SELF-LEARNING HOME TASK (SLHT)

Subject: Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person Grade: 11 Level:

Quarter: 1 Week: 3

MELC: Show situations that demonstrate freedom of choice and the consequences of their
choices
Competency Code: PPT11/12-IIb-5.3

Name: __________________________ Section: ________ Date: ________

School: __________________________ District: __________________________

A. Readings/Discussions

FREEDOM OF CHOICE
by Arthur Kemp
(August 1, 1960)

All too frequently the term freedom has been misused or abused. Perhaps this is
inevitable when the concept of freedom is capable of stirring up considerable emotion in the
human breast; indeed, some men have died for it, and many others have proclaimed their
willingness to do so. Less often, however, have men had the patience to devote attention to the
less emotional and more mundane restrictions on freedom when these do not directly affect
them.

If freedom of choice were to relate merely to the number of courses of action open to a
person, it would be more accurately described as power of choice. But freedom of choice
represents something more fundamental than power; it represents the right of the individual
person to be a free agent in his interhuman relationships, to make his own decisions, to be free
from the arbitrary authority of others, and to be able to choose how he wishes to use his
services or property rather than to be subject to coercion by others. Freedom of choice means
that the person is able to choose his own course of action and his own pattern of living, subject
to the requirement that he shall not act so as to violate the freedom of choice of others.

Freedom in this sense, it should be noted, is freedom of, not freedom from or freedom
to; the preposition is of great importance, for the latter represent not different aspects of the
same thing but entirely different conditions. This calls to mind the famous four freedoms
enunciated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II—freedom of speech, of
worship, from want, and from fear—later called "a noble pun" by the British economist, Joan
Robinson. The two pairs of freedoms were, in fact, of entirely different character. Mr.
Roosevelt meant security from want and fear, not freedom or liberty. Many philosophers,
including Franklin and Jefferson, have pointed out that freedom and security are inconsistent
human conditions. Indeed, make freedom of choice into freedom from choice and one comes
close to a definition of slavery.

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A Vital Distinction

The struggle and debate of our time is intimately related to this difference between
freedom of choice and from choice. Such a difference relates to the alternative methods of
organizing human activity and is not simply a struggle between the United States and the
Soviet Union or between the free world and the unfree world. Human activity can be
organized so that the individual person has freedom of choice or so that he has little or no
choice. The latter is the technique of the totalitarian state while the former is the mechanism of
the market place with limited government and the separation of political powers.

A freedom-of-choice society in the economic sphere is a market society. Individual

economic transactions are conducted through the voluntary cooperation of reasonably well-
informed persons in such a way that both parties benefit from them. A free-choice society
provides a mechanism for bringing about coordination with a minimum of coercion. Human
activities, so far as possible, are conducted in the market, not in the political sphere. In this
way coercion of individual persons to conform is minimized and freedom of individual choice
is maximized. Each person can choose the color of tie he wants, the architecture of his house,
and the cut of his clothes. He does not have to submit to what the majority wants; he may
make his own choice and get it.

This is, of course, exactly the opposite from that organization of society where
decisions which could be made by the market are made on a political yes or no basis. Even if
these decisions are reached by the expedient of democratic majority rule (which may be
transitory) rather than by dictatorial fiat, the political decisions are the results of group
pressures instead of individual choices.

We live in a society still essentially free, one that gives to the individual person the
right not only to choose his physician but to make other choices as well. Indeed, we have even
permitted the individual person to choose to use his capital and his services to advocate the
abolition of freedom of choice itself. Throughout the history of mankind this sort of society
has not been the general rule but the exception. Perhaps this is inevitable. The totalitarian
collectivist principle is simple and straightforward; it appeals to those who say, "Do something
now." The necessity of restraint, group and individual, the recognition of ignorance and the
imperfection of human knowledge, and the denial of a millennium and the aim of establishing
conditions that make life not perfect but workable—all these attributes of a free-choice society
constitute a highly sophisticated doctrine.

It is sobering to see the growing number of so-called leaders of political thought or

politicians who advocate an ever-growing governmental assumption of responsibility for all
sorts of complex economic and social problems—full-employment, care for the aged, care for
the indigent, government health services, subsidized housing, and so on and on. Yet the moral
ethic on which our civilization rests emphasizes individual responsibility. Can such a
civilization survive? Perhaps, but only if it recognizes the difference between freedom of
choice and freedom from choice.

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Reference: https://fee.org/articles/freedom-of-choice/

B. Exercises

EXERCISE 1: FREEDOM OF CHOICE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

“We are free to choose but not free from the consequence of our choice.”

Directions: Connect the pictures above to the pictures below to portray a freedom of choice
and its consequences scenario.

Questions:

1. What is the relationship between choices and consequences?

2. How can a person’s freedom of choice change his/her life?

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 3. How do freedom of choice of people reveal their personalities?
4. How do freedom of choice, actions, and consequences vary depending on the different
perspectives of the people involved?

EXERCISE 2:

Directions: Read the story slowly and carefully. Then, answer the questions that follow with
conviction.

A Summary of James Joyce’s ‘Eveline’

Eveline is a young woman living in Dublin with her father. Her mother is dead.
Dreaming of a better life beyond the shores of Ireland, Eveline plans to elope with Frank, a
sailor who is her secret lover (Eveline’s father having forbade Eveline to see Frank after the
two men fell out), and start a new life in Argentina. With her mother gone, Eveline is
responsible for the day-to-day running of the household: her father is drunk and only
reluctantly tips up his share of the weekly housekeeping money, and her brother Harry is busy
working and is away a lot on business (another brother, Ernest, has died).

Eveline herself keeps down a job working in a shop. On Saturday nights, when she
asks her father for some money, he tends to unleash a tirade of verbal abuse, and is often
drunk. When he eventually hands over his housekeeping money, Eveline has to go to the shops
and buy the food for the Sunday dinner at the last minute. Eveline is tired of this life, and so
she and Frank book onto a ship leaving for Argentina. But as she is just about to board the
ship, Eveline suffers a failure of resolve, and cannot go through with it. She wordlessly turns
round and goes home, leaving Frank to board the ship alone.

Reference: https://interestingliterature.com/2017/07/a-summary-and-analysis-of-james-
joyces-eveline/

Questions:

1. How do you think Eveline’s choice to stay behind and go back home affect her life?
2. List down at least three possible consequences if Eveline has successfully left with
Frank.
3. If you were Eveline, what would you choose to do?

C. Assessment/Application/Outputs (Please refer to DepEd Order No. 31, s. 2020)

Directions: Read the question carefully. Answer with conviction.

A Summary of Albert Camus’ The Guest

The Guest follows the story of Daru, who is a schoolteacher in a remote plateau region.
The area has gone through a draught, but recently a blizzard has passed through, leaving

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everything covered in snow. This has kept away Daru's pupils.

The narrative opens as Daru watches two men approach his schoolhouse. He watches
them climb the hill. One of the men, a gendarme named Balducci, is very familiar to Daru. He
leads an Arab prisoner who has been accused of murdering his cousin in a family squabble.
Balducci has been ordered to bring the Arab to Daru, and then return immediately to his post.
Likewise, Daru has orders to turn in the prisoner to police headquarters at a town
approximately twenty kilometers away. Daru refuses this task, considering it dishonorable.
Balducci agrees with the schoolmaster, but insists that in war men must be prepared to do
many different jobs. The gendarme is insulted by Daru's stubborn refusal, and leaves in anger.

Daru feeds the Arab and spends the night sleeping in the same room as the prisoner.
During the night the Arab gets up for water, and Daru mistakenly thinks he has escaped. The
next day Daru leads the Arab to a point on the plateau, and equips him with money and food
supplies. He points him in the direction of imprisonment, and then also points him in the
direction away from police headquarters, where he will find shelter with the native people. He
leaves the Arab with the choice, but when he looks back, he is upset to see the Arab ultimately
chooses the direction leading towards imprisonment. The story ends with Daru looking out the
window of his schoolhouse.

1. How did Daru exercise his freedom of choice when he was asked to turn in the Arab
prisoner to the police headquarters?

a) Daru refused to turn in the Arab to the police headquarters because it was
dishonorable.
b) Daru fed the Arab.
c) Daru equipped the Arab with money and food supplies.
d) None of the Above

2. What was the consequence of Daru’s refusal to deliver the Arab to the police headquarters?

a) The gendarme was glad of Daru’s refusal.

b) The gendarme was insulted by Daru's stubborn refusal, and left in anger.
c) The gendarme delivered the Arab to the police headquarters himself.
d) None of the above

3. How did the Arab exercise his freedom of choice?

a) The Arab escaped from the Daru.

b) The Arab got up for water the night before he was sent to prison.
c) The Arab chose the direction leading towards the imprisonment instead of the place
away from the police headquarters.
d) None of the above

4. What is the most probable consequence of the Arab’s choice?

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 a) The Arab lived happily ever after.
b) The Arab was deemed innocent of the murder accusation.
c) The Arab was saved by Daru.
d) The Arab spent all of his days inside the prison.

Genesis 3:1-13

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God
had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree
of the garden"?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the
garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, "You shall
not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die."" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will
not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you
will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for
food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its
fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them
were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and
made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the
garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the
LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to
him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because
I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you
eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" Then the man said,
"The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." And the
LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent
deceived me, and I ate."

5. Which instance in the bible verse that portrays a consequence?

a) When the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and
they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
b) When Adam and Eve heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day.
c) When Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the
trees of the garden.
d) None of the above

6. Which instance in the bible verse that portrays freedom of choice?

a) When the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in
the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good
and evil."
b) When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes,
and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.
c) When the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and

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 they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
d) None of the above

7. What is the moral lesson of the biblical verse?

a) Never trust a stranger so easily.

b) Curiosity kills the cat.
c) Every choice you make is creating your future. Choose wisely.
d) All of the above.

Matthew 27:3-5: “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned,
repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to
us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and
went and hanged himself.”

8. What is the consequence of Judas’ choice?

a) Judas got rich.

b) The other apostles cast Judas away.
c) Jesus was nailed to the cross.
d) None of the above.

9. How did Judas’ choice affect his life?

a) Judas was miserable and hanged himself to death.

b) Judas was forgiven.
c) Judas was deemed innocent.
d) None of the above.

10. It means that the person is able to choose his own course of action and his own pattern of
living.

a) Consequence
b) Freedom of Choice
c) Action
d) None of the above

D. Suggested Enrichment/Reinforcement Activity/ies

HOW I LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY CHOICE

Directions: In three paragraphs, narrate a situation in your life wherein you exercise your
freedom of choice, be it good or bad, and how you live with the consequences of that choice.

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References:

https://fee.org/articles/freedom-of-choice/
https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/couple-students-bullying-and-suppress-the-guy-
gm1000709918-270566787
https://pngtree.com/freepng/beautiful-bouquet-courtship-boy-touched-girl-cartoon-
illustration_3878812.html
https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/bride-groom-getting-married-illustration_6515573.htm
https://www.dreamstime.com/principal-office-mom-apprentice-teacher-meeting-school-
unhappy-parent-son-talk-angry-principal-director-education-vector-image157490373
https://interestingliterature.com/2017/07/a-summary-and-analysis-of-james-joyces-eveline/
https://www.gradesaver.com/the-guest/study-guide/summary
https://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/library/verses/id/5490/adam-eve-temptation-of-verses.htm
https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/choices-and-consequences-5-examples-to-learn-
from/

Prepared by: Leonard Patrick F. Bayno Edited by:

Teacher I

Reviewed by:

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 GUIDE

For the Teacher: Please advise the students to read the discussion carefully to ensure total
assimilation of the topic. In doing so, they will be able to answer the given exercises smoothly.

For the Learner: Read the self-learning home task carefully from the first part to the last part.
This will help you get a clearer understanding of the subject matter.

For the Parent/Home Tutor: Please guide your child as he/she go through with the whole self-
learning home task. Make sure that he/she handles her time properly in order to prevent any
deviations of the whole learning process.

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