Freedom of the Human Person

Intro. To Philosophy of the Human Person

  1. Recognize freedom as the
capacity to make important choices
in life in relation to one’s
Objectives fundamental option
 2. Justify personal experiences of
freedom using any of the
philosophies
 When was the time
when you felt most un-
free?

When was the time

you felt most free?
To be free is part
of humanity’s
authenticity.
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What does it mean to be me?

Existence precedes essence!
Man as free individual
 Consequences of one’s action: Good or Bad

Freedom is simply “doing what I want” – Feeling However, as a person we are not to be moved by
that we are free; that we are the originators of blind impulses or limited by mere external
our own actions. constraint.
  a maxim or principle of morality. The
categorical imperative states: “Act only
according to that maxim by which you can at
the same time will that it should become a
Categorical universal law.”
Imperative  The categorical imperative means that when
By: Immanuel Kant
you are deciding of an action, you ought to
think of the most rational action that reasonable
people would exercise if they are in your
circumstances.
Actio
n & Choices
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INSTRUCTIONS:
1. The class shall be divided
into 6 groups
2. Each group must choose a
leader, a secretary and a
Activity reporter
3. After 15 minutes of
sharing, each reporter must
report, within 3 minutes,
what transpired during the
group sharing
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1. What do I really want
to do in life?
2. What do I want to be in
the future? What actions
shall I take in order to
Guide Questions
actualize my choice?
3. Do I find life more
meaningful by actualizing
my choice?
Guide points..
Recall the time that you feel of being free
and a time that you feel of being unfree
 If our actions were no real
consequences for ourselves
and for the world, it would
make no sense to speak of
freedom
Our action is
characterized by
intentionality and self-
conscious choice.
The most important
exercise of freedom
that is making the
most important
decision in life does
not have to do
merely with a
particular thing of
course of action
Freedom is the capacity to choose who we are
going to become as persons
It is a decision we take
up based on a certain
outlook on the meaning
and value of life
Freedom is the capacity
for such self-
transcendence, the
power to reach out
beyond ourselves
It is basically the capacity and
responsibility for human community
 How do see freedom
now as a whole? It is
absolute? Determined or
structured? Why?
 • An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is
going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and
it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow,
regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority,
lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
•  He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope,
serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity,
EVALUATION truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside
you – and inside every other person, too.”
• The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
• The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
 1. Which wolf do you feed in
yourself? What are the
consequences you experience
after feeding such wolf?
2. Recall important choices you
made in life. Share the
consequences you experience
after making such choices.