PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN PERSON

HUMAN FREEDOM
BY GROUP 6
LEARNING OUTCOMES
AT THE END OF THE LESSON, (90%) OF THE
STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

Discuss philosophical views on freedom.

Identify and discuss constraints or limits of

human freedom.

Identify examples of people exercising their free

will.

Explain how they can effectively and responsibly

use their freedom.
WHAT IS FREEDOM?

BY GROUP 6
FREEDOM

Freedom or liberty is a social and political concept which

has great significance in how people participate in society.

The concept of freedom has emerged as an important

philosophical issue in 18th-century Europe during the Age of
Enlightenment. During this period, intellectuals pondered on
the origins of society and the state and the nature of human
freedom. Enlightenment thinkers believed that early man
existed in a "natural state" and had absolute freedom.
However, the establishment of societies required people to
surrender some of their freedoms in order to live in harmony
with others and ensure the survival of society. In establishing
society, people entered into a "social contract" which defined
the freedoms that they will be enjoying as members of a
society and the state.
FREEDOM

Freedom in a political and social context means the freedom of

an individual from oppression, compulsion, or coercion from
other persons, an authority figure, or from society itself.
Political freedom consists of two types of liberties. The Positive
Liberty and Negative Liberty.

Positive Liberty refers to a person taking control of his or

her own life and fulfilling one' s potential.

Negative liberty is freedom from external restraint, barriers,

and other interferences from other people.
FREEDOM
Human freedom is a concept that has been debated and
defined by philosophers throughout history. At its core, human
freedom refers to the ability of individuals to make choices and
act on those choices without external constraints.

However, the definition of human freedom is not as

straightforward as it may seem. Some argue that true freedom
can only be achieved when individuals are free from all forms
of social, political, and economic oppression. Others believe
that freedom requires a balance between individual autonomy
and societal responsibility.

Positive Liberty refers to a person taking control of his or

her own life and fulfilling one' s potential.

Negative liberty is freedom from external restraint, barriers,

and other interferences from other people.
FREEDOM

The development of a number of political ideologies was

influenced by varied ideas on human liberty.

Liberalism upholds the preservation of individual rights and

stresses the role of the government in protecting these civil
liberties.

Libertarianism, believes that the individual, not the

government, is the best judge in upholding and exercising
rights.

Socialism considers freedom as the freedom to acquire

economic resources and the ability to work and act
according to one' s desires.
FREEDOM

Freedom also entails the recognition of certain rights and

entitlements of persons.

Natural rights refer to rights which are innate in the person

such as the right to life. These rights are considered
universal and inalienable.

Legal rights are rights that are based on society' s customs

and laws, and are enacted by legislation and enforced by a
government.

The enjoyment of these rights is based on citizenship.

Theological views, on the other hand, define freedom as
freedom from sin and living a life of righteousness.

Christians define freedom in the context of living in

accordance with the will of God.
 L I M A T I O N S
O F F R E E D O M
HUMAN FREEDOM
FREEDOM

The Limitations of Human Freedom

While human freedom is a fundamental right, it is

not absolute. There are limitations placed on
freedom in order to protect the well-being and
safety of individuals and society as a whole.
For example, laws and regulations exist to prevent
actions that could harm others or infringe upon
their rights. Additionally, social norms and
cultural values can limit the choices individuals
make, even if they are not explicitly codified into
law.
What can prevent
us from exercising
our freedom?
BY GROUP 6
 Human freedom, however, has its constraints. Constraints on free
action include external obstacles such as prohibitions, laws, and
other social controls imposed by society. A person can also be
physically prevented from performing an action by disability or
sickness, or by coercion exerted by another person. Other external
factors that may restrict free action include the weather,
accidents, or poverty. Constraints on free will include certain
WHAT CAN methods that cloud a person's judgment such as manipulation
PREVENT US and brainwashing. People can also be coerced to perform actions
FROM against their will.

EXERCISING OUR Considering these constraints, it is then possible for people to

exercise their free will but are prevented to engage in free action.
FREEDOM? For instance, a family may decide to go on a vacation but a
storm may force them to cancel their plans at the last minute. On
the other hand, it is also possible for a person to freely act
without free will regarding his or her actions, as a person forced
to participate in a hazing ritual to gain admission into an
organization does not have free will.
 Philosophers also pondered how free will can be exercised in a
seemingly deterministic world.
Determinism is a philosophical view that believes that every event
in the world is brought about by underlying causes or factors. If
man is indeed free, how can he exercise his free will and action in
-a world where events are already determined by outside forces?
Various explanations have been proposed in order to reconcile
WHAT CAN free will with determinism. The generally-accepted view is that
PREVENT US man possesses free will and is able to exercise it in many
FROM situations. An example of free will being exercised in a
deterministic scenario is how people deal with things that are
EXERCISING OUR “outside of their control."
FREEDOM? For instance, a young person may struggle with his or her family's
decision to move to a different place but he or she can make the
choice either to adjust to the situation or to resist change.
Another example is how people deal with the tragic news of an
impending loss. A person diagnosed with a terminal illness cannot
do anything to reverse his or her situation but he or she can
choose to live out his or her remaining moments in a dignified,
calm manner.
 How can we
effectively exercise
freedom in our life?
BY GROUP 6
 The concept of moral responsibility is an effective guide

in the proper exercise of human freedom.

Moral responsibility refers to a person's status of

deserving praise and reward, or blame and punishment

for an action. Free will is necessary for moral

responsibility. Should there be impediments or

constraints to free will, a person is held to not be morally

responsible for his or her actions.

HOW CAN WE
EFFECTIVELY Assuming that almost all of our actions are essentially

free, we as persons have to confront the moral

EXERCISE responsibility of our actions. Our good actions, such as

FREEDOM IN helping people in need or fulfilling our responsibilities,

OUR LIFE? will merit praise and reward. On the other hand, should

we do actions which run counter to social norms and

laws, and cause harm to others, we run the risk of facing

the negative consequences of our actions. Christian

doctrine establishes that all good, moral actions will

result in rewards such as blessings and salvation, while

evil deeds merit punishment both in this world and in the

afterlife.
 Control and regulation are necessary elements in the responsible
exercise of freedom. In the face of social situations and moral
dilemmas, an individual may consider alternative choices, refrain
from doing his or her intended action, and even act differently
from his or her intended choice. A person who discourages friends
from skipping classes just because they felt like it" is exercising
HOW CAN WE freedom with control and regulation. A person who chooses not to
EFFECTIVELY join his or her barkada who engage in vices such as excessive
drinking also shows responsible exercise of freedom.
EXERCISE
FREEDOM IN Our interactions with other people in society is also an important
OUR LIFE? influence in the proper exercise of freedom. Adopting the concept
of "social contract," we assume that human freedom can be
exercised under certain constraints or limits. Thus, our decisions
and actions should be done in consideration of the established
norms and laws of society, and the general welfare. A responsible
member of society should also uphold not only his or her own
individual rights but also the rights and liberties of other people.
PHILOSOPHER'S
CONCEPT OF
PHILOSOPHER'S CONCEPT OF
FREEDOM

British philosopher and economist who

argued for individual liberty in his book "On
Liberty".

He made a clear distinction between self-

regarding and other-regarding actions.

He argued that the individual is free to

engage in self-regarding actions even when
society considers those actions to be
improper. However, a consequence may be
imposed when such actions affect upon the
freedom of others.

JOHN STUART MILL

(1859) 16
PHILOSOPHER'S CONCEPT OF
FREEDOM

British philosopher and historian of ideas,

considered to be one of the leading
intellectuals of the 20th century. He was
known for his influential interpretations of
political and social thought, as well as his
advocacy of liberal democracy and pluralism.

What does it mean to be free? This is the

question of Isaiah Berlin in his famous essay
Two Concepts of Liberty, written in 1958.

He make a distinction between what he calls

“positive” and “negative” freedom. Although
he is not the first to draw this distinction, he
does so with great originality and uses it to
expose apparent inconsistencies in our
everyday notion of freedom.
ISAIAH BERLIN
(1909 - 1997) 16
PHILOSOPHER'S CONCEPT OF
FREEDOM
For Berlin, “negative” freedom is what he
calls our “fundamental sense” of freedom.
This kind of freedom is freedom from
external obstacles: I am free because I am
not chained to a rock, because I am not in
prison, and so on. This is freedom from
something else. But Berlin points out that
when we talk about freedom, we usually
mean something more subtle than this.
Freedom is also a matter of self-
determination, of being a person with hopes,
and intentions, and purposes that are one’s
own.

This “positive” freedom is about being in

control of one’s own destiny. After all, I am
not free just because all the doors of my
house are unlocked. And this positive
freedom is not exclusively personal, because
ISAIAH BERLIN self-determination can also be desired at the
(1909 - 1997) level of the group or of the state. 16
PHILOSOPHER'S CONCEPT OF
FREEDOM

Immanuel Kant's philosophy on freedom is

centered around the concept of moral
autonomy, which means that individuals have
the ability to make moral choices based on
rational judgment rather than external
influences.

According to Kant, humans are inherently

free because they possess moral agency,
which allows them to act on their own
principles and make choices that are
consistent with their values and beliefs.

Kant believed that freedom is necessary for

moral responsibility, and that individuals
should be held accountable for their actions
based on their rational judgment.
IMMANUEL KANT
(1724–1804) 16
PHILOSOPHER'S CONCEPT OF
FREEDOM

He argued that moral law is universal and

objective, and that individuals should act
according to the categorical imperative,
which states that one should act in a way
that could become a universal law. This
means that individuals should act in a way
that they would want everyone to act in
similar situations.

Kant also believed that freedom is limited by

reason and morality. He argued that
individuals should not be free to act in a way
that harms others or violates moral
principles, even if they believe it is in their
self-interest to do so.

According to Kant, true freedom is only

achieved when individuals are able to act in
IMMANUEL KANT accordance with moral law and their own
(1724–1804) rational principles. 16
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, human freedom is a complex and multifaceted

concept that has been debated and defined by philosophers

throughout history. While individuals have a fundamental

right to freedom, some limitations and boundaries must be

respected to protect the well-being and safety of individuals

and society as a whole.

Furthermore, different philosophers have had different views

on what constitutes true freedom and how it can be achieved.

Whether through individual autonomy, community

involvement, or adherence to universal moral principles, the

pursuit of freedom remains a central theme in philosophy and

our daily lives.

THANK YOU
SAUR MUCH
PRESENTATION BY GROUP 6

MEMBERS:
RAINIER DE JESUS
CLEM LAURENCE DAGUS
ARRA JEAN MARTINEZ
JADE ANDREW SUBAGAN
LUCKY GETONGO
CHARYSE NIÑA JANE SAGUSAY
CARL LOUISE LASAP
KRISTHEL MAE GALENDEZ
NESLE STAR PELIGRO