Question

1) What distinguishes voluntary from involuntary acts, according to Aristotle? 2) Give examples of acts done under constraint and acts that are due to ignorance. 3) What's the difference between moral ignorance and ignorance of particulars, as Aristotle describes it? 4) How are the voluntary acts of children and animals different from those of typical, mature humans? Why aren't children responsible? 5) What is choice? 6) What is deliberation? 7) Aristotle says that our actions and our characteristics are not voluntary in the same sense. What does he mean? And how does that affect blame and responsibility?

Answer 1

1) According to Pavlov, voluntary acts are acts that are "originated by the doer with the knowledge of the particular circumstances of the act" while involuntary acts are acts done under a) Compulsion or b) through ignorance when the agent does not understand the particular circumstances involved and is pained and sorry afterwards.

2) Acts done under constraint are performed due to causes that lie outside the agent while acts done due to ignorance are performed due to causes that lie inside the agent. Acts done due to constraint might be voluntary or involuntary while acts done due to ignorance are generally due to ignorance of universal principles of right and wrong, acts done due to irrational passions, etc.

3) According to Aristotle, acts done due to ignorance are performed due to ignorance of universal principles of right and wrong, whereas acts done due to ignorance of particular circumstances are based on involuntary actions where the doer is not aware of the consequences of the deeds, the objects or persons affected by it, the way in which the act is done or the sake of which it is done.

4) The voluntary acts of children and animals are different from those of typical, mature humans because the former classes act purely out of impulsivity/instincts. They lack the cognizance and reasoning capabilities that adult humans possess.

5) Choice, as opposed to compulsion, enables the agents to perform voluntary actions that are either done with complete knowledge of foreseen circumstances or through ignorance of particular circumstances of the act.

6) Deliberation refers to the actions that are done after considerable conscious thought and complete knowledge of particular circumstances of the act.