Freedom as a Foundation of Ethics

Nominal Duration: 1.5 hours

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this topic, the student must be able to:
1. explain freedom as an essential characteristic of ethics;
2. explain the moral dimension; and
3. identify other basic foundations of morality.

Introduction

Why do matters of right/wrong and good/ bad need a foundation? What difference
would a foundation make? Let’s consider these comments from someone: “I am going to
obey my conscience regardless of whether it is or it is not grounded in any foundation. I
am going to obey it even if some reliable foundation tells me not to. Even if a god suddenly
appears and tells me to do something that my conscience won’t let me do, I am not doing
it. So, where did this conscience come from? How about if a person’s conscience
contradicts the conscience of another individual?

The comment above leads us to the question of choice, freedom or liberty and
decision. It also leads to the question of end.

Freedom or liberty may be described as the power or right to act, speak or think
as one wants without hindrance or restraint. But this power is not absolute. It has
limitations. “Great power comes with great responsibility.” Imagine the world if there is no
limit to freedom and no appeal for responsibility. When one changes the question from
“what do I want to do?” to “what do I ought to do?”, all moral acts become clearer and
point to freedom of choice. There is the invocation for people to use their freedom in way
that they won’t harm anyone including animals, plants and the whole of nature, to not
abuse their freedom and to give limitation to it. The exercise of freedom to act morally
liberates us from our selfish passions and desires. If we are not free in making decisions,
then the ethical value of our decisions is questionable.

Kant points to freedom as the autonomy or self-determination of rational beings.

This type of freedom plays a crucial role in the ethical journey of each individual, of
societies and humanity as a whole. Our everyday choices allow us to pursue our goals
that in a way enable us to live well and pursue the kind of human beings we ought to be.
We want to be virtuous by choice, for example, because reason and experience teaches
us that there is no fulfillment in life if we are coerced to live a life that we do not like. There
is no true happiness from slavery within. Human potential and creativity flourishes when
there is liberty.
Freedom has a Moral Dimension

1. The moral dimension belongs to the realm of human freedom.

The act or conduct that is not the result of free choice is without moral quality.
Morality relates to what we are accountable for. Freedom is not just about what we can
do but also about what we must do. It does not follow that just because we can do
something so we must do it.

2. The moral dimension refers to the concern for the good and happy life.
Moral philosophy claims an essential connection between goodness and
happiness. The moral dimension is concerned with defining ultimate goal of man or what
constitutes his happiness. The path to being happy is the way of goodness.

3. The moral dimension speaks to our sense of moral responsibility.

The moral dimension pertains to what freedom entails – the freedom to commit –
and the limits that the freedom of others imposes on our own. The moral dimension is
about developing the skills for sound decision making based on ethical principles.

Basic Foundations of Morality (n.d.)

1) Harm/Care
This is related to our long evolution as mammals with attachment systems and an
ability to feel (and dislike) the pain of others. This foundation underlies virtues of kindness,
gentleness, and nurturance. This foundation makes us sensitive to signs of suffering and
need. In order to maximize care and minimize harm, we enact laws that protect the
vulnerable. We punish people who are cruel and we care for those in suffering.

2) Fairness/Reciprocity
This is related to the evolutionary process of reciprocal altruism. This foundation
generates ideas of justice, rights, and autonomy. This foundation leads us to seek out
people who will be good collaborators in whatever project we are pursuing. It also leads
us to punish people who cheat the system. People on both the right and the left believe
in fairness, but they apply this foundation in different ways. Haidt explains: “On the left,
fairness often implies equality, but on the right, it means proportionality – people should
be rewarded in proportion to what they contribute, even if that guarantees unequal
outcomes.”

3) In-group/Loyalty
This is related to our long history as tribal creatures that are able to form shifting
coalitions. This foundation underlies virtues of patriotism and self-sacrifice for the group.
It is active anytime people feel that it’s “one for all, and all for one.” We love the people
on our team, and loyalty makes our team more powerful and less susceptible to our
failure. Likewise, we have a corresponding hatred for traitors. Those who betray our
“team” for the other side are worse than those who were already on the other side.
4) Authority/Respect
This is shaped by our long primate history of hierarchical social interactions. This
foundation underlies virtues of leadership and followership, including deference to
legitimate authority and respect for traditions. Authority plays a role in our moral
considerations because it protects order and fends off chaos. “Everyone has a stake in
supporting the existing order and in holding people accountable for fulfilling the
obligations of their station.”

5) Purity/Sanctity
This is shaped by the psychology of disgust and contamination. This foundation
underlies religious notions of striving to live in an elevated, less carnal, nobler way. It
underlies the widespread idea that the body is a temple which can be desecrated by
immoral activities and contaminants (an idea not unique to religious traditions). No matter
the era, humans have always considered certain things “untouchable” for being dirty and
polluted. The flipside is that we want to protect whatever is hallowed and sacred, whether
objects, ideals, or institutions.

6) The Liberty/Oppression Foundation

This foundation builds on Authority/Subversion because we all recognize there is
such a thing as legitimate authority, but we don’t want authoritarians crossing the line into
tyranny. Oppression is hated and liberty desired. It is liberty for the underdogs and liberty
from intrusion.

Concluding reflection on freedom: Whether morality is subjective, objective or a

social construct, they all point to one thing: the individual is a choice-maker. A believer
makes a choice; and so, with the non-believer; and members of society make their own
choices. The individual’s freedom is essential to any levels of morality. Hence, human
freedom is the primal foundation of morality.

Teaching and Learning Activities

Activity 1: Watch the video entitled “philosophy of liberty” (HD with voiceover) on
youtube.com. Write down two personal realizations and submit online.

Check this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GazZBvHhgQ