The document discusses various perspectives on the concept of freedom. It defines freedom as a social and political concept regarding how people participate in society. It explores how Enlightenment thinkers viewed freedom and the social contract. Different views of freedom are discussed, such as positive and negative liberty in liberalism, freedom regarding economic resources in socialism, and freedom from sin according to some theological views. Constraints on free will and action are also examined, as well as the influence of society and social groups according to Marxist philosophy.

2. Read and analyze the following quotes
I am free, no matter what rules
surround me. If I find them tolerable, I
tolerable, I tolerate them, if I find them
obnoxious, I break free because I know
I alone am morally responsible for
everything I do. – Robert A. Heinlein

3. The really important kind of
freedom involves attention, and
awareness, and discipline, and
effort, and being able truly to care
about other people and to sacrifice
for them, over and over, in myriad
pretty little unsexy ways, every day.
David Foster Wallace

4. Freedom is not advanced in the permissive
society, which confuse freedom with
license to do anything whatever and which
in the name of freedom proclaim a kind
general amorality. It is a caricature of
freedom to claim that people are free to
organize their lives with no reference to
moral values, and to say that society does
not have to ensure the protection and
advancement of ethical values. Such an
attitude is destructive of freedom and
peace. Pope John Paul II

6. 1. How is freedom defined in the
quotes?
2. Which idea regarding freedom is
acceptable to you?
3. If you were to make your own
definition of “freedom” what will it
be?

8. Freedom or Liberty – a social
and political concept which has
great significance in how people
participate in society.

9. -Emerged as an important
philosophical issue in 18th –
century Europe during the Age of
Enlightenment.
-Intellectuals pondered on the
origins of society and the state and
the nature of human freedom.

10. - Enlightenment thinkers believed
that early man existed in a “natural
state” and had absolute freedom.
-However, the established of
societies required people to
surrender some of their freedoms in
order to live in harmony with others
and ensure the survival of society.

11. - In stablishing society, people entered
into a “social contract” which defined
the freedoms that they will be enjoying
as members of a society and the state.
Freedom in a political and social
context means the freedom of an
individuals from oppression,
compulsion, or coercion from other
persons, an authority figure, or from
society itself.

12. Political freedom consists of two type of
liberties.
Positive liberty refers to a person
taking control of his or her own life and
fulfilling one’s potential.
Negative liberty is freedom from
external restrain, barriers, and other
inferences from other people.

14. LIBERALISM – upholds the
preservation of individuals rights and
stresses the role of the government in
protecting civil liberties.
- Believes that the individual, not
the government, is the best
judge in upholding and
exercising rights.

16. SOCIALISM considers freedom as
the freedom to acquire economic
responses and the ability to work and
act according to one’s desires.
Person’s Rights
1. Natural rights
2. Legal rights

18. Natural Rights – refer to rights which
are innate in the person such as the
rights to life.
Legal Rights – are rights that are base
on society’s customs and laws, and are
enacted by legislation and enforced by
a government.

19. Theological Views
- Defines freedom as freedom from sin
and living a life of righteousness.
Christians defines freedom in the
context of living in accordance with the
will of God.

20. What makes us free? How does
freedom shape our experience?
Human Agency – refers to the
capacity of a person to act and exert
control over his or her behavior.
Free will – which is the capacity to
choose from alternative courses of
action or decision

21. Free action – the freedom to perform
an action without any obstacles or
hindrances.
Faculties model – refers to free will as
the use of our mental faculties.
- It assumes that we have free will due
to intellect and that each human action
is based on rationality and sound
judgement.

23. Hierarchical model argues that free
will is based on human wants and
desires.
Wants and Desire
- A person exercises free will when he
identifies one desire as acceptable and
decide to act on it.

24. A newly-graduated high school
students who decides to pursue either
Engineering or Medicine in college is
exercising free will.
Should he choose Medicine, he must
want to become a doctor.

25. Reasons-responsive view – believes
that man has free will because he is
able to entertain reasons not to enact a
certain decision and act upon them
when the need arises.
Ex: A person decides to cross the street
but sees a car rapidly approaching.
He or she exercise free will by choosing
not to cross the street and allow the
speeding car to pass.

26. What can prevent us from exercising
our freedom
Constraints on free action include
external obstacles such as:
1. Prohibitions
2. Laws
3. Social controls

27. External factors that may restrict free
action includes:
1. Weather
2. Accidents
3. Poverty
Constraints on free will includes certain
methods that cloud a person’s
judgement such as manipulation and
brainstorming.

28.  If a man is indeed free, how can he exercise his
free will and action in a world where events are
already determined by outside forces?

29. Free will being exercised in a
deterministic scenario is how
people deal with things that
are “outside their control”

30. Factors to consider:
1. Influence in society
2. Socioeconomic situation
3. Culture
4. People
5. Community

31. Marxist Philosophy believes
that society imposes certain
controls on people, and that a
person’s social group largely
influences how he think or acts.

32. Moral Responsibility – refers to
a person’s status of deserving
praise and reward, or blame and
punishment for an action.

33. Christian doctrine establishes that
all good, moral actions will result in
rewards such as blessing and
salvation, while evil deeds merit
punishment both in this world and in
the afterlife.

35. 1. Which do you believe is more
important – individual freedom or
the general welfare of society?
2. In what situation can freedom be
“abused”? In those cases, would it
be acceptable to restrict those
freedom?
3. How can we use our free will to
ensure that actions are morally
responsible?

41. 5. believes that society imposes
certain controls on people, and
that a person’s social group
largely influences how he think
or acts.

42. 1. Positive liberty
2. Negative liberty
3. LIBERALISM
4. Human Agency
5. Marxist Philosophy

44. Research on an issue or
recent event in the news
and analyze it using the
concepts and perspectives
on human freedom.