FREEDOM AS

FOUNDATION FOR
MORAL ACTS
Lesson Objectives

• By the end of the discussion:

I. Explain why only human beings can be ethical.
II. Know some philosophical insights about freedom.
FOUNDATION  A body or ground
upon which
something is built
up or overlaid
 The foundation of a
house or a building.
The foundation of a
family (the parents).
ARE YOU
FREE ???
FREEDOM
Is the power or
right to act, speak
or think as one
wants without
hindrance or
restraint.
Why only humans can be Ethical?

Unlike the lower animals, human

person has a choice or freedom,
hence morality applies only to
human persons.
An animal which
devours another
animal cannot be
said to be
immoral.
Ethics therefore, applies only to human
persons. We cannot say a cat is
“unethical” when it eats the food at the
table intended for you or when a dog
urinates on your favorite bag lying on the
floor.
Distinctively, only human being can
possess or practice values, such as
love, honor, social relationships,
forgiveness, compassion, and
altruism.
Basically, morality is a question of choice.
Philosophically speaking, choosing is
impossible without freedom.
PHILOSOPHICAL INSIGHTS ON
FREEDOM
 Freedom is a gift from God.
 Freedom is absolute.
 Freedom demands responsibility.
Freedom is
significant
because they
help to make us
who we are as
human beings.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
Freedom is the
ability to make
significant choices
and according to
Marcel, it is a gift
given to us by God.
Freedom is absolute
• Existentialist philosopher
Jean-Paul Satre’s concept
of freedom is not the
freedom to do
somethings or anything.
In Satre’s view, the
human person is
“absolutely free .’’
•According to Sartre, freedom, and
responsibility go hand in hand.
Consequently, human beings are always
free and consequently responsible for
their actions
• According to Satre even a person in jail is
still free. He is free to think, to change and
to become a better person as prisoner he is
free to redefine himself.
• As humans, we are free to make choices, we
are free to decide. We are free to use this
freedom to attain goals higher than
satisfying basic needs.
Jean-Paul Satre
said “you are free”.
His idea was that
freedom is the
capacity to choose,
that even not
choosing is a
choice.
Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu’s idea was that in

any society, the exercice
of one’s freedom is not
absolute. The person is
free to do anything; but it
is not without
consequences one’s
actions.
Responsibility as a moral quality
serves as balance of ones
freedom. Without proper
balance limitless freedom is
dangerous as an extremely
controlling social group. Great
social injustices have resulted
from such radical mindsets.
Key takeaways
• Choice or freedom is a prerequisite of ethics or
morality.
• Every human person has freedom or choice and
so is expected to be ethical or moral.
• Lower forms of animals have no choice. They are
governed by instincts and so ethics or morality
does not apply to them.