Study guide: Foundations of Human Morality

Exam-Oriented Revision Sheet

1. 📌 Essentials

• Human dignity: Inherent worth of every person, created in God's image.
• Virtues: Habits that perfect moral character; divided into theological (faith, hope, charity) and cardinal (prudence, justice temperance, fortitude).
• Free will: Capacity to choose good or evil; central to moral responsibility.
• The STOP method: Analyzing moral acts via Object, Intention, Circumstances.
• Paschal Mystery: Christ’s Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension; foundation of salvation.
• Law elements: Reason, dictate, authority; guide moral behavior.
• Types of law: Natural, civil, canon; Old Law (Moses), New Law (Gospel).
• Eudaimonia: Human flourishing achieved through virtue.
• Impediments to freedom: Ignorance, habit, duress, attachments.
• Moral evaluation: Based on object, intention, and circumstances.

2. 🧩 Key Structures & Components

• Human person — possesses dignity, free will, and rational capacity.
• Virtues — moral habits cultivated through practice.
• Law — guides moral actions; includes natural, civil, and divine laws.
• Theological virtues — faith, hope, charity; orient towards God.
• Cardinal virtues — prudence, justice, temperance, fortitude; practical moral virtues.
• Paschal Mystery — Christ’s Passion and Resurrection; basis of Christian morality.
• Moral acts — composed of object, intention, and circumstances.
• Freedom — external (from constraints) and internal (from passions/ignorance).
• Impediments — factors hindering moral choice and responsibility.

3. 🔬 Functions, Mechanisms & Relationships

• Virtues develop through repeated moral acts, fostering moral excellence.
• Free will enables choosing between good and evil, influenced by impediments.
• Law provides a framework for moral decision-making, based on reason and authority.
• Moral acts are evaluated holistically: object (what), intention (why), circumstances (context).
• The STOP method helps discern moral goodness by analyzing parts of an act.
• Eudaimonia results from living virtuously, fulfilling human telos.
• The Paschal Mystery exemplifies ultimate love and moral perfection.
• Impediments such as ignorance or habit diminish moral responsibility.
• Types of law serve different roles: natural (human reason), civil (state), divine (God’s law).

4. Comparative Table

5. 🗂️ Hierarchical Diagram (ASCII)

Human & Moral Life
 ├─ Human Person
 │    ├─ Dignity
 │    ├─ Free Will
 │    └─ Rational Capacity
 ├─ Virtues
 │    ├─ Theological Virtues
 │    └─ Cardinal Virtues
 ├─ Moral Acts
 │    ├─ Object
 │    ├─ Intention
 │    └─ Circumstances
 ├─ Law
 │    ├─ Natural Law
 │    ├─ Civil Law
 │    └─ Divine Law (Old & New)
 ├─ Paschal Mystery
 │    └─ Salvation Model
 └─ Impediments
      ├─ Ignorance
      ├─ Habit
      ├─ Duress
      └─ Attachments

6. ⚠️ High-Yield Pitfalls & Confusions

• Confusing object (what is done) with intention (why it is done).
• Mistaking law as only civil; neglecting natural and divine laws.
• Overlooking the role of circumstances in moral evaluation.
• Assuming free will is unlimited; ignoring impediments.
• Confusing theological virtues with cardinal virtues.
• Misinterpreting Eudaimonia as mere pleasure rather than human flourishing.
• Thinking Old Law and New Law are identical; they differ in content and purpose.
• Ignoring internal vs external freedom distinctions.
• Overgeneralizing relativism or subjectivism as the only moral frameworks.

7. ✅ Final Exam Checklist

• Understand the concept of human dignity and its basis.
• Know the virtues: theological and cardinal, and their role.
• Explain free will and impediments to moral responsibility.
• Describe the Paschal Mystery and its significance.
• Analyze moral acts using Object, Intention, Circumstances.
• Differentiate types of law: natural, civil, divine; Old vs New Law.
• Recognize Eudaimonia as the goal of virtuous living.
• Identify the elements of moral evaluation and their hierarchical importance.
• Distinguish internal vs external freedom and common impediments.
• Recall the hierarchy of moral principles and their application.
• Be aware of common pitfalls in moral reasoning.
• Master the structure of moral decision-making and the role of discernment.