SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Introduction to the
Philosophy of the
Human Person
Module 5
The Freedom of the Human Person

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 The Freedom of the Human
Lesson
Person
5
WHAT I NEED TO KNOW?
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?

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:

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• Realize that all actions have consequences.

• Evaluate and exercise prudence in choices
• Realize that choices have consequences and some things are given up while others
are obtained in making choices
• Show situations that demonstrate freedom of choice and the consequences of their
choices.
•

WHAT I KNOW
INSTRUCTIONS: Fill the graphic organizer below with what you
know of the meaning of freedom.

Freedom
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 WHAT’S IN?

Lesson 1.1: 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. 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. 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.

Let’s compare how animals and human persons behave to get a better
understanding of freedom. We see some animals behave like human beings because they
seem to perform actions in response to commands. A well-trained dog can perform certain
tasks on command such as “stay” or “fetch” because it has been trained and conditioned to
perform them. The same cannot be said about human beings. You cannot just approach a
stranger, toss him or her a ball and say “fetch!” Surely, you will be embarrassed with curious
and suspicious stares from that person. A person will not respond automatically to the
command “fetch” because he or she is not conditioned to obey like a dog.

The human person does not experience the world in the same way that animals do.
Animals act instinctively, meaning their actions are more like predetermined responses to
certain stimuli. A person on the other hand, can choose the course of action to take when
given incitement or faces with a certain situation. With us humans, our inherent freedom
makes us very dynamic creatures and our actions do not necessarily follow a set pattern.
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.
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.
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.

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 WHAT’S NEW?

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.

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?
https://www.shutterstock.com/search/lost+wallet

https://www.shutterstock.com/search/lost+wallet

Turn-in the wallet to the Take the money and spend Leave the wallet alone
nearest police station and it on the things you need and continue walking
tell them what happened and want home

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.

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 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.

WHAT IS IT?
Lesson 1.2: Elements of Freedom
What makes us Free?
How does Freedom shape our experiences?

There are two elements that define freedom. 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. 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.

Let us analyze the following scenario and figure out how voluntariness was expressed in the
situation.

Freddy was on vacation in a resort prior to

graduating senior high school. He was
relaxing on the poolside when he noticed two
kids playing near the pool without their
parents. He did not mind them since he
knows there is an on-standby lifeguard in the
area. After a short while Freddy heard a
splash. When he looked, he saw both kids
struggling to grasp for air desperately wailing
their hands on the air to call for help. He
immediately got up and headed for the
Lifeguard tower but to his dismay, no one
was there. Freddy knows he is not an expert
swimmer, but he decides to rescue the
https://www.shutterstock.com/search/drowning+person
children himself. He successfully secured
both to the side of the pool.

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 Reflect on the actions and choices that were made in that situation. Why did the
children play near the pool unsupervised? Why was the Lifeguard not there? Why did
Freddy save them? Did Freddy have to save the two children whom he did not know at the
expense of his own life? One can argue that he does not have the responsibility to save
them since he is not a lifeguard. If he did that, what would be the result of his inaction?
Would it be possible for other people to be heroic just like he did? What can you say about
Freddy’s actions? What do you think will be the result of his actions?

Whenever we decide to act, this results in a certain consequence. All human actions
have consequences, and this affect not only the person who commits the action, but also
other people in our surroundings. As a free being, the person must accept the
consequences of his or her actions to take responsibility for them. The second element of
freedom, responsibility, refers to the person being accountable for his or her actions and
their consequences.

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.

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.

Another reality that we must face as we exercise our freedom is the fact that freedom
is experienced through the path of making choices. Although human freedom gives us the
ability to think of countless decisions and possible actions, we only get to choose one of
these possible actions or decisions. Having the ability to choose and to enact a course of
action does not automatically mean that we should act every time. It is also possible that the
choice not to take action may be an acceptable and moral choice in a given situation.

When we make the choice to do a particular action, we can never go back and redo
our actions and make another choice. Real life is not a movie where we can stop and get a
second take on the situation. Therefore, it is very important that when confronted with
choices, we exercise caution and prudence and reflect on our possible courses of action.

WHAT’S MORE?
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the following questions briefly and straight
to the point.

1. Why are voluntariness and responsibility important elements of freedom?

2. Is the choice of “doing nothing” a valid and moral choice? In what situations is this choice
acceptable?
3. How can self-reflection aid you in exercising freedom and making choices?

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 WHAT I HAVE LEARNED?

➢ ________ 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.
➢ 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.
➢ 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.
➢ There are three kinds of freedom. _____________ refers to the absence of
physical restraint. _______________ is the freedom of choice. ______________
refers to the responsible use of freedom which upholds human dignity and goodness.
➢ The two important elements of human freedom are voluntariness and responsibility.
____________ refers to the ability of the person to act out of his or her own free will
and self-determination. ______________ refers to the person being accountable for
his or her actions and their consequences.
➢ 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.

WHAT I CAN DO?

INSTRUCTIONS: Analyze the following situations. Give your
recommendations on how the persons involved can exercise
freedom more responsibly.

1. Julia’s family is well-known for being wealthy and influential. However, her family faced
hard times in the previous year. Her father’s business closed, and they were forced to sell
most of their possessions and live a much simpler life. Julia, however, wishes to maintain
her image among her friends. She has resorted to borrowing money from relatives to
keep up with her well-off barkada.

2. Mang Tony’s meat stall has been very profitable these days. It turns out that he has been
tampering with the weighing scales and has been selling less meat at increased prices. One
time, some meat went stale and he decided to mix it with other fresh meat so he could still
sell it.

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 ASSESSMENT
A. INSTRUCTIONS: Identify the following. Place your answer on a
separate piece of paper.

_______________1. This is the ability to make choices and perform actions and is an
essential property of the human person.
_______________2. This is freedom from any physical restraint.
_______________3. This is the freedom of choice.
_______________4. This is the ability to act out of one’s own free will and self-
determination.
_______________5. This refers to the person being accountable for his or her actions and
their consequences.

B. INSTRUCTIONS: Put a check beside the number of the statement which shows
responsible use of freedom. Write your answers on a separate piece
of paper.
________1. Instead of spending her excess allowance on a new pair of shoes, Reyna
decides to open a bank account and start saving up for her future.
________2. Despite the threats made on his life, the witness decided to come forward and
divulge important information regarding the crime he witnessed.
________3. A woman used the internet to humiliate her ex-boyfriend by spreading lewd
photos of him on social media.
________4. Despite knowing that many of his clients were poor and desperate, a
moneylender continues to impose very high interest rates on loans.
________5. A businessman did not accept a high-paying position in an overseas firm and
instead decided to start his own business and spend more time with his family.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
INSTRUCTIONS: Reflect on the following questions and
write your answers on a separate piece of paper

1. In what way can you change or improve your behavior so that you will be better able
to uphold human freedom?

2. What is the most significant decision that you have made in your life so far? Describe
how this has affected you.

Good Job!
You have now finished this module. You may
now proceed to the next one