Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION I
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF CANDON CITY
Candon City, Ilocos Sur

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Quarter 2 – Week 1 – Module 1
Prepared by: Marc Chester N. de la Rosa

Lesson
Definition of Freedom
1 and Its Kind
I. OBJECTIVES:
1. Realize that “all actions have consequences.” (PPT11/12-IIa-5.1)
2. Evaluate and exercise prudence in choices. (PPT11/12-IIa-5.2)
3. Realize that:
a. Choices have consequences
b. Some things are given up while others are obtained in making choices.
(PPT11/12-IIb-5.3)

II. GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. When was the last time you felt fully free?
2. What are the things or instances that give you a sense of freedom?
3. What is important in exercising freedom?

III. DISCUSSION:
DEFINITION OF FREEDOM AND ITS KIND
What is Freedom? What is the essence of freedom?
- The ability to make choices and perform those choices.
- The ability to be what we want and to decide and create ourselves.
Two concepts that will help us fully understand freedom:
1. Freedom itself
“Freedom is generally defined as having the ability to act or change without
constraint-Wikipedia” Someone or something is “free” if he/it can do or change
anything effortlessly and responsibly. A person or an animal has the freedom to do

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Page 1 of 11

things that will not, in theory, or practice, be prevented by other forces. But freedom
has its particular limitations beyond himself because he is bound by consequences of
his actions either to promote goodness or destruction to himself or other persons.
2. Free will
Free will is the ability to choose different courses of action without
restrictions. If we exercise our free will, we get to decide on things that will lead to
results, either good or bad, beneficial or not. The actions that we do depend on the
values we uphold and the acceptance and expectations of the community we live in,
including family members and friends that we care about.
To be precise, free will is our ability to choose things according to our moral
reasoning, which can also be related to our previous lesson on self-determination or
the ability to select on what is right and wrong, that a person’s action determines what
kind of person he or she becomes.
KINDS OF FREEDOM
1. Physical Freedom
Physical freedom refers to the absence of any physical restraint. The person
has the freedom of mobility to go where he or she wants to go. He or she is not
impeded in his or her actions by any physical force. Granted that the person has
natural limitations, physical freedom enables him or her to act and move in a
determined manner. You cannot be everywhere at once, but your freedom allows you
to move from one place to another and to go whenever you want to go.
2. Psychological Freedom
Psychological freedom is also called freedom of choice. The person is free to
perform actions that he or she considers right and wise. A person is also free to act or
not to act. Psychological freedom is innate and cannot be denied to a person. No
outside force or influence can compel a person to take action against his or her will.
3. Moral Freedom
Moral freedom refers to using freedom in a manner that upholds human
dignity and goodness. Freedom is not an object that a person may use in whatever
way he or she pleases. A person must use his or her freedom to grow as a person. A
person becomes freer when he or she uses freedom well but becomes less free when
he or she uses it in a wicked way. Humans have a natural inclination for what is right
and moral, and when a person uses his or her freedom to do acts that violate human
dignity and goodness, he or she dehumanizes himself or herself and effectively
negates human freedom.

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Page 2 of 10

ELEMENTS OF FREEDOM
Read the situation below and answer the questions after it. Write your answer in
your activity notebook.
The 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 washed out. Your school is planning to help since some of
their students live there. The school needed 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 for the said activity? Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
b. What do you think drives you to join or not join the activity?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
c. If you choose to volunteer for the activity, what are the
responsibilities that you can associate with your act of
voluntarism?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Two elements that define freedom:
1. Voluntariness
A person can 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 that 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 result from his or her choices or actions and take
responsibility for them.

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Page 3 of 10

 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 for
your doing voluntarily or other people will hold you responsible. For example, if you
made a bad action it’s either you take responsibility for it or other people will hold
you accountable for it.

IV. EXAMPLES:
Freedom

Example: Your teacher gave you a pen and paper. The goal here is to
make these two items useful for you. You can either use a pen to write a letter or
draw something on paper. You can also transform the paper into a paper airplane
and write a message on it and throw it in the air until it finally lands on another
person’s lap. Using your freedom as an instrument to create action without
constraint is its true meaning.
Example of Voluntariness and Responsibility
Mira wanted to earn extra income to support her studies. That is why she
joined an online business that offers 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 on 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
1. What kind of freedom does Mira exercise?

2. How does truthful knowledge contribute to or limit Mira’s freedom?

3. How can you show respect for the freedom of others?

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Page 4 of 10

Finish the following to form a 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 . . .

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Page 5 of 10

 My Freedom Circle.

Write down as many good and bad decisions you made in the past 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 judgments
are good and bad ones. Cross out those you think are limiting your freedom and the
freedom of others.

V. GENERALIZATION:
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 makes Browning, G (2009). It is a
deeper form of learning where if practiced with a higher sense of wise judgment and

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Page 6 of 10

 keen perception, the experiences he makes are more meaningful and serve as a guide
for improved and informed decisions, actions and choices.

VI. EXERCISES:
Name: ________________________________ Grade &
Section:____________________
Module #____________
Note: Detach and submit only the activity/exercise pages.

A. DIRECTIONS: Identify which of the choices is the best answer to the given question.
Write the letter of your answer beside the number.
_______1. What word refers to the ability to make choices and perform actions. It is an
intrinsic and essential property of the human person?
A. Freedom
B. Free Will
C. Psychological freedom
D. Voluntariness

_______2. Which type of freedom is from physical restraint?

A. Moral freedom
B. Physical freedom
C. Psychological freedom
D. Voluntariness

_______3. What kind of freedom allows a person to perform actions which he or she
considers right and wise?
A. Freedom of choosing
B. Voluntarism
C. Psychological freedom
D. Moral Freedom

_______4. What ability acts out one’s free will and self-determination?
A. Volunteerism
B. Responsibility
C. Psychological freedom
D. Voluntariness

_______5. This word means that a person is being accountable for his or her actions and their
consequences.
A. Responsibly
B. Responsibility
C. Irresponsibleness
D. Voluntariness
Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Page 7 of 10
B. DIRECTIONS: Put a check beside each number of the statement which shows
responsible use of freedom.

1. Daniel’s school shoes are still in top shape except that their color is dried
out. Instead of buying new ones, he decided to fix them and polish them well.
2. Instead of shopping for a new expensive purse, Liza decided to save up for
her startup capital for the buy and sell business.
3. With the knowledge that the following day is their unit test, Justin stayed up
late playing video games.
4. Leo decided to help his parents put up their backyard garden instead of
going out with his friends.
5. Martha loves eating out in fast food and enjoys greasy and unhealthy food
and drinks instead of eating home-cooked meals.
C. My Reflection
Write your reflection on pad paper if you chose to write an essay or send it
to our GC if you chose to produce a two-minute video.
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 difficulty in choosing (career path,
relationships, studies, etc) and send it to our GC or write a 5 paragraph (300 words)
essay on “The Choice I Make”. The idea here is whether you made good or bad
decisions and their 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."

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Page 8 of 10

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 yourself 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 a clear statement of
purpose, what is this video about, and must be able to present at least two
1 2 3 4
hard choices in your life and the decision you make, its consequence, and
how you deal with it until this time.
Originality: The video output must not be copy-pasted from another
person’s work or ideas with a sense of creativity and with punchlines or 1 2 3 4
“hugot”. It must relate to your personal experience and thoughts.

Production Standard: The video output must have smooth picture

quality, lighting is sufficient, audio is clear, the backdrop is pleasing and 1 2 3 4
the speaker is in his formal casual/school uniform attire.

Completion: The Video output must be complete following the

1 2 3 4
maximum time of two minutes.

TOTAL (20 points)

Rubrics for Essay

Criteria Rating
Content Organization: The essay output must present a 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
1 2 3 4
make, its consequence, and how you deal with it until this time. The
ending should contain a powerful message like lessons learned or insights
or relevant quotations.
Originality: The essay output must not be copy-pasted from another
person’s work or ideas with a sense of creativity and with punchlines or
1 2 3 4
“hugot” and “voice” which must relate to your personal experience and
ideas.

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person – Page 9 of 10

 Unity: The ideas presented must be interconnected and form part of the
whole of the essay using connectors and transition words. Word choice 1 2 3 4
and details of each sentence must be clear and appropriate.
Language Mechanics: Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and
1 2 3 4
mechanics should follow standard English.
TOTAL (20 points)

Descriptions: 4 = Outstanding
3 = Very Satisfactory
2 = Satisfactory
1 = Needs Improvement

VII. REFERENCES:
Abella, Roberto D. M.Div., D.Min. “Freedom of the Human Person” In Introduction to
the Philosophy of the Human Person. Quezon City: C&E Publishing Inc.2016
Baylon, Charlyn S.” Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person: Module 12.”
Department of Education. Republic of the Philippines
Browning, Geil, 2009 lifted from https://www.holstee.com/blogs/mindful-matter/self-
reflection-101
Chang, Ruth, 2014 lifted from https://www.ted.com/talks/
Lucas, Peter, 2020 Self-determination lifted from https://theconversation.com/to-what-
extent-are-you-truly-free-71188
Sioco, Maria Paula G.D., and Vinzon I.H. “Limitations and Transcendence” In
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person.Gregorio Araneta Avenue,
Quezon City: Vibal Group, Inc. 2016.
https://positivepsychology.com/introspection-self-reflection/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/freedom
http://www.open.ac.uk/choose/unison/develop/my-skills/self-reflection

VII. ANSWER KEY:

A 1. A. 2. B. 3. C. 4. A 5. B.

B. 1. ✓ 2. ✓ 3. 4. ✓ 5.
C. Answers may vary

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