179 (CHAPTER FIFTEEN Man and Freedom Like other people the world over, Filipinos are lovers of freedom. Like similar statements, this must be viewed for what it is: a general statement. If we refer to our heroes from Lapu-Lapu to Ninoy Aquino, yes, indeed, we are lovers of freedom, The Edsa Revolution was certainly ' concrete proof of our repulsion against repression and of ‘our passionate desire for freedom. ‘Thats love of freedom in big letters. But if we particularize our experiences, what do we see? Violations of freedom right and left. Murders, kidnappings ambuscades, graft and corruption, progres- sive taxation by rebels, kidnappings, thefts and robber slander by word and deed, outright lies. In each case, we violate our freedom and that of others. What does freedom really mean? Let us examine some concepts pertaining toi. Free Will Man has free will. It is man’s natural legacy. It is free will you use when you act, when you say yes or no to the demands of your world. This, Johann says, is “identical with your "selthood” and "you have it simply by being a person.” But itis only the frst step in the process we call, freedom. Freedom of Choice It is the freedom to choose between alternatives. It has been defined by Fransen as "the capacity to accept or refuse any activity, and the capacity to do either this or that.”180 Examples are: to choose which salad, which meat dish, ‘which pastry to eat at a smorgasbord; to choose which dress to wear ata party or cuting: to decide which movie to see, ‘Which subject to enrol in, which job offer to accept ‘You might observe a certain freedom of choice among. animals. My pet dogs Torton or Bu-bu would refuse te eat after a steady diet of the same dog food. They show their contempt by sniffing only at the dish. They would jump all over me rather than any other preson in the house. But their actions are more instinctive than deliberate Fundamental Option ransen defines fundamental option as “the basic, freely accepted and intended involvement of a person as such." 71 At a certain point in your life you decide what kind of Person you will be From that ‘moment on. you act According to this decision. You have set your priorities in forder: Are you for God or against God? For authentic or inauthentic ‘existence? For justice or injustice? For yourself only or for others as well? Thus, you really have an option fre decision, definitive commitment” of your “wholeness toward ‘the wholeness of reality as Freedom and Situatedness Human freedom is “situated” or “conditioned” according to Fransen. By this he means two things: (I) human freedom does not start with a blank sheet, and (2) freedom involves “the immediate concrete set of 7 sn en ceca ga ny Sao 181 Greumstances_in which they exist before the use of freedom." Theseaffect its use. pepo pee nae eis ce sega seen te erie See rare are ageless a aoe eerie Sina eet erecta aren tes see It is not for nothing that we ingulre into the circumstances of bith or family of friends and prospective brides and grooms of our sons and daughters. It is not snobbery I have in mind here, for-among the poor are the ‘most decent and well-mannered people I have ever met You cross econamie lines where you talk of "educated" ‘people and people with high principles, Freedom and Determinism Determinism isthe opposte of being foe It “gue seraseras what wil bey wil be." Monden cites thee Sarees of determinisme Q).Boologgal inluences, Soca presuf, and @) the unconscious ™ Yr example: There were men from the Marcos years whorobed he people outrageous, And here rales ily people inthe Aquino and Ramos governments Who A158 Soul not say no tothe hire of dishonest peso, who “hoose the ine of least resistance tobe rich in the shortest possible time. But there have been men in government, Eom Quezons time to the present, who are scrupulously nest and true fo their oath of office. Have they been influenced by one of Monden's sources, oF Is thelr being Nonest or dishonest a genuine act of tue freedom?182 Froadom and Responsibility Freedom, Fulton Sheen once said, is not the right to do what you want to do; nor is it right to do what you must do; rather itis the right to do what you ought to do. To Johann, feadom is more than its corollary, responsibilty. "He says the fact that you are responsible does not automatically make you do responsibe actions ‘hat fact that you know the rules of the schoo! does not prevent you fram throwing your plas softdrink glasses Bnywhere except in the waste baskets or dafiguring the Walls ofoomsan elevators with gait Genuine responsibilty to Johann means “precisely the ability to give an account. It means T can actually usify ayy actions as truly responsible to the objective demands of the situation. Responsibility thus. includes. responsive ness." To respond is to answer, to commit yourell Tt presupposes limitation to the "objective demands of the situation’ which are truly the needs of your neighbors, your wori, your God. Thus, to your neighbors: love and Justice: to your world: stewardship; and to your God: wor- ship. To respond is to decide your course of action. To cexistentialss, “at the core of human freedom let the phenomenon of decision" Sartre says, "lam my liberty." You realy are the way you act. the way you choose toact snc, eee © Ih The Way Fredo” Ane, et 1, November 8 7 Joho Wid, "Ete hes ntgity and. Deion” Te gine Satin ing: Taian Pes," 183 OF course, freedom always involves. sik People change. The cndiates you voted for may change. Ths is Secmtse human nature is dynamic and evalutlonary and pen. Freedom is lways potcd a challenge Risa never~ hing take the cll 19 pt the other and God in font of st