Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person

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MODULE 8 – Philo Subject Teacher:

LESSON 8: HUMAN FREEDOM

I. Common misconception on the notion of freedom

It is always confused with man’s capacity to do anything he wants or capacity to say

“yes” or “no” to a request or to have his last say on things.
Ex. 1. I can say anything under the sun or I can post any comment online since I am free
to do it.
2. I can do whatever I want with my life. My life is mine and I can do as I please.

II. What is freedom?

➢ Freedom is simply defined as Self-determination, absence of restraint, power of

acting w/o any restraint/any check hindrance or prohibition.
➢ It is the function of the will that empowers rational beings to choose their
actions. It involves free will, Freedom of choice, Fundamental option/vertical
freedom.
➢ Greater Freedom/absolute freedom is not just being able to do what I want to
do but being able to do and wanting to do what the situation objectively
(versus subjectively) oblige me to do.

*Note: FREEDOM=RESPONSIBILITY=JUSTICE

Freedom involves being responsive. It involves the ability to give a rational

account, the ability to justify my action as truly responsive to the objective demands
(as opposed to subjective demand) of the situation. Objective demand is always
geared towards the attainment of mutual or common good. Subjective Demand is
always dependent on self-expediency. It is always selfish.

It involves the ability to give a rational account, the ability to justify my action as
truly responsive to the objective demands of the situation. (Response + Able=
responsible) RESPONSIBILITY.

A response that meets the objective demands of the situation is a response that
meets the demand of JUSTICE.

Freedom is the other side of responsibility, responsibility is the other side of

freedom. Freedom and responsibility effects justice.

Ex. An exercise of genuine freedom

As a student, I have the freedom to do or not to do my HBL assigned readings

and modular assessments. However, as a student, it is my responsibility to learn. The
means by which I can learn is through this HBL. Therefore, it is my responsibility to
read, learn, and do my modular assessments. In doing so, I give justice. I give justice
to my fellow students who are diligent in doing their assigned tasks, I give justice to
the efforts of my teachers to deliver modules, I give justice to my parents who paid
for my tuition fees (not to mention the allowance for my loads). Above all, I give
justice to my entitlement as student.

III. Philosophers on Freedom

A. Aristotle – The Power of Volition

 Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
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MODULE 8 – Philo Subject Teacher:

The imperative quality of judgment of practical intellect is meaningless, apart from will, Reason
can legislate, but only through will can its legislation be translated through action. The task of
practical intellect is to guide will by enlightening it.
The will of humanity is an instrument of free choice. It is within the power of everyone to be
good or bad, worthy or worthless. This is stood out by:
o Our inner awareness of an aptitude to do right or wrong;
o The common testimony of all human beings;
o The rewards and punishment of authority;
o The general employment of praise and blame.
For Aristotle, a human being is rational. Reason is a divine characteristic. Humans have the
spark of the divine. If there were no intellect, there would be no will. Reason can legislate, but only
through will can its legislation be turned into action. Our will is an instrument of free choice.

B. St. Thomas Aquinas – Love is Freedom

Aquinas considers the human being as a moral agent. There are basis of the morals of the
human being which are: natural law, human law, eternal law, and divine law.
1. Eternal law is identical to the mind of God as seen by God himself. It can be called law
because God stands to the universe which he creates as a ruler does to a community which
he rules. When God's reason is considered as it is understood by God Himself, i.e. in its
unchanging, eternal nature, it is eternal law.
2. Divine law is derived from eternal law as it appears historically to humans, especially through
revelation, i.e., when it appears to human beings as divine commands. Divine law is divided
into the Old Law and the New Law. The Old and New Law roughly corresponding to the Old
and New Testaments of the Bible.
3. Natural law is the human "participation" in the eternal law and is discovered by reason.
Natural law is "good is to be done and pursued, and evil avoided".
4. Aquinas’ concept of Human Law, a distinct form of law alongside Natural Law and Eternal
Law. Thomas asserted the primacy of natural law over man-made law, stating that where it "is
at variance with natural law it will not be a law, but spoilt law".

C. Jean Paul Sartre – Individual Freedom

For Sartre, the human person is the desire to be God: the desire to exist as a being which has
its sufficient ground in itself (en sui causa). The human person builds the road to the destiny of his/her
choosing; he/she is the creator. Sartre’s existentialism stems from this principle: existence precedes
essence.
o The person is nothing else but what he makes of himself.
o The person is provided with a supreme opportunity to give meaning to one’s life.
o Freedom is therefore the very core and the door to authentic existence. Authentic
existence is realized only in deeds that are committed alone, in absolute freedom,
therefore the character of true creation.
o On other hand, the human person who tries to escape obligations and strives to be en-soi
(excuses such as “I was born this way”) is acting on bad faith (mauvais foi).

D. Thomas Hobbes – Social Contract: “Leviathan”

A Law of Nature (lex naturalis) is a precept or general rule established by reason, by which a
person is forbidden to do that which is destructive of his life or take away the means of preserving the
same. Man is naturally averse in destroying his life.
Given our desire to get out of the state of nature, and thereby preserve our lives, Hobbes
concludes that we should seek peace. This becomes his first law of nature. The reasonableness of
seeking peace suggest a second law of nature which is that we mutually divest or deprive ourselves
of certain rights so as to achieve peace.
The mutual transferring of these rights is called a contract and is the basis of the notion of
moral obligation and duty. From selfish reasons alone, both are motivated and mutually transfer
 Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 8 – Philo Subject Teacher:

these and other rights, since this will end the dreaded state of war. However one cannot contract to
give up his right to self-defense or self-preservation since it is his sole motive for entering any contract.
The rational pursuit of self-preservation is what leads us to form a commonwealths or state; the
law of nature give the conditions for the establishment of society and government. Hobbes thinks
that to end the continuous and self-destructive conditions of human beings, humanity founded the
state with its sovereign power of control by means of a mutual consent. The State itself is the resultant
if the interplay of forces and the human reason, displayed in the conduct expressed by these rules, is
one of the determining forces.

E. Jean-Jacques Rosseau’s The Social Contract

Rosseau believes that human beings are naturally good but can be corrupted by evilness
which cause human beings need to form a civil community to protect themselves from one another.
Therefore man lost his original goodness. To restore the goodness of man, he saw the necessity and
came to form the State through the social contract whereby everyone grants his individual rights to
the general will.
There must be a common power or government which the plurality of the individuals (citizens)
should confer all their powers and strength into (freedom) one will/general will (ruler).
*Social Contract: Surrender of rights between two parties in order to have a mutual
understanding.

F. Lao Tzu –Freedom is having a limitation.

Freedom is to choose individually but the effect should be for the good of all.
Man is limited by his/her desires. More desires, less freedom. In order to be free, man
must eradicate his/her desires.

One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the
eyes…It’s the time that you spent on your rose that makes your rose so
important…You become responsible for what you’ve tamed. You’re
responsible for your rose… (http://www.sparknotes.com)

REFEENCES:

BOOKS:

Maboloc, Christopher. Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person. Quezon City: The
Inteligente Publishing Inc., 2016.

Atacador, Rey (et.al). Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person. Malabon City: Mutya
Publishing House, Inc,. 2016.