Ethics & Morality Comprehensive Reviewer

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts of Ethics and Morality, human acts, modifiers of accountability, and ethical frameworks.

Ethics

Derived from the Greek word ethos (character/custom), it is a branch of philosophy focused on the theoretical framework, knowing standards, and systematic guidelines for judging actions as good or bad.

Morality

Derived from the Latin word moralis (custom/manner), it refers to the practical execution of conduct and doing actions based on individual conscience, cultural, or religious norms.

Human Acts (Actus Humani)

Actions performed with deliberate awareness, full knowledge, and free will, carrying full praise, blame, or moral duty.

Acts of Man (Actus Hominis)

Involuntary or purely reflex biological functions (e.g., breathing, heartbeats) that occur without conscious deliberation and are considered morally neutral with zero accountability.

Invincible Ignorance

A lack of necessary knowledge that cannot be dispelled by reasonable effort; it eliminates or removes moral accountability.

Vincible Ignorance

A lack of knowledge that could be cleared via reasonable effort and care but is maintained through negligence; it retains moral accountability.

Antecedent Passion

A spontaneous emotional surge that arises before the will acts, which mitigates or lessens moral accountability.

Consequent Passion

An intense emotion deliberately provoked or harbored by the will; it does not lessen and may potentially increase moral accountability.

Intellect

A rational faculty of the human person representing the capacity to know the truth.

Will

A rational faculty of the human person representing the capacity to choose the good.

Object (of Morality)

One of the three determinants of morality; it refers to the specific act performed itself.

Intention (of Morality)

One of the three determinants of morality; it refers to the purpose, motive, or goal of the agent.

Circumstances

Contextual elements (Who, Where, When, How) surrounding an act that aggravate or mitigate its moral quality.

Elicited Acts

Acts directly produced by the internal will through a 6-stage progression: Wish, Intention, Consent, Election, Use, and Fruition.

Commanded Acts

Actions executed by the body or mind under the direction of the will, which can be internal (e.g., mental math) or external (e.g., writing).

Deontological Ethics

A duty-centered framework that prioritizes rules and obligations over consequences.

Teleological Ethics

A consequence-centered framework that prioritizes end results and outcomes.

Meta-ethics

A branch of ethics that investigates the origin, nature, and meaning of ethical concepts.

Moral Standards

Norms governing actions with serious human consequences, such as refraining from murder or theft.

Non-Moral Standards

Rules unrelated to ethical or moral evaluation, such as etiquette, basketball rules, or grammar standards.

Amoral

Describes actions that completely lack moral intent or significance, such as natural disasters or mechanical operations.

Unmoral

Refers to beings incapable of moral reasoning or standard awareness, such as infants or individuals with severe mental impairments.

Habits

Deeply ingrained patterns of behavior; voluntary habits retain accountability, while genuine efforts to break negative ones diminish responsibility.

Violence

An external physical or moral force applied to compel action against resistance; irresistible physical force removes accountability for coerced external acts.