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Human Acts vs Acts of Man Explained

John is responsible for missing Mass last Sunday. His act meets the criteria for a human act: 1. Knowledge - John is aware of his obligation to attend Mass each Sunday as a Catholic. 2. Freedom - John made a choice to do his assignment instead of going to Mass, so his act was free. 3. Voluntariness - John willingly chose to do his assignment rather than fulfill his religious obligation. However, his responsibility is less rather than full because his freedom was constrained to some degree by needing to finish his assignment. The degree of responsibility depends on the extent of knowledge, freedom and voluntariness in the act.

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99 views16 pages

Human Acts vs Acts of Man Explained

John is responsible for missing Mass last Sunday. His act meets the criteria for a human act: 1. Knowledge - John is aware of his obligation to attend Mass each Sunday as a Catholic. 2. Freedom - John made a choice to do his assignment instead of going to Mass, so his act was free. 3. Voluntariness - John willingly chose to do his assignment rather than fulfill his religious obligation. However, his responsibility is less rather than full because his freedom was constrained to some degree by needing to finish his assignment. The degree of responsibility depends on the extent of knowledge, freedom and voluntariness in the act.

Uploaded by

hyunsuk fhebie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

2.

The Human Conduct


/Human Act:

Human Act vs Act of Man


A Human Act is defined “as an act which
proceeds from the deliberate free will of man”
(Paul Glenn).

Man is rational, which means that he has


understanding and a choice.
Man has a higher dignity than the other creatures
because he has a choice and has the ability to know
what is good and what is evil.
He is responsible of his acts.

ACTS THAT PROCEED FROM REASON AND


FREE WILL
ACT OF MAN

ACTIONS WHICH ARE PERFORMED WITHOUT


THE INTERVENTION OF THE INTELLECT AND
THE FREE WILL

THEY COMPRISE ALL SPONTANEOUS


BIOLOGICAL AND SENSUAL PROCESSES
Acts of Man
These are actions that a man may perform
without the advertence and the exercise of free
choice.

Example:
Sneezing

Acts of man do not give the person the moral


responsibility. These are not product of his
choice.
Whereas acts of man do not
give any moral responsibility to
the person performing them, on
the other hand,
Human acts, render the person
doing them, responsible.
ACTS not morally accountable

Example:

Acts of persons asleep or under hypnosis.

Reflex actions where the will has no time to


intervene.

Acts of performed under serious physical


violence
Example:

“A man’s eyes may fall upon a lewd picture of a


magazine. This act of seeing the picture is an
example of an act of man.

But if the man would deliberately consent to


look or even deliberately enjoy looking at the
picture then it becomes already a human act and
he becomes responsible of his action of looking at
the picture as his choice.”
Morality is not, therefore, concerned
with an act of man but rather it is
concerned with the human act since it
is in human act that man is deemed
worthy to be punished, merited or to be
praised or blamed.
Exercise:
Human act or Act of man?

Looking  Studying
 Eating
Seeing  Urinating
 Taking a bath
Dreaming  Drinking
 Going to Church
Day dreaming
 Taking Shabu
 Farting
Hearing
Essential Elements of Human Acts

There are three essential


elements of Human Act which
makes man responsible for his
act:
1. knowledge
2. freedom
3. voluntariness
How about Cheating during
Exam?

• Human Act?

• Act of Man?
a) Knowledge

It is the capacity of man to know


what is right or wrong.
In order for an act to be called a
human act, the doer must have
the awareness of what he is
doing and he has the command
of it and has it in his mind.
b) Freedom

A human act is always determined by the will. It


means that the act is always a product of the will
that can do it or leave it undone.
Thus, for an act to be human, it has to be a
free act. It is not being coerced or forced, free from
compulsion or restraint.
c) Voluntariness

It comes from the Latin word voluntas


which means will. So if we talk about
the act as voluntary, this means that
the human act must be a will-act. It
must come from your will.
“Voluntariness is another essential
quality of the human act, and for it to
be present, there must be ordinarily
be both knowledge and freedom in the
agent.
When does a man become Fully, Less
or Not responsible or guilty of his act?

1. Knowledge – 100  - 100  - 0

2. Freedom - 100  - 80  - 100

3. Voluntariness – 100  - 100  - 100

 Responsibility - Full - Less - Not


Example:
John, Catholic student of USJR missed to attend
Mass last Sunday because he was busy doing his
assignment.

Is John responsible or guilty of his act of


failing to fulfill his obligation under the 3rd
Commandment? Yes or No.

If he is guilty, is he full, less, or not


responsible of his act of missing to attend Mass last
Sunday?

What is the criteria to determine the degree


of your responsibility?

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