Morality of the External Act

Whether the outward act adds goodness or malice to the inward act it carries out.

The works themselves ask 5 questions under this heading — see them together with their answers.

In the index as Morality · Human act · Act · Acts · An external act · External · Human Acts · Object of the human act · Works

In the manuals

Read the manuals side by side → — each work's whole treatment in its own column

Summa of Moral Theology (Summa Theologiae Moralis)

Hieronymus Noldin, S.J. — 2 passages

Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology, On the Principles of Moral…, Book Second. On Acts Apt F…, Second Question. On Moral …, Fourth Article. On The Morality Of The External Act, nn. ¶1 & 78 (2 passages — hover a number to read it)

Moral Theology: A Complete Course (McHugh & Callan)

John A. McHugh, O.P., and Charles J. Callan, O.P. — 5 passages

Vol. I, Pt. I, Q. I, Art. 3. Acts as Moral, Morality of the External Act, nn. 89, 90, 91, 92 & 93 (5 passages — hover a number to read it)

Moral Enchiridion, Comprising Select Decrees and Definitions of the Holy See, of Ecumenical Councils and of the Sacred Roman Congregations (Enchiridion Morale), Fourth Edition

Gennaro Bucceroni, S.J.

Bucceroni, Moral Enchiridion (4th ed., 1905), On Human Acts, n. 71 — Morality of External Acts. "15. God does not command an external act. - 16. An external act is not properly good, nor does God properly perform it. - 17. Let us bring forth the fruit, not of external acts, which do not make us good, but of interio… Read in context →

Commentaries on Human Acts (Commentarii de Actibus Humanis)

Gennaro Bucceroni, S.J. — 4 passages

Bucceroni, Commentaries on Human Acts, Commentary IX: On the Morality of Human Acts, nn. 27, 28, 29 & 30 (4 passages — hover a number to read it)

Compendium of Moral Theology of Fr. John Peter Gury, S.J., with the Notes of Antonio Ballerini, S.J.

Jean-Pierre Gury, S.J.; notes by Antonio Ballerini, S.J. — 5 passages

Vol. I, Treatise on Human Acts, Ch. III, Article I. On the Essence of Morality, n. 25 (5 passages — hover a number to read it)

Manuale Theologiae Moralis

Dominic M. Prümmer, O.P. — 4 passages

Vol. I, Pt. I, Tr. II, Ch. III, Art. III, § 2. On the Morality of the External Act and of the Following Event, nn. 132, 133, 134 & 135 (4 passages — hover a number to read it)

Summa Theologiae Moralis

Benedict Henry Merkelbach, O.P. — 20 passages

Vol. I, General Moral Theology, Treatise: On Human Acts in…, Second Part: On Human Acts…, Section B: On the Morality…, Question II: On the Goodness and Malice of the Exterior Act, nn. ¶1, 168, 169, 170 & 171 (20 passages — hover a number to read it)

Compendium of Moral Theology

Aloysius Sabetti, S.J., and Timothy Barrett, S.J.

Vol. I, Tr. I, Ch. IV, Article I. On the Essence of Morality, n. 23, Q. 2 — Question 2. Does an external act add morality to an internal act? Response. Through itself an external act adds no morality to an internal act; and the reason is that all morality is taken from the intrinsic, or from the… Read in context →

Summa Summae S. Thomae (Billuart)

Charles-René Billuart, O.P. — 11 passages

Billuart, Summa Summae, Tomus II. On the Prima Sec…, On Human Acts, On Human Acts in Their Mor…, On the principles of morality, nn. 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 & 46 (11 passages — hover a number to read it)

Cases of Conscience for English-Speaking Countries, Volume I

Thomas Slater, S.J. — 10 passages

Slater, Cases I, Human Acts, Case 9. Morality Not in the External Act, nn. ¶1, ¶2, ¶3, ¶4, ¶5, ¶6, ¶7, ¶8, ¶9 & ¶10 (10 passages — hover a number to read it)

Treated under the broader heading The Sources of Morality — Slater, Manual of Moral Theology · Bucceroni, Institutions of Moral Theology · Koch–Preuss · Vermeersch, Theologia Moralis · Marc, Institutiones Morales · Konings, Theologia Moralis · Rickaby, Moral Philosophy · Coppens, Moral Philosophy — these works do not divide the matter as finely as we do here, so their treatment stands one heading up (ed.)