WHAT MAKES US FREE?

HOW DOES FREEDOM

SHAPE OUR
PERSONALITY?
Two Elements that define FREEDOM:

1.VOLUNTARINESS
2. RESPONSIBILITY
Let us study the scenario below:
Let's Reflect!

1.Why did the boy suddenly cross the street?

2.What did the taxi driver do when he saw the boy on the
road?
3.What did Mang Lito do when he realized the boy was
about to be hit by the car?
4.Did Mang Lito really have to save the boy? If he did that,
what would be the result of his actions?
Two Elements that define FREEDOM:
1.VOLUNTARINESS
- This refers to the ability of a person to act out his or her own
free will and self-determination.
This means that:
- a person may decide to act, and these decisions are made out of
his or her own freewill.
- a person may act even if he or she is not required or called to
take action
- Voluntary acts are free acts which can be assigned a
corresponding values
Going back to the scenario...

1.Would it be possible for other people on the sidewalk

to risk their lives like Mang Lito did?
2.What can you say about Mang Lito and his actions?
3. What do you think will be the result of his actions?
Reflect on your own experience or
actions:
1. Have you ever made a voluntary action to address a
bad situation?

2. You may have come across some situations where you

knew that something bad was happening. Did you make
a voluntary action to prevent something bad from
happening, or did you choose not to act?
* A volunteer will be picking a scenario from a box and figure
out what is happening and discuss what would be the best
course of action in the situation.
- Whenever we decide to take action, this results
in a certain consequence.
- All human actions have consequences, and these
effect not only the person who commits the
action, but also other people and our
surroundings.
- As a free being, the person must accept the
consequences of his or her action and take
responsibility for them.
Two Elements that define FREEDOM:

2. RESPONSIBILITY
- This refers to the person being accountable for his or her actions
and their consequences.
This means that:
- taking responsibility can either mean a person voluntarily taking
responsibility for his or her own actions, or being held
responsible by other people
- responsibility can also have a positive or negative meaning, and
it goes hand-in-hand with voluntariness in determining the
morality of an action
Going back to the scenario...
If Mang Lito was able to rescue the boy from being hit
by the car, he would take responsibility for his heroic
action. The other people who saw his act may regard him
as a hero and express admiration for him.

On the other hand, if Mang Lito was unable to to save the

boy in time, the taxi driver could be held responsible for
hitting the boy. Mang Lito may also hold himself
responsible for failing to save the boy.
- Voluntariness and responsibility go hand-in- hand in
determining a person's freedom. In any situation where a person
is forced to do an action against his or her will, it follows that he
or she cannot be held responsible for his or her involuntary
actions.
For example:
- A person who is forced to by bank robbers to open the safety
vault may not be held fully responsible for the crime of robbery,
since he or she acted without much voluntariness.
- On the other hand, a person who had no awareness of the effect
of his or her actions can be considered an acting with diminished
freedom.
We can therefore begin to examine our actions, habits,
and behavior by asking ourselves the following
questions:

■ What should I do?

■ Why should I do it?
■ What will happen if I do it?
■ How will my actions or behavior affect myself, others, and my
surroundings?
■ Will my actions or behavior be considered correct, proper, beneficial, and
moral?
Freedom is experienced through the act of making choices.
This means that:
- though human freedom gives us the ability to think of countless decisions
and possible actions, we only get to choose to enact one of these possible
actions or decisions.
- it is possible that the choice not to take action may be an acceptable and
moral choice in a given situation
- real life is not a movie where we can stop and rewind events and get a
“second take” on the situation. Therefore, it is very important that when
confronted with choices, we exercise caution and prudence and reflect on
our possible courses of action.
-
■ Self- reflection is vital in the proper exercise of
human freedom. As free and rational beings, we
must recognize the importance of exercising
freedom responsibly.
■ This requires us to reflect on our actions,
consider their effects, and make the proper
choices regarding the most beneficial decisions
or actions
Activity!

Open your books on page 86 and answer

in your Activity notebook the activity in
the box.