Specific

Determinants
of Morality

factors

which
essentially affect
the goodness or
badness of an
action

The End of the Action

the

natural purpose of the act

that in which the act in its very
nature terminates or results
The end of the action is the
primary determinant of morality.

The End of the Agent

the

intention or aim of
the doer of the action
varies
with
different
individuals, while the end
of the act is always the
same

Example
The

end or natural purpose of going

to school is to learn yet some go to
school only to be with friends; some
go to school only to satisfy the wish
of their parents; some go to school
only to engage in athletics or extra
curricular activities.

An act good in itself may be spoiled

by a bad intention.

Circumstance
may

increase or decrease the

gravity of an offense; or they
may justify an act; or even
exempt the agent from criminal
responsibility,
liability
or
punishment

A. Aggravating
are

those which add to the

seriousness of the offense

In the case of murder, aggravating

circumstances are conspiracy, profession of
the murderer, taking advantage of ones
position in the government.

B.

Mitigating
or
extenuating
circumstance

are

those that lessen or palliate the

gravity of a crime

In the case of murder, mitigating

circumstances: provocation; lack of full
consent or knowledge; no intention to kill.

C. Justifying circumstance
are

those that make the doing of an act

right; so that there is no crime committed
nor is there any criminal or civil liability

In the case of murder, there can be

no justifying circumstance. However, there
can be a justifying circumstance in the
case of killing an aggressor in self-defense.

D. Exempting circumstance
are

those that exempt an agent from

responsibility and punishment

In the case of murder, the following

can be the exempting circumstances: age
below 9 years old, insanity, violence, above
9 but below 15, who acted without
discernment.

To be morally good, a human act

must agree with the norm of
morality on all three counts: in its
nature,
its
motive,
and
its
circumstances. Departure from any
of these makes the action morally
wrong.

Principles Involved in
Circumstances (Paul Glenn)
An

indifferent act can

become good or evil
through circumstance
Eating

meat: indifferent
Eating meat on a Good Friday
intentionally:evil

good act can

become evil through
circumstances
Giving

money to indigents: good

Giving money to indigents for
votes: evil

An

evil act can never

become
good
through circumstance
Stealing

money in order to buy

food cannot make stealing good.

An

intrinsically good act

can become better or an
intrinsically evil act can
become worse through
circumstance
Visiting

a sick person for early

recovery: good
Not visiting ones sick father in a
hospital out of hatred: worse

good act done with

evil means destroys
the entire objective
goodness of the act.
Giving

money to the poor: good

Giving the money to the poor
through robbery: evil