Freedom of

the Human
Person
What do you think
makes us free?

How do we know that

we are free?

Do you use your

freedom responsibly?
FREE
DOM
• FILL in the circles with
the words that you
associate with FREEDOM.
Create a concept web
based on the one shown
below.
What is
FREEDOM?
What is the essence of
Freedom?
 • The freedom of the human
person by nature is a free being
and that it is in his or her nature
Freedom is an to seek freedom.
intrinsic and • An important indication of
human freedom is the ability to
essential make choices and perform
property of the actions.
person • Our freedom to act sets us apart
from other beings.
 • A person’s every action is freely
determined and these actions
define him or her.
Freedom is rooted in • We can freely choose to be a good
person and to act in a good way.
the human person’s
• A good act makes a person better
self-determination while its opposite has a negative
and the exercise of impact on him or her as a person.
intellect and free will. • This is the nature of self-
determination: that a person’s
actions determine what kind of
person he or she becomes.
• Freedom gives us the choices
to undertake the possible
actions.
• It also enables us to come up
with new choices.
• The essence of freedom is
that it does not confine our
actions to those set or
expected by others; we can
imagine new actions and
decide to undertake them.
Reflecting upon your actions will enable you
to know yourself better as a person.

Your actions also determine if you uphold

human dignity and freedom.

Having freedom entails certain

responsibilities.

It is possible for a person to diminish or

negate freedom through the choices and
actions that he or she makes.
• Freedom also requires a degree of
control from the person who exercise
it.
• A person becomes more free when
he or she exercises control over
himself or herself.
• On the other hand, a person
becomes less free when he or she is
no longer in control of himself or
herself and is instead controlled by
other forces.
• People who act solely based on their
emotions are also less free because
they allow themselves to be
controlled by their feeling without
any regard for ethical considerations.
• People who behave impulsively and
erratically are more similar to animals than
persons.
• To lose control of oneself diminishes human
freedom and dehumanizes the person.
• People who are denied their freedom by
other individuals, groups, and institutions are
also dehumanized.
• Slavery is a dehumanizing act because a
person is forced to work for life without the
possibility of ever leaving a life of bondage.
• A person who is imprisoned is also
dehumanized because he or she is denied on
his or her freedom and is confined to prison
life.
• That same person also dehumanized the
person whom he or she wronged.
Kinds of 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
Physical her actions by any physical force.
• Granted that the person has
Freedom natural limitations, physical
freedom allows 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 wherever you
want to go.
 • Is also called freedom of
choice.
• The person is free to perform
actions that he or she
considers right and wise.
Psychological • A person is also free to act or
Freedom not to act.
• Psychological freedom is
innate and cannot be denied
a person.
• No outside force or influence
can compel a person to take
action against his or her will.
 • 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.
Moral • A person becomes more free when he
or she uses freedom well, but
Freedom becomes less free when he or she
uses it in a bad way.
• Humans have natural inclination for
what is true and good, 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.
What makes us free?
How does freedom
shape our
experience?
2 elements of
Voluntariness Responsibility
freedom
 A person may
Refers to the
decide to act or
ability of a person
not to act, and
to act out of his or
these decisions
her own free will
are made out of
and self-
his or her own free
determination.
will.
Voluntariness
At also means that
Voluntary acts are
a person may act
free which can be
even if she or he is
assigned a
not required or
corresponding
called to take
moral value.
actions.
 WHENEVER WE TAKE ALL HUMAN ACTIONS HAVE
CONSEQUENCES, AND THESE AFFECT
ACTION, THIS RESULTS TO NOT ONLY THE PERSON WHO
CERTAIN CONSEQUENCE.
COMMITS THE ACTION, BUT ALSO
OTHER PEOPLE AND OUR
SURROUNDINGS.
AS A FREE BEING, THE PERSON
MUST ACCEPT THE
CONSEQUENCES OF HIS OR
HER ACTION AND TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM.
 Responsibility
• Refers to the person being accountable for
his or her actions and their consequences.
• Taking responsibility can either mean a
person voluntarily taking responsibility for
his or her own actions or being held
responsible by other people.
• Whenever you know you committed a bad
action, you can either voluntarily confess to
it or other people will point it out and hold
you responsible.
• Responsibility can also have a positive or
negative meaning, and it goes hand-in-hand
with voluntariness in determining the
morality of an action.
Voluntariness and responsibility go hand-in-
hand in determining a person’s freedom.

In any situations where a person is forced

to do an action against his or her will, it
follows that he or she cannot be held
responsible for his or her voluntary actions.

The realization of voluntariness and

responsibility in the exercise of your
freedom gives your actions and experiences
a whole new meaning.
 Freedom is
experienced through
the act of making
choices.
Another reality that we have to face as we exercise our
freedom.
 How can I exercise my
freedom in a responsible
and beneficial manner?
• Human freedom should be
exercised with control and a
recognition of reasonable
limits.
• Freedom also be exercised
with regard for knowledge
and truth.
• We should also recognize
and uphold not only our
individual freedom but also
the freedom for others.