Ethics Morality and Vincible Ignorance - 1966 Words

ETHICS Greek ; ethos – custom, character Ethikos- moral, showing moral character, moral judgment The science of the MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTS Morality is the goodness or badness of an act Moral(good), immoral(bad) and amoral ( indifferent or neutral, neither good nor bad) HUMAN ACT-----------------------------------------------------------------ACT OF MAN - Action done with knowledge and consent -no knowledge and consent - Action of man as man and as rational -involuntary 3 ELEMENTS OF HUMAN ACT: - Acts of sensation 1. KNOWLEDGE –with awareness 2. FREE WILL – with choice 3. VOLUNTARINESS- with willingness MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS PRINCIPLE: â€Å"The greater the knowledge and freedom, the greater the voluntariness; and the greater the†¦show more content†¦Being left alone in a strange place, being asked to speak before a group of people 2) Act out of fear or because of fear - fear here becomes a positive force compelling a person to act without careful deliberation - fear modifies the freedom of doing, inducing the person to act in a certain predetermined manner, even without his full consent Ex. A child – studies/reads his books – out of fear of his mother A man – stops smoking – fear of contracting cancer PRINCIPLES: 1) Acts done with fear are voluntary - acting inspite of his fear and is in full control of himself 2) Acts done out of fear are simply voluntary although conditionally involuntary - simply voluntary = person remains in control of his faculties - conditionally involuntary = if it were not for the presence of something feared, the per son would not act or would act in another way - Intimidating or threatening as person with horror is an unjust act - Legally speaking, acts done out of fear – invalid acts Ex. Contract – made out of fear – voidable – later be annulled 3) Acts done because of intense fear or panic are involuntary - panic – obscures the mind – in this mental state, the person is not expected to think sensibly D) HABIT - permanent inclinations to act in a certain way - lasting readiness and facility born of