The 60-Second Aquinas
Lesson
Defining Human/Moral Acts
November 6, 1998
Clearly not everything we do is subject to moral scrutiny. As one of the readers to the Aquinas Lesson pointed out, one can cheer for one sports team or another without any moral repercussions.
So, it would seem strange that Aquinas would say that the natural law pertains to all human actions. Further explanation is necessary.
Quite simply, all human actions are moral actions, but not all actions performed by humans are considered human actions:
"of the actions done by man those alone are properly called human which are proper to man insofar as he is a man … only those actions which proceed from deliberate will are properly called human actions" (ST I-II, Q. 1, Art. 1).
Ralph McInerny, in his book Aquinas On Human Action, explains these human/moral actions as being those actions to which "it is relevant to ask of the agent why he did it" (9).
To use yesterday’s example, one might not ask another why he danced to encourage a child to smile for a picture. However, this action might take on moral implications if the individual was specifically told not to, perhaps by a parent. At that point, it is legitimate to ask why.
Explanation of The 60-Second Aquinas Lesson
