- Several philosophers are discussed in relation to human freedom, including Aristotle, Aquinas, Sartre, Hobbes, and Rousseau. - Aristotle and Aquinas viewed freedom as rooted in reason and self-determination. For Aquinas, perfect happiness is found in God and love transforms humanity more than law. - For Sartre, existence precedes essence - humans are defined by their actions and have radical freedom to choose their path. - Hobbes's social contract theory argued humans form societies to avoid conflict and gain security by mutually giving up some rights and submitting to a sovereign power via agreement. Rousseau similarly believed humans were born good but a social contract restores peace by

1. Freedom of
the Human
Person
LESSON 5
INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

2. Freedom
- An intrinsic and essential
property of the person.
- We always seek freedom
- Rooted in self-determination
- the Exercise of Free Will and
Intellect

3. Voluntariness
Voluntariness – refers to the ability of a person
to act out of his or her own free will and self
determination.
Responsibility – refers to the person being
accountable for his or her actions and their
consequences.
Freedom is experienced through the act of

4. On Freedom:
Freedom should be exercise with control and a
recognition of reasonable limits, which requires
us to sacrifice certain self-interests and accept
the certain realities that are beyond our control.
Freedom of others should also be upheld.

5. Key Individuals:
Aristotle
St. Thomas Aquinas
Jean Paul Sartre
Thomas Hobbes
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

6. Aristotle: Power of Volition
Reason can legislate, but only through will can its legislation be
translated into actions.
The task of practical intellect is to guide the Will.
If there would be no intellect, there would be no will.
Moral acts are in our power and responsibility.
Character or habit is no excuse for immoral conduct.
HUMAN BEING IS RATIONAL. REASON IS A DIVINE
CHARACTERISTIC.
HUMANS HAVE THE SPARK OF THE DIVINE.

7. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS:
LOVE IS FREEDOM
Human beings are moral agent. Hence, our spirituality separates us from animals.
Human Beings have the power to change themselves and the things around them.
Change should promote the good of the community.
Human beings have laws that should be obeyed voluntarily and with
understanding.
Perfect happiness could only be found in God alone.
Love rather than Law, transforms humanity.
For love is in consonance with humanity’s free nature
Law commands, Love calls. Therefore, Love should govern humanity’s life.

8. JEAN PAUL SARTRE:
INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM
There are no guidepost along the road of life.
The human person builds the road to the destiny of his choosing.
EXISTENCE PRECEDES ESSENCE
◦ Freedom is the very core and the door to authentic existence
◦ The person is what one has done and is doing
◦ To be human, to be conscious, is to be free to imagine, free to choose and be
responsible for one’s life.

9. THOMAS HOBBES:
THEORY OF SOCIAL CONTRACT
LAW OF NATURE (lex naturalis) - general rule that states that a person is forbidden
to do which is destructive of his life or takes away the means of preserving the
same.
“ The fundamental law of nature seeks peace and follows it, while at the same
time, by the sum of natural right, we should defend ourselves by all means that we
can”
◦ 1. We should seek peace
◦ 2. Divest ourselves to certain rights to achieve peace

10. THOMAS HOBBES:
THEORY OF SOCIAL CONTRACT
That a person be willing, when others so
too, to lay down this right to all things ; and
be contented with so much liberty against
other people, as he would allow other
people against himself.

11. The mutual transferring of this right is called contract and is the basis of
the notion of moral obligation and duty.
If one agrees to give up his right to punch you, you give up your right to
punch him. You are both obliged not to hurt each other.
However, one cannot contract to give up his right to self-defense or self-
preservation since it is the sole motive for entering any contract
THOMAS HOBBES:
THEORY OF SOCIAL CONTRACT

12. The fundamental law of nature seeks peace and follows it, while at
the same time, by the sum of natural right, we should defend
ourselves by all means that we can
However, one cannot contract to give up his right to self-defense or
self-preservation since it is the sole motive for entering any contract
THOMAS HOBBES:
THEORY OF SOCIAL CONTRACT

13. 3. Human beings perform their covenant made. This is the foundation
of justice.
There should be a common power backed by force and able to
punish. This means that the plurality of individuals should confer all
their power and strength upon one human being or assembly of
human beings, which may reduce all their wills, by plurality of voices,
unto one will.
THOMAS HOBBES:
THEORY OF SOCIAL CONTRACT

14. - Social Contract Theory, but more on individualism
Both of them believe that we have to form a community to protect
ourselves from one another because we tend to wage war and since
we also tend to self-preserve, so they have to come to a free mutual
agreement to protect themselves.
JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU

15. HOBBES
To end the continuous and
self-destructive condition of
warfare, humanity founded
the state with its sovereign
power of control by means
of a mutual consent.
ROUSSEAUE
Humans are born free and good.
We became bad due to evil
influence. Hence, humans have lost
its original goodness. To restore
peace, form a state through social
contract whereby grants his
individual rights to the general will.
SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY