CHAPTER 5 “Freedom of the Human 

Person”
Lesson 1:
Two concepts
I.
II.
III.
Determinism Vs Freewill
Aristotle’ Power of Volition
Sartre’s Individual Freedom
that will help us
IV.

Objectives:
St. Thomas Aquinas Natural Law
fully understand
1. Realize that “all actions have consequences.”
2. Evaluate and exercise prudence in choices. freedom:
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What is 1. Freedom
Freedom itself
According to
? Merriam
- The ability to
Dictionary, it is
make choices
the quality or
and perform
state of being
those choices.
free.
- The ability to
It is our capacity
be what we want
to choose of what
and to decide and
we wanted and
create oneself.
an inner
awareness of
what is right and - The ability to
wrong that is make choices
traced to our free and perform
will according to those choices.
Aristotle. It is - The ability to
also an intrinsic be what we want
and an essential and to decide and
property of a create oneself.
human person Two concepts
which basically that will help us
means, it is a part fully understand
of our human freedom:
nature.
What is 1. Freedom
itself
Freedom
According to
? Merriam
Dictionary, it is human person
the quality or which basically
state of being means, it is a part
free. of our human
It is our capacity nature.
to choose of what
What is Freedom?

- The ability to make choices and perform those choices.

- The ability to be what we want and to decide and

we wanted and create oneself.

Two concepts that will help us fully understand
freedom:

an inner 1. Freedom itself

According to Merriam Dictionary, it is the quality or

awareness of state of being free.

It is our capacity to choose of what we wanted and an
inner awareness of

what is right and what is right and wrong that is traced to our free will
according to Aristotle. It is
also an intrinsic and an essential property of a human

wrong that is person which basically

means, it is a part of our human nature.

traced to our free I FREE WILL VS. DETERMINISM

will according to
2. Free will
Our free will allows us to decide on things we do
depending on the situation. It is our ability to choose

Aristotle. It is between two different possible courses of

action, independently. Simply put it, free will is our
ability to choose things

also an intrinsic according to our moral reasoning.

and an essential
property of a
 rewind, so we should always reflect first on the possible
outcomes of the choices that we are going to make.
KINDS OF FREEDOM

1. Physical Freedom Self-reflection is very important in exercising freedom.

 Self-reflection allows us to be more rational in making
Physical freedom refers to the absence of any physical choices, because sometimes human beings tend to be
restraint. The person has slaves by their emotions and moods whenever they act
the freedom of mobility to go where he or she wants to certain things. As free beings, exercising our freedom
go. He or she is not impeded in responsibly is very important. Thus, it requires us to
his or her actions by any physical force. Granted that reflect on the actions that we are going to make by
the person has natural limitations, considering its possible effects and the benefits it has to
physical freedom allows him or her to act and move in the people affected by it.
determined manner. You cannot
be everywhere at once, but your freedom allows you to Determinism in this sense is usually understood to be
move one place to another and incompatible with free will, or the supposed power or
to go whenever you want to go. capacity of humans to make decisions or perform
2. Psychological Freedom actions independently of any prior event or state of the
Psychological freedom is also called freedom of choice. universe. Philosophers and scientists who deny the
The person is free to perform actions that he or she existence of free will on this basis are known as “hard”
considers right and wise. A person is also free to act or determinists.
not to act. Psychological freedom is innate and cannot
be denied to a person. No III “ARISTOTLE POWER OF VOLITION”
outside force or influence can compel a person to take
action against his or her will. The power of Volition (the power to make your own
choice or decisions) –
3. Moral Freedom The imperative quality of a judgement of practical
intellect meaningless, apart from will. Reason can
Moral freedom refers to using freedom in a manner legislate (control), but only through will can its
that upholds human dignity legislation be translated into action.
and goodness. Freedom is not an object that a person If there is no intellect, there would be no will.
may use in whatever way he or The will of humanity is an instrument of free choice. It is
she pleases. A person must use his or her freedom to within the power of everyone to be good or bad, worthy
grow as a person. A person or worthless. This is borne out by:
•Our inner awareness of an aptitude to do right or
becomes freer when he or she uses freedom well, but
wrong;
becomes less free when he or
•The common testimony of all human beings; The
she uses it in a bad way. Humans have a natural
rewards and punishment of rulers
inclination for what is true and good, •The general employment of praise and blame.
and when a person uses his or her freedom to do acts For Aristotle, a human being is rational (based on facts
that violates human dignity and or reason and not by emotion). Reason is divine
goodness, he or she dehumanizes himself or herself and characteristic. Humans have the spark of the divine. If
effectively negates human freedom. there were no intellect, there would be no will.
For Aristotle, a human being is rational (based on facts
There are important factors to consider in the exercise or reason and not by emotion). Reason is divine
of freedom. These are Prudence and Self-reflection.  characteristic. Humans have the spark of the divine. If
there were no intellect, there would be no will.
Prudence is the ability to govern and discipline oneself
with the use of reason; it is having caution and giving
good judgments in making decisions. Because once we
made a decision there is no turning back, there is no
 consists of broad general principles that reflect God’s
intentions for people in creation.

III “JEAN PAUL SARTRE: INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM”

 Sartre's philosophy is considered to be a

representative of existentialism. The human
person is desire to be God. The human person
builds the road to the destiny of his/her
choosing; he/she is the creator.
 Sartre emphasizes the importance of free
individual choice, regardless the power of other
people to influence and coerce our desire,
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.

IV St. Thomas Aquinas Natural Law

Natural Law

Morality, as Aquinas viewed it, is not an arbitrary set of

rules for behavior. Rather, the basis of
moral obligation is found, first of all, in human nature
itself. Built into our nature are various inclinations,
such as the preservation of life, the propagation
of species, and, because people are rational, the
inclination toward the search for truth. The basic moral
truth is simply to “do good and avoid evil.”

For Aquinas natural law consists of that portion of

the eternal law that pertains particularly to people.
His reasoning is that “all things share somewhat of the
eternal law . . . from its being imprinted on them” and
from this all things “derive their respective inclinations
to their proper acts and ends.” This is particularly true
of people, because our rational capacity “has a share of
the Eternal Reason, whereby it has a natural inclination
to its proper act and end.” And, Aquinas says, “this
participation of the eternal law in the rational creature
is called the natural law,” and again, “the natural law is
nothing else than the rational creature’s participation in
the eternal law.” We have already noted the basic
precepts of the natural law as being the preservation of
life, propagation and education of offspring, and pursuit
of truth and a peaceful society. Thus, the natural law