and
(5) Habit.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

1. Ignorance
Ignorance is the absence of knowledge which a
person ought to possess. A lawyer is expected to
know the law; the doctor, the cure of illnesses; and
the manager, his business operations.
Ignorance is either vincible or invincible.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

Vincible ignorance is one which can easily be

corrected through ordinary diligence.
Invincible ignorance is one which is not easily
remedied, because the person is either not aware of
his state of ignorance, or, being aware of it, does not
have the means to rectify such ignorance.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

A vincible ignorance which is intentionally kept in an

effort to escape responsibility is called affected
ignorance.
Principles:
1) Invincible ignorance renders an act
involuntary. A person is not morally liable if
he not aware of his state of ignorance.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

2) Vincible ignorance does not destroy, but

lessens the voluntariness and the
corresponding accountability over an act.
Once a person becomes aware of his state of
ignorance, he should make an effort to remedy it.
3) Affected ignorance, though it decreases
voluntariness, increases the accountability
of an act.. A person who prefers to remain ignorant
in order to escape responsibility does not deserve
kindness.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

2. Passions
Passions, or concupiscence, are psychic
responses. They are cither tendencies towards
desirable objects, or tendencies away from undesirable
objects.
The former are considered positive emotions, such as
love, desire, delight, hope and bravery.
The latter are negative emotions, such as hatred,
horror, sadness, despair, fear and anger.
In relation to actions, passions are either antecedent
or consequent.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

Antecedent passion comes as a natural reaction

to an object or stimulus without being aroused
intentionally. It precedes any act. thus it is called
"antecedent?. It is in the company of a friend.
 Consequent passion, on the other hand, is the
result of an act which causes it to be aroused.
Reading pornography, for instance, arouses sexual
desires.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

In themselves, passions are not evil. However, because they

predispose a person to act, they need to be subjected to the
control of reason.
Principles:
1) Antecedent passions do not always destroy
voluntariness, but they diminish accountability over
an act. Antecedent passion weakens will power without
completely blocking it. Thus, the so called "crimes of passion"
are voluntary.
2) Consequent passions do not lessen voluntariness,
and may even increase accountability. This is because
consequent passions are the direct result of the will consenting
to them, instead of subordinating them to the control of reason.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

3. Fear
Fear is the disturbance of the mind of a
person who is confronted by a danger to himself or
loved ones.
There is a difference between acting with fear and
acting out of fear. Some actions which are difficult
or dangerous are done with fear.
These actions are done with fear. It is acting out of
fear, when fear causes a person to act, like to jump
from the top floor of a burning building.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

Principles:
1) Acts done with fear are voluntary and are
accountable.
2) Acts done out of fear, however great, is
simply voluntary, although it is also
conditionally voluntary. It is simply voluntary
because the person remains in control of his
faculties. It is, however, conditionally voluntary,
because if it were not for the presence of a danger,
the person would not have acted.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

4. Violence
Violence is any physical force exerted on a person by a
free agent for the purpose of compelling said person to act
against his will. Insults, torture, isolation, starvation, and
mutilation are examples of violence.
Principles:
1) External, or commanded acts, performed by a
person Subjected to violence, to which reasonable
resistance has been offered, are involuntary and
not accountable.
2) Elicited acts, or those done by the will alone, are
not subject to violence and are therefore
voluntary.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

The Will is a spiritual faculty is not within the

reach of violence. There are thousand martyrs who
had suffered death instead of surrendering their will
to their tormentors.
We may not be too harsh on those whom we
consider villains or weaklings, those who succumbed
to the vile wishes of their oppressors.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

5. Habits
Habit is the readiness, born of frequently
repeated acts, for acting in a certain manner.
Habits are acquired through the repetition of 3 act
over a period of time. They are either good or bad.
 Habits become like second nature, moving one to do
something with relative ease without much
reflection. They are difficult to overcome.
 The Modifiers of Human Act

Principle: Actions done by force of habit are

voluntary in cause, unless a reasonable
effort is made to counteract the inclination.
Habits are voluntary in cause, because they are
the result of previously willed acts done repeatedly
over a period of time.
However, when a person exerts consistent efforts to
counteract the habit, the actions resulting from such
habit are regarded as acts of man and, therefore, not
accountable.
 Poverty

Poverty is never an excuse for committing a crime

just as wealth does not justify abuses.
But there is a correlation between poverty and
crimes. People who are dirt poor and starving are
unlikely to think about their morals.
Nobody deserves to be poor.
Poverty is a social evil which must be corrected by
the State. It becomes an act of injustice by the State
that fails to look after the welfare of the people,
neglecting their economic needs.
 Action and Emotion

Man is not a robot devoid of feelings.

 Every human act involves a person emotionally.
Thus, we pray fervently, we work earnestly, we play
eagerly, we eat heartily, or we live happily.
Emotions are natural and beneficial.
The positive tendencies of love, kindness, humility,
reverence, and justice express approval of what is good
and worthy in an object.
 The negative tendencies of anger, horror, and
hatred express disapproval and repudiation of evil as
such.
 Refinement of Emotions

Emotions, however, need to be subjugated to

reason because unbridled passions could lead a
person to his perdition.
 One must learn to rein his emotions and work them
to his advantage.
Moral perfection comes from within. Filipinos speak
of a good person as possessing "mabuting
kalooban". He is one who is mapagmahal,
matulungin sa kapwa, at may-takot sa Diyos.
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