What are the three sources that determine whether an action is morally good or bad?
Catholic moral theology teaches that the morality of any human act depends upon three distinct sources: 1) The Object chosen (the specific action directly willed); 2) The Intention or end in view (the subjective motive); and 3) The Circumstances (including consequences, pressure, or knowledge). For an act to be morally good, all three must be good ('bonum ex integra causa, malum ex quocumque defectu'). A good intention never justifies an intrinsically evil object, meaning 'one may never do evil that good may come of it' (Romans 3:8).
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1749-1761
- Romans 3:8
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.