LESSON 7 | MR. ERNERSTO BAIS ARCENAS JR.

“I am free, no matter what

rules surround me. If I find
them tolerable, I tolerate
them; if I find them too
obnoxious, I break them. I
am free because I know that
I alone am morally
responsible for everything I
do.”
― Robert A. Heinlein
LESSSON 7
I am no bird; and no
net ensnares me: I
am a free human
being with an
independent will.
UNIVERSITY OF CEBU | LAPU-LAPU AND MANDAUE CAMPUS
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

WHAT IS
FREEDOM?
Freedom or Liberty
It is a social and political concept
which has great significance
in how people participate in society.
The concept of freedom emerged
in 18th-century Europe during
the Age of Enlightenment.

During this period, intellectuals

pondered on the origins of society
and the state of the nature of
human freedom.

UNIVERSITY OF CEBU | LAPU-LAPU AND MANDAUE CAMPUS

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Enlightenment
Thinkers
Believed that early man existed
in a “natur al state ” and had
absolute freedom.

In establishing society, people

entered into a “social contract ”
which defined the freedoms that
they will be enjoying as m em bers
of a society and the state.
Freedom in a Political
and Social Context
Means the freedom of an individual
from oppression, compulsion, or
coercion from other persons in
authority figure, or from society
itself.
POSITIVE LIBERTY refers to a
person taking control of his or
her own life and fulfilling one’s
potential.

NEGATIVE LIBERTY means the

freedom from external restraint,
barriers, and other interferences
from other people.
 · · ·
Liberalism upholds the Libertarianism Socialism considers
preservation of believes that the freedom as the
individual rights and individual, not the freedom to acquire
stresses the role of the government, is the economic resources
government in best judge in and the ability to work
protecting these upholding and and act according
civil liberties. exercising rights. to one’s desires
 01

Natural Rights
REFER TO RIGHTS WHICH
ARE INNATE IN THE
PERSON SUCH AS THE
RIGHT TO LIFE.
THESE RIGHTS ARE John Locke
CONSIDERED UNIVERSAL
AND INALIENABLE.
Examples of • Right to Life
• Right to Liberty
Natural Rights • Right to Property
• Right to Pursuit of Happiness
inherent to all human beings, regardless • Right to Express Emotions
of their nationality, ethnicity, sex, • Right to Free Speech
religion, or political affiliation. • Right to Freedom of Religion
• Right to Equality
• Right to Privacy
• Right to Due Process
 02

Legal Rights
The enjoyment of
these right is based
on citizenship.
Examples of • Right to Vote
• Right to Education
Legal Rights • Right to Social Security
• Right to Healthcare
granted by laws and regulations enacted • Right to Fair Trial
by government • Right to Freedom of Assembly
• Right to Freedom of Association
• Right to Work
• Right to Earn Minimum Wage
• Right to Consumer Protection
NATURAL RIGHTS
refer to rights which are
innate in the person such as
the right to life.
LEGAL RIGHTS
are rights that are based on
society’s customs and laws ,
and are enacted by legislation
and enforced by a
government.
Theological Views
Define freedom as freedom from
sin and living life of righteousness.
T HE T RUT H ABOUT FACE MASKS

Christians define freedom

in the context of living in
accordance with the will of
God.
UNIVERSITY OF CEBU | LAPU-LAPU AND MANDAUE CAMPUS
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

HOW DOES FREEDOM

WHAT MAKES US FREE?

SHAPE OUR EXPERIENCE?

Human Agency
It is the ability of people to
control their own lives. Everyone
has the capacity to exert control
over the quality and nature of
their own lives
Freedom is expressed
in two ways:
FREE WILL - is the ability to choose
between different possible courses of
action unimpeded. In other words, we
are self-determined.

Ex. People can make a free choice as

to whether to commit a crime or not.
 FREE ACTION - the freedom of
performing an action without any
obstacles or hindrances.

Ex. A woman owns a dog and does not

want to walk the dog but knows the dog
needs exercise. Even though she really
does not want to walk the dog in the
cold, she decides that the best decision
is to walk the dog.
Human Acts - acts which are proper to man;
voluntary actions; acts done with knowledge
and consent; more of conscience involved.

Ex. Before jumping into the river, he judges his

ability to swim and save the person who's
drowning
Acts of Man - are involuntary actions; naturally
occurring in the human being such as
functioning of the senses and actions that occur
without the knowledge of the agent.

Ex. Sleepwalking
PERSPECTIVE
emphasizes different
views regarding the
nature of free will and
how it influences
human action.
 Faculties Model

- Refers to free will as the use

of our mental facilities.

- It assumes that we have free

will due to our intellect because
each human action is based on
rationality and sound judgment.
/01
FOR INSTANCE

A student deciding to
actively participate in class to improve
his or her grades indicates that he or
she uses judgment to implement an
action.
 Hierarchical Model

- argues that free will is based

on human wants and desires.

- An individual is faced with

various wants and desires that
need to be met.
/02
FOR INSTANCE

A newly-graduated high school student

who decides to pursue either
Engineering or Medicine in college is
exercising freewill. Should he or she
choose Medicine, he or she must want
to become a doctor.
 Reasons-Responsive View

- Believes that man has free will

because he or she is able to
entertain reasons not to enact a
certain decision and act upon
them when the need arises.
/03
FOR INSTANCE

A person decides to cross the street

but sees a car rapidly approaching. He
or she exercises free will by choosing
not to cross the street and allow the
speeding car to pass.
UNIVERSITY OF CEBU | LAPU-LAPU AND MANDAUE CAMPUS
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

OUR FREEDOM?
WHAT CAN PREVENT
US FROM EXERCISING
 /01

Human Freedom has its

constraints. Contraints
on free actions.

WHAT CAN PREVENT US FROM

EXERCISING OUR FREEDOM?

INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING

 • external obstacles such as prohibitions, laws, and other
social controls imposed by society.
• person physically prevented due to disability or sickness
• weather, accidents, poverty
• and other certain methods such as person's judgment
like manipulation and brainwashing.

Example: A family may decide to go on a vacation but a

storm may force them to cancel their plans at the last
minute.
Internal Constraints
ARE ACTIONS OR INTERVENTIONS
T H AT R E S T R I C T F R E E W I L L .

External Constraints
ARE ACTIONS OR INTERVENTIONS
T H AT R E S T R I C T F R E E A C T I O N S .
T HE T RUT H ABOUT FACE MASKS

Philosophers also pondered

how free will can be
exercised in a seemingly
deterministic world.
DETERMINISM

Contraints on free actions.

Determinism
- every event in the world is
brought about by underlying
causes or factors.

-how people deal with

things that are outside of their
control.
Example:
A young person may
struggle with this or
her family's decision
to move to a different
place but he or she
can make the choice
either to adjust to the
situation or to resist
change.
Marxist
Philosophy
Believes that society imposes certain
controls on people, and that
person's social group largely
influences how he or she thinks or
acts.
 Free will and Determinism is
important to theology. Most
theologians agree that God,
despite being all-knowing, grant us
the ability to choose our actions.
God's grace, however, enables us
to be guided toward welfare,
growth and salvation.
UNIVERSITY OF CEBU | LAPU-LAPU AND MANDAUE CAMPUS
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

HOW CAN WE

FREEDOM IN OUR LIFE?

EFFECTIVELY EXERCISE
 The concept of moral responsibility
An effective guide in the proper
exercise of human freedom.

Moral Responsibility Free Will of Moral Agent

Refers to a person’s status of Necessary prerequisite or variable in
deserving praise and reward, or discussing the problem or question
blame and punishment for an action. of moral responsibility.

Christian Doctrine Control and Regulation

All good action will result in rewards like Are necessary elements in the
blessings and salvation; evil deeds merit responsible exercise of
punishment in world and afterlife. freedom.
In the face of Social situations and Moral
dilemmas, an individual may consider
alternative choices, to refrain from doing
his or her intended action, and even to act
differently from his or her intended
choice.
Our interactions with other people in society is
also an important influence in the proper exercise
of freedom.
 Social Contract
Adopting the concept of “Social
Contract”, it assumes that human
freedom can be exercised under certain
constraints or limits.
 Thank You!
YOU ARE ONLY FREE WHEN YOU REALISE.....
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMn2_2TxiSw

Additional Activity: North Korea

1. Show the documentary “North Korea: The Other

Interview,” from Amnesty International UK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMn2_2TxiSw

2. Ask the students to share their reactions to the

documentary.
a. What conditions forced Ji-Hyun to leave North Korea?
b. Describe her experience in the labor camp. Did she and
other defectors deserve to be treated in such manner?
c. What rights and freedoms are being denied the citizens of
North Korea?