THE FREEDOM OF

THE HUMAN PERSON

OBJECTIVES:
1. DISCERN THE ESSENCE
OF TRUE FREEDOM

2. DISCUSS MORAL
RESPONSIBILITY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE
EXERCISE OF FREEDOM
THINK:
What can you say about the
pictures below? Have you
been in this kind of
situation? What are the
things that you considered
in making choices?
WHAT IS FREEDOM?

WHAT IS THE ESSENCE

OF FREEDOM?
FREEDOM IS AN INTRINSIC
AND ESSENTIAL PROPERTY
OF THE PERSON.
THE HUMAN PERSON BY
NATURE IS A FREE BEING
AND IT HIS OR HER
NATURE TO SEEK
FREEDOM.
HUMAN FREEDOM GIVES
US THE ABILITY TO MAKE
CHOICES AND PERFORM
ACTIONS. OUR FREEDOM
TO ACT SETS US APART
FROM OTHER BEINGS.
FREEDOM IS ALSO
UNDERSTOOD AS THE
POWER TO BE WHAT YOU
WANT TO BE AND THE
ABILITY TO DECIDE AND
CREATE YOURSELF.
FREEDOM IS ROOTED IN
THE HUMAN PERSON’S
SELF-DETERMINATION AND
THE EXERCISE OF
INTELLECT AND FREE WILL.
A PERSON’S EVERY ACTION
IS FREELY DETERMINED AND
THESE ACTIONS DEFINE HIM
OR HER. A PERSON’S ACTION
DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF
PERSON HE OR SHE
BECOMES.
FREEDOM DOES NOT
CONFINE OUR ACTIONS TO
THOSE SET OR EXPECTED
BY OTHERS; WE CAN
IMAGINE NEW ACTIONS
AND DECIDE TO
UNDERTAKE THEM.
FREEDOM ENTAILS CERTAIN
RESPONSIBILITIES.
FREEDOM ALSO REQUIRES
A DEGREE OF CONTROL
FROM THE PERSON WHO
EXERCISES IT. A PERSON
BECOMES MORE FREE
WHEN HE OR SHE
EXERCISES CONTROL OVER
HIMSELF OR HERSELF.
- KINDS OF FREEDOM -
PHYSICAL FREEDOM

THE ABSENCE OF ANY

PHYSICAL RESTRAINT.
PHYSICAL FREEDOM
ALLOWS A PERSON TO ACT
AND MOVE IN A
DETERMINED MANNER
PSYCHOLOGICAL FREEDOM

THE 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.
THIS 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.
MORAL FREEDOM

REFERS TO USING
FREEDOM IN A MANNER
THAT UPHOLDS HUMAN
DIGNITY AND GOODNESS.
HUMANS HAVE A 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.
EXPRESS YOURSELF:

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED

FROM OUR DISCUSSIONS,
SO FAR?
1. HOW IS FREEDOM AN
EXPRESSION OF OUR
HUMANITY?
2. HOW IS FREEDOM RELATED
TO SELF-DETERMINATION?
3. HOW CAN THE LOSS OF
FREEDOM LEAD TO
DEHUMANIZATION?