Essential Definitions in Ethics, Action Theory, and Philosophy

Foundational Concepts in Moral Action Theory

Defining Human Acts and Liability

Human Actions: Actions performed by a person's free will, transcending mere deliberate intention.

Acts of Man: Actions performed without conscious deliberation, driven by necessity or instinct.

Liability: The state where an act can be attributed to a person who is responsible for the effects of that action.

Ethical Acts and Moral Quality

Good Ethical Acts: Actions that align with human nature.

Bad Ethical Acts (Ethically Ill Acts): Actions that violate human nature and contravene legal and social norms.

Moral Good: Concerns conduct, often in a broader sense than limited specific acts.

Voluntary Acts and Consent

Intention: The objective sought by the person performing the action.

Circumstances: Elements that contribute to aggravating or diminishing the moral goodness or badness of an action.

Direct Consent: Occurs when the desired goal is achieved directly by performing the action.

Indirect Consent: Occurs when an action is performed, resulting in a series of secondary or annexed effects.

Direct Voluntary Act: An action performed toward a specific end, resulting in both the primary goal and other key, additional effects.

Voluntary Act of Double Effect: Occurs when an action leads to annexed effects, one of which is good and one of which is bad.

Voluntary Acts in Causa (Actus Voluntarius in Causa): Occur when the consequences of certain actions are known beforehand, even if the immediate effects are not directly intended.

Philosophical Currents and Metaphysics

Theories of Purpose and Change

Change: A process to which all matter is exposed, often implying a purpose or direction.

Teleology: The philosophical current which states that everything in the universe has an ultimate end or purpose.

Teleological Activity: The inherent or natural activity of a thing, encompassing the changes that occur to it based on its own nature and purpose.

Mechanistic Theory: A current of thought asserting that all changes occur purely by chance or deterministic physical laws, without inherent purpose.

Ethical Frameworks and Fallacies

Hedonistic Philosophy: The philosophical view that pleasure is the highest good and the aim of human life.

Voluntary Philosophy: A philosophy based on the principle that conduct should serve a useful and necessary purpose.

Naturalistic Fallacy: Refers to the error of deriving an "ought" from an "is," or a statement deemed false due to inherent characteristics of its nature.

Axiology: The Study of Value

Axiological Approaches

Axiology: The branch of philosophy dedicated to the study of values, including moral values.

The Subjectivist Approach to Value: A current that considers values based on how individuals perceive and assimilate them.

The Objectivist Approach to Value: The view that values are independent of the individual, being immutable and absolute.

Key Features of Values

Characteristics of Value Systems

• Polarity: Values are given in pairs (either positive or negative).
• Inherence: Values are inherent in themselves, always given to a subject.
• Transcendence: Values are never fully realized in objects; they are beyond them.
• Preference: The attraction of a value over us; there is always an attitude toward other values.
• Hierarchy: Values are sorted by their relevance (upper and lower).
• Heterogeneity: Values are qualitatively different because they depend on the subject who perceives them.
• Objectivity: Values reside in objects but are always perceived by and for man.