1. “Am I reading this book because I
want to, or because I have to?”
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
2. We always have reasons for doing
what we do.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
3. WHAT IS FREEDOM?
KATHRINE S. GAMBITO
SubjectTeacher
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY
OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
SY 2017-2018, First Semester
4. OUR ORDINARY SENSE OF FREEDOM
Practical human actions are always derived from
certain motives
We have the capacity to plot the trajectory of our
lives based on certain principles and values that we
use as guides for formulating the reasons behind our
actions
Human actions do not simply happen by chance or
necessity
Your motives shape your life
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
5. OUR ORDINARY SENSE OF FREEDOM
“Man is condemned to be free.”
Jean-Paul Sartre
We are conscious beings that are self-aware.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
6. OUR ORDINARY SENSE OF FREEDOM
Our present motives are never isolated from
the past and the future.
We have that feeling of confronted with an
array of choices and possibilities, and we realize
that we are in command of what happens next-
autonomy
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
7. OUR ORDINARY SENSE OF FREEDOM
What is Autonomy?
It pertains to the right of a country to govern itself, free
from coercion and intervention of other nations
(Applied Politically)
It points to one’s ability to choose in accordance with one’s
own motivations.
(Applied to Individuals)
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
8. OUR ORDINARY SENSE OF FREEDOM
Autonomy is equivalent to freedom.
To be autonomous is to have the freedom to act in
accordance with one’s own values, beliefs and
principles.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
9. OUR ORDINARY SENSE OF FREEDOM
Freedom is dynamic.
It is always in constant conversation with the past,
present and the future
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
10. Freedom and Limitation
FREEDOM AND LIMITATION
There are certain facts about ourselves that we have no
control over.
We are creatures that are subject to natural laws; our
physical existence is the result of physical, evolutionary
processes that are beyond our control.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
11. Freedom and Limitation
Our religious beliefs are a result of the various
migration and colonization events that your society
has experienced in the past.
We are therefore, product of natural, interpersonal
and socio-historical events.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
12. Freedom and Limitation
We are given specific tools to work with in life.
Since we are conscious and self aware, we have the ability
to decide on what to do with the tools that have been
provided for us.
We are equipped with the freedom to design and create
ourselves in accordance with our will.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
13. Freedom and Limitation
Our freedom can only operate within a set of specific
givens in particular contexts.
The historical realities of our existence are facts.They are
not subject to your will or whim.
We have the ability to chart our own course in life because
we are aware of our limitations and possibilities.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
14. Freedom and Limitation
We are always in control of our actions because we
maintain self-awareness.
Being autonomous means that a person is the conscious
and creative source of his/her decisions.
A person is always accountable for what s/he chooses and
does because his/her actions emanate from his/her will.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
15. Freedom and Limitation
People are never out of choices.
Having less options does not mean that we are less free.
We always have a choice.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
17. Autonomy, Accountability and Responsibility
Our decisions affect other people’s lives whether we
are aware of these effects or not.
The consequences of your choices affect not you,
but everyone else that is directly or indirectly
involved in the context of your decision.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
18. Autonomy, Accountability and Responsibility
Can we say that doing whatever we please
corresponds to a genuine understanding of
human freedom?
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
19. Human freedom is freedom from rules and
constraints and thereby entitles you to do
whatever you want.
Autonomy, Accountability and Responsibility
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
20. Autonomy, Accountability and Responsibility
There is more to freedom than to autonomy.
The responsible use of one’s freedom does not begin and
end with maintaining a sense of control over your
decisions.
Human freedom involves a deeper sense of responsibility,
not just for yourself and your actions, but to those that may
potentially be affected by them.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
21. Autonomy, Accountability and Responsibility
Coming up with a responsible choice may involve
seeking advice from more experienced people.
Necessitate a long process of rational discussion
with your peers.
Gather reliable information
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
22. Autonomy, Accountability and Responsibility
We will live and die with the choices that we have made in
our lives since these choices, once we make them, become
part of who we are and of history as a whole.
Belonging in a community also makes us answerable to
other people’s needs.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
23. Autonomy, Accountability and Responsibility
Being prudent in our decisions reflects how we value our
lives project as well as the life projects of other people.
Critical reflection and analysis of the values at stake and
the possible repercussions of our decisions is part and
parcel of being free.
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
24. Autonomy, Accountability and Responsibility
Remember that every decision that we make becomes
part of history.
Our past does not fully determine what we are and what
we become.
Our decision would require a radical change in our values
and a recalibration of our priorities.
26. Resonate
1.What is the importance of reflecting in the meaning of
human freedom in understanding yourself as a person?
2. Reflect: “With great freedom comes great
responsibility”
3. Can you be held responsible for other people’s choices?
What are some instances where this may possible?
4.What is the role of love in the human freedom?
INTRODUCTIONTOTHE PHILOSOPHY OFTHE HUMAN PERSON
