Ethics L-3 & 4

Human Acts & Acts of Man

it is the man's actions which can be distinguished into two groups. These groups are either…

Essential Elements of Human Act

Knowledge, freedom, and voluntariness.

knowledge

an action done by a conscious person who knows WHAT HE IS DOING and the CONSEQUENCES

freedom

an action done by a conscious person who is ACTING FREELY using his capabilities & volition

Voluntariness

an act done by a conscious person who WILLFULLY makes the decision to do the act WITHOUT COERCION

"end"

refers to the purpose or goal of an act

"end of the act"

Is the natural termination or completion of an activity.

"end of the doer or agent"

is the personal purpose intended by the actor in doing a particular act. It is also called "motive"

Motive

a reason for doing something or why a person performs such act

"The end does not justify the means"

the general moral principle which is considered in determining the goodness or evilness of an act based on the "ends of the doer"

Bonum ex integra causa, malum ex quocumque defectu

a latin dictum in Philosophy which states that good must be entirely good, free from any defects

Human act

is another determinant of morality

Circumstances of Human Acts are:

• Who (Circumstance of Person)

• What (Circumstance of the nature of the act)

• Where (Circumstance of place)

• With Whom (Circumstances of Accomplices)

• Why (Circumstances of Motive)

• How (Circumstance of Manner)

• When (Circumstance of Time)

Who (Circumstance of Person)

it refers to the doer of an act and/or the receiver of an act.

What (Circumstance of the nature of the act)

refers to the very act itself

Where (Circumstance of Place)

it refers to the place where the act is performed

With Whom (Circumstance of Accomplices)

refers to an act performed with the involvement of other people

Why (Circumstance of Motive)

refers to the ends of the doer, or the reason why such an act happened

How (Circumstance of Manner)

refers to the manner of how an act is performed

When (Circumstance of Time)

refers to the time when an act is performed

Feeling

it is something that we share with others. Because to feel, is to be involved in something

Feelings can be:

Background and foreground

Three levels of sharing:

• Superficial

• Intellectual

• gut level

superficial

level of sharing something without a factual basis. Example: Tsismis

Intellectual

level of sharing something but with a factual basis.

gut level

level of sharing something that emerges from our feelings

Ethical Subjectivism

a theory which holds that our moral opinions are based on our feelings & nothing more

David Hume

he claimed that morality is a matter of sentiments & not a matter of fact

Simple Subjectivism

states that the idea that something is good or bad means approval or disapproval of that something instead

Emotivism

the view that moral utterances are neither true nor false but are expressions of emotions or attitudes. It is an improved theory related to Simple Subjectivism and was developed by Charles L. Stevenson

Charles L. Stevenson

a philosopher who developed Emotivism theory. And this theory was considered as one of the most influential theories of ethics in the 20th century

ethical dilemma

Conflict between two or more values or virtue

Moral Courage

is described as the willingness to act for moral reasons regardless of consequences

Two great dynamos

the intellect, the will of man

General principle

reason is the form of human activity

counsel

offers an array of good things; judgement for a direction of something

Consent

meant to be comfortable complacency in all good things offered by councillors