• referred to as the human activity of man as man by which he attains an end he wants to obtain.

• they are rational acts of human person involves understanding and free will.

• Paul J. Glenn defines human acts as an” act which proceeds from the deliberate

free will of man”.

1.They are done in deliberately. The agent performing the act is not conscious of his actions going on. The action he is doing is not under the command of his consciousness.

2. The acts are not done freely. They may be done by force, that is without the freedom of choice of the person.

3. The acts are done involuntary. The acts do not emanate from the heart of the agent.

1.The act must be deliberate.

2.The act must be free.

3.The act must be voluntary.

•an act of decision to select a degree

course •an act of killing

someone •an act of marriage

•choice of life partner•to love

•to vote for a candidate

•act of teaching or studying etc.

 

ELICITED ACTS -emanate from the will of the agent. It is a will act begin and completed in the will without bodily involvement.

COMMANDED ACTS-are body mind acts done to carry out the elicited act of the subject or agent.

1.WISH 2. INTENTION 3. CONSENT 4. ELECTION 5. USE 6. FRUITION

• WISH- natural inclination of the will towards an object.

• INTENTION- the wills tendency towards something, attainable but not obligatory.

• CONSENT- is the acceptance of the will to implement the agent’s attention.

• ELECTION - agent chooses from among a variety of means what he believes to be the most

effective to carry out of intention.

• USE - wills command to make use of the selected means in carrying out the intention.

• FRUITION- enjoyment of the will as a result of the attainment of the object desired earlier.

COMMAND ACTS:1.INTERNAL ACTS

2.EXTERNAL ACTS

3.MIXED  ACTS

• INTERNAL ACTS- refer to the purely mental facilities under the command of the will.

• EXTERNAL ACTS- acts are done by the body as commanded by the will.

• MIXED - mixed acts are those done by bodily and mental powers.

HUMAN ACT AND RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility is the ability of a person to respond to a need or problem in a given situation. A responsible person has that feeling of moral obligation to do an act as a response to the demand of the situation.

MORAL PRINCIPLE

S

INVINCIBLE IGNORANCE MAKES

AN ACT INVOLUNTARY  

PRINCIPLE 1

PRINCIPLE 2 VINCIBLE IGNORANCE DOES

NOT RENDER THE ACT INVOLUNTARY, BUT

REDUCES THE VOLUNTARNESS AND THE

CORRESPONDING ACCOUNTABILTY OVER THE

ACT  

PRINCIPLE 3AFFECTED IGNORANCE IN WAY REDUCES AND IN ANOTHER WAY

INTENSIFIES VOLUNTARIES

CONCUPISCENE a modifier of human acts, refers to bodily tendencies (appetite) of man sometimes called the passions  

PRINCIPLE 4

ANTECEDENT CONCUPISCENSE DIMINISHES THE VOLUNTARINESS

PRINCIPLE 5

ANTECEDENT CONCUPISCENSE DOES NOT ELIMINATE

VOLUNTARINESS OF AN ACT

FEAR -refers to a person’s perturbed state of mind due to an impending danger or evil that might befall anytime .

PRINCIPLE 6

ACTS DONE IN FEAR ARE VOLUNTARY

[GLENN; 41]  

PRINCIPLE 7AN ACT DONE OUT OF FEAR HOWEVER GREAT ,IS SIMPLY VOLUNTARY ,ALTHOUGH IT IS

ALSO REGULARLY CONDITIONALLY INVOLUNTARY [GLENN; 41]

VIOLENCE -refers to a physical external force inflicted on a person by a free agent for the

purpose of compelling said person to do an act against his will

PRINCIPLE 8

EXTERNAL ACT WHICH ARE COMMANDED ,PERFORMED BY A

PERSON UNDER PENDING VIOLENCE WHICH COULD BE REASONABLY RESISTED ,ARE

INVOLUNTARY AND ,THEREFORE, NOT

• HABIT-refers to repeatable acts of a person done with facility and ease.

• THE INDIRECT VOLUNTARY ACT -acts when perform can have multiple effects other than those directly

intended by the agent.

PRINCIPLE 9

AN AGENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EVIL EFFECT

HIS INDIRECT VOLUNTARY ACT

PRINCIPLE 10THE PRINCIPLE OF DOBLE EFFECT

• The act must be good in itself or at least morally neutral.

• The good effect must be greater than the evil one, or equally important at least.

• The act is the only means to attain the good effect .

• The evil effect must be the last to happen .• The agent must be honest in his intention .

END….