Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person

Quarter 2 Lesson 1

FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN

PERSON
Meaning of the following terms:

1. Freedom – is an intrinsic and essential property of the person.

2. Physical Freedom – refers to the absence of any restraint.
3. Psychological Freedom – is also called freedom of choice.
4. Moral Freedom – refers to using freedom in a manner that upholds human dignity and
goodness.
5. Voluntariness – refers to the ability of a person to act out of his or her own free will and
self-determination.
6. Responsibility – refers to the person being accountable for his or her actions and their
consequences.
7. Sefl-reflection – is vital in the proper exercise of human freedom.
8. Control – human freedom should be exercised with and a recognition of reasonable
limits.
9. Truth – freedom should also be exercised with regard for knowledge and truth.
10.Freedom of Others – should also be recognize and uphold not only our personal
freedom but also the freedom of others.
 WHAT IS FREEDOM?

 The human capacity to act (or not to act) as we

choose or prefer without any external
compulsion or restraint.
 The condition or right of being able or allowed
to do, say, think, etc. whatever you want to,
without being controlled or limited.
 It is an intrinsic and essential property of a
person.
 Important indication of human freedom is the
ability to MAKE CHOICES and PERFORM
ACTIONS.

Our freedom to act sets us apart from other

beings.
EXAMPLE:

Animals Human Persons

Can choose the course of action to take when given a
Respond to commands stimulus or faced with a certain situation.

our inherent freedom makes us very dynamic

creatures and our actions do not necessarily follow a
Trained and conditioned to perform
set of patterns or a predetermined course. HUMANS
think first before obeying someone’s command.
Act instinctively (actions are predetermined responses EX: task of cleaning your room
to certain stimuli)

You expect your dog to always respond in the same

way to your commands.
 WHERE DOES FREEDOM ROOTED?

FREEDOM

Self- Exercise of
Free Will
Determination Intellect
 SELF-DETERMINATION

The ability or power to make decisions

for yourself, especially the power of a
nation to decide how it will be
governed.

‘’THE ABILITY TO BECOME.’’

 EXERCISE OF INTELLECT

-The process to manifest his

or her ideas and aspirations.
-involves a combination of
physical and cognitive training.
Your brain is trained to stay fit and
healthy with the help of physical
exercises which utilise your
intellectual powers.
 FREE WILL

-The ability to decide what to

do independently of any
outside influence.
 -It is important to have
free will because it largely
considered as a necessary
condition for moral
responsibility.
 WHAT IS SLAVERY?

Persons who have denied by their freedom. It is a

dehumanizing act because a person is forced for their life
without the possibility of ever leaving a life of bondage.
KINDS OF FREEDOM
 Physical
Freedom

Kinds of
Freedo
m

Moral Psychological
Freedom Freedom
 PHYSICAL FREEDOM

-refers to the absence of any

physical restraint. The person
is free to move wherever he
or she goes.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL
FREEDOM

-also called as FREEDOM OF

CHOICE. The person performs actions
that he considers right or wise.

-It means not being afraid to create

and share because you have a deep
understanding that any feedback you
receive can only make you better.
 MORAL FREEDOM

-refers to as FREEDOM IN
MANNER that upholds human
dignity and goodness.
-The person is not an object for
others freedom.
-means that we can aspire to
what is morally good, or resist
what is good.
We learned that being human in nature means that we are free physically, mentally
and morally. It means that we are free to do or think whatever we want to in a good
manner.
On the other hand, we may think that some things are also determined which means
if we act in a good way we will be considered as a good person, But, if we act in a
wrong manner we will be considered as a bad person.

Thus this question arises in our minds:

“WHAT MAKES US FREE? HOW DOES

FREEDOM SHAPE OUR EXPERIENCES?”

“HOW CAN I EXERCISE FREEDOM IN A

RESPONSIBLE AND BENEFICIAL MANNER?”
ELEMENTS OF FREEDOM
VOLUNTARINESS

RESPONSIBILITY
 VOLUNTARINESS

-refers to the ability of a person to

act out his or her free will and self-
determination.
-means that a person may decide to
act or not to act, and these
decisions are made out of his or
her own free will.
-also means that a person may act
even if he or she is not required or
called to take actions.
 RESPONSIBILITY

-refers to the person being

accountable for his or her actions
and consequences. As a free
being, the person must accept the
consequences of his or her action
and take responsibility for them.
-Whenever you know you
committed a bad action, you can
either voluntarily confess to it or
other people will point it out and
hold you responsible.
 Example:
Ex. Involuntary action Acting with diminished freedom

A person who is forced by bank A person who tried to scare his or her
robbers to open the safety vault in the friend by jumping out of a corner
bank may not be held responsible for wearing a scary mask. The surprised
the crime of robbery, since he or she friend decided to run away but in his or
acted without much voluntariness. her panic, he or she hit a wall and was
injured. It was not the intention of the
person who committed the prank to get
his or her friend hurt, but it happened
because he or she did not fully consider
the consequences of his or her actions.
VOLUNTARINESS and RESPONSIBILITY go hand-in-hand in
determining a person’s freedom. In any situation where a person is
forced to do an action against his or her will, it follows that he or she
cannot be held responsible for his or her voluntary actions.

Self-reflection is vital in the proper exercise of human freedom.

As free and rational beings, we must recognize the importance of
exercising freedom responsibly. This requires us to reflect on our
actions, consider their effects, and make the proper choices regarding
the most beneficial decisions or actions.
 WE CAN THEREFORE EXAMINE OUR
ACTIONS, HABITS, AND BEHAVIOR BY
ASKING OURSELVES:
“HOW CAN WE EXERCISE OUR FREEDOM IN A
RESPONSIBLE AND BENEFICIAL MANNER?”

1. Human freedom should be exercised with control and a recognition of reasonable

limits.
Limiting our personal freedom requires us to sacrifice certain self-interests and
accept certain realities that are beyond our control. Our sense of right and wrong
guides us in recognizing and deciding these limitations to our freedom. A person
can choose to limit his or her own freedom or even surrender it entirely if it will
result in greater benefits.

Example:
You may have the freedom to pursue a degree in medicine but, realizing that
your parents do not have the means to send you to medical school, you decide to
take a less expensive course.
2. Freedom should also be exercised with regard for knowledge and truth.
The ability to acquire information and truthful knowledge regarding a particular
situation is very important. If we make a choice and act on false or incomplete
information, we may end up making decisions which will bring harm to ourselves
and others. It is therefore necessary to cultivate the intellectual virtue of prudence.

3. We should also recognize and uphold not only our personal freedom, but also the
freedom of others.

Many societies identify certain freedoms that should be enjoyed by all, as these
contribute to the quality of life of the individual and the welfare of the society. These
include the freedom to live and determine one's identity; freedom from slavery and
other constraints; freedom of speech; and freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Freedom should be exercised with due regard for the welfare of other persons and one’s
freedom should be exercised not as a tool to restrict the freedom of others, but as a
means to enable others to fully enjoy their own freedom.
 WHAT DO WE MEAN
WHEN WE SAY,
“FREEDOM IS
EXPERIENCED THROUGH
THE ACT OF MAKING
CHOICES”?
 When we make the choice to do a particular action,
we can never go back and redo our actions and make
another choices. Real life is not a movie where we can stop
and rewind events and get a “second take” on the situation.
Therefore it is very important that we exercise caution and
prudence and reflect on our possible courses of action.

This is why, SELF REFLECTION is a vital in the proper exercise of human

freedom.
END
 ACTIVITY
TIME!
ACTIVITY #1:
ACTIVITY #2:
ACTIVITY #3: