How does acting purposely differ from acting knowingly under the Model Penal Code?

Under the Model Penal Code, the distinction between acting "purposely" and "knowingly" lies in the actor's specific mental objective regarding the consequences of their conduct.1

• Purposely: An individual acts purposely when they possess an actual, consciously formed intent to achieve a specific criminal consequence. The focus here is on the actor's desire or aim to bring about a particular result.1
• Knowingly: An individual acts knowingly when they are consciously aware that their conduct is practically certain to produce the criminal consequence. Unlike acting purposely, the actor does not necessarily need to desire the result; it is sufficient that they are aware that the result is a virtually certain outcome of their actions.1

These definitions are part of the code's effort to clarify the mental element, or mens rea, required for criminal liability, distinguishing between the active pursuit of a result and the conscious awareness of a result's inevitability.1