Philosophy (Week 1) Freedom of the Human Person
Freedom- it is the ability to make choices and
perform those choices.
-it is the ability to be what we want and
decide and create oneself.
Two Concepts of Freedom
Freedom- it is the quality or state of being
free (Merriam Webster).
Free Will- our free will allows us to decide on
things we do depending on the situation.
Famous Philosophers’ Concept on Freedom
Aristotle on Intellectual Freedom
-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 legislation be turned into action. Our
will is an instrument of our choice.
St. Thomas Aquinas on Spiritual Freedom
-Aquinas gives a fourfold classification of law
the eternal law, natural law, human law and
divine law.
-St Thomas Aquinas establishes the existence
of God as a first cause. Of all God's creations,
human beings have the unique power to
change themselves and things around them
for the better.
Fourfold Classification of Law
Eternal Law
-is the decree of God, that govern all creation.
It is “That Law which is the Supreme reason
cannot be understood to be otherwise than
unchangeable and eternal.”
Natural Law
-is the human “participation” in the eternal
law and is discovered by reason
-good; sought after: evil; avoided
Divine Law
-A human being is in fact, ordained to an end
transcending his nature, it is necessary that he
has a law ordering him to that end and this is
the divine law
Human Law
-both natural and human laws are concerned
with ends determined simply by humanity
-obedience of man-made laws
Jean Paul Sartre on Individual Freedom
-Sartre’s philosophy is considered to be a
representative of existentialism
(Falikowski2004).
-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).
-There are no guideposts along the road of
life. The human person builds the road to the
destiny of his/her choosing; he/she is the
creator (Srathern1998)
Kinds of 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.
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.
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 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
bad way.
 Elements that define Freedom

Voluntariness

-it is the ability of a person to act of his or her

own free will and self-determination.

Responsibility

-refers to the person being accountable for his

or her action and their consequences.

Two Important Factors to consider in

the Exercise of Freedom:

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.

Self-Reflection

-allows us to be more rational in making

choices, because sometimes human beings
tend to be slaves by their emotions and
moods whenever they act certain things.