CHV

Man, as a Moral Being

MORALITY
• Living life well
• Living a good life
• Being an upright person
• A person of good character

• SMALL CHOICES become ACTIONS

• ACTIONS become HABITS
• HABITS become our WAY OF LIFE or
CHARACTER

• Living a moral life starts with the choices we

make. In order to make right choices, we need to
have ANCHORS
• Core convictions and values
• Both personal and communal

MORALITY
• Beliefs over what is right and wrong
• Can come from religion, philosophy, laws

MORALS
• Prevailing standards of behavior that enable
people to live cooperatively in groups
• Refers to what society sanction as right and
acceptable

OBJECTIVE MORALITY
• Belief that morality is universal
• Morality is not up for interpretation
• Commandments from God or Objective rules
of the universe that we need to follow

MORAL AGENTS
• People
• We are responsible for our choices and actions
Freedom and Sin SOCIAL SIN
• Refer to situations and structures that attack
FREEDOM basic human rights and dignity
• God-given power to act of one’s own accord • Infect social relationships between
• No longer act under the influence of someone communities
else
ACTS OF A MAN
AUTHENTIC HUMAN FREEDOM • Done without full knowledge, willingness or
• Shared capacity with others in community for deliberation
choosing not anything at all but what is good to
become our true selves HUMAN ACTS
• Freedom from whatever opposes our true self- • Done with full knowledge and willingness or
becoming with others in community deliberation
• Freedom for growing as full persons before • Must conform to a standard to determine
God and fellow humans in authentic love whether good or bad

CATHOLIC CHURCH AS CONTEXT AND JUDGE AN ACT BY CONSCIENCE ON

COMMUNAL SUPPORT FOR THE MORAL THREE ESSENTIAL ASPECTS
LIFE OF ITS MEMBERS (BY) • Nature or Object (What I do must be good)
• Actively forming Christian moral character • Intention (Mean)
• Carrying on and witnessing Christian moral • Circumstance (Situation)
tradition
• Serving as the community of moral IMPEDIMENTS TO HUMAN ACTS
deliberation • Ignorance – absence of knowledge by man in
performing the act
SIN • Concupiscence or Passion – Natural inclination
• A refusal of God’s love of sense of appetite to the consciously perceived
• Refusing to follow our own conscience evil
• Rejecting our true selves, others • Fear – Apprehension of impending danger and
• Rejecting God, turning away from God/ True prompts agent to shrink from threatening evil
end • Violence – Exercise of outside physical force
• Breaking God’s covenant of love with us to compel person to act against will
• Habit – Firm and stable behavior pattern of
SIN PRESENTED IN INSPIRED WORD OF acting with ease and readiness as result of acts
GOD (OLD TESTAMENT) frequently repeated. (Good moral habit –
• “Missing the mark” failing to meet obligation Virtues)
to God and neighbor
• Defect or disorder in character weighing down • The more we do good, the freer we become
the sinner • Growth Mindset to grow authentic freedom
• Conscious choice of rebelling against God and • Belief that your basic qualities are things you
transgressing his commandments can cultivate through efforts. Everyone can
change and grow through application and
One insightful new model of sin looks more to experience
its SOCIAL EFFECTS ON THE SINNER such • Experience freedom most naturally by deciding
as to act or not to act
• Spiral evil that ensnares • Freedom of our very self, gradually formed by
• Sickness that weakens our free acts
• Compulsive and obsessive addiction that
enslaves
Conscience OBJECTIVE NORM: LAWS
• Set of rules to preserve freedom and moral
CONSCIENCE agency in society
• Inner voice that moves a man to do good and
avoid evil by all means 1.) ETERNAL LAW
• Distinguish the one from the other • God’s plan for the world
• God speaks to man • Guide to what is right or wrong (EXAMPLE:
• Natural facility of reason The wrong will endanger others)

WHAT CONSCIENCE DO 2.) NATURAL LAW

• REMIND US always to do good and avoid evil • The moral standards that govern human
• MAKE JUDGEMENT about good and evil in behavior
choices of particular situation • Foundation for moral and civil law
• BEAR WITNESS to good and evil we have • St. Thomas Aquinas – Good is to be done and
done pursued and evil avoided
• St. Thomas Aquinas – Natural laws are good
FIRST SCHOOL OF CONSCIENCE for humans such as self-preservation, marriage,
• Self-criticism – Judge things to our own family, and desire to know God
advantage • St. Thomas Aquinas – Bad for humans;
Adultery, suicide, lying
SECOND SCHOOL OF CONSCIENCE
• Orientation to the good actions of others - 3.) HUMAN LAW
Correct formation of conscience is freedom to • Interpretation of natural law in contexts
do what has been identified correct by others • Government laws dictate practical reason from
percept of natural law
MORAL THEORIES
• Help justify and reflect upon decisions we THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
make
• Enrich critical reflection upon decisions DECALOGUE
• Ten Words
1.) DIVINE COMMAND • Greek “deka” – ten, “logos” – word
• Focus on do’s and don’ts of God. Actions are
right or wrong because they accord or conflict • The 10 commandments are central summary of
with God’s commandments basic rules of human behavior in old testament
• Jews and Christians look to this fundamental
2.) CONSEQUENTIALISM texts for orientation
• Focus on the consequence of the act to • The 10 commandments are description for
determine if it is moral or immoral. basic freedom from sin that is necessary to live
as a Christian, minimum level of living
3.) DEONTOLOGY • The law of love is primary
• Focus on the act. Follow universal moral laws • The “law and prophets” are summarized by the
such as “Don’t lie.”, “Don’t steal.”, etc. command to love God and neighbor

4.) VIRTUE ETHICS

• Focus on the character of the agent. A virtuous
agent will act morally. By practicing positive
attitude, a person develops and honorable and
moral character. (ARISTOTLE – By honing
good habits, people will make right choice when
faced with ethical challenges)
Life 4.) EUTHANASIA
• Direct action to help a person die
YOU SHALL NOT MURDER • Passive euthanasia: obeys “love your
• This commandment demand respect for human neighbor”
life. “Thou shalt not murder” • Ordinary care must not be discontinued
• Catholic basis of teaching fifth commandment
is “sanctity of life”, contrasted with “quality of 5.) ABORTION
life” to some extent
6.) SUICIDE
DEEPEST ELEMENT OF GOD’S • Contrast love to self, neighbor, and God
COMMANDMENT TO PROTECT HUMAN • Psychologically ill commit suicide; act of
LIFE killing is diminished
• Requirement to show reverence and love for
every person and life of every person 7.) WAR
• An attack on life is sacrilege committed against • Authorization by competent authority
God • A just cause
• Human life is sacred; it belongs to God • A just purpose
• The Book of Exodus (Translated) “You shall • War must be a last resort
not murder” • Methods must be proportionate
• Prospect of success
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT OBLIGES US
TO 8.) Anger – Revenge – Hatred
• Respect sanctity of human life • Anger: Normal
• Take care of your own and lives of others • Hatred: ill-will toward neighbor; serious
offense against charity
HUMAN LIFE MORAL ISSUES • Revenge: detrimental to peace and destroy
“tranquility of order”
1.) MURDER
• Direct and intentional killing are gravely sinful CONCLUSION
• Infanticide, Fratricide, Parricide (Involve • The 5th commandment calls us to foster the
natural bonds) are grave crimes physical, emotional, and social well-being of self
and others
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT FORBIDS
• doing anything with intention to indirectly
cause death
• Exposing self to mortal danger
• refusing assistance to person in danger

2.) SELF-DEFENSE
• If possible; FLEE
• Wound rather than kill
• Legitimate defense against aggression: Right
and Duty (Must not employ wrong,
inappropriately harsh methods)

3.) CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

• Legitimate state has right to punish crime
• Execution to become a necessity is very rare, if
practically non-existent
Human Dignity MORAL ISSUES

• Result of god’s respect for us 1.) Embryo Experimentation

• The right to life and human dignity form a • Embryos as biological material; “producing”
unity; inseparably connected to each other; it is and “using” stem cells for purposes of research
possible to put a person to death spiritually
2.) Human Experimentation
HUMAN RIGHTS • Scientific, psychological, medical
• Inherent to all experimentations are allowed only when results
are important to human well-being
1.) INDIVIDUAL/CIVIL RIGHTS • Consent
• Life, Liberty, Security
• Privacy and freedom of movement 3.) ORGAN DONATION
• Ownership of property • Consent
• Freedom of thought, conscience, and religious
belief 4.) ADDICTION
• Prohibition to slavery, torture, cruel or • Psychological and physical inability to stop
degrading punishment taking chemical products and partaking in
activities such as gambling, eating, etc.
2.) RULE OF LAW
• Equal recognition and protection of the law 5.) SIN AGAINST BODILY INTEGRITY
• Effective legal remedy for violation of rights • Kidnapping, Hostage
• Imperial hearing and trial • Terrorism, Threatens, Wounds, Kills
• Presumption of innocence indiscriminately
• Prohibition of arbitrary arrest • Torture
• Directly intended mutilations, amputations,
3.) RIGHTS OF POLITICAL EXPRESSION sterilization (Except for medical reasons)
• Freedom of expression
• Assembly and association 6.) MODERN FORM OF SLAVERY
• Right to take part in the government, periodic, • Forced Labor
and meaningful elections with universal and • Debt Bondage/Bonded Labor – People borrow
equal suffrage money which they can’t pay, they are required to
work
4.) ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS •Human Trafficking
• Adequate standard of living • Descent-Based Slavery – People born into
• free choice of employment; protection against slavery because their ancestors are captured
unemployment • Child-Slavery – Hinders education and
• “Just and favorable remuneration”; Right to development, Exploited for someone else’s gain
form and join trade unions • Forced and Early Marriage – Married against
• “Reasonable limitation of working hours”; their will and cannot leave marriage
“Free elementary education”; “Social Security”;
“Highest attainable standard of physical and 7.) PROSTITUTION AND PORNOGRAPHY
mental health”

5.) RIGHTS OF COMMUNITIES

• Self-determination and protection of minority
cultures

YOU HALL NOT KILL (EX 20:13)

• Applies to physical and spiritual integrity