Philosophy

and
Society
 Guide Questions:

•  How is freedom defined in the quotes?

•  Which idea regarding freedom is most
acceptable in you?
•  If you were to make your own definition of
“freedom,” what will it be?
What is Freedom?
 Freedom
•  Freedom or liberty is a social and political
concept which has great significance in how
people participate in society.
•  Freedom in a political and social context
means the freedom of an individual from
oppression, compulsion, or coercion from
other persons, or from society itself.
 Political Freedom
•  Positive liberty – refers to a person taking
control of his or her own life and fulfilling
one’s potential.

•  Negative Liberty – a freedom from external

restraint, barriers, and other interferences
from other people.
 Liberalism
•  The preservation of individual rights and
stresses the role of the government in
protecting these civil liberties.

•  Libertarianism – believes that the individual,

not the government, is the best judge in
upholding and exercising rights.
 Socialism
•  Considers freedom as the freedom to acquire
economic resources and the ability to work
and act according to one’s desire.
 Rights
•  Natural rights
–  Refer to rights which are innate in the person such
as right to life

•  Legal rights
–  Rights that are based on society’s customs and
laws, and are enacted by legislation and enforced
by a government.
What makes us free? How does
freedom shape our experience?
 Human Agency
•  The capacity of a person to act and exert
control over his or her behavior.
 Human Freedom
•  Free will
–  The capacity to choose from alternative courses of
action or decision.

•  Free action
–  Freedom to perform an action without any
obstacles or hindrances
 Faculties Model

•  Refers to free will as the use of our mental

faculties. It assumes that we have free will
due to our intellect and that each human
action is based on rationality and sound
judgment.
 Hierarchal Model

•  Free will is based on human wants and

desires. An individual is faced with various
wants and desires that need to be met. A
person exercises free will when he or she
identifies one desire and decides to act on it.
 Reasons-Responsive View

•  Believes that man has free will because he or

she is able to entertain reasons not to enact a
certain decision and act upon them when the
need arises.
What can prevent us from
exercising our freedom?
 Determinism

•  A philosophical view that every event in the

world is brought about underlying causes or
factors.
 If a man is indeed free, how can
he exercise his free will and action
in a world where events are already
determined by outside forces?
How can we effectively exercise
freedom in our life?