FREEDOM Two elements that define freedom

It is an intrinsic and essential property of the Without these two elements, human freedom is
person. This means that the human person by diminished, and the person makes imperfect
nature is a free being and that it is in his or her actions and unwise decisions which may have
nature to seek freedom. An important indication of negative effects on the self and others.
human freedom is the ability to make choices and
perform actions. Our freedom to act sets us apart
from other beings. 1. Voluntariness – refers to the ability of a person
to act out of his or her own free will and self-
Freedom is rooted in the human person’s self-
determination. This means that a person may
determination and the exercise of intellect and
decide to act or not to act, and these decisions are
free will. This means that a person’s every action is
made out of his or her own free will.
freely determined and these actions define him or
her. 2. Responsibility – refers to the person being
accountable for his or her actions and their
The nature of self-determination: A person’s
consequences.
actions determine what kind of person he or she
becomes.

Freedom is experienced through the act of making

Kinds of Freedom
1. Physical Freedom – refers to the absence of any
physical restraint. The person has the freedom to
go where he or she wants to go and to move from
one place to another.
2. Psychological Freedom – it is also called
freedom of choice. The person is free to perform
actions that he or she considers right and wise. It 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; decision-making.
3. Moral Freedom – highest form of freedom;
refers to using freedom in a manner that upholds
human dignity and goodness. A person becomes
more free when he or she uses freedom well, but
becomes less free when he or she uses it in a bad
way. 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.
choices. Although human freedom gives us the
ability to think of countless decisions and make
possible actions, we only get to choose to enact
one of these possible actions or decisions.
Human freedom should be exercised with control
and a recognition of reasonable limits. We set
limits to our own freedom and learn to moderate
or control our thoughts, emotions, and actions
depending on the situation.
Freedom should also be exercised with regard for
knowledge and truth. We use our freedom to act
and acquire more knowledge, and we use this
knowledge in order to come up with decisions and
courses of actions when confronted with difficult
situations.
In exercising our freedom, we should also
recognize and uphold not only our individual
freedom but also the freedom of others. Freedom
is recognized and guaranteed right for all persons.
 Animals
• respond to commands
• trained and conditioned
• instinctively (actions are predetermined,
responses to certain stimuli)
Human Person
• can choose the course of action to take when
given a stimulus or faced with a certain situation
Aristotle (The Power of Volition)
• Volition in this sense is the faculty or power to
use or discharge one’s will.
• If there were no intellect, there would be no will.
The will of humanity is an instrument of free
choice. It is within the power of everyone to be
good or bad, or worthy or worthless.
• The happiness of every human being is in his own
hands to preserve and develop or east away.
• For Aristotle, a human being is a rational. Reason
is a divine characteristic.
St. Thomas Aquinas
(Freedom is spiritually and love)
• Freedom, for St. Thomas, is the manner
intellectual beings seek universal goodness. It is a
condition of the will arising from our nature being
in the kind of world that we inhabit.
• St. Thomas considers human being as a moral
agent.
• Our spirituality separates us from animals; it
delineates moral dimension of our spirituality, we
have conscience. Whether we choose to be “good”
or “evil” becomes our responsibility.
• St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica)
establishes the existence of God as a first cause.
And as God’s creations, human beings have the
unique power to change themselves and things
around them for the better.
• We have a conscience because of our spirituality.
Jean Paul Sartre (Individual Freedom)
• Existentialism is a philosophical movement
known for its inquiry on human existence, which
means “to exist”.
• For Sartre, the human person builds the road to
the destiny of his/her choosing; he/she is the
creator.
• Sartre’s Extentialism stems from this principle:
existence precedes essence.
• Sartre emphasizes the importance of three
individual choice, regardless of the power of other
people to influence and coerce our desires, beliefs,
and decisions.
• Freedom means exercising our capacity to make
decisions, change our life path and direct the
course of our lives through our own steering.
• Freedom is something that is exercised through
our choices.
Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and John
Locke (Theory of Social Contract)
• The three define the freedom of an individual in
the context of having a government to rule them
(contract), which is the basis of notion of moral
obligation and duty.
• Social Contract – is an agreement where
individuals sacrifice an amount of their freedom
and submit to a higher authority.
• It is a necessity that we must assure for the
government and people to work as one. From this,
understanding also arises certainty that have
freedom.
 Intersubjectivity
Is the mutual recognition of each other as persons.
It refers to the shared awareness and
understanding among persons. It also carries the
meaning of “a unique relationship between
distinct subjects”. It refers to the characteristic of
the human person to engage in a very intimate and
personal relationship with others who are different
from him or her but who are also like him or her.
Our ability to engage in meaningful interactions
with other people, our surroundings, and
everything around us is rooted in our capacity for
self-awareness and transcendence. Interpersonal
relations are made possible when the self becomes
aware of the other, which includes everyone and
everything outside the self.
• Recognizing the self in the other is how
philosophers define interpersonal relations.
• Seeming action – where an individual presents
himself or herself in a certain way when dealing
with others. Persons take “roles” or act our
characters when dealing with certain people or
when in certain situations.
• Dialogue – deeper and more genuine interaction
that is made possible when the self realizes that
the other is a genuine and unique individual. It is an
interaction between persons that happens through
speech or the use of words, expressions, and body
language. It occurs when two persons “open up” to
each other and give and receive on another in their
encounter.
Characteristics of Meaningful and Genuine Human
Relationships
Empathy – the ability to share emotions; is an
important aspect of intersubjectivity. It is driven by
a person’s awareness that the other is a person
with thoughts and feelings.
Availability – the willingness of a person to be
present and be at the disposal of another.
• Ethics of Care – an ethical theory that
emphasizes the moral dimension of relationships
and interactions.
• Alienation – a person that adopts the negative
view is said to be experiencing this. This arises
when a person ceases to view the other as a
distinct and authentic person and merely considers
the other person as a mere object or a means to
satisfy personal interests.
How can philosophy help you evaluate your
relationships with others?
Important values related to intersubjectivity
include acceptance of differences and embracing
diversity.
People with disabilities who have successfully
risen above their physical limitations:
• Helen Keller – was an American author political
activist, and the first deafblind person to earn a
bachelor’s degree. She published an
autobiography, The Story of My Life.
• Nicholas James “Nick” Vujicic – is an Australian
evangelist and motivational speaker who was born
with phocomelia, a condition in which a person is
born with no arms or legs. At 21, he graduated with
a degree in Commerce and went on to pursue a
career as a motivational speaker and evangelist. In
2005, he founded Life Without Limbs, a non-profit
organization and ministry.
• Roselle Ambubuyog – is the first visually-
impaired Filipino to graduate summa cum laude
from Ateneo de Manila University. One of the Ten
Outstanding Students of the Philippines, the BPI
Science Award from the BPI Foundation, and the
Gawad Senternaryo Award from the National
Centennial Commission. She initiated “Project
Roselle” that provides schools with software and
equipment that will aid blind students in their
studies.
Society
It is an organized group of people whose members
interact frequently and have a common territory
and culture. It also refers to a companionship or
friendly associations with others, an alliance, a
community, or a union.
The Social Contract Theory
Enlightenment philosophers such as Thomas
Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau
were among the most prominent social theorists
who tacked the origins of human society. To fully
understand the true character of society, they
imagined humans as living in a so-called “natural
state”, removed from modernity and civilization.
• For Thomas Hobbes, persons in their natural
states are governed by their desires and these
often lead to conflict with their fellowmen.
• John Locke, on the contrary, considered persons
in their natural states as more cooperative and
reasonable and that society is formed through the
consent of the individuals that organized it—
concept called consent of the governed.
• Jean Jacques Rousseau’s ideas on the social
contract led him to advocate the concept of the
general will. He believed that even if the people
are the ones who organized society and established
an authority or government, the government is
able to impose its will on the people.
• John Rawls introduced a version of the natural
state which he called the original position to
explain social formation.
• David Gauthier described people’s self-interest
as a significant factor in building and maintaining
societies. Society is founded on the concept of the
common good. It refers to the social conditions
which enable persons and groups to fulfill their
goals and achieve well-being.
Different Forms of Societies
1. Hunting and Gathering Society – recognized as
the earliest and simplest form of society. Generally,
it is characterized by its small size and is composed
mainly of families. Decisions are usually arrived at
through a consensus.
2. Pastoral Society – characterized by the
domestication of animals for food for a more stable
and predictable food supply.
3. Horticultural Society – primarily engages in the
small-scale cultivation of plants, fruits, and
vegetables. Individuals were often very family
oriented and clan-oriented, and their behaviors
and actions were restricted by tradition.
4. Agrarian or Agricultural Society – further
evolution of the pastoral and horticultural
societies. It involves the large-scale and long-term
cultivation of crops and domestication of animals.
It is characterized by improved technology and the
used of tools to aid in farming.
5. Feudal Society – is based on the ownership of
land. These societies arose out of developments in
Western Europe during Medieval times, when rival
kingdoms were engaged in conflict over resources.
People are often very conscious of their place
within society and are mindful of the hierarchy.
6. Industrial Society – is based on the use of
specialized machinery in the production of goods
and services. The advances in science and
technology in the late 18th century resulted in the
Industrial Revolution, which turn gave rise to new
production and industrial methods, as well as
innovations in transportation and communication.
7. Post-Industrial Society – is marked by the
establishment of societies based on knowledge,
information, and the sale of services. Members of
this society have higher educational attainment,
better training, and specialized roles. The virtual
society, a product of post-industrial society, where
people organize themselves through
communication technology and the Internet.
 How does society influence our development as
persons?
It can be said that you cannot think of a person
outside of society and you cannot think of a society
without persons. The person and the society have
a very dynamic relationship in which one cannot
exist without the other.
Because of this reality, it is important to consider
society’s role in the growth and development of a
person, and the person’s role in transforming
society.
Society influences our development as persons in
various ways. Society is the backdrop by which we
adopt the prevailing culture, identity, values, ideas,
and knowledge of the persons, groups, and
communities that surround us.
As important way society influences us as persons
is its ability to define the relationships and
interactions among its members. Society influences
the interactions of its members through the
establishments of norms, which are a set of traits
and behavior that society considers acceptable,
and are thus encouraged and passed on to other
members.
Folkways are less formal norms that arise from
tradition and do not result in punishment when
violated. Social System is an organized or patterned
set of relationships among individuals and groups
that compose a society.
Social Role – actions and behaviors expected of a
certain individual.
Social Groups or Social Classes – individuals who
share similar backgrounds or perform similar roles
are grouped together.
Social Institutions – certain groups that perform
vital functions in society.
Social Values – actions or ideals that are
considered important by society. Values such as
cooperation, obedience to the law, and concern for
others are some examples. Society also transforms
human relations, which leads to the
transformation of its members.
How does society enable me to become a better
person?
Society recognizes the capability of the person to
develop, and provides its members with
opportunities to better themselves. Effective and
efficient public service, education, and the
maintenance of peace and order are some of the
ways society ensures that we are able to have
productive lives and realize our potential.
Persons can also undertake to contribute to society
through their decisions and actions. One important
way a person can contribute to social change is by
enacting his or her social responsibilities well.
• Social Movement is a large-scale action done by
various groups and organizations in pursuit of a
common goal to bring about change.
→ Reform Movements (Reformism) – aims to
bring a social or political system closer to the
community’s ideal.
→ Revolutionary Movements – an attempt to
change government, regime, or society by violence.
Revolutionary Outcome is the successful change of
government, regime, or society. Revolutionary
Situation is a civil war for state power.
Reactionary Movements – a reactionary person or
group tries to prevent changes in the political or
social system of their country.
→ Religious Movements – also known as
alternative spirituality or a new religion; is a
religious or spiritual group that has modern origins.
Human Persons as Oriented Towards their
Impending Death
We are temporal beings or “being oriented
towards death”.
• Death is commonly understood as the end of
bodily functions which signals the end of a person’s
life. It also refers to the separation of the body and
the spirit.
 How should I live my life before it finally ends? • Useful Good is considered good so long as it
serves as a means to an end; its goodness is found
Understanding the person as a being-towards-
only from what it can provide. For example, money
death brings us back to a very important topic:
is good as it can buy you something.
freedom. It has been discussed previously that the
essence of freedom is self-determination— the • Pleasurable Good is good so long as it provides
capacity to choose and act for oneself. While there some form of pleasure, though it does not have to
is no freedom in the inevitability of death, a person be physical.
can still exercise freedom in choosing how to face
Real happiness can be found in more permanent
the reality of death in their lives. For example, a
and meaningful things.
person cannot stop himself from growing old.
However, he or she can choose to embrace aging Suffering
gracefully.
It takes place when we patiently endure
• Temporality is the state or quality or being unpleasantness, discomfort, and pain. It can come
temporal. The temporal existence of a person in the forms of physical suffering, when we
means that his or her life is temporary; he or she is experience physical sensations such as discomfort,
not a being who exists permanently and for hunger, distress, and pain; and mental suffering
eternity. which involves emotional and mental states like
depression.
• The term end can be understood in two ways.
Some philosophers view end as a terminus which
means the full stop or end of a line. For them life
How do happiness, suffering, and death give
ends and nothing follows. Others, however,
meaning to your life?
consider end as telos which means “goal, purpose,
or fulfillment”. As we approach our death, we experience both
happiness and suffering. Although these are
• Although we are oriented towards our death,
distinct experiences, the two are not really meant
death is not the goal of life. The human person is
to be complete opposites, for there may be
not born into this world just so he or she could die.
instances when they enrich one another. The
Man is put on this earth to live a meaningful life, to
pursuit of happiness requires that we go through
be virtuous, and achieve excellence.
the effort to achieve it. Our efforts are often
What makes you happy? marked by difficulties and discouragement.
Ancient Greek philosophy considers happiness as
an achievement and it must be gained by living a
productive and moral life. Various philosophical
views emphasize the importance of setting
worthwhile goals in life to achieve personal
happiness. Happiness has a social element, as we
should not only be concerned about our own
happiness, but also the wellbeing of others.
Three Kinds of Goods or Sources of Happiness
• Noble Good is one which is pursued for its own
sake; it is good in itself. Love and friendship are
some examples.