Introduction to the Philosophy of exercise through the use of his intellect and free will (ability to freely choose).
the Human Person Freedom is experienced through the act of making choices.
Module 1-Week 1
The Human Person and Freedom
Learning Objectives:
5.1 Evaluate and exercise prudence in choices
5.2 Realize that:
a. Choices have consequences, and
b. Some things are given up while other are obtained in
making choices
5.3 Show situations that demonstrate freedom of choice.
The Human Person’s Freedom
Freedom is the ability to choose between two alternative options.
Freedom is not absolute, meaning one cannot do whatever he/she pleases
whenever he/she likes to do something. Your freedom ends where the other
person’s freedom begins. You cannot do whatever you want to do. It is important
to respect and remind yourself of other people’ freedom whenever you do
something. When you respect the right of other people to live, you will not do
something that is unnecessary such as causing the end of their life and in return
they should also consider this respect towards your life. There is an
interconnection between the freedoms that exist among individuals. Freedom to
do whatever one pleases, whenever he/she wishes is a misconception. Human
beings are governed by existing laws to make sure that everyone else follows a
system of living where accountability for one’s action is a must.
Freedom is an intrinsic and essential property of the human person. This means
that the human person by nature is a free being and that it is in his or her nature
to seek freedom. An important indication of human freedom is the ability to
make choices and perform actions. Our freedom to act sets us apart from other
beings. Only human beings are capable of making deliberate choices. The Human
person has the ability to choose the course of his/her action depending on the
need of the situation. Freedom is rooted in the human person’s ability to
Kinds of Freedom
a) Physical Freedom- it refers to the absence of any physical constraint. The
person has the freedom of mobility to go where he/she wants to go. He
or she is not impeded in his/her actions by any physical force. Granted
that the person has natural limitations, physical freedom allows him/her
to act and move in a determined manner. You cannot be everywhere at
once, but your freedom allows you to move from one place to another
and to go whenever you want to go.
b) Psychological freedom – freedom of choice. The person Is free to
perform actions that he/she considers right and wise. A person is also
free to act or not to act. Psychological freedom is innate and cannot be
denied a person. No outside force or influence can compel a person to
take action against his or her will.
c) Moral freedom- refers to using the freedom in a manner that upholds
human dignity and goodness. Freedom is not an object that a person
may use in whatever way he/she pleases. A person must use his or her
freedom to grow as a person. A person becomes freer when he or she
uses freedom well, but becomes less free when he or she uses it in a bad
way. Humans have a natural inclination for what is true and good and
when a person uses his or her freedom to do acts that violate human
dignity and goodness, he or she dehumanizes himself or herself and
effectively negates human freedom.
Law and Freedom
In order for everyone to obey and respect the inherent freedom of every
human beings each of their actions are governed by what we call “law”. Laws are
guiding principles that governs the every conduct of each human being. Laws are
necessary to man because they regulate human activity. Without laws, there will
surely be chaos, since everyone will be acting in accordance to what one wishes
without regard for the common good.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, law is an ordinance of reason,
promulgated for the common good by one who has charge of society. A law is a
rational deliberation intended to guide men towards what is good for them and
for society. It is promulgate, meaning it is made known to the people who are
bound to observe them. It can only be valid, if the law if implemented by the
legitimate authority. It must promote the common good- that which is beneficial
Freedom and Morality
to all, if not most of the people. A law may have its good and bad side, hence, the
need for people to safeguard its validity in promoting the common good. Ethics deals with morality of human acts (rightness and wrongness of an
action. As we interact with people, human society, we make judgments based on
The four types of laws
what is good or bad regarding an action and we say statements like; “What he
 Eternal Law- the eternal law is the ideal type or order of the universe did is right.”, “Your action is unreasonable, “Your behavior is rude”. While there
preexisting in the mind of God. Imagine that God is like a divine architect are different criteria to determine the rightfulness or wrongness of an act, we all
who must plan a structure before it is built. If you look around you and agree that there are acts that we consider good and bad. The question is “How
reflect, you see that the universe has some kind of order. The planets do do we determine whether the action is good or bad?”, this will be the focus of
not collide with one another, the growth of a child in a mother’s womb the discussion on this part of the lesson.
follows a systematic order, and the parts of your body are systematically
There are two actions of the human person in relation to what he/she does. One
put in place together.
is “Acts of Man”, these are the acts of man that he does not control, it happens
involuntarily, and they are what we call psychological and metabolic processes.
 Natural Law- it is the rational creature’s participation of the eternal law.
One cannot control his heartbeat patterns, digestion and intrinsic bodily
It is participation of the human in the eternal law, and the first principle
movements such as blood flow. The acts of ma are not covered by morality,
of natural law- the discernment or knowledge of good and evil. The
since they are involuntary. What is covered by the ethics/morality is what we call
human being has the ability to choose between to alternative options,
“Human Acts”, these are the products of the deliberate free will of man. Human
and his orientation is always towards what is good.
acts may be internal or external, performed by a human being. These are the
actions deliberately performed by human beings. He/she has control over
 Human Law- it is a dictate of practical reason. These are the laws that
Human acts. They are covered by morality.
govern the conduct of man in everyday life. These are the guiding
principles that are agreed upon by human beings to safeguard their Essential Elements of Human Acts
inherent rights to life, liberty, education and the likes. There is a certain
1. Knowledge- a human person performs an act in which he is aware and
kind of agreement between people to respect these laws to maintain
knowledgeable. The person is conscious and knows what he/she plans
peace and order among themselves.
to do and is doing, the moment it is being done. On the part of the
human person, there is a complete awareness of the action deliberately
 Divine Law- the divine law is basically the will of God revealed in the
done.
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. These laws act as the source
of moral principles that will guide the everyday conduct of each human
2. Freedom- the action of the human person must completely be done on
person. An example of this is the 10 commandments handed over to
his/her own will. The human person made a choice, or is making a choice
Moses.
to perform the act that he/she plans to commit. The choice is made
without any restrictions.
 Political Laws-these laws are enacted by men to guide their actuations in
society and I relation to one another. They regulate man’s external
3. Voluntariness- the action must be done without any control. The act of
actions. Its objective is peace and order and material prosperity.
the human person must be a product of his her own choices. It must be
Violation of these laws will lead into serious consequences.
done intentionally by the one who is doing the act.
 Enrichment Activity 1
The Determinants of Morality
Write down five things that you have done in the past where you have
1) The act in itself- this pertains into what is being done, what has been exercise your freedom. Reflect on the actions that you have done. Are they
done or what being planned to be done. good or bad? Explain your answer on a separate sheet of paper
2) The motive of an act- the purpose of the doer of an act or the intention
1._______________________________________________________
why the act is being done.
3) Circumstance of the act- refers to the event of an act which occur in a 2._______________________________________________________
definite time and place and accompanied by certain elements which can
3._______________________________________________________
contribute to the nature and the accountability of such an act. It adds up
or lessens the moral accountability of the doer of the action. 4._______________________________________________________
When an action is in accordance with the elements of the human act and is 5._______________________________________________________
considered bad after its investigation, the judgment is called “Moral”. When an
action is not in accordance with the elements of the human act and is considered
bad after its investigation, the judgment is called “Immoral”. When an action is
not yet clearly determined and the elements of the human act is not yet clear
and is being investigated, the judgment is called “Amoral.”. Enrichment Activity 2

Factors that lessens the Accountability in a Human Act Answer the following questions:
1. Why do you need to follow the laws agreed upon by people?
a) Ignorance- it is the absence of knowledge. When one is not
knowledgeable about what he/she is the accountability becomes lesser.
b) Fear- when one acts out of fear, the freedom of the human person is
2. Is an action possible without any intention or motive for doing the
limited and the responsibility lessens.
c) Violence- when there is an external pressure put upon a person by the
particular?
use of force to do something that is against the will of the doer of the
actin. 3. Why do you need to consider other people in exercising your very
“The greater the knowledge and the freedom, the greater the voluntariness and own freedom?
the moral responsibility”
4. Is it possible for a person to do something without really expecting
One must always exercise prudence in whatever he/she does. Prudence is something in return?
knowing and doing the right thing at the right time, at the right moment. One
must always take into consideration the outcome of his/her actions in relation to
his/her own and to other people. 5. Can a person be free and not exercising his/her ability to be free?
Explain your answer.