R
Ron_Conte
Guest
The various types of cooperation with evil can be understood in terms of the three fonts of morality.
The first font of intention corresponds to explicit cooperation, in which the cooperator intends to assist the act of the other person to attain some evil end. This intention is sinful, and so explicit cooperation with evil is always immoral.
The second font of moral object corresponds to formal cooperation, in which the cooperator chooses an act that assists an intrinsically evil act by other person to attain its moral object. Acts of formal cooperation are themselves intrinsically evil and always immoral.
The third font of consequences corresponds to material cooperation, in which the act chosen by the cooperator assists the act of the other person in attaining some evil (harmful) consequence. Material cooperation is sometimes moral, and other times immoral. All of the good and bad consequences of the cooperative act are weighed in order to determine if the material cooperation is moral.
Material cooperation pertains to the circumstances of the act of the other person, whereas formal cooperation pertains to the very nature of the act itself of the other person.
Examples of material cooperation:
A legislator votes for a law that restricts protests at abortion clinics. The act pertains to the circumstances of abortion.
A cab driver takes a passenger to an abortion clinic. His act does not assist the act of abortion, but assists in the circumstances.
A citizen pays taxes to a government that has some unjust policies and some immoral uses of the money, but also some good uses of the money.
The first font of intention corresponds to explicit cooperation, in which the cooperator intends to assist the act of the other person to attain some evil end. This intention is sinful, and so explicit cooperation with evil is always immoral.
The second font of moral object corresponds to formal cooperation, in which the cooperator chooses an act that assists an intrinsically evil act by other person to attain its moral object. Acts of formal cooperation are themselves intrinsically evil and always immoral.
The third font of consequences corresponds to material cooperation, in which the act chosen by the cooperator assists the act of the other person in attaining some evil (harmful) consequence. Material cooperation is sometimes moral, and other times immoral. All of the good and bad consequences of the cooperative act are weighed in order to determine if the material cooperation is moral.
Material cooperation pertains to the circumstances of the act of the other person, whereas formal cooperation pertains to the very nature of the act itself of the other person.
Examples of material cooperation:
A legislator votes for a law that restricts protests at abortion clinics. The act pertains to the circumstances of abortion.
A cab driver takes a passenger to an abortion clinic. His act does not assist the act of abortion, but assists in the circumstances.
A citizen pays taxes to a government that has some unjust policies and some immoral uses of the money, but also some good uses of the money.
