Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person

QUARTER 2: MODULE 1
The Freedom of the Human Person

What is Freedom?

In our previous discussions about the human person, we have

learned that a person must possess 4 qualities that validates him or her
as a person namely: self-awareness, externality, dignity, and self-
determination. Self-determination is the capability of the person to make
choices and decisions based on their own preferences, monitor, and
regulate their own actions and be goal-oriented and self-directed.

It is in this self-autonomy that we, as human persons are free to

choose whatever and whenever our wants and needs set us into and let
us dictate the direction of which our life is heading. An important
indication of human freedom is the ability to make choices and perform
actions. Our freedom to act sets us apart from other beings. Let’s
compare how animals and human persons behave to get a better
understanding of freedom. We see some animals behave like human
beings because they seem to perform actions in response to
commands.

A well-trained dog can perform certain tasks on command such as

“stay” or “fetch” because it has been trained and conditioned to
perform them. The same cannot be said about human beings. You
cannot just approach a stranger, toss him or her a ball and say “fetch!”
Surely, you will be embarrassed with curious and suspicious stares from
that person. A person will not respond automatically to the command
“fetch” because he or she is not conditioned to obey like a dog.

The human person does not experience the world in the same way
that animals do. Animals act instinctively, meaning their actions are
more like predetermined responses to certain stimuli. A person on the
other hand, can choose the course of action to take when given
incitement or faces with a certain situation. With us humans, our inherent
freedom makes us very dynamic creatures and our actions do not
necessarily follow a set pattern.
Freedom is categorized into three kinds:

Read and reflect on the situation below:

Bert was on his way home from school when unknowingly, he stumbled
upon a wallet. It appears to be full of cash as well as several Identification
Cards of the owner. Bert knows he was short on the budget he needed to
complete the school project he was working on and he could also spend
some on new shoes. Imagine that you are in his situation. Which among the
situations pictured below will be your most truthful action?

Freedom gives us the choice to undertake one of these possible actions.

It also enables us to come up with new choices. For example, some may take
some of the cash before reporting it to the police to purchase their needs. The
essence of freedom is that it does not confine our actions to those do set or
expected by others; we can imagine your actions and decide to undertake
them.
Now recall your answer and ask yourself why you chose to take that
action. Reflecting upon your actions will enable you to know yourself better as
a person. Your actions also determine to uphold human dignity and freedom.
Having freedom, however, also entails certain responsibilities. It is possible for a
person to diminish or deny a freedom through the choices that he or she
makes.

Freedom requires a degree of control from the person who exercises it.
A person becomes freer when he or she exercises control over himself or
herself. On the other hand, a person becomes less free when he or she is no
longer in control of himself or herself and is instead controlled by other forces.
For example, persons suffering from addiction are less free because they are
overpowered by their addiction to certain substances and can barely control
themselves when presented with these things. People who act solely based on
their emotions are also less free because they allowed themselves to be
controlled by their feelings without any regard for ethical considerations. To
lose control of oneself diminishes human freedom and dehumanizes the
person.

“We are who we are because of the choices we make.” Life is a long
journey, and, in this journey, we would likely face the same situations again
and again. Every repeated choice that we make in the same scenario can
develop into a habit. If this habit continues, it becomes one of your character
traits.

Elements of Freedom

What makes us Free?

How does Freedom shape our experiences?

There are two elements that define freedom. Voluntariness refers to the
ability of a person to act out of his or her own free will and self-determination.
This means that a person may decide to act or not to act, and these decisions
are made of his or her own free will. Voluntariness also means that a person
may act even if he or she is not required or called to act. Voluntary acts are
free acts which can be assigned a corresponding moral value.

Let us analyze the following scenario and figure out how voluntariness was
expressed in the situation.

Freddy was on vacation in a resort prior to graduating senior high

school. He was relaxing on the poolside when he noticed two kids playing near
the pool without their parents. He did not mind them since he knows there is an
on-standby lifeguard in the area. After a short while Freddy heard a splash.
When he looked, he saw both kids struggling to grasp for air desperately
wailing their hands on the air to call for help. He immediately got up and
headed for the Lifeguard tower but to his dismay, no one was there. Freddy
knows he is not an expert swimmer, but he decides to rescue the children
himself. He successfully secured both to the side of the pool.
Reflect on the actions and choices that were made in that situation.
Why did the children play near the pool unsupervised? Why was the Lifeguard
not there? Why did Freddy save them? Did Freddy have to save the two
children whom he did not know at the expense of his own life? One can argue
that he does not have the responsibility to save them since he is not a
lifeguard. If he did that, what would be the result of his inaction? Would it be
possible for other people to be heroic just like he did? What can you say about
Freddy’s actions? What do you think will be the result of his actions?

Whenever we decide to act, this results in a certain consequence. All

human actions have consequences, and this affect not only the person who
commits the action, but also other people in our surroundings. As a free being,
the person must accept the consequences of his or her actions to take
responsibility for them. The second element of freedom, responsibility, refers to
the person being accountable for his or her actions and their consequences.

Taking responsibility can either mean a person will voluntarily taking

responsibility for his or her own actions or being held responsible by other
people. Whenever you know you committed a bad action, you can either
voluntarily confess to it or other people will point it out and hold you
responsible. Responsibility can also have a positive or negative meaning, and
it goes hand in hand with voluntariness in determining the morality of an
action.

The realization of voluntariness and responsibility in the exercise of our

freedom give our actions and experiences a whole new meaning. We can
now reflect on our actions to better understand them and guide us towards
making the best possible decision.

Another reality that we must face as we exercise our freedom is the fact
that freedom is experienced through the path of making choices. Although
human freedom gives us the ability to think of countless decisions and possible
actions, we only get to choose one of these possible actions or decisions.
Having the ability to choose and to enact a course of action does not
automatically mean that we should act every time. It is also possible that the
choice not to take action may be an acceptable and moral choice in a given
situation.

When we make the choice to do a particular action, we can never go

back and redo our actions and make another choice. Real life is not a movie
where we can stop 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.
NAME: Date:
Grade & Section: Score:

Quarter 2: Module 1
The Freedom of the Human Person

ACTIVITY 1.1:

INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the following questions briefly and straight to the point.

1. Why are voluntariness and responsibility important elements of freedom?

2. Is the choice of “doing nothing” a valid and moral choice? In what

situations is this choice acceptable?

3. How can self-reflection aid you in exercising freedom and making choices?

ACTIVITY 1.2:

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED? Fill in the blanks.

➢ ________ is an intrinsic and essential property of a person. The human person

is by nature free and seeks freedom. Our freedom to act sets us apart from
other beings.
➢ Freedom is also understood to be the power to create and define oneself. It
is also rooted in the person’s _____________ and the exercise of intellect and
free will.
➢ Having and exercising freedom requires certain responsibilities. Human
action can either uphold or diminish freedom. A person becomes ___________
free when he or she does not exercise control over his or her actions. Actions
that diminish freedom also dehumanize a person.
➢ There are three kinds of freedom. _____________ refers to the absence of
physical restraint. _______________ is the freedom of choice. ______________
refers to the responsible use of freedom which upholds human dignity and
goodness.
➢ The two important elements of human freedom are voluntariness and
responsibility. ____________ refers to the ability of the person to act out of his or
her own free will and self-determination. ______________ refers to the person
being accountable for his or her actions and their consequences.
➢ Freedom is experienced through the act of making choices. It is therefore
important for persons to exercise caution and __________ and reflect on
possible courses of action in making decisions or doing actions.
ACTIVITY 1.3:

INSTRUCTIONS: Analyze the following situations. Give your recommendations

on how the persons involved can exercise freedom more responsibly.

1. Julia’s family is well-known for being wealthy and influential. However, her
family faced hard times in the previous year. Her father’s business closed, and
they were forced to sell most of their possessions and live a much simpler life.
Julia, however, wishes to maintain her image among her friends. She has
resorted to borrowing money from relatives to keep up with her well-off
barkada.

2. Mang Tony’s meat stall has been very profitable these days. It turns out that
he has been tampering with the weighing scales and has been selling less
meat at increased prices. One time, some meat went stale and he decided to
mix it with other fresh meat so he could still sell it.

Prepared By: Supervised By:

______________________________________ _______________________________________________
Signature Over Printed Name (Student) Signature Over Printed Name (Parent/Guardian)