Human Persons and Moral Agency Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining key concepts, aspects of freedom, moral agency, virtues, vices, and spiritual principles based on the lecture notes.

Law of Nature

Physical and scientific laws governing the universe, studied through fields such as Science, Math, Biology, and Physics.

Natural Law

God-given moral law inherent in human nature that guides individuals to seek good, avoid evil, and discern right from wrong.

Embodied Spirits

Description of human persons stating that physical bodies and spirits are inseparable until death, both being equal in value and gifted by God.

Conscious Beings

Human persons bestowed with Intellect and Free Will and made in God's image, whose highest expression is found in acts of love.

Historical Realities

Description of human persons who shape history through conscious decisions and actions, with life progressing in stages toward development and fulfillment.

Relational Persons

Human persons called to relate with family, community, country, and God, whose historical reality and relational identity are deeply interconnected.

Unique & Equal

Category of human persons stating that every person has unique traits yet is fundamentally equal in dignity.

Fear-Centered Motivation

Level of motivation behind moral acts driven by fear of punishment or desire for immediate reward.

Pity-Centered Motivation

Level of motivation behind moral acts driven primarily by temporary emotional feelings or pity for others.

Principle-Centered Motivation

Level of motivation behind moral acts guided by objective moral values or universal principles of law.

Faith-Centered Motivation

Level of motivation behind moral acts rooted in a deep relationship with God and genuine care for others.

Freedom as Context

Notion of freedom concerning external or internal circumstances affecting freedom, including physical threats or internal threats.

Capacity to Choose

Notion of freedom defined as the God-given ability to distinguish right/wrong and act freely in love.

Act of Man

Involuntary physical processes of a human person.

Human Act

Voluntary decisions made by a person using intellect and free will.

Formed by Choices

Notion of freedom stating that choices form character into virtue (good habits) or vice (evil habits).

Fundamental Option

The core stance or direction of a person's life toward good or evil, shaped by consistent moral choices.

Morals

The fundamental principles and beliefs that guide human beings in discerning right from wrong behavior.

Moral Agent

An individual who has the capacity to distinguish right from wrong.

Intellect

Human faculty that enables a person to understand what is right and comprehend truth.

Free Will

The capacity to choose actions deliberately rather than reacting blindly.

Conscience

The internal compass that evaluates and guides moral judgment.

Moral Responsibility

The quality of accepting the outcomes and consequences of one's free actions instead of deflecting blame onto others.

Honesty

The moral virtue of being truthful, sincere, and free of deceit.

Courage

The mental and moral fortitude to persevere, venture forth, and confront danger, fear, or difficulty.

Responsibility

The obligation to carry out duties, make independent decisions, and accept full accountability for results.

Self-Control

The capacity to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, resisting impulses and temptations to achieve long-term moral goals.

Compassion

A deep empathy for another person's suffering accompanied by an active drive to relieve it.

Dishonesty

The state of being deceitful, untruthful, or untrustworthy.

Laziness (Sloth)

The reluctance or disinclination to act or exert effort despite possessing the physical and mental capacity to do so.

Anger (Uncontrolled Wrath)

An intense emotional response of hostility, frustration, or antagonism toward someone perceived as a threat or offender.

Selfishness

Focusing strictly on personal desires without regard for the needs, dignity, or feelings of others.

Envy

Resentment and discontent provoked by someone else's success, possessions, or traits, paired with a desire to possess those advantages.

Evil

Anything that degrades, enslaves, causes suffering, or destroys human life and dignity.

Cosmic Evil

Natural suffering resulting from the inherent limitations of the physical world, such as sickness, tsunamis, floods, and earthquakes.

Moral Evil

Destructive acts that stem directly from free human choices influenced by disordered, dysfunctional motivations.

Relational Freedom

True human freedom that is never isolated or selfish, but meant to be exercised for the common good and selfless service to others.

Self-Transcendence

The orientation where psychological and physical fulfillment point beyond the self toward spiritual realities marked by self-giving and sacrificial care.

Summum Bonum

God as the ultimate good and source of existence who invites human persons into a personal relationship as Father, Brother, and Friend.

Ignatian Discernment

St. Ignatius of Loyola's recognition that true, enduring fulfillment is found solely in dedicating one's life to God over temporary, earthly ambitions.