FREEDOM AND MORAL

OBLIGATION
Freedom and Moral Obligation
"Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to
act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform
deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free
will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a
force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it
attains its perfection when directed toward God, our
beatitude." (CCC,1731)
Imputability
• freedom makes us responsible for our acts; they are
then voluntary thus gives moral basis
• Can be lessened or nullified
-can be diminished or nullified by ignorance,
negligence, threat, fear, habit, inordinate attachments,
and other psychological or social factors. (CCC 1735)
Definition of a Human Act
A human act is an act that is deliberately performed
by a person
Deliberately performed:
1. Full knowledge
2. Consent of the will
Sources of Morality/Three dimensions of a
Moral Act
1. OBJECT 3. CIRCUMSTANCES
• The act chosen; the act itself -accidental modifications which
• If the act is intrinsically evil, affect the morality of the act
the act is never allowed.
(Murder, blasphemy, etc.)

2. INTENTION
• Also called as the “end” of a
human act; it is the purpose
by which one is prompted to
act
Sources of Morality/Three dimensions of a
Moral Act
 They must always be considered together. Cf.
CFC, 711.
 To focus only on the “act chosen” would forget
personal agent and context, to stress on intention
neglects the objective nature of the moral act; (The
end does not justify the means); circumstances on
the other hand if considered only would be to close
one’s eyes to the objective nature of the act chosen,
and all moral norms
Impediments to authentic freedom:
Interior obstacles= ignorance, disordered passions,
fears, personality defects, bad habits, prejudices or
psychological disturbances
Exterior obstacles=violent force or threat of violence
-these impediments are either biological (handicaps and defects
as well as drugs), pshycological internal compulsions), and
social pressures (economic, political, and cultural obstacles) -
CFC, 696.
5 chief hindrances to full imputability:
1) Ignorance- it is merely a lack of knowledge regarding a
certain thing.
2) Fear- mental agitation brought on by the apprehension of
some present or imminent danger
3) Passion- an emotion or feeling; includes love, hatred, joy,
sorrow, wrath and fear; become morally good if properly
directed
4) Habits- A habit is a constant disposition that tends to
influence one repeatedly to perform similar actions; may be
good or evil; if evil it is a vice if to good, it is a virtue
5) Violence- is force a by a free and external cause that is
exerted on a person to compel him to act against his will