Part Three: Life in Christ › Section One of Part Three: Man’s Vocation - Life in the Spirit ›› CHAPTER 1: The Dignity of the Human Person ››› Article 4: The Morality of Human Acts
› IN BRIEF
Questions and Answers
1774. What is a “human act”? (CCC 1749)
A “human act” (actus humanus) is an act freely chosen in consequence of a judgment of conscience.
A human act can be morally evaluated as either good or evil.
A human act can be morally evaluated as either good or evil.
1775. What are the three sources of morality of human acts? (CCC 1750)
The three sources of morality of human acts, are:
1. the object chosen
2. the intention
3. the circumstances of the action.
1. the object chosen
2. the intention
3. the circumstances of the action.
1776. What is the object chosen of a moral act? (CCC 1751)
The object chosen of a moral act is the finis operis (Latin: end/ aim of the act): the end resulting from the nature of an act.
E.g. specific human acts can result in: giving alms, reading, building, singing, murdering (etc.).
E.g. specific human acts can result in: giving alms, reading, building, singing, murdering (etc.).
1777. What is the intention of a moral act? (CCC 1752)
The intention of a moral act is the finis operantis (Latin: end/ aim of the acting subject): the interior reason why the acting subject is performing a certain moral act.
E.g. one can give alms to be seen by people, to help one’s neighbour and/ or to express one’s love for God (etc.).
E.g. one can give alms to be seen by people, to help one’s neighbour and/ or to express one’s love for God (etc.).
1778. Why can a good intention not make evil behaviour good or just? (CCC 1753)
A good intention cannot make evil behaviour good or just, because the end does not justify the means.
1779. What are the circumstances of a moral act? (CCC 1754)
The circumstances of a moral act are elements that “stand around” the action and increase or diminish its moral goodness or evil without changing the moral quality of acts themselves.
E.g. the amount stolen, the kind of people helped, the degree of danger overcome (etc.).
E.g. the amount stolen, the kind of people helped, the degree of danger overcome (etc.).
1780. What does an act require to be morally good? (CCC 1755)
In order to be morally good, an act requires the goodness of all three sources:
1. the object
2. the intention
3. the circumstances.
1. the object
2. the intention
3. the circumstances.
1781. Why can the object chosen by itself vitiate an act in its entirety? (CCC 1755-1756)
The object chosen can by itself vitiate an act in its entirety, because there are acts which, in and of themselves, independently of circumstances and intentions, are always gravely illicit by reason of their object (= finis operis).
E.g.: fornication, blasphemy, perjury, murder, adultery (etc.).
E.g.: fornication, blasphemy, perjury, murder, adultery (etc.).