Unit 4 Ends of Human Acts and The Norms of

Ends of Human Acts and
the Norms of Morality

Unit Learning Objective
Compare the essential roles of a law with

conscience.
All human acts are done for an end.
…norms of morality as means to social
end…
What is an END?
An end is both a termination and a goal of an activity (action).
It is that which completes or finishes a thing (or action) and it is

that for which the thing is finished.
 The end is the final cause (intention of the agent)
apprehended as a good sufficiently desirable to motivate
the agent to perform the act.
Forms of Appetency
Every end also shows a tendency. A tendency can be called as an

Appetite.
Forms of Appetency
1. Natural Appetency
2. Sense Appetency
3. Rational Appetency
Whenever man does something, it is for the
purpose of achieving something perceived by
him as desirable regardless as to whether or not
it is truly good or evil.
Kinds of Ends
Ends can be grouped into:
1. End of the Act and End of the Agent(Performer)

2. Proximate and Remote End
3. Intermediate and Ultimate End
The End of an Act/ End of an Agent
 The End of the Act is the end toward which the act of its
own nature tends.
 The End of the Agent is intention of the doer in doing the
action.
The End of the Act is objective while the End of the Agent is
subjective.
Proximate End
Proximate End refers to the end intended as the immediate

outcome of an act.
Remote End
Remote End refers to the one which the agent wishes to

achieve later on using the present
action as a means.
Ultimate End and Intermediate End
 An end is whether Proximate or Remote, is either willed for its

own sake or as a means to an end more remote.
 Ifit is willed for its own sake then it is an Ultimate End. On the
other hand, if it is willed as a means to an end then it is an
Intermediate End
Norms of Morality
The standards of what is right and wrong in human acts are the
Norms of Morality.
Human acts are directed to their true ends by such norms.
These Norms of Morality are the laws (as objective norm) and
conscience (as subjective norm).
LAW
Law
“a law is an ordinance of reason, promulgated for the

common good by one who has charge of a society .”
- “Reasonable ordinance”
- just,
- honest,
- can be fulfilled
- useful
- relatively permanent
- promulgated
Divisions of Law
1. According to immediate author

a. Divine Laws-they directly come from God like the
Ten Commandments
b. Human Law-they are either enacted by the Church
called Ecclesiastical Laws or by the
State called here as Civil Laws.
2. According to their duration
a. Eternal Law-is the Divine plan and providence for the
universe. This requires another
description in the next section.
b. Temporal Laws-all human laws are temporal or
limited in their duration even if some
of them are expressions of the Eternal
Law.
3. According to manner of promulgation
a. Natural Law-in a widest sense, is the rule that directs
creatures toward their ends. In a strict sense, it is
the Eternal Law as apprehended by human
reason.
b. Positive Laws-are laws enacted by the positive act of a
legislator which is of the Church or the State.
Hence, all human laws that are valid are known
here as positive laws.
4. According to whether they prescribe or forbid an act
a. Affirmative Laws-are laws that bind always but not at
every moment. All affirmative laws are written
without any negative part for example the law
which says “Honor thy father and thy mother.”
Since Affirmative Laws bind always but not at every moment,

these laws allow exceptions during extremely grave situation
which matter about life or death.
4. According to whether they prescribe or forbid an act
b. Negative Laws-are laws which bind always and at

every moment. There is no exception allowed
by a negative law.
A negative law is written in a manner that it clearly contains

a negative element like for example, “Thou shall not commit
adultery.”
5. According to effect of violation
a. Moral Law-a violation of this law infects a fault or
sin.
b. Penal Law-a violation of which renders the violator
liable to an established penalty, but does
not infect him with sin.
c. Mixed Law-violation of which involves both fault and
penalty.
CONSCIENCE
 Unlikea law which is an objective norm that guides
man’s actions, conscience is its counterpart which is a
subjective norm.
 Conscience is the practical judgment of reason upon an individual
act as good and to be performed, or as evil and to be avoided
(Glenn,1998).
1. Judgment of reason
2. A practical judgment
3. A judgment upon an individual act, done or avoided and to be
performed or to be avoided
Kinds of Conscience
1. Certain
2. Doubtful
3. Correct
4. False
Types of Erroneous Conscience
1. Vincible Erroneous
2. Invincible Erroneous
Resolving a Practical Doubt
A doubt can be manifested in a failure to reach either an
Absolute Certitude or Moral Certitude.
Absolute Certitude
vs
Moral Certitude
“Forming one’s conscience”
Moral Certitude can be reached either directly or
indirectly.
Direct Method
a thorough investigation and careful study of the moral

determinants must be made until moral certainty is reached.
Indirect Method
 After a prudent study andinvestigation, there is

no hint about achieving moral certitude, then the
Reflex Moral Principle:
 “a doubtful law does not bind” can now be
applied.

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Ends of Human Acts and

the Norms of Morality

Compare the essential roles of a law with

An end is both a termination and a goal of an activity (action).

It is that which completes or finishes a thing (or action) and it is

Every end also shows a tendency. A tendency can be called as an

Ends can be grouped into:

1. End of the Act and End of the Agent(Performer)

Proximate End refers to the end intended as the immediate

Remote End refers to the one which the agent wishes to

 An end is whether Proximate or Remote, is either willed for its

Human acts are directed to their true ends by such norms.

“a law is an ordinance of reason, promulgated for the

1. According to immediate author

Since Affirmative Laws bind always but not at every moment,

b. Negative Laws-are laws which bind always and at

A negative law is written in a manner that it clearly contains

a thorough investigation and careful study of the moral

 After a prudent study andinvestigation, there is

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