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Realize That All Actions Have Consequences

1. The document discusses different philosophical perspectives on freedom of the human person, including Aristotle's view of intellectual freedom and free will, Aquinas' perspective on spiritual freedom and classification of laws, and Sartre's view of individual freedom and existentialism. 2. It also covers Hobbes' theory of social contract and natural laws, and Rousseau's view that the state originates from a freely entered social contract. 3. The overall message is that freedom is an essential part of humanity and can be understood from intellectual, political, spiritual, and economic standpoints according to different philosophers. Freedom involves transcending limitations and making independent choices.

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Melvin J. Reyes
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8K views28 pages

Realize That All Actions Have Consequences

1. The document discusses different philosophical perspectives on freedom of the human person, including Aristotle's view of intellectual freedom and free will, Aquinas' perspective on spiritual freedom and classification of laws, and Sartre's view of individual freedom and existentialism. 2. It also covers Hobbes' theory of social contract and natural laws, and Rousseau's view that the state originates from a freely entered social contract. 3. The overall message is that freedom is an essential part of humanity and can be understood from intellectual, political, spiritual, and economic standpoints according to different philosophers. Freedom involves transcending limitations and making independent choices.

Uploaded by

Melvin J. Reyes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN PERSON

PREPARED BY: MELVIN J. REYES, LPT


OBJECTIVES

 To Realize the consequences of one’s actions


 To show situation that demonstrate freedom of
choice
 To evaluate and exercise prudence on one’s
choices.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
This lesson highlights freedom from the intellectual, political,
spiritual, and economic aspect. To be free is a part of humanity’s
authenticity. In one way, understanding freedom is part of our
transcendence. Freedom consists of going beyond situations such as
physical or economic. For instance, students can be young and poor,
but they can still pursue their dreams of becoming a doctor, teacher,
or a stage actor. As discussed in the last lesson, critical thinking is an
important tool toward freedom and truth.
REALIZE THAT “ ALL ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES”

 Aristotle
The power of Volition
The imperative quality of a judgment of practical intellect is meaningless,
apart from will. Reason can legislate, but only through will can its
legislation be translated into action. The task of practical intellect is to
guide will by enlightening it. Will, in fact, is to be understood wholly in
terms of intellect. If there were no intellect, there would be no will. This is
obvious from the way in is rationally denominated.
The will of humanity is an instrument of free choice. It is within the power of
everyone to be good or bad, worthy or worthless.This is borne out by;

 Our inner awareness of an aptitude to do right or wrong


 The common testimony ,of all human beings;
 The reward and punishment of rulers; and
 The general employment of praise and blame
Moral acts, which are always particular
acts, are in our power and we are
responsible for them. Character or habit is
no excuse for immoral conduct.
EXAMPLE
Attending class is a student’s responsibility. Should the student cut the
class, then he/she is responsible for the consequences of his actions. As a
result, he/she must be held responsible for any accident or failure in grades
that will befall on him/her. The student may regret that he/she had done but
all the regrets in the world will not call it back. The point is student should
not have cut class in the first instance. When the matter is sifted down, the
happiness of every human beings his own hands, to preserve and develop,
or to cast away.
ARISTOTLE: INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM
For Aristotle, human being is rational.
Reason is a divine characteristic. Humans
have the spark of the divine. If there were
no intellect there would be no will.
 St.Thomas Aquinas
Love is freedom
All creatures of God, human beings have the unique
power to change themselves and the thing around them
for the better. He consider that the human as moral
agent.
A human being, therefore, has a supernatural, transcendental
destiny. This mean that he can rise above his ordinary being of
self. This is in line with the idea of St. Thomas that in the plan of
God, a human being has to develop and perfect himself by doing
his daily tasks. Hence, if a human being perseveringly lives a
righteous and virtuous life, he transcends his mortal state of life
and soars to an immortal state of life.
The power of change, however, cannot be done by human
being alone, but is achieved through cooperation with God.
Between humanity and God, there is an infinite gap, which God
alone can bridge through His power. Perfection by participation
here means that it is a union of humanity with God, Change
should promote not just any purely private advantage, but the
good of the community.
FOURFOLD CLASSIFICATION OF LAW BY AQUINAS

 1 . Eternal Law
 2. Natural Law
 3. Human law
 4. Divine Laws
Human beings, as rational, have laws that should not only be obeyed but
also obeyed voluntarily and with understanding (for instance, in following
the traffic rules). The natural law, then in its ethical sense, applies only to
human being. The first principle and precept of the natural law is that good
is to be sought and evil avoided (this is the instruct of self-preservation).
There is inherent in every human being an inclination that he shares with
all other being, namely, the desire to conserve human life and forbids the
contrary. For instance, if there is fire and its burning heat is felt, then it is
but a human tendency to avoid it
 Since the law looks to the common good as it end, it is then
conceived primarily with external acts and not with the
interior disposition.
 A person, thus, should not be judged through his actions
alone but also through his sincerity behind his acts.
 Both natural and human laws are concerned with ends
determined simply by humanity’s nature.
Eternal Law is a decree of god that governs all
creation. It is that law which is Supreme Reason
cannot be understood to be otherwise than
unchangeable and eternal. Natural law is the
human “participation” in the eternal law and is
discovered by reason. Natural law is based on
“first principles” .
St. Thomas Aquinas wisely and aptly chose and proposed Love
rather than law to bring about the transformation of humanity.
For love is in consonance with humanity’s free nature, for law
commands and complete; Love calls and invites. Aquinas
emphasizes the freedom of humanity but chooses love on
governing humanity’s life. Since God is love, then Love is the
guiding principle of humanity toward his self-perception and
happiness-his ultimate destiny.
QUIZ:

TRUE or FALSE?
1. Reason can legislate, but only through will can its legislation be translated into
action.
2. Actions, in fact, is to be understood wholly in terms of intellect.
3. According to Aristotle, if there were no intellect there would be no will.
4. Aristotle believed that between humanity and God, there is an infinite gap, which
God alone can bridge through His power.
5. Eternal, natural, human and divine laws are the fourfold classification of laws by
Aquinas.
QUIZ:
ARISTOTLE or AQUINAS?
1. A person should not be judged through his actions alone but also
through his sincerity behind his acts.
2. He wisely and aptly chose and proposed Love rather than law to bring
about the transformation of humanity.
3. The power of Volition.
4. Intellectual freedom.
5. Both natural and human laws are concerned with ends determined
simply by humanity’s nature.
C. St.Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual freedom

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM
St. Thomas Aquinas establishes the existence of God
as a first cause. Of all God’s creations, human beings have
the unique power to change themselves and things
around them for the better. As humans, we are both
material and spiritual. We have a conscience because of
our spirituality. God is Love and Love is our destiny.
D. Jean Paul Sartre: Individual freedom
Sartre’s Philosophy is considered to be representative of
existentialism. For him the human person is the desire to be God;
the desire to exist as a being has its sufficient ground in itself (en
sui causa). There are no guidepost along the road of life. The
human person builds the road to the destiny of his/her choosing;
he/she is the creator (Srathern 1998).
Sartre’s existentialism stems from this principle: Existence precedes essence
 The person, first, exists, encounters himself and surges up in the world then defines himself
afterward.The person is nothing else but that what he makes of himself.
 The person is provided with supreme opportunity to give meaning to one’s life
 Freedom is therefore, the very core and the door to authentic existence. Authentic
existence is realized only in deeds that are committed alone, in absolute freedom and
responsibility and which, therefore the character of true creation.
 The person is what one has done and is doing.
 On the other hand, the human person who tries to escape obligations and strives to be en-
soi (i.e., excuses, such as “I was born this way” or “grew up in a bad environment”) is acting
on bad faith (mauvais foi)
Sartre emphasizes the importance of free individual choice, regardless of the power of
other people to influence and coerce our desires, beliefs, and decisions. To be human, to be
conscious, is to be free to imagine, free to choose, and be responsible for one’s life.
E.Thomas Hobbes:Theory of Social Contract
A Law of nature (lex naturalis) is a precept or
general rule established by reason, by which a
person is forbidden to do that which is destructive
of his life or takes away the means of preserving the
same; and to omit that by which he thinks it may be
best preserved.
F. Jean – Jacques Rosseau
In his book The Social Contract, the state owes it origin to
a social contract freely entered into by its member (ex.
EDSA Revolution)
The two Philosophers differed in their interpretations.
Hobbes developed his idea in favor of absolute monarchy,
while Rousseau interpreted the idea in terms of absolute
democracy and individualism.
In order to restore peace, bring his freedom back,
and as he returned to his true self, he saw the
necessity and came to form the state through the
social contract whereby everyone grants his
individual rights to the general will. There must be a
common power of government which the plurality
of individuals (citizens) should confer all their
powers and strength into (freedom) one will (ruler).
ACTIVITY

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