1 CStrong

LESSON 1: Freedom of Human Person

● his lesson highlights freedom from the inellectual political, spiritual and economic aspects.
To be free is a part of humanity's authenticity. In one way, understanding freedom is part
of our transcendence. Freedom consists of going beyond situations such as physical or
economic. For instance, students can be young and poor, but they can still pursue their
dreams of becoming a doctor, teacher, or a stage actor. As discussed in the last lesson
critical thinking is an important tool toward freedom and truth

Realize that "All Actions Have Consequences"

A. ARISTOTLE
○ THE POWER OF VOLITION
- The imperative quality of a judgment of practical intellect is
meaningless, apart from will. Reason can legislate, but only through will can its
legislation be translated into action. The task of practical intellect is to guide will by
enlightening it. Will in fact is to be understood wholly in terms of intellect. If there
were no intellect, there would be no will. This is obvious from the way in which
will is rationally denominated.

The will of humanity is an instrument of free choice. It is within the power of everyone
to be good or bad, worthy or worthless. This is borne out by: ∙ our inner awareness of
an aptitude to do right or wrong;
● the common testimony of all human beings:
● the rewards and punishment of rulers; and
● the general employment of praise and blame.
Moral acts, which are always particular acts, are in our power and we are responsible for
them. Character or habit is no excuse for immoral conduct. Attending class is a student's
responsibility. Should the student cut class, then he/she is responsible for the consequences of
his actions. As a result, he/she must be held responsible for any accident or failure in grades that
will befall on him/her. The student may regret what he/she had done, but all the regrets in the
world will not call it back. The point is the student should not have cut class in the first instance.
When the matter is sifted down, the happiness of every human being's soul is in his own hands,
to preserve and develop, or to cast away.
 2 CStrong

Figure 1.1. Aristotle: Intellectual Freedom

For Aristotle, a human being is rational. Reason is a divine characteristic. Humans have
the spark of the divine. If there were no intellect, there would be no will. Reason can legislate,
but only through will can its legislation be turned into action. Our will is an instrument of free
choice. As shown in Figure 1.1, reason, will, and action drives each other.

B. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

○ LOVE IS FREEDOM
Of all creatures of God, human beings have the unique power to change
themselves and the things around them for the better. St. Thomas Aquinas considers
the human being as a moral agent. As discussed in Chapter Three, we are both the
spiritual and body elements; the spiritual and material. The unity between both
elements indeed helps us to understand our complexity as human beings. Our
spirituality separates us from animals; it delineates moral dimension of our
fulfillment in an action. Through our spirituality, we have a conscience. Whether
we choose to be "good" or "evil" becomes our responsibility.
A human being, therefore, has a supernatural, transcendental destiny. This means that he
can rise above his ordinary being or self to a highest being or self. This is in line with the idea
of St. Thomas that in the plan of God, a human being has to develop and perfect himself by
doing his daily tasks. Hence, if a human being perseveringly lives a righteous and virtuous life,
he transcends his mortal state of life and soars to an immortal state of life.
The power of change, however, cannot be done by human beings alone, but is achieved
through cooperation with God. Between humanity and God, there is an infinite gap, which God
alone can bridge through His power. Perfection by participation here means that it is a union of
humanity with God. Change should promote not just any purely private advantage but the good
of the community.
AQUINAS gives a fourfold classification of law: the ETERNAL LAW, NATURAL
LAW, HUMAN LAW, AND DIVINE LAW. Human beings, as being rational, have laws that
should not only be obeyed but also obeyed voluntarily and with understanding {for instance, in
following the traffic rules). The NATURAL LAW, then, in its ethical sense, applies only to
human beings. The first principle and precept of the natural law is that good is to be sought after
and evil avoided ( this is the instruct of self preservation). There is inherent in every human
being an inclination that he shares with all other beings, namely, the desire to conserve human
life and forbids the contrary. For instance, if there is fire, and its burning heat is felt, then, it is
but a human tendency to avoid it.
Since the law looks to the common good as its end, it is then conceived primarily with
external acts and not with interior disposition. For example, if someone does not lie to his
 3 CStrong
parents so they will increase his allowance, then the reason of his goodness stems not because he
does not want to lie because it will hurt them but because he knows that there is a reward for
being so. The same goes with government officials who use full media coverage when they help
their constituents so that people would vote for them. A person, thus, should not be judged
through his actions alone but also through his sincerity behind his acts.
For Aquinas, both natural and human laws are concerned with ends determined
simply by humanity's nature. However, since a human being is in fact, ordained to an end
transcending his nature, it is necessary that he has a law ordering him to that end, and this is the
divine law or revelation It also gives human beings the certitude where human reason unaided
could arrive only at possibilities. It deals with interior disposition as well as external acts and it
ensures the final punishment of all evildoings. Neither of which is possible for human law. This
divine law is divided into old (Mosaic) and the new (Christian) that are related as the immature
and imperfect to the perfect and complete. We have, however, now passed beyond philosophy,
since this rests on reason and experience alone; the analysis of the divine law is the function of
theology.
Eternal law is the decree of God that governs all creation. It is "That Law which is the
Supreme Reason cannot be understood to be otherwise than unchangeable and eternal." Natural
law is the human "participation" in the eternal law and is discovered by reason. Natural law is
based on first principles. As discussed in the previous lessons, the principle of sufficient reason
states that nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its being and existence.
For Aristotle, the purpose of a human being is to be happy. To be one, one has to live a
virtuous life. In other words, human beings have to develop to the full their powers-rational,
moral, social, emotional, and physical here on earth. For St. Thomas, he follows the same line
of thinking, but points to a higher form of happiness possible to humanity beyond this life, and
that is perfect happiness that everyone seeks but could be found only in God alone.
St. Thomas wisely and aptly chose and proposed Love rather than Law to bring about the
transformation of humanity. For Love is in consonance with humanity's free nature, for Law
commands and complete; Love only calls and invites. St. Thomas emphasizes the freedom of
humanity but chooses love in governing humanity's life. Since God is Love, then Love is the
guiding principle of humanity toward his self-perception and happiness- his ultimate destiny.

C. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS: SPIRITUAL FREEDOM

Figure 1.2. Spiritual Freedom

St. Thomas Aquinas establishes the existence of God as a first cause. Of all God's
creations, human beings have the unique power to change themselves and things around them
for the better. As humans, we are both material and spiritual. We have a conscience because of
our spirituality. God is Love and Love is our destiny.
 4 CStrong

D. JEAN PAUL SARTRE: INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM

Sartre's philosophy is considered to be a representative of existentialism (Falikowski
2004). For Sartre, the human person is the desire to be God the desire to exist as a being which
has its sufficient ground in itself (en sul causa). There are no guideposts along the road of life.
The human person builds the road to the destiny of his/her choosing; he/she is the creator
(Srathern 1998).
● https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/styles/article_page/public/images
Sartre's existentialism stems from this principle: existence precedes essence. ∙ The
person, first, exists, encounters himself and surges up in the world
then defines himself afterward. The person is nothing else but that what he makes of himself.
● The person is provided with a supreme opportunity to give meaning to one's life. In
the course of giving meaning to one's life, one fills the world with meaning,
● Freedom is, therefore, the very core and the door to authentic existence. Authentic
existence is realized only in deeds that are committed alone, in absolute freedom and
responsibility and which therefore, the character of true creation.
● The person is what one has done and is doing.
● On the other hand, the human person who tries to escape obligations and strives to be en-
soi (i.e., excuses, such as "I was born this way" or "I grew up in a bad environment") is
acting on bad faith (mauvais foi).

Sartre emphasizes the importance of free individual choice, regardless of the power of
other people to influence and coerce our desires, beliefs, and decisions. To be human, to be
conscious, is to be free to imagine, free to choose, and be responsible for one's life.

E. THOMAS HOBBES
○ Theory of Social Contract
A Law of Nature (tex naturalis) is a precept or general rule established by
reason, by which a person is forbidden to that which is destructive of his life or
takes away the means of preserving the same; and to omit that by which he thinks it
may be best preserved. Given our desire to get out of the state of nature, and
thereby preserve our lives, Hobbes concludes that we should seek peace. This
becomes his first law of nature. The reasonableness of seeking peace immediately
second law of nature, which is that we mutually divest ourselves of certain rights
(such as the right to take another person's life) so as to achieve peace. That a person
be willing, when others so too (this is necessary for peace- building), to lay down
this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other people,
as he would allow other people against himself (Garvey 2006).
The mutual transferring of these rights is called a contract and is the basis of
the notion of moral obligation and duty. If one agrees to give up his right to punch
you, you give up your right to punch him. You have then transferred these rights to
each other and thereby become obligated not to hurt each other. From these selfish
reasons alone, both are motivated to mutually transfer these and other rights, since
this will end the dreaded state of war. Hobbes continues by discussing the validity
of certain contracts. However, one cannot contract to give up his right to self-
defense or self- preservation since it is his sole motive for entering any contract.
The rational pursuit of self-preservation is what leads us to form
 5 CStrong
commonwealths or states the laws of nature give the conditions for the
establishment of society and government. These are the rules a reasonable being
would observe in pursuing one's own advantage, if he were conscious of humanity's
predicament in a condition in which impulse and passion alone rule. The individual
himself should not be governed by momentary impulse and by prejudice arising
from passion. The State itself is the result of the interplay of forces; and the human
reason, displayed in the conduct expressed by these rules, is one of the determining
forces (Garvey 2006).
The laws of nature can be said to represent axioms and postulates that render
this deduction possible. They answer the question, "What are the conditions under
which the transition from the natural state of war to the state of human beings living
in organized societies becomes intelligible?" These systems are rooted from human
nature and are not God-given laws. Nor do they state absolute values, for according
to Hobbes, there are no absolute values (Garvey 2006).

In Leviathan, Hobbes asserts:

The fundamental law of nature seeks peace and follows it, while at the same time, by the
sum of natural right, we should defend ourselves by all means that we can.
It follows from this that there are "some rights that no human being can be understood
by words, or other signs, to have abandoned or transferred." Contracts made in the state of
nature are not generally binding, for, if one fears that you will violate your part of the bargain,
then no true agreement can be reached. No contracts can be made with animals since animals
cannot understand an agreement"
The third law of nature is that human beings perform their covenant made. Without this
law of nature, covenants are in vain and but empty words; and the right of all human beings to
all things remaining, we are still in the condition of war. Further, this law is the fountain of
justice. When there has been no covenant, no action can be unjust. However, when a covenant
has been made, to break it is unjust. Hobbes adds:
"...that covenants of mutual trust are invalid when there is fear of non performance on
either part, and that in the natural condition of war this fear is always present. It follows,
therefore, that there are no valid covenants and hence, no justice and injustice until the
commonwealth is established; that is, until a coercive power has been established which will
compel human beings to perform their covenants."
 6 CStrong

F. JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU
● Rousseau is one of the most famous and influential philosophers of the French
Enlightenment in the 18th century. In his book The Social Contract, he elaborated his
theory of human nature. In Rousseau, a new era of sentimental piety found its beginning.
● The “EDSA Revolution” is an example, though an imperfect one, of what the theory of
Social Contract is all about. According to Hobbes and Rousseau, the state owes its original
to a social contract freely entered by its members. The two philosophers differed in their
interpretations. Hobbes developed his idea in favor of absolute monarchy, while Rousseau
interpreted the idea in terms of absolute democracy and individualism.
 7 CStrong
● Both have one thing in common, that is, human beings have to form a community or civil
community to protect themselves from one another, because the nature human beings is to
wage war against one another, and since by nature, humanity tends toward self-
preservation, then it follows that they have to come to a free mutual agreement to protect
themselves.
Hobbes thinks that to end the continuous and self-destructive condition or warfare,
humanity founded the state with its sovereign power of control by means of mutual consent. On
the other hand, Roussseau believes that a human being is born free and good. Now, he is in
chains and has become bad due to the evil influence of society, civilization, learning,and
progress. Hence, from these come dissension, conflict, fraud, and deceit. Therefore, a human
being lost his original goodnes, his primitive tranquility of spirit.
In order to restore peace, bring his freedom back, and he returned to his true self, he saw
the necessity and came to form the state through the social contract whereby everyone grants his
individual rights to the general will. The term “Social Contract” is not an actual historical event.
It is a philosophical fiction, a metaphor, and a certain way of looking at a society of voluntary
collection of agreeable individuals. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights constituted, as an
instance of a social contract, however, is not a metaphor, but an actual agreement and actually
“signed” by the people or their representatives (Solomon & Higgins 1996). The ”1986 EDSA
Revolution” was not a bloody one. People gathered in EDSA to voice their disenchanment
peacefully and through mutual effort, succesfully ousted Marcos. This had inspired changes not
only our country but also in EasternEurope’s Perestorika.
There must be a common power or
governement which the plurality of individuals
(citizens) should confer all their powers and
strength into (freedom) one will (ruler).

Figure 1.3. Hobbes & Rousseau

Political Freedom

LESSON 2:
INTERSUBJECTIVITY

Sensitivity Check Result SCORE

● 9-18 Cool or Calm
● 19-28 Very lively or Spunky
● 29-45 Spirited

Realize that intersubjectivity requires accepting differences and not to impose on others

● Labels could be negative or limiting.

You may be called “IMPATIENT,” “WHINY,” OR STUBBORN.
 8 CStrong
We could go beyond the labels - We are holistic

● Thus, we can redesign the labels to something new and exciting.

● So instead of “impatient”, you are “compelling.”
● If one is “whiny,” you are “analytical” and if one is “stubborn,” one is “assertive” or
“persistent”.
● If the negative labels can be contagious, so can the positive ones.
● Let us focus on the positive, for the labels can strengthen not just your relationships
among your friends, but most especially to your family.

INTERSUBJECTIVITY AS ONTOLOGY: THE SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF THE

SELF
KAROL WOJTYLA & MARTIN BUBER
● Their POV will be used as framework in understanding intersubjectivity
● They believed in the notion of concrete experience/existence of the human person.
● They believed that the human is total, not dual.

Social Dimension Representation

● “We relation”
● Karol Wojtyla

Wojtyla
● He said that action reveals the nature of the human agent.
● Participation explains the essence of the human person.
● Through participation, the person is able to fulfill one’s self.
● The human person is oriented toward relation and sharing in the communal life for the
common good.
1. We participate in the communal life (We).
2. Our notion of the “neighbor” and “fellow member” is by participating in the humanness
of the other person (I-You).
3. The neighbor considers humanness.

Social Demension Representation

● “I-You relation”
● -Martin BuberDimension
 9 CStrong
Buber
1. His philosophy is about the human person as a subject who is a being different from
things or from objects.
2. The human person experiences his wholeness not in virtue of his relation to one’s self,
but in virtue of his relation to another self.
3. The human person establishes the world of mutual relation, of experience.

● The human person is not just being-in-the world but being –with others, or being-in-
relation
● Appreciate the Talents of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and those from the
Underprivileged Sectors and Their Contributions

A. On PWDs
● The process of suspecting, recognizing, and identifying the handicap for parents with
PWD will include feelings of shock, bewilderment, sorrow, anger, and guilt.
● Some parents turn to religion, and consider “heaven sent blessing in disguise”
● Parents whose children were diagnosed with disability have to let go of their dream
child.
● Realization and grief can blind parents to their child’s uniqueness.

Some Categories of PWD

● Hearing impaired
● Diabetic
● Asthmatic
● Cystic Fibrotic Person

A study in North America shows that 50% of deaf children read less than normal
children. For the deaf, total communication is recommended, which includes the traditional
method with use of finger spelling and sign language.

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

● A spirited perceptive child will notice everything going on around her but will be able to
process that information quickly and will be able to process that information quickly and
will be able to select the most important information to listen to.
● Children with ADHD find it difficult to focus or complete a task, despite her best efforts.
 10 CStrong
❖ Negative attitudes of the family and community toward PWDs may add to their poor
academic and vocational outcomes.
❖ Parents need to reach the point of constructive action.

● They can decide to restructure certain aspects in their lifestyle in order to accommodate
the communicative as well as the educational needs of their child with disability.
● Community sensitivity, through positive and supportive attitudes toward PWDs, is also
an important component. (Mapp 2004)

B. On Underprivileged Sectors of Society

Dimensions of Poverty
● Poverty is not one-dimensional, rather it is multidimensional.

Each of these dimensions has the common characteristic of representing deprivation that
encompasses:
Income, Health, Education, Empowerment, Working condition

Income Poverty
● It is the most common measure of the underprivileged
● it is defined in terms of consumption of goods and services
● It involves lack of good and services
Two Levels of Poverty
Poor
● Those living below US $2.00/day
Extremely Poor
● Those living below US $1.25/day

POOR HEALTH
● is also an important aspect of poverty. Globally, millions die due to AIDS, Ebola virus,
tuberculosis and malaria as well as number of infant deaths from largely preventable
causes of diarrheal disease.
Human rights
● are also relevant to issues of global poverty in its focus on shortfalls in basic needs.
The Church
 11 CStrong
● in its pro-poor stance, is constantly challenged wherein justice is being denied for
sectors like farmers, fisher folks, indigenous people, and victims of calamity and labor.

C. On the Rights of Women

Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1712
● Women should be educated to please men
● Women should be useful to men, should take care,advise, console men, and to render
men’s lives easy and agreeable.

Mary Wollstonecraft argued that…

Mary Wollstonecraft (Vindication of the Rights of Women, 1782)
● Such education would produce women who were mere propagators of fools.
● Women must be united to men in wisdom and rationality.Society should allow women to
attain equal rights to philosophy and education given to men.
● Women should not just be valued until their beauty fades; it is the fate of the fairest of
flowers to be admired and pulled to pieces by the careless hand that plucked.