Question

According to Mangan, authentic Catholic morality does not allow for the distinction between intending something directly and intending something indirectly, for this would hide the fact that all the effects of our actions are of the same category and simply willed together as the total outcome of our choices.

a) Religion
b) Philosophy
c) Ethics
d) Theology

Answer 1

Mangan's viewpoint on Catholic morality challenges the distinction between direct and indirect intention, which aligns with deontological ethics that assess actions by universal principles rather than consequences.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question refers to the concept in Catholic morality which, according to Mangan, does not acknowledge a distinction between directly intending an outcome and indirectly intending it. This assertion by Mangan touches on the complexities of ethical reasoning within the context of religion and morality. Notably, such discussions point to a broader theme in ethical philosophy: the evaluation of the moral weight of our actions and their consequences. While deontological ethics, like those proposed by Immanuel Kant, suggest moral actions are universally right irrespective of outcomes, Mangan seems to challenge this view by questioning the validity of categorizing intentions. Consequently, evaluating the ethics of action in Catholic moral thought may require acknowledging the unity of all outcomes of a decision, rather than parsing them into categories of intention.