UNIT V:

FREEDOM OF THE
HUMAN PERSON
PREPARED BY:
MR. KENNEDY C. GARCIA
FREEDOM
 WHAT IS FREEDOM?

Freedom is the capacity

to act on one’s own.
 WHAT IS FREEDOM?
To act freely means one is not necessitated to
do something or act in a certain manner. For
there must be a multiplicity of possibilities
from which entails not just a single
possibility, but a plurality of alternatives.
 WHAT IS FREEDOM?

Since freedom entails choice, every free

act has to begin with deliberation, by
means of which reason takes into
account the choices set before the agent.
 WHAT IS FREEDOM?

• Deliberation (noun) – careful thought done through

reason in order to make a decision
• Plurality (noun) – a usually large number of things
• Alternative (noun) – something that can be chosen
instead of something else
HUMAN
ACTS
 HUMAN ACTS

Human acts are actions which

man performs knowingly,
freely, and voluntarily.
 ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF
HUMAN ACTS
i. Knowledge – an act must be performed by a
conscious agent who is aware of what he is doing
and of its consequences. Children below the age of
reason, the insane, and the senile – are incapable
of acting knowingly. (Alam)
 ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF
HUMAN ACTS
ii.Freedom – an act must be performed by an
agent who is acting freely, i.e., by his own
volition and powers. An action done under
duress and against one’s will is not entirely a
free action. (Malaya)
 ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF
HUMAN ACTS
iii. Will – an agent must perform
willfully. The willfulness is the
resolve to perform an act in the here
and now, or in some future time.
(Sinadya)
 ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF
HUMAN ACTS
• Volition (noun) – the faculty or power of using
one’s will
• Duress (noun) – threats brought to force
someone to perform an act
• Resolve (noun) – firmness of purpose or intent;
determination
 ACTS OF MAN
Acts of man (as distinguished from
Human acts) are actions which are
instinctive and are not within the control
of the will. Such actions are biological
and physiological movement in man.
 MORAL
DISTINCTIONS
 MORAL DISTINCTIONS
a. Human acts may either be in conformity or
not with the dictates of reason.
b.“Dictates of reason” refers to the shared
consciousness of prudent people about the
propriety of a certain action or manner of
behavior.
 MORAL DISTINCTIONS

• Prudent (adj) – having or showing careful

good judgment
• Propriety (noun) – behavior that is
accepted as socially or morally correct and
proper
 MORAL DISTINCTIONS

On the basis of the relation of the human acts

to the norm of morality, human acts are
classified into:
 MORAL DISTINCTIONS
i. Moral actions – actions in conformity with
the norm of morality. They are good and
permissible
• Norm (noun) – standards of proper of
acceptable behavior
• Permissible (adj) – allowed or permitted
 MORAL DISTINCTIONS

i. Immoral actions – actions

which are not in conformity with
the norm of morality. They are
bad or evil and not permissible
 MORAL DISTINCTIONS
iii. Amoral actions – actions which stand neutral
in relation to the norm of morality. Neither good
nor bad in themselves. But certain amoral actions
may become good or bad because circumstances
attendant to them.
1. Permissible (adj) – allowed or permitted
2. Attendant (adj) – coming with; accompanying
DETERMINANTS
OF MORALITY
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY
a. Morality consists in the conformity or non-
conformity of an act with the norm.
b.Determinants of Morality, that is, THE ACT,
THE MOTIVE, THE CIRCUMSTANCE,
determine how an act is rendered good or
bad on the basis of its relation with the norm.
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY

1. THE ACT – actions are evil

if they cause unjust harm and
damage to oneself and others,
and good if not.
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY
2. THE MOTIVE – refers to the
purpose which the doer wishes
to achieve by such action.
Without a motive, an act is
meaningless.
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY
Good motive is one which is in
accordance with truth, justice, prudence,
and temperance. Bad motives grow from
selfishness which provoke actions
detrimental to others. “The end does not
justify the means.”
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY
Good motive is one which is in
accordance with truth, justice, prudence,
and temperance. Bad motives grow from
selfishness which provoke actions
detrimental to others. “The end does not
justify the means.”
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY
3. THE CIRCUMSTANCE – an act is
an event. Morality takes into
account the circumstances
surrounding an act. These
circumstances are:
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY
a.Who – refers primarily to the doer of
the act. This circumstance includes the
age, status, relation, family background,
educational attainment, health and
socio-economic situation of the person/s
involved.
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY

• Persons vested with authority have

higher accountability than those who
merely follow their command or order.
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY

• The relationship between people

involved in act may modify the nature of
such act.
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY

b. Where – refers to the circumstance of

place where the act is committed.
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY

c. With whom – refers to the companion

or accomplices in an act performed. The
more people are involved in the
commission of an act, the greater and
more serious the crime is.
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY

d. How – refers to the manner how the

act is made possible.

e. When – refers to the time of the act

DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY
*Circumstances may either increase or decrease
the wrongfulness of an evil act.
*Circumstances may also either increase or
decrease the merits of a good act.
*Some circumstances may alter the nature of an
act. (holdup and stealing)
DETERMINANTS OF MORALITY
*Circumstances may either increase or decrease
the wrongfulness of an evil act.
*Circumstances may also either increase or
decrease the merits of a good act.
*Some circumstances may alter the nature of an
act. (holdup and stealing)
 IMPUTABILITY
OF HUMAN ACTS
IMPUTABILITY OF HUMAN ACTS
A human act is done by a person who is
in control of his faculties, intellect and
will. A person assumes responsibility
and accountability for his actions.
Actions are attributed to the doer as
their principal cause.
IMPUTABILITY OF HUMAN ACTS
• Faculty (noun) – power; ability
• Assume (verb) – to take; to begin to have
• Responsibility (noun) – the consciousness of
being the sole author of an action
• Accountability (noun) – an obligation or
willingness to accept responsibility
IMPUTABILITY OF HUMAN ACTS
b. Imputability means the person
performing the act is liable for such
act. Actions are either praiseworthy
or blameworthy. The doer is either
deserving of reward or punishment.
IMPUTABILITY OF HUMAN ACTS
• Liable (adj) – legally responsible for
something
• Praiseworthy (noun) – deserving praise;
worthy of praise
• Blameworthy (noun) – deserving blame;
bad or wrong
IMPUTABILITY OF HUMAN ACTS
• Liable (adj) – legally responsible for
something
• Praiseworthy (noun) – deserving praise;
worthy of praise
• Blameworthy (noun) – deserving blame;
bad or wrong
MODIFIERS OF
HUMAN ACTS
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
a. The ideal is for man to act deliberately, but this
is not always possible though. There are factors
called “modifiers” of human acts which affect the
mental or emotional state of a person to the
extent that the voluntariness involved in an act is
either increased or decreased and so
responsibility can also be lessened or raised.
1. IGNORANCE
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

i. Ignorance – the absence of knowledge which a

person ought to possess.
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
1. Invincible Ignorance – the type of ignorance
which a person possesses without being aware of
it which cannot be rectified.
a. Invincible ignorance renders an act involuntary.
A person cannot be held morally liable if he is not
aware of his state of ignorance. (NOT
REPONSIBLE)
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
2. Vincible Ignorance – the type of ignorance
which can possibly and should be rectified.
a. Vincible ignorance does not destroy
voluntariness, but lessens it and the
corresponding accountability over the act. To act
with Vincible ignorance is to act imprudently.
(LESSENS RESPONSIBILITY)
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
3. Affected Ignorance – the type of ignorance which a
person keeps (by positive efforts) in order to escape
responsibility or blame.
a. Affected ignorance increases the accountability of the
person. Keeping ignorance or refusing to rectify
ignorance implies malice (bad intention). Malice is
greater when ignorance is used as an excuse for not
doing the right thing. (GREATER RESPONSIBILITY)
2. PASSIONS
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

ii. Passions – are either

tendencies towards desirable
objects or tendencies away from
harmful things.
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
1. Antecedent Passions – those passions that
precede an act and predispose (to cause by a
particular condition) a person to act.
a. Antecedent Passions do not always destroy
voluntariness, but diminish accountability of the
person. Antecedent passions weaken the will
power of a person. (LESSEN RESPONSIBILITY)
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
2.Consequent Passions – those passions that
are intentionally aroused and kept.
a. Consequent Passions increases
accountability of the person. Consequent
passions are voluntary in cause. (GREATER
RESPONSIBILITY)
3. FEAR
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS

iii. Fear – the disturbance of the mind

of a person who is confronted by an
impending danger or harm to himself
or loved ones.
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
1.Act done with fear – such act is voluntary
because the doer acts with full control of his
faculties in spite of his fear. (RESPONSIBLE)
2.Act done out or because of fear – such act is
involuntary because fear becomes a positive
force compelling a person to act without
careful deliberation. (NOT RESPONSIBLE)
4. VIOLENCE
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
iv.Violence – refers to any physical force exerted
on a person by another free agent for the purpose
of compelling said person to act against his will.
1. External act or Commanded act – such act
performed by a person subjected to violence, to
which reasonable resistance has been offered, are
involuntary and are not accountable. (NOT
RESPONSIBLE)
5. HABITS
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
v.Habits – established actions which
are repeatedly done. They assume
the role of a second nature, moving
one who has them to perform certain
acts with ease.
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
1. Permitted Habits – such actions by
force of habit are voluntary and
accountable because the habits are
recognized as evil but permitted to
continue. (RESPONSIBLE)
 MODIFIERS OF HUMAN ACTS
2. Corrected Habits – such actions by
force of habit are involuntary and not
accountable because actions resulting
from habits which are continuously
corrected may be regarded as acts of
man. (NOT RESPONSIBLE)
THE PRINCIPLE
OF DOUBLE
EFFECT
 THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE
EFFECT
A human act, from which two effects
may result, one good and one evil, is
morally permissible under four (4)
conditions. If any of these conditions is
violated, then the action is not justifiable
and should not be done:
 THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE
EFFECT

1. The action which produces double

effects must be good in itself, or at least,
amoral.
 THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE
EFFECT

2. The good effect must not come from

the evil effect.
(To do evil in order to achieve something
good is not justified.)
 THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE
EFFECT

4. The good effect must outweigh the

evil effect in its importance.
ASSIGNMENT
REFLECTION
PAPER
 REFLECTION PAPER
a. Reflect upon the topics that have been discussed
b. Internalize the topic into your own experiences
c. Establish first philosophical principles
d. Be able to share personal experiences related to the
topic
e. Find the connection of the philosophical principles
into your experiences
f. Share realizations in the end
 REFLECTION PAPER
g. Guide questions:
i. What is freedom and responsibility?
ii. Did you experience a dilemma?
iii. What are your experiences of choosing?
iv.What big decisions did you make?
v. How did the discussion help you to understand
human freedom?