Introduction to the

Philosophy of the Human Person

The Freedom of the Human Person
The Freedom of the Human Person
When you woke up this morning, what did you
do first? Did you wash your face? Took a bath?
Or immediately walked towards the dining
table for a hearty breakfast?
The Freedom of the Human Person
What made you do so? Who decided what
you wanted to do? If your answer is
yourself then you already have some
practical application of freedom.
In this module, the learner will be able to:
 Realize that “All actions have
consequences” PPT12-IIa-5.1
 Evaluate and exercise prudence in
choices. PPT12-IIa-5.2
INSTRUCTIONS: Fill the graphic organizer below with
what you know of the meaning of freedom.
What is Freedom?
In our previous discussions about the human person,
we have learned that a person must possess 4
qualities that validates him or her as a person namely:
self-awareness,
externality,
dignity, and
self-determination.
What is Freedom?
Self-determination is the capability of the
person to make choices and decisions
based on their own preferences, monitor,
and regulate their own actions and be goal-
oriented and self-directed.
What is Freedom?
It is in this self-autonomy that we, as human
persons are free to choose whatever and whenever
our wants and needs set us into and let us dictate
the direction of which our life is heading. An
important indication of human freedom is the
ability to make choices and perform actions. Our
freedom to act sets us apart from other beings.
Freedom is categorized into three kinds:
1. Physical Freedom
This is the first type of freedom that
comes into mind when talking about freedom.
It refers to the absence of any physical
restraint and the freedom of mobility to act
and go whatever, whenever and wherever he
or she pleases.
Freedom is categorized into three kinds:
2. Psychological Freedom
It is also called 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. 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.
Freedom is categorized into three kinds:
3. Moral Freedom
This 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. 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. 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.
Read and reflect on the situation below:
Bert was on his way home from
school when unknowingly, he
stumbled upon a wallet. It
appears to be full of cash as
well as several Identification
Cards of the owner.
Read and reflect on the situation below:
Bert knows he was short on the budget he
needed to complete the school project he was
working on and he could also spend some on
new shoes.
Imagine that you are in his situation. Which
among the situations pictured below will be
your most truthful action?
Read and reflect on the situation below:

Turn-in the wallet to the Take the money and spend it Leave the wallet alone and
nearest police station and tell on the things you need and continue walking home
them what happened want
 Freedom gives us the choice to undertake one
of these possible actions. It also enables us to
come up with new choices. For example, some
may take some of the cash before reporting it to
the police to purchase their needs. The essence of
freedom is that it does not confine our actions to
those do set or expected by others; we can
imagine you actions and decide to undertake
them.
 Now recall your answer and ask yourself
why you chose to take that action. Reflecting
upon your actions will enable you to know
yourself better as a person. Your actions also
determine to uphold human dignity and
freedom. Having freedom, however, also entails
certain responsibilities. It is possible for a person
to diminish or deny a freedom through the
choices that he or she makes.
 Freedom requires a degree of control
from the person who exercises it. A person
becomes freer 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.
For example, persons suffering from
addiction are less free because they are
overpowered by their addiction to certain
substances and can barely control
themselves when presented with these
things.
People who act solely based on their
emotions are also less free because they
allowed themselves to be controlled by
their feelings without any regard for
ethical considerations. To lose control of
oneself diminishes human freedom and
dehumanizes the person.
 “We are who we are because of the choices
we make.” Life is a long journey, and, in
this journey, we would likely face the same
situations again and again. Every repeated
choice that we make in the same scenario
can develop into a habit. If this habit
continues, it becomes one of your character
traits.
Elements of Freedom
1. Voluntariness
refers to the ability of a person to act out of
his or her own free will and self-
determination. This means that a person may
decide to act or not to act, and these decisions
are made of his or her own free will.
Elements of Freedom
 Voluntariness also means that a person
may act even if he or she is not required
or called to act. Voluntary acts are free
acts which can be assigned a
corresponding moral value.
Elements of Freedom
2. Responsibility
refers to the person being accountable for
his or her actions and their consequences.
Elements of Freedom
Taking responsibility can either mean a person will
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.
Elements of Freedom
The realization of voluntariness and
responsibility in the exercise of our freedom
give our actions and experiences a whole new
meaning. We can now reflect on our actions to
better understand them and guide us towards
making the best possible decision.
EVALUATION
1. ________ is an intrinsic and essential
property of a person. The human person is
by nature free and seeks freedom. Our
freedom to act sets us apart from other
beings.
EVALUATION
2. Freedom is also understood to be the
power to create and define oneself. It is
also rooted in the person’s _____________
and the exercise of intellect and free will.
EVALUATION
3. Having and exercising freedom requires
certain responsibilities. Human action can
either uphold or diminish freedom. A person
becomes ___ free when he or she does not
exercise control over his or her actions.
Actions that diminish freedom also
dehumanize a person.
EVALUATION
There are three kinds of freedom. 4.
_____________ refers to the absence of
physical restraint. 5._______________ is the
freedom of choice. 6.______________ refers
to the responsible use of freedom which
upholds human dignity and goodness.
EVALUATION
The two important elements of human freedom
are voluntariness and responsibility. 7.
____________ refers to the ability of the person
to act out of his or her own free will and self-
determination. 8. ______________ refers to the
person being accountable for his or her actions
and their consequences.
EVALUATION
9. Freedom is experienced through the act
of making choices. It is therefore important
for persons to exercise caution and
__________ and reflect on possible courses
of action in making decisions or doing
actions.
EVALUATION
10-13 What are the 4 qualities that person
must possess in validating him or her ?

14-15 Elements of Freedom

EVALUATION
9. Freedom is experienced through the act
of making choices. It is therefore important
for persons to exercise caution and
__________ and reflect on possible courses
of action in making decisions or doing
actions.
EVALUATION ANSWER
1. Freedom
2. Self-determination
3. less
4. Physical Freedom
5. Psychological Freedom
6. Moral Freedom
7. Voluntariness
8. Responsibility
9. Prudence
EVALUATION ANSWER
10. self-awareness,
11.externality,
12.dignity, and
13. self-determination
14- 15. Voluntariness & Responsibility