Q. OK, so now what do we mean exactly when we say good? What does it mean to be ethically or morally good? What makes an act good or evil?
A. The morality of human acts depends on
-the object chosen;
-the end in view or the intention;
-the circumstances of the action
That is, (a) the act itself, (b) the motive, and (c) the situation.
The object chosen, the act itself, is a good toward which the will deliberately directs itself. It is visible to the outside world.
In contrast to the object, the intention or motive resides in the acting subject; it is invisible to the outside world.
But although personal intentions are subjective, they can be good or evil just as objective acts an be good or evil. An objectively good act can have a good or a bad subjective intention. For instance, giving alms is a good act; doing so to relieve another's suffering is a good intention, but doing so to show off is not. An objectively bad act can also have a good or a bad intention. For instance, robbing a rich man is an evil act; the intention of harming the rich man is a bad intention, and the motive of helping the poor with the money is a good intention.
But a good intention does not excuse an evil act, any more than a good act excuses an evil intention. This is why "mercy killing" is wrong: though its intention is mercy (to relieve pain), it is an act of killing. "A good intention... does not make behavior that is intrinsically disordered, such as lying or calumny, good or just. The end does not justify the means. Or in other words, the intention (the end) does not justify the act (the means). If Hitler had instigated the Holocaust "to improve the human race" and not to vent his hate and prove his power, it would still have been a terribly evil deed.
The third element is the situation, or the circumstances. "The circumstances, including the consequences, are secondary elements of a moral act. They contribute to increasing or diminishing the moral goodness or evil of human acts (for example, the amount of a theft). They can also diminish or increase the agent's responsibility (such as acting out of a fear of death). Circumstances of themselves... can make neither good nor right an action that is in itself evil". They can, however, do the reverse: they can make an act that is good in itself evil: for example, making love to your spouse when it is medically dangerous, or giving sugar candy to a diabetic.
Any one of the three elements alone is enough to make an act evil, but one alone is not enough to make ti good, because for any human work to be good, each of its essential elements must be good. For instance, a good building can be spoiled by a bad foundation, bad walls, or bad electrical wiring. In a story, one good feature (for example, a good plot) is not enough to make a good story if the story lacks good characterization or a good theme. So with a human act. The act itself and the motive and the circumstances must all be right. You must (a) do the right thing (b) for the right reason (c) in the right way.
8thApril 2018