FREEDOM
“Man is condemned to being free.” – JPS
(Existentialism Is a Humanism, 1948)
FREEDOM
• It is the power to realize one’s potentials, the power to
develop, to grow, to become oneself, not to be forced to drift
into something else, not to be less than a man. (Esteban,
1990)
FREEDOM OF THE WILL AND OF ACTION
• Freedom is anchored in one of our faculties than makes us, human:
WILL. (Thomas Aquinas). The will is free, ie, men have determined
their actions according to their judgment of their reason
• Free actions are carried out by which none of them can be constrained to
act by force.
HUMAN AGENCY
Man is capable of acting and exerting control over his behaviour.
Man is capable of directing himself freely towards an end.
DETERMINISM
Determinism is a belief that all events are caused by past events
such that nothing other than what does occur could occur.
DETERMINISM
The physical world is determined towards an end.
• Beings move and are directed towards a specific end in
causal relationships.
DETERMINISM
Determinism – all things are directed towards
an end.
Origin End
THE PROBLEM ON FREEDOM
Are you humans truly free? Or
are humans determined towards
a certain end?
DETERMISM IN HUMAN EXISTENCE
• Just like determinism in the physical
world, determinism in the case of human
existence is defined as the state of being
determined by any external force from
the will (social stereotypes/stigma, peer
and family pressure, modifiers of human
actions like fear, forgetfulness,
concupiscence, etc)
DETERMISM AS BEING UNFREE
A Life of Chance
It is possible for us to live in a life dominated by chance. This is
dominated by chance or fate which are principles that are outside of
man.
DETERMISM AS BEING UNFREE
Social Pressure
Life is unfree when it is controlled by the
family, friends, and culture. The “I” (the
person) of the acting is lessened and
conforms with the “They” who are acting
on his behalf.
DETERMISM AS BEING UNFREE
Extreme Feelings
and Passions
Life is unfree when
it is controlled by
feelings alone. It is
a way of life that is
controlled by
whatever feeling
may arise.
FREEDOM VERSUS DETERMINISM
With the pressures and
factors that impede
freedom, freedom becomes
an achievement. It can only
be attained only if we take
control of our lives, learn to
control our feelings, get
beyond our basic needs, rise
above the rules of our lives
and become free of social
pressure.
ON FREEDOM
With freedom, man is not
only simply the master of his
own acts but also of himself.
He is the master of his own
becoming and of that which
he will become.
ON THE LIMITS OF FREEDOM
Man is free but not
unboundedly free. Freedom
is conditioned and comes to
fruition in the presence of
the other.
ON FULL FREEDOM
Full freedom can also be called
freedom of achievement for
freedom is a task and must be
developed to achieve
authenticity. (Cruz, 1993)
ON FREEDOM AND INFLUENCE
Instead of determining other
people’s freedom, influence
them. Influence is a factor that
guides man’s choices while
generally leaving him free.
HAVING THE SENSE OF OPENNESS
“The world is weirder than what we think it is.” – Jean Paul Sartre
Man’s freedom enables him to experience the openness of human life. Anything
could happen each day. Daily routines can be altered. It can also bring either
success or failure. Anything is possible. As such, life can’t be contained in one
single constant definition. In the case of man’s life, it is what he makes it.
THE FREE LIFE OF FREE PERSONS
FREEDOM IS RESPONSIBILITY
Human beings are responsible beings. This affirmation is coming
from the basic experience of human life. This is also coming from the
presumption that if someone says or/and performs an action, he
meant it and does it on purpose. Man chooses whom he wants to be
and to act, commits himself, and is responsible for it.
THE FREE LIFE OF FREE PERSONS
CONSCIOUSNESS OF CHOOSING
Man has an immediate experience of decisions and of choices. Man is
confronted with an infinity of options in life which urges him to
decide. Once a decision is passed, the infinity turns to limited to one
single choice which now is called a decision. (The life of either-or in
Soren Kierkegaard’s Existentialism)
THE FREE LIFE OF FREE PERSONS
