ATTENTION. — In general, it is the act of the mind that directs its attention to a thing; in matters of morality, it is the act of the mind that considers the goodness or malice of a particular action or omission. It is distinguished as full and semi-full, distinct and confused, actual and virtual. Full attention obtains when a man, possessed of the use of reason, perfectly knows what he is doing; semi-full attention obtains when the mind, because of some impediment, does not give perfect attention to the act or to its morality. Attention is called distinct when the mind knows with clarity and precision the act and its morality; confused when one knows that one is doing good or evil but does not clearly distinguish the morality of the act. It is called actual when, at the very moment in which the action is performed, one thinks of its goodness or malice; virtual when one does not have direct and explicit attention, but only indirect and implicit attention. Moralists do not agree about the precise concept of virtual attention, which some call, though with little accuracy, interpretative.
To have formal sin, attention is always and necessarily required. For venial sin, virtual attention is certainly sufficient. It is disputed whether it is also sufficient for grave guilt, or whether grave guilt requires actual attention. The disagreement exists rather in terminology than in the substance of doctrine. All theologians, in fact, agree in saying that, to have mortal sin, besides grave matter, perfect knowledge and full consent are required. Now the precise point at issue is precisely this: whether virtual attention can be said to be perfect or not, and therefore whether it is sufficient or not to constitute grave sin. St. Alphonsus, after having set forth the two apparently contrary opinions, thus concluded: «His positis, meum proferam sensum, et dico quod sistendo intra limites iusti, praefatae sententiae facile conciliari possunt» (op. cit. in bibl., V, n. 4).
According to the varying degree of attention, the various acts or movements are distinguished into three categories: first-first acts are those that precede any attention of the mind; second-first acts are those that precede full and perfect attention; second acts are those that are performed with full and perfect attention. Two principles must always be kept in mind: the less the attention of the mind, the less voluntary the act, and consequently the less its goodness or malice; to have formal sin, it is not required that a man expressly think of the guilt as an offense against God.