THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN ACTING SUBJECT
LESSON 2: NATURE OF HUMAN ACTION
 Human act – it is an act in which done with knowledge,
freedom and voluntariness. Thus, it bears MORALITY.
 Acts of man – it is an act done without knowledge or
involuntariness.
 As human persons, we are capable of performing those
ACTS (human acts/acts of man)
 We are regarded as Acting Persons.
 More so, human acts bear Moral responsibility.
 Thus, Human persons are considered as MORAL
SUBJECTS/PERSONS
 One’s subjectivity is expressed in an ACTION.
 Thus, Human Action becomes a basis for understanding
one’s subjectivity as a human person.
LESSON 2: THE EXPERIENCE OF EFFICACY AND
SUBJECTIVENESS
 Human Persons are considered AGENTS of the Actions.
 Efficacy – means “the capacity to produce a result or an
effect.”
 Thus, the Experience of Efficacy means that people have
experience of being the actor, the agent, the cause, and the
one who performs that act.
 As Agents of action, we bring the Actions into existence
and Sustains its existence.
 As Efficient cause of the action, we discover that we are
completely involved in the action and Originator of the act.
 Thus, our Action is the result of Self-determined Action.
 When we do a certain Action, we are not just conscious
about our action but also Aware of our own Subjectivity.
 Subjectiveness – means being Aware of our Subjectivity or
Self.
LESSON 2: PERSONALISTIC VALUE OF THE ACTION
 Human actions are revelation of our own Subjectivity.
 And if our Subjectivity is valuable and authentic.
 Thus, our actions must be valuable and authentic.
LESSON 2: HUMAN ACTIONS AND SELF-DETERMINATION
 Self-determination – is an ability to move from the “I can”
and “I need” to “I want” and “I will.”
 In this moment, we experience the moment of freedom; the
moment of efficacy; the moment of will; the moment of
self-determination.
LESSON 2: TWO (2) ASPECTS OF SELF-DETERMINATION
 Self-possession – we possess ourselves thus we can
determine our own self and our action.
 Self-determination is possibly only on the ground of Self-
possession.
 Self-governance – it is the result of self-possession. Since,
if we possess ourselves then we Govern it.
CHAPTER 4-3 HUMAN FREEDOM AND
SELFDETERMINATION
LESSON 3: NATURE OF HUMAN FREEDOM
 Are we really Free as Human person? Do we really have
power to choose and govern our actions?
 Human persons are free because of having a Freedom;
power to choose. o If we have the power to choose to do a
certain action then, we must be RESPONSIBLE for that
action.
LESSON 3: THEORY
 Determinism – means that every event in the universe
including the action of human person is the predictable
consequence or result of an Antecedent or prior causes.
 In short, a person’s actions are determined from previous
events.
LESSON 3: DETERMINISM
 It denies a person of his/her sense of Freedom.
 Freedom is just an illusion.
 Thus, since they are not free, then they are not responsible
for their actions or behavior.
 However, according to John Stuart Mill, there is another
kind of Determinism wherein, man is still free to choose
but not free to make a choice.
 Human actions are coming from his/her Character but not
from any external factors.
LESSON 3: LIBERTARIANISM
 Libertarianism comes from the Latin word “Liber” which
means “FREE”
 According to William James, Humans have freedom.
 Thus, it contradicts to the theory of Determinism.
 When they look forward for the Future, there are many
possible things that could happen in which not caused by
the past. o Thus, they are free to make decisions.
LESSON 3: EXISTENTIAL NOTION OF FREEDOM
 We are free and by having that freedom, we create our own
essence or our personality.
 Freedom is SELF-CREATION.
 We can choose within the limit of our Finitude.
 Finitude means Death.
 According to Jean-Paul Sartre, we are what we make of
ourselves.
 We determine what kind of person we will be.
 Freedom makes possible our individual personality.
 Thus, we are “condemned” to be free.
 Freedom precedes one’s individual subjectivity and creates
our own individual essences.
 According to Sartre, our Essence is our Freedom.
 It means that there is no difference between being of man
and his/her being free.
 More so Sartre warns us of “Labeling”.
 Labeling – means that something or someone is described
or identified with a word or phrase.
 Thus, to attempt to label ourselves and other people only
serves to deny our and others’ freedom.
 To attempt to label us and other people is what Sartre
would call BAD FAITH.
 In Bad Faith, people see themselves as products of
circumstances or to put identity to themselves with their
past choice, thus closing off future possibilities. o In Bad
Faith, people become a being who is defined or has fixed
identity because of LABELING.
 But as free individuals, we must exercise our freedom and
create or invent our own Essences.