Chapter 2 Morality

What is at the heart of the human person's exalted place in creation?

The freedom to make moral choice, or "free will."

What is not a moral act?

Any thoughtless, unpremeditated act is not a moral act. Acts taken under duress or threat of force are not moral acts. Purely unconscious acts like breathing are not moral acts.

Why do Christians have a greater responsibility for their moral behavior than others?

An adult is more responsible for telling a lie than child because the adult ought to know better. Similarly, a Christian ought to know what he or she should do better than others who have not received Christian moral formation.

The three elements of a moral act:

1. the object chosen 2. the intention 3. the circumstance

What is a moral act?

Any action that results from a deliberate choice between good and evil or between different degrees of goodness is a moral act.

What is one of the biggest misconception regarding conscience?

Conscience can create and apply its own moral standards. Extension: Recall from the last chapter that freedom does not create the moral law. We become free by following the moral law.

What is conscience?

Conscience is a practical judgment of reason made by the intellect regarding the good or evil of a particular act in light of objective moral standards.

Why is everyone accountable for his or her behavior?

Every individual has, at minimum, an innate grasp of the standards of correct behavior.

What does it mean to say every person has the necessary free will to make moral decisions?

Every person has the ability to choose what is good and right or what is evil and wrong. Every person has the natural law written in his or her heart, so he or she knows good from evil.

What gives freedom to a Christian?

Good moral actions make us freer, bad moral actions make us slaves to our sins.

Why must we obey our conscience if we are certain of its dictates?

If we do not, we condemn ourselves by making choices that we ourselves consider immoral.

Why must conscience must be formed?

In order to apply the moral teachings of Christ and his Church to concrete, real-life situations, a conscience must learn the moral law.

What is the authentic meaning of free will?

It is "freedom to do what one ought to do."

What is the "moral content" of a moral act?

It is the thing chosen, either something good and evil or a greater or lesser good.

How can knowledge make an act more virtuous?

Knowledge can increase the goodness of the act. For example, if I give to charity out of desire to look good, I am not as virtuous as if I give because I understand that is is good to give to charity and this particular charity is good cause.

What is some of the evidence that morality is a universal struggle?

Literature, philosophy, history, and the development of law testify that morality is a universal struggle at the very core of human experience.

What are reasons Christians try to live a moral life?

Love of God and neighbor is a perfect motivations for living a moral life. Fear of the consequence of immoral actions is an imperfect by still valid motivation.

Why does an appeal to conscience not automatically justify an act or viewpoint?

Our conscience my be very poorly formed or we may be obstinately expressing an erroneous opinion.

How does ignorance exonerate one from culpability?

Partial ignorance lessens the moral culpability of an evil act. Complete ignorance completely removes moral responsibility.

What did Socrates and Plato say about moral life?

Socrates said moral knowledge is the most important form of knowledge because it places us on the road to happiness. Plato said moral knowledge is "the rule of human life."

How are weaknesses, temptations, and temperaments, which affect our behavior, radically different from being conditioned or predetermined in our behavior?

The first three affect our behavior and are a part of the human condition. Being conditioned or predetermined in our behavior are denials of human freedom, doctrines to be rejected.

How is conscience formed?

The human conscience must be habitually enlightened by moral truth according to the guiding light of the Commandments and Christ's teachings on charity in order to function properly.

What is a common misunderstanding of free will?

The idea that free will the the "freedom to do whatever one wants."

What is the most radical form of "freedom to do whatever one wants"?

The position that claims that the choices we make are not even moral decisions. by solely options of personal preference.

What is the cumulative effect of our moral effects?

They form character, either leaving us better or worse off, closer to or farther from God.

What are some of the obstacles to knowing moral truth that block acting in good conscience?

Two obstacles are the blindness to truth that comes from habitual sin and the refusal to see or acknowledge moral truth.

What do we have the obligation to do if we suspect an action might be wrong?

We have the obligation to resolve that doubt by gathering correct information before we act.

What is an example of an apparent contradiction in regard to following one's conscience?

We must obey our consciences even though they may be wrong. This is why we have the obligation of forming our consciences.

The rest of living creation fulfills its functions according to a ____ ______

predetermined dynamism

As a faculty of reason, conscience must humbly _____

seek the truth guided by the teachings of the Church