ETHICS 1

• Morality


  The goodness and badness of an act; the quality of human acts that leads us to call some of them good and some evil
• Norm


  An authoritative standard or model by which human acts are judged as good or bad
• Norms of morality


  • Eternal Law
  • Human Reason (Conscience)
• Eternal Law


  God's eternal plan for the ordering or government of all acts and movements in the universe, directing things towards their last end
• Human Reason (Conscience)


  The judgement of human reason as to the goodness or badness of an action in relation to the eternal law
• There is actually only one norm of morality, as conscience is the judgement of human reason recognizing and applying the eternal law in individual human acts
• Determinants of Morality


  • The object (the act itself)
  • The end of the agent
  • The circumstances
• Object of Morality


  The human acts performed or deed done chosen by the will; the essence of the act since it refers to the human act itself as performed
• Certain acts are objectively good or evil, with intrinsic morality residing in the act itself, independent of positive law
• End of the Agent


  What the agent (doer, performer of the act) intends or wishes to achieve by their act; their purpose, motive in performing the act
• The end cannot justify the means
• Principles governing the end of morality


  • An objectively good act performed for a good purpose takes on new goodness
  • An objective evil act performed for an evil purpose takes on new malice or evil
  • An act which is objectively good but done for an evil end is morally evil
  • An objectively evil act can never become good end
  • An act which is indifferent objectively becomes good if done for a good end, and evil if done for an evil end
• Circumstances of Morality

  • Who
  • What
  • Where
  • By what means
  • How
  • When
  • Why
• Circumstances are conditions that affect an act by increasing or decreasing the responsibility of the agent, without belonging to the essence of the act
• Principles governing the circumstances of morality

  • An indifferent act becomes good or evil by reason of the circumstances
  • A good may become evil by reason of circumstances
  • An intrinsically good or evil act may become better or worse by reason of circumstances
  • An evil act can never become good by circumstances
  • A circumstance which is gravely evil destroys the entire goodness of an objectively good act
  • A circumstance which is evil, but not gravely so does not entirely destroy the goodness of an objectively good act
• 1. What are the norms of morality? (authoritative standard or model)
• The determinants of morality are the points of contact between acts and their norms. Within this point of contact, the determinants serve as the measure in determining the good or the evil of the act. In other words, they refer to the morality (goodness or badness) of the human act.
• The following are the determinants of morality: a.) the object (the act itself); b.) the end of the agent; and c.) the circumstances.

   
• In other words, circumstances are conditions without which the act could exist, but which happen to affect or qualify it in its concrete performance. (TEMPTATION)
• There are seven circumstances: Who, What, Where, BY what means, How, When, and Why
• Who


  • The circumstance of the person. It refers to the person to whom the act is ascribed and to the person to whom the act has been committed.
  • Example: A hotel manager insulting a janitor is committing a lighter offense. But, if he insults a foreign guest is a grave offense. A student who is discovered taking illegal drugs has lesser moral responsibility compared to a politician OR professor who is a drug addict.
• What


  • The circumstance of quantity or quality of the object. What is the extent of the act? Was the inquiry inflected serious or slight? Was the amount stolen large or small?
  • Example: Stealing Php 100.00 from a poor man is graver than stealing the same amount from a rich man.
• Where


  • The circumstance of the place where the act is performed.
  • Example: A person who gets drunk and causes trouble inside the office and causes trouble afterwards.
• By what means


  • The circumstance of the means employed by the agent.
  • Example: An employee who gets promoted by destroying others through machination and taking personal credit in the works of others is evil. Getting the highest score in the exam through cheating is not good.
• How


  • The circumstance of manner. Was the agent in good faith or bad?
  • Example: A person who inflicts injury to another by reason of self defense cannot be held responsible for the injury.
• When


  • The circumstance of time. How long did the agent retain an evil thought or intention, for a long period or momentarily?
  • Example: A man who looks at a woman lustfully in passing has lesser responsibility than a man who retains that lustful thought for a long time.
• Why


  • The circumstance of end of the agent. This refers to the motive that propels the agent to perform the act.