FOUR PRINCIPLES OF MORAL DISCERNMENT/JUDGMENT

 Principle of formal cooperation

1. Principle of Formal Cooperation- it occurs when someone intentionally helps another

Formal cooperation means that the person cooperating intends, desires, or approves the
wrongdoer's conduct. Thus, for example if the nurse helps in the operation because she
wants the operation performed, if the servant transports the letters because he approves of
the liaison, if the priest intends that the sinner receive communion, or if the judge
applauds the couple's divorce — then, regardless of any other distinctions, the cooperator

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is also wrong. We cannot formally cooperate in morally wrong activity, because we
cannot intend wrong conduct. For this reason the Vatican held that no Catholic healthcare

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facility could ever formally cooperate in providing sterilizations-that is, no facility could

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perform sterilizations on the basis of an institutional policy that welcomed and sanctioned

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routine sterilizations.
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2. Principle of Material Cooperation - when a person's actions unintentionally help
another person dosomething wrong.
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Material cooperation simply means that although we do not share the intention of the
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wrongdoer, we are involved in the matter or the actual doing of the action. Thus the
distinction between formal and material asks whether we intend, desire, or approve the
wrong activity. If we do, we are wrongdoers too. If not, then we should consider the other
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issues.
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3. Principle of Lesser Evil - The principle that when faced with selecting from two
immoral options, theone which is least immoral should be chosen.
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4. Principle of Double Effect - This principle aims to provide specific guidelines for
determining when it ismorally permissible to perform an action in pursuit of a good end
in full knowledge that the action willalso bring about bad results.
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The principle of double effect can be outlined briefly as follows. Sometimes the same act
causes both a good result and an evil result at the same time. Can such an act be

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 performed? The answer is that it can be, provided that all the following four conditions
are met:

First, the act itself must be good or indifferent.

Second, the good effect must not be caused by the evil effect.

Third, the good effect and not the evil effect must be directly intended by the agent.

Fourth, there must be a proportionality between the good and evil result (i.e., the good
must outweigh the evil).1

The principle is applied across the whole spectrum of Catholic morals, but notably in the

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areas of just war doctrine and medical ethics. Ectopic pregnancy , a medical complication

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which touches upon the abortion debate, is something of a textbook case in double effect.

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(The pro-aborts simply lie when they say that an ectopic pregnancy is a case where

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abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. In no case is the murder of her child
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necessary to save a mother.)
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Principle of Well-formed Conscience

This principle states that “ to have a good judgement of conscience, one is obliged to form it
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diligently accordance with some reasonable processes so that one arrives at a right moral
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decision.”

Conscience judges a concrete act as good or evil in accord with a norm of morality given to it.
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This norm is Natural Law.

To attain the true goals of human life by responsible actions in every free decison involving an
ethical question, one is morally obliged to do the following:
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 Inform himself as fully as practically possible about the facts and the ethical norms.
Knowledge of the Ethical principles is necessary.
 Form a morally certain judgment of conscience on the basis of this information.
 Act according to this well formed conscience;
 Accept responsibility for his actions.

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 Thus to follow one’s conscience is properly to follow one’s well formed conscience.

Morality always involves a choice in arriving at a moral decision:

1. There are many alternative means to a goal, some of which are clearly in-
appropriate, but often many are appropriate, each with its advantages and
disadvantages;
2. It is possible for people to reconsider their goals and to redefine or even alter
them in view of some higher goal.
Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make
moral decisions. He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience, nor must
be prevented from acting according to his conscience.

Questions(Walay labot sa ppt)

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Identification

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1. This principle states that “ to have a good judgement of conscience, one is obliged to

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form it diligently accordance with some reasonable processes so that one arrives at a right

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moral decision.”
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2. Judges a concrete act as good or evil in accord with a norm of morality given to it. This
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norm is Natural Law

Enumeration
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Enumerate at least 2 principle of moral discernment

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