Impediments to Human Action

Ø The ideological conflicts between utilitarianism and deontology has formed background to most political and administrative debates

Ø But outside both theories are insignificant but yet influential factors that impede and propel human action

Ø These factors do not just hinder man from acting; they equally persuade him to act

Ø These factors are compliments to ethics because ethics itself cannot provide full guide and justification for human action

Ø The limitedness of ethics is based on Relativism- a school of thought which argues that ethics is non-absolute, non-universal and non-supracultural.

Ø Thus, ethics is not valid at all times, in all conditions and to all people

Ø Thus, it cannot answer every single question of human behavior. Even if it does, it might be right at some point and wrong at some point

Ø In other words, human action under this consideration is that action performed by man on voluntary grounds and on free will.

Ø Free will itself is meant to be certified by three conditions viz:

o   Knowledge of the actor. The performer of the action shall have had complete knowledge about what they are about to do. In other words, he is not acting outside the limitedness of his knowledge

o   There must be some voluntariness to perform the action. Thus, the actor is not driven by any other external factor than his will

o   The action must be freely borne. He did it on his own without prior or intermittent assistance

Ignorance

Ø This has to do with the quantum of information a person possesses about a given event

Ø Information provides responsibility, duty, conviction for action

Ø This implies that one’s tendency to act or not to act is directly proportional to the quantum of information they have about a given phenomenon

Ø Ignorance has two dimensions

o   Ignorance of the law (lack of knowledge regarding laid-down principles)

o   Ignorance of fact (performing an act without understanding the reason behind the action)

Ø This is the point at which law parts ways with ethics. While ethics recognizes the role of ignorance in human action, law doesn’t.

Passion

Ø Passion simply means “powerful emotions or appetites springing from a presence of something perceived as good or evil”.

Ø Passion influences the will factor. Thus, the will remains in a state of rest until spurred by passion.

Ø Passion itself is a sub-conscious, psychological activity. It takes the form of the mind mediating through a particular phenomenon.

Ø So, passion accelerates or decelerates action of man.

Fear

Ø This is mental trepidation or an emotional reaction arising from impending danger”.

Ø There are two types of fear

o   Grave fear: That which affects a person of ordinary courage in same circumstances.

o   Light fear: That which would not affect a person of ordinary courage in same situation.

Ø Fear can be instituted justly or unjustly

o   Just fear: Fear is just when instituted by the person who has the right or legitimacy to execute the impending danger in the proper manner e.g the police, the judge etc.

o   Unjust fear: Fear is unjust when inflicted by a person who doesn’t have the right (legitimacy) to execute the impending danger e.g a thief, a terrorist, or voodoo etc

Ø Whatever inflicts fear goes along with some level of strength and potency to restrict a person’s freedom of will

Ø If the fear is a light fear, then it gives some level of freedom to the actor to act within his choice or limits

Violence

Ø Violence is external physical force exerted on a person (the actor).

Ø It usually comes to influence an action when the victim shall have offered all the resistance he can

Ø Actions predicated on violence are not regarded as human action because such actions are usually preceded by some form of persuasion; not supported by freewill.

NB:  The difference between Fear and Violence is that while fear emphasizes on impending danger, Violence is the danger itself

Habit

Ø This is a quality or lifestyle or attitude acquired by constant repetition on a frequent proportion

Ø As such, habit enables one to act very easily and promptly

Ø Good habits are virtues and bad habits are vices

Ø Our concern is not the habit but the action with which it comes

Temperament

Ø This is a sum of a person’s propensities acquired naturally.

Ø In this case, an individual’s action is involuntary; driven by one’s natural mindset

Ø The difference between temperament and habit is that while temperament is natural, habit is artificial.

Pathological state:

Ø This has been described as a condition of mental instability or disorderliness of an individual.

Ø It may be naturally influenced by disease or artificially influenced by injection of consumption or intake of hypnotic substances like alcohol