HOLY TRINITY UNIVERSITY

CITY OF PUERTO PRINCESA

Philo 700: Philosophy of Man
Topic: The Indirect Voluntary Act, The Sources of Morality, The Nature of Morality
Reporter: Robert B. Nero and Marjorie Cabaylo

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THE INDIRECT VOLUNTARY ACT
The unintended but foreseen consequence of something that is deliberately willed. This
consequence is not desired either as an end or as means, but a person sees that he cannot get
something else without getting it. He wills the cause of which this is a necessary effect.
The two cases of indirect voluntary acts are:
1. When from a good or indifferent action, one evil effect directly and necessarily results.
2. When from a good or indifferent action, two effects result, one good and one evil. This in known as
the case of the double effect.
The First Indirect Voluntary Principle: A person is held morally responsible for any evil effect which
flows from the action itself directly and necessarily as a natural consequence, though the evil effect is
not directly willed or intended.
The Second Indirect Voluntary Principle: A human act, from which two effects may result, one good
and one evil, is morally permissible under four conditions. If any of these conditions is violated, the
action is not justifiable and should not be done.
1. The action must be morally good in itself, or at least morally indifferent.
2. The good effect of the action must come before the evil or at least be simultaneous with it. To do evil
in order that good may come of it is never permitted. Evil cannot be used as means or factors in the
accomplishment of the good.
3. The motive or intention prompting the action must be directed towards the attainment of the good
effect; the evil effect is only permitted as an incidental result.
4. The good effect must be more important or at least equally important as the evil effect.


Practical Cases
1. Peter sees Tony being attacked by a drunken man and realizes that unless assisted Tony will be badly
beaten up. He decides, however, not to stop them because he (Peter) enjoys seeing the fight. Does he
sin against charity? (Yes)
2. Both mother and child are in real danger of death during a delivery. In order to save the life of the
mother, the doctor crushes the head of the child directly killing him. May be do so? (No)
3. In order to avoid disgrace, a pregnant, unmarried woman takes purgatives and drugs to induce
abortion. Is she morally justified to do that? (No)
THE SOURCES OF MORALITY
The agreement or disagreement of the human acts to the norms of morality must be known
concretely, i.e. in particular cases. For this reason we must now analyze the human act, not from the
point of view of the internal or psychological process, but attending to the objectiveness of the act itself
and the circumstances surrounding it including the motives of the moral agent.
Human acts are also defined by three elements, which characterize the moral order and make
our acts as good, evil, or indifferent.
1. The Object
The first quality describing the human act is the object. It is like the basic factor of morality, the
substances of moral act.
The teaching of St. Thomas on the essence of morality is centered on the object as proved by
this summary:
a) A good or moral action is perfect action because it has the fullness of being.
b) An action has the fullness of being when it is in accordance with its species i.e. nature or
essence
c) The nature or essence of an action is given by the object about which the action is. The
fundamental goodness or badness of an action depends of the object.
d) An object is good when it is in conformity with its nature or the purpose for which it was made.
Otherwise an object is bad or evil.
e) In the moral order, an object is good when it is in conformity with reason, when it is suitable to
reason. Otherwise it is evil. Consequently, an action is good or moral when it is in conformity
with reason which is the proximate norm of morality. Any action not in conformity with reason
is a bad action.


Some examples will illustrate the theoretical doctrine.
The purpose immediately accomplished by eating is life preservation (in accordance with
reason)
The immediate object of the theft is stealing others property (in disagreement with reason)
The natural purpose of lying is to deceive other persons (in disagreement with reason).
The immediate result of giving alms is to relieve poverty of the poor (in accordance with
reason).
2. The Motive
The purpose or intention is that for the sake of which is done. It is the reason behind our action.
The end or intention can modify human actions in four ways:
a) An indifferent act may become morally good or evil. (ex. To study medicine is in itself an
indifferent action. It becomes good when inspired by the thought of alleviating human
sufferings or making a decent lining. It becomes bad if the intention is to perform illegal or
immoral operation.)
b) An objectively good act may become morally evil. (ex. When a person gives alms to a poor girl
with the intention of seducing her.)
c) An objectively good act may receive more goodness. (Ex. A person may give alms not only to
help the poor but also for the love of God.)
d) An objective evil act can never become good in spite of the good motive. (ex. To steal money
with the good intention of giving it to charitable institutions or to the poor, as the legendary
Robin Hood did.)
3. The Circumstances
The morality of human acts depends not only on the object or act itself and the motive of the
moral agent but also on the circumstances present in the development of the action.
The circumstances affecting the morality of our actions are:
a) WHO the subject or the person who does or receives the action.
b) WHERE is the setting or place of an action.
c) WHAT is the object intended.
d) BY WHAT MEANS although mans intention may be normally good, if the means attaining the
end are illicit or unlawful, his acts are immoral. The end does not justify the means.
e) WHY the intention or motive that moves the agent to an action.
f) HOW this circumstance involves different conditions or modalities such as voluntariness,
consent, violence, fear, ignorance.
g) WHEN is the time of the action performed.

THE NATURE OF MORALITY
1. Physical Good and Evil
The concept of morality revolves around the problem of good and evil. A thing is called good
when it is perfect, that is, when it is according to the perfection of its nature or essence or when it
functions according to the purpose for which it was made. Whenever a thing lacks this perfection, the
thing is called bad.
2. Moral Good and Evil
Human actions which result from the practice of medicine, art, agriculture, business, and so
forth, are called good or right when are perfect according to their object, that is, when they are in
conformity with certain standards or techniques established by the art or science. They are bad or
wrong when they lack the perfection or fullness required by their object, that is, when they do not agree
with their standards or techniques.
3. Different Aspects of Morality
Morality means a way of thinking and acting in conformity with virtue and goodness, justice,
propriety, fairness, prudence and other standards of behavior generally accepted as benefitting the
individual in society.
4. Morality and Moral Order
By showing the rightness or wrongness of human acts, morality points to man the road to
happiness or to the last end. Morality is described as the agreement or disagreement of a human act
with the norms that regulate human conduct in relation to mans ultimate end.
5. Man Alone is Capable of Morality
Things and animals are neither moral nor immoral because they lack essential subjective
elements of morality which are rational knowledge and free will. Man alone is a moral being because he
alone is a rational and responsible being.
6. Importance of Morality
Morality is necessary not only to preserve our individual human dignity but also to preserve our
school life. Moral problems arise in all spheres of human endeavours and professions.

Reference:

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=34168