Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Santa Maria District
J. SANTIAGO INTEGRATED HIGH SCHOOL
Region IV- A CALABARZON
Division of Laguna
Santa Maria, Laguna

Introduction to the Philosophy of

Human Person
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Module 5- Week 5
Freedom of the Human Person
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
1. Understand the true essence of freedom;
2. Exercise prudence in making choices;
3. Rationalize that:
a. choices have consequences;
b. some things are given up while others are obtained in making choices, and
4. Show situations that demonstrate freedom of choice and its consequences.

For the learners

Now that you are holding this module, do the following:
1. Read and follow instruction carefully.
2. Take note and record points for clarification
3. Do the activities to fully understand the lesson.
4. Answer all the given tests and activities.
5. Write all your answer in the space provided in your module.

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Name of Learner
 Definition of Freedom and It’s Kind
Learning Competency: Realize that “all actions have consequences. ”(PPT11/12-IIa-5.1)

1. What emotions and ideas can be derived from the picture when it comes to freedom? Why?
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2. Could there be a considerable amount of change if animals are given the freedom and roam freely
in their natural habitat? Expound your answer.
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 Listen to (or View) the message of Ruth Chang via Ted Talk on making hard choices through
https://www.ted.com/talks/ruth_chang or read the transcript below. You can make a two-minute talk video
about your own difficulty in choosing (career path, relationships, studies, etc) and send it to my messenger
account or write a 5 paragraph (300 word) essay on “The Choice I Make”. Write your essay in a short bond
paper. The idea here is whether you made a good or bad decisions and its effect on you as a person. Have fun
and enjoy!

Ruth [Chang-] : How to make hard choices (transcript)

According to her rational individuals are not merely discoverers of reasons but creators of them through the
activity of commitment and by owning full responsibilities of your choice or decision. She is a philosopher,
lawyer and researcher.

Summary

People definitely say that they have some hard choices. They think that hard choices are big and hard, it
matters to them but they can't choose one because they are stupid.  
However, the speaker who studies hard choices and is a philosopher, tells us that we shouldn't choose one
because there is no best option. It means that we misunderstand hard choices but we have to choose one.
1) If you start with two things that are equally good, and you improve one of them, it now must be better than
the other. This is not the case with options in hard choices.
2) You assume that the choice has a good answer that is greater or lesser or equal. However, the value of the
choices can't be measured by something. She calls this "on a par."
3) In fact, the alternatives are in the same area and at the same level. It's very different in kind of value but you
don't realize.
4) The choice means to create reasons for yourself and make yourself into the kind of person who you want to
be. It's not dictated by reasons given to you. The reasons create to you like you became the authors of your own
life.
 In other words, how to make hard choices doesn't have the failure, because you can make yourself in the
space of hard choices where you get to exercise your normative power. The power creates reasons for you and
makes yourself fit the reasons. You can decide your life by yourself. This is the answer on how to make hard
choices.  You can enjoy it.

Rubrics for Video

Criteria Rating
Content Organization: The video output must show clear statement of purpose, what is
this video about and must be able to present at least two hard choices in your life and the 1 2 3 4
decision you make, its consequence and how you deal with it until this time.
Originality: The video output must not be copy-pasted from other person’s work or ideas
with a sense of creativity and with punchlines or “hugot”. It must relate to your own 1 2 3 4
personal experience and thoughts.
Production Standard: The video output must have smooth picture quality, lighting is
sufficient, audio is clear, back drop is pleasing and speaker is in his formal casual/school 1 2 3 4
uniform attire.
Completion: The Video output must be complete following the maximum time of two
1 2 3 4
minutes.
TOTAL (20 points)

Rubrics for Essay

Criteria Rating
Content Organization: The essay output must present clear statement of purpose or
introduction. It must also contain a well-developed body of ideas with at least two hard
choices in your life and the decision you make, its consequence and how you deal with it 1 2 3 4
until this time. The ending should contain powerful message like lessons learned or insights
or relevant quotations.
Originality: The essay output must not be copy-pasted from other person’s work or ideas
with a sense of creativity and with punchlines or “hugot” and “voice” which must relate to 1 2 3 4
your own personal experience and ideas.
Unity: The ideas presented must be interconnected and form part of the whole of the essay
using connectors and transition words. Word choice and details of each sentence must be 1 2 3 4
clear and appropriate. .
Language Mechanics: Spelling, grammar, sentence structure and mechanics should follow
1 2 3 4
the standard English.
TOTAL (20 points)

Elements of Freedom
Learning Competencies: Evaluate and exercise prudence in choices realize that:

a. Choices have consequences (PPT11/12-IIa-5.2)

b. Some things are given while others are obtained in making choices (PPT11/12-IIb-5.3)

What’s New?
Activity 1: Knowing My Priorities

Read the situation below and answer the questions after it. Write your answer on the space provided.
News came that a sudden deluge of water ran over some houses near your area. Thank God, no one was
hurt except that most of their homes were destroyed and all of their belongings were literally washed out.
 Your school is planning to help since some of their students live there. The school needed the help from
student volunteers who were lucky to have been spared from this calamity. Are you willing to accept this call?

a. Would you volunteer to the said activity? Why or why not?

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b. What do you think drives you to join or not join the activity?
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c .If you choose to volunteer for the activity, what are the responsibilities that you can associate to your act
of voluntarism?
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What Is It?

Two elements that define freedom:

1. Voluntariness
It is the ability of a person to act of his or her own free will and self-determination. A person may decide
to do things or not to do it according to his own free will. It also means that even though she/he is not required
to do such things he/she could still do it or take action on it.

Voluntary acts are free acts which can be assigned a corresponding moral value. One must always
remember that in every action we make, in every choice we make there is an equivalent consequence. These
consequences affect not just the individual who does the decision but also other people in their surroundings.
With that, one must always accept the consequences that results from his or her choices or actions and take
responsibility for them.

2. Responsibility
Responsibility refers to the person being accountable for his or her action and their consequences.
Taking responsibility can mean either you take responsibility to your doing voluntarily or other people will
hold you responsible. For example, if you made a bad action it’s either you take responsibility of it or other
people will hold you accountable for it.
Example of voluntariness and responsibility

Mira wanted to earn extra income to support her studies. That is why she joined an online business that
offer to sell beauty products and vitamins. At first, Mira was making money enough to support her school needs
like fare and food for one week. Her demands grew better, so, she wanted to earn more by recruiting members
to join her company she knew nothing of its origin. Later, she found out that this company was a hoax and
several classmates she enlisted and even teachers she enticed to buy warned that her products have harmful
effects to a person’s kidney and liver. Still she continued selling because she needed the money badly without
considering the health of her customers. One day, Mira was apprehended by the NBI, Narcotics and SOCO
officers for selling counterfeit products.

This situation tells us about volunteerism on the part of Mira who at first aspires for extra income to
support her schooling by engaging in an online business which is not bad. But when she learned about the
company/s fraudulent and counterfeit products, she has the responsibility to leave the company and report it to
the authorities.
There are significant factors to consider in the exercise of freedom. These are Prudence and Self-reflection.

Prudence is the ability to govern and discipline oneself with the use of reason; it is having caution and giving
good judgments in making decisions. Making hard choices is an exercise of freedom. But freedom should also
be based on truthful knowledge and wise reasoning. Hence, we should practice self-reflection on every
decision we make.

Self-reflection allows each person to analyze his life both in small and big details in terms of the decisions,
actions and choices he make Browning, G (2009). It is a deeper form of learning where if practiced with
higher sense of wise judgement and keen perception, the experiences he makes are more meaningful and serve
as guide for improved and informed decisions, actions and choices.

Finish the Sentence

 I do my best when ________________________________________________________________

 I struggle when __________________________________________________________________
 I am comfortable when __________________________________________________________
 I feel stress when _________________________________________________________________
 I am courageous when __________________________________________________________
 One of the most important things I learned was ____________________________________
 I missed a great opportunity when _________________________________________________
 One of my favorite memories is____________________________________________________
 My toughest decisions involve _____________________________________________________
 Being myself is hard because _______________________________________________________
 I can be myself when _____________________________________________________________
 I wish I were more _________________________________________________________________
 I wish I could ______________________________________________________________________
 I wish I would regularly _____________________________________________________________
 I wish I had ________________________________________________________________________
 I wish I knew ______________________________________________________________________
 I wish I felt ________________________________________________________________________
 I wish I saw _________________________________________________________________________
 I wish I thought _____________________________________________________________________
 Life should be about _______________________________________________________________
 I am going to make my life about ___________________________________________________

 What’s More?

Activity 2: My Freedom Circle.

Write down as many good and bad decisions you made in the past one year inside the circle and
cross out the decisions you think you regret.

According to Ruth Chang, there is no best choice in decision-making, but it is your commitment
to own that decision where it will shape the best version of yourself. Fill the chart below with
words or phrases to know whether your judgements are good and bad ones. Cross out those
you think are limiting your freedom and the freedom of others.
Activity3: Reflect.

Draw/sketch a scene or an object where it reflects prudence in decision-making or write down a line
or two of a song/poem where it talks about thoughtful or wise choice.

Dear Teacher,
 I hereby checked and reviewed my son’s/daughter’s activity sheet. With my signature below, I
ensured that he/she had accomplished the given task by the teacher and had completed answering all the
activities for this week.

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Parent’s Name and Signature