INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN DEHUMANIZED

PERSON - persons who are DENIED their freedom by other

individuals, groups, and institutions
LESSON 5 - Freedom of the Human Person e.g. slavery; bondage; imprisoned; wronged person

FREEDOM “ Actions that diminish freedom also dehumanize a person. “

 an intrinsic and essential property of the person
- human by nature is a free being and that it is in his nature KINDS OF FREEDOM
to seek freedom 1. physical freedom – refers to the absence of any
- the ability to make choices and perform actions ( important physical restraint
indication of human freedom ) - freedom of mobility
- “ FREEDOM TO ACT “ sets us apart from other beings - not impeded in his actions by any physical force
- allows a person to act or move in a determined manner
ANIMAL HUMAN - allows to move from one place to another and go wherever
-performs certain task on -varied actions and you want to go
command reactions 2. psychological freedom – refers to freedom of choice
-follows a set of pattern - ability to imagine the future - free to perform actions that he considers right and wise
-acts instinctively - free to act or not to act
-follows a pre-determined - innate and cannot be denied a person
course - no outside force or influence can compel a person to take
-pre-determined responses to action against his will
certain stimuli 3. moral freedom – refers to the responsible use of
freedom in a manner that upholds HUMAN DIGNITY
and GOODNESS
FREEDOM - a person must use his freedom to GROW AS A PERSON
 the power to be what you want to be and the ability “ A person becomes MORE FREE when he uses freedom WELL,
to decide and create yourself but becomes LESS FREE when he uses it in a BAD way “
- many characteristics that define our personality are often
PRODUCT OF OUR CHOICES, PREFERENCES and VIEWS Humans have a NATURAL inclination for what is TRUE and
( dedicate time and effort ) GOOD, and when a person uses his freedom to do acts that
- nature as a human person gives the ability to imagine the violate human dignity and goodness, he dehumanizes himself
future and effectively negate human freedom
 gives the ability to strive to achieve that goal
 rooted in the human person’s WHAT MAKES US FREE? HOW DOES FREEDOM SHAPE
SELF – DETERMINATION and the EXERCISE OF OUR EXPERIENCE?
INTELLECT and FREEWILL
TWO (2) ELEMENTS OF HUMAN FREEDOM
- a person’s every action is freely determined and these
1. Voluntariness – refers to the ability of a person to act
actions define him
out of his own FREE WILL and SELF –
SELF-DETERMINATION - capabilty to make choices and DETERMINATION
decisions - a person may decide TO ACT or NOT TO ACT, and these
decisions are made out of his own free will
NATURE OF SELF – DETERMINATION – a person’s actions - a person may act even if he is not required or called to take
determine what kind of person he becomes action
VOLUNTARY ACTS
FREEWILL - do actions when he wants to - free acts which can be assigned a corresponding moral
FREEDOM value
 enables us to come up with NEW CHOICES Reflect on your own experiences or actions:
 Have you ever made a voluntary action to address a bad
ESSENCE OF FREEDOM: it does not confine our actions to situation?
those set or expected by others; we can imagine new actions and  Did you make a voluntary action to prevent something
decide to undertake them bad from happening, or did you choose not to act?

REFLECTION – recall and ask yourself why you chose to take “ Whenever we decide to take action, this results in a certain
the action CONSEQUENCES. “
- reflecting upon your actions will enable you to know CONSEQUENCES – affect not only the person who commits the
yourself BETTER as a PERSON action, but also other people and our surroundings
FREEDOM 2. Responsibility – refers to the person being
 requires a degree of control from the person who accountable for his actions and their consequences
exercises it - can either mean a person voluntarily taking responsibility
- a person becomes more free when he EXERCISES for his own action, or being held responsible by other people
CONTROL OVER himSELF - can have positive or negative meaning, and goes hand –
“control over himself not being controlled by other forces like in – hand with VOLUTARINESS in determining the morality of an
addiction, emotions, impulse“ action
“ As a free being, the person must accept the CONSEQUENCES
A person becomes LESS FREE when he is NO longer in control
of his action and take RESPONSIBILITY for them. “
of himself

Human action can uphold or diminish freedom.

Source : Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person by Abella, Roberto D., M.Div., D.Min., 2016
VOLUNTARINESS and RESPONSIBILITY go hand – in – hand
in determining a person’s freedom. Without these two elements,
human freedom is DIMINISHED, and the person makes
IMPERFECT ACTIONS and UNWISE DECISIONS which may
have NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON SELF AND OTHERS.
REFLECT on our actions to better understand and guide us
toward making the BEST POSSIBLE DECISION.
QUESTIONS WHEN EXAMINING ACTIONS, HABITS AND
BEHAVIOR:
 What should I do?
 Why should I do it?
 What will happen if I do it?
 How will my action or behavior affect myself, others, and
my surroundings?
 Will my actions or behavior be considered, proper,
beneficial, and moral?
FREEDOM
 experienced through the ACT OF MAKING CHOICES
- although freedom gives the ability to think of countless
decisions and possible actions, we only get to choose to ENACT
ONE OF THESE POSSIBLE actions or decisions
- choosing TO ACT or NOT TO ACT whichever is the
acceptable and moral choice in a given situation
SELF – REFLECTION
- vital in the proper exercise of human freedom
“ As free and rational beings, we must recognize the importance
of exercising freedom RESPONSIBLY. “
- requires us to reflect on our ACTIONS, consider their
EFFECTS, and make the PROPER CHOICES regarding the
most BENEFICIAL DECISIONS or ACTIONS
HOW CAN I EXERCISE MY FREEDOM IN A RESPONSIBLE
and BENEFICIAL MANNER?
“ MY FREEDOM TO SWING MY FIST ENDS WHERE YOUR
NOSE BEGINS” – human freedom, though essential is not
absolute
1. Human freedom should be exercised with CONTROL
and a recognition of reasonable LIMITS – we set limits
to our own freedom and learn to moderate or control our
thoughts, emotions, and actions depending on the
situation
- a person can even choose to limit his own freedom or even
surrender it entirely if it will RESULT in GREATER BENEFITS
LIMITING OUR PERSONAL FREEDOM requires us to
SACRIFICE certain SELF – INTEREST and accept certain
realities that are beyond our control.
SENSE OF RIGHT and WRONG guides us in recognizing and
deciding on the limitations to our freedom.
Society implements reasonable restrictions to personal freedom
in order to maintain order and harmony and uphold the welfare of
the public.
2. FREEDOM should be exercised with regard for
KNOWLEDGE and TRUTH
- as rational beings, it is natural for us THINK before we act
- we use our freedom to act and acquire more knowledge,
and we use this knowledge in order to come up with decisions
and courses of actions when confronted with difficult situations
Ability to acquire correct information, truthful knowledge,
prudence and caution AIDS us in making WISE and
INFORMED CHOICES
EXAMPLES: choosing a leader
judge on upholding justice
investor in a business
Source : Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person by Abella, Roberto D., M.Div., D.Min., 2016
Determining the proper information and truthful knowledge
ENSURE that our choices, decisions, and actions are PROPER,
REASONABLE, and JUST
- it is therefore NECESSARY to cultivate the
INTELLECTUAL VIRTUE OF PRUDENCE to be our GUIDE in
making WISE and SOUND CHOICES
PRUDENCE means being careful about your choices, stopping
and thinking before acting. It is a strength of restraint. When you
are prudent, you are not taking unnecessary risks, and not saying
or doing things that you might later regret.
(https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths/prudence)
3. Each action must be made after CAREFUL THOUGHT
and REFLECTION
It is important for persons to EXERCISE CAUTION and
PRUDENCE and REFLECT on possible COURSES OF ACTION
in making DECISIONS or DOING actions.
4. Recognize and uphold not only OUR individual
FREEDOM but also the FREEDOM OF OTHERS.
- this view has led to the assertion that freedom is a
recognized and guaranteed right for all persons. Many
societies identify certain freedoms that should be
enjoyed by all, as these contribute to the quality of life
of the individual and the welfare of society. These
include the freedom to live and determine one’s identity;
freedom from slavery and other constraints; freedom of
speech; and freedom of thought, conscience, and
religion.
Freedom should be exercised with due regard for the welfare of
other persons and one’s freedom should be exercised not as a
tool to restrict the freedom of others, but as a means to enable
others to fully enjoy their own freedom.
FINAL NOTE: The Given and the Chosen
People often think that the fullness of freedom is found in one’s ability
to make decisions about one's life. choice is indeed an element of
freedom, but freedom GOES BEYOND mere choosing. Freedom is not
absolute, and in our lives, there are a lot of things that we could not
choose. For example, we were not given a choice if we wanted to be
born, we were simply given life. We also did not choose our parents;
some of our physical traits and personal characteristics were simply
genetically handed down and already form part of us. We are not in total
control of everything around us, and we sometimes find ourselves with
very limited choices, such as being stuck in traffic, getting mugged by
someone on the street, and having strong emotions for someone.
MANY THINGS IN LIFE ARE GIVEN. Although some things are given,
it does not mean that we do not really have freedom. On the contrary,
there are instances when we can exercise our freedom because we are
not determined by these forces or situations. Difficult situations may not
always be avoidable, especially if we happen to be victims of
circumstance, but WE MAY TAKE THESE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY. We may not always have the best
family, but it does not mean that our future family will turn out the same
way as our current one, A person with an indifferent attitude may find it
hard to be motivated and excited about things in general, but it doesn’t
mean that he or she is incapable of being interested and inspired to act
passionately. These “GIVENS” or predetermined things do not
negate our freedom but give us opportunities to exercise our
freedom when we determine ourselves. The key idea is that we
should ALWAYS ACT WELL in any given situation because the self
Is determined by the self, We have given tendencies or inclinations,
and the world also exerts some forces over us, but WE CAN
TRANSCEND ALL OF THESE AND DETERMINE OURSELVES IN
THE MANNER WE WANT BECAUSE WE ARE FREE. As much as
possible, we must use our FREEDOM in a GOOD WAY so that we
may become BETTER PEOPLE and BETTER VERSION OF
OURSELVES for our own sake and the sake of others.