WEEKLY LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

Introduction to the Philosophy of Human Person Grade 12, Quarter 2, Week 1

FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Name: ___________________________________________ Grade & Section: ____________________

Key Concepts

 What is Freedom?

Freedom or liberty is a social and political concept which has great significance in how
people participate in society. The concept of freedom has emerged as an important philosophical
issue in 18th-century Europe during the Age of Enlightenment. During this period, intellectuals
pondered on the origins of society and the state and the nature of human freedom.

Enlightenment thinkers believed that early man existed in a “natural state” and had
absolute freedom. However, the establishment of societies required people to surrender some of
their freedom in order to live in harmony with others and ensure the survival of s=-0[/9ociety. In
establishing society, people entered into a “social contract” which defined the freedoms that they
will be enjoying as members of a society and the state.

Freedom in a political and social context and social context means the freedom of an
individual from oppression, compulsion, or coercion from other persons, an authority figure, or
from society itself. Political freedom consists of two types of liberties.

Positive liberty refers to a person taking control or his or her own life and fulfilling one’s
potential.

Negative liberty, on the other hand, is freedom from external restraint, barriers, and other
interferences from other people.

Liberalism upholds the preservation of individual rights and stresses the role of the government
in protecting these civil liberties.

Libertarianism, on the other hand, believes that the individual, not the government, is the best
judge in upholding and exercising rights.

Socialism considers freedom as the freedom to acquire economic resources and the ability to
work and act according to one’s desires.

What makes us free? How does freedom shape our experiences?

Freedom, in its simplest sense, is the freedom to make choices in life. Philosophers relate
human freedom to the concept of human agency, which refers to the capacity of a person to act
and exert control over his or her behavior.

Human freedom is expressed in two ways:

 Free will which is the capacity to choose from alternative courses of action or decision
 Free action the freedom to perform an action without any obstacles or hindrances.

Author: AVA MARIE A. LAMPAD

School/Station: SOCORRO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO
email address: avamarieadlaolampad@gmail.com
Faculties model
refers to free will as the use of our mental faculties. It assumes that we have free will due
to our intellect and that each human action is based on rationality and sound judgement. A
student deciding to participate actively in class to improve his or her grades indicates that he or
she uses judgement to implement an action, thus exercising free will.

Hierarchical model
argues that free will is based on human wants and desires. And individual is faced with
various wants and desires that need to be met. A person exercises free will when he or she
identifies one desire as acceptable and decides to act on it.

Reasons-responsive view believes that man has free will because he or she is able to entertain
reasons not to enact a certain decision and act upon them when the need arises.
For example, a person decides to cross the street but sees a car rapidly approaching. He
or she exercises free will by choosing not to cross the street and allow the speeding car to pass.

What can prevent us from exercising our freedom?

Human freedom, however, has its constraints. Constraints on free action include external
obstacles such as prohibitions, laws, and other social controls imposed by society. A person can
also be physically prevented from performing an action by disability or sickness, or by coercion
exerted by another person.

Other external factors that may restrict free action include the weather, accidents, or
poverty. Constraints on free will include certain methods that cloud a person’s judgement such
as manipulation and brainwashing. People can be coerced to perform actions against their will.

Determinism

Is a philosophical view that believes that every event in the world is brought about by
underlying causes or factors. If man is indeed free, how can he exercise his free will and action
in a world where events are already determined by outside forces?

Other views, however, contend that there is no free will and that all things are determined
by underlying causes. Many philosophers who believe this point to underlying influences in
society that unconsciously shape our ideas and actions.

How can we effectively exercise freedom in our life?

The concept of moral responsibility is an effective guide in the proper exercise of human
freedom. Moral responsibility refers to a person’s status deserving praise and reward, or blame
and punishment for an action. Free will is necessary for moral responsibility. Should there be
impediments or constraints to free will, a person is held to not be morally responsible for his or
her actions.

Activity No. 1: Put a check in the box if the scenario describe shows responsible use of
freedom. Put an “X” if otherwise.

1. While his parents were on vacation, Donald invited his classmates over to their house
for an overnight party. Neighbors called the police to complain about the noise made
by the partygoers, while a bonfire on the yard almost burned down part of house.
2. Instead of spending her excess allowance on new shoes, Rayna decided to open a bank
account and start saving up for her future.

Author: AVA MARIE A. LAMPAD

School/Station: SOCORRO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO
email address: avamarieadlaolampad@gmail.com
 3. Despite the threats made on his life, the witness decided to come forward and divulge
important information regarding the crime he witnessed.
4. A woman used the internet to humiliate her ex-boyfriend by spreading lewd photos of
him on social media.
5. Despite being told not to travel to other countries, a seriously-ill businesswoman still
continued on his vacation overseas.
6. A man dives into traffic to grab and save a girl who is about to get hit by a speeding
car.
7. Despite knowing that many of his clients were poor and desperate, a moneylender
continues to impose very high interest rates on loans.
v 8. A businesswoman resigned from a lucrative position in an overseas firm to start his
own business

Activity No. 2: Discuss

1. How do the concepts of free will and free action define human freedom?

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Activity No. 3: Identify the following.

____________ 1. The freedom of a person to take control of his or her own life
____________ 2. The freedom from external restraint and barriers
____________ 3. Rights which are innate in a person
____________ 4. Rights based on society’s custom, norms, and laws
____________ 5. The capacity of people to choose their decisions and actions
____________ 6. The freedom to perform a certain action without constraints or impediments
____________ 7. This view argues that our free will is innate and is exercised through the intellect
____________ 8. This view believes that a person shows he or she has free will when he or she
considers other alternatives or decides not to enact a certain decision.
____________ 9. This model views free will as the capacity to choose among varied wants and
desires and to commit to fulfilling them
____________ 10. This view believes that everything in reality has an underlying cause
____________ 11. This perspective argues that human actions and decisions are essentially free
and cannot be influenced by external causes
____________ 12. Refers to either deserving reward or punishment for an action

Reflection (Write your answers in your paper)

1. Reflect on your past experiences and identify a moment when you believed you had “no
choice” regarding your action or decisions, or you made a choice that you eventually
regretted. Reevaluate the situation and how important is it to apply prudence in making a
choice?

Author: AVA MARIE A. LAMPAD

School/Station: SOCORRO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO
email address: avamarieadlaolampad@gmail.com
Author: AVA MARIE A. LAMPAD
School/Station: SOCORRO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Division: SIARGAO
email address: avamarieadlaolampad@gmail.com