An Introduction to Moral Philosophy 49drunkenness ruins lives, thus conclude drunkenness is bad; we
see how lying disrupts family, friends, and neighbors, thus
determine lying to be bad.
When we say that a person has acted morally, we have made
a judgment about the act as being right. When we say that a
person has acted immorally, we have made a judgment about the
act as being wrong. When we say that a person has acted
amorally, contemporary usage notwithstanding, we are are mak
ing a judgment about the act as being neither right nor wrong.
Most acts are amoral acts. How do we determine the difference
between moral acts and amoral acts? How do we know when an
act is immoral or simply undignified, or unpleasant?
Traditionally, moral acts have been considered to be a)
serious, b) affecting the basic direction of our life, the life of
others, or society, c) willful acts. Aristotle and St. Thomas
Aquinas have proposed that a moral act has three main qualities:
- Knowledge. A moral act must be one which engages the use
of the intellect. One must focus upon the act to be performed,
have knowledge of the ends desired, the means employed, and
finally, must reflect upon whether or not the act should be
performed. - Voluntarism. A moral act must be an act of the will; it must
be a willed act. Earlier we spoke of knowledge of the truth as
important, but acting on the fact is even more important. To
know, and with that knowledge and after the deliberation, to act,
is the essential nature of a moral act. A willed act is not
necessarily a willing act. One can willingly accept an invitation
to the movies, one can also unwillingly accept an invitation to the
movies— and in both cases have employed an act of the will. In
both cases the element of voluntarism could, and would, be
present. - Freedom. This presupposes that there are moral choices; it
is similar to voluntarism but with some differences. If one is
faced with a situation where in fact there is no moral choice, one
can voluntarily act even though he was not really free to do so.
In the previous example dealing with movie invitations, you are
free to choose to go or not to go. But if while in that movie your
companion faints, you are not really free to leave him lying there;
you are, in a sense, obliged to help. Thus, freedom is lessened in
that situation. Or, if you become emotionally involved in an