Classically, moral theology
is understood as that identifiable part of theology, which studies
voluntary human acts seen in relation to their final end, in the
light of divine revelation. The focus is on morality or the rational
ordering of the human act to the good and the voluntary pursuit of
that good by human reason. In the encyclical Veritatis Splendor,
this discipline is described as a reflection on morality, the good
and evil of acts and it is considered theology in that the end and
the beginning are found in God, who by sending His Son and, by
Christ’s death on the cross, offers merely earthly people the real
possibility of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. The
morality of human acts depends upon the object of the action, the
intention (or end foreseen), and the circumstances surrounding the
act. On the other hand, the
English word ethic comes from the Greek word ethos that means custom, habit, or usage. Ethics (in
the plural) is one of the major branches of philosophy that
encompasses the rational analysis of right conduct and good living.
Ethics entails the philosophical study of human motivation and
behavior, which can be either descriptive or prescriptive. If the
analysis aims at prescribing or proscribing certain forms of human
behavior, then, it purports to give direction on how to act—such an
attempt is known as normative ethics.
Catechism of the Catholic
Church, Part Three, Section One,
Article 4: The Morality of Human Acts
nn. 1749-1754.
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