The Freedom of the

HumanPerson
QUARTER 2-MODULE 1
 When you woke up this morning,
what did you do first? Did you wash
your face? Took a bath? Or
immediately walked towards the dining
table for a hearty breakfast?
• What made you do so? Who decided what you
wanted to do? If your answer is yourself then
you already have some practical application of
freedom.
In this module, the learner will be able to:
1. Realize that all actions have consequences.
2. Evaluate and exercise prudence in choices
3. Realize that choices have consequences, and some
things are given up while others are obtained in making
choices
4. Show situations that demonstrate freedom of choice
and the consequences of their choice
 Lesson 1.1: What is Freedom?

• In our previous discussions about the human person, we have learned that a
person must possess 4 qualities that validates him or her as a person namely:
self-awareness, externality, dignity, and self-determination. Self-determination is
the capability of the person to make choices and decisions based on their own
preferences, monitor, and regulate their own actions and be goal-oriented and
self-directed. It is in this self-autonomy that we, as human persons are free to
choose whatever and whenever our wants and needs set us into and let us
dictate the direction of which our life is heading. An important indication of
human freedom is the ability to make choices and perform actions. Our freedom
to act sets us apart from other beings
 Let’s compare how animals and human persons
behave to get a better understanding of freedom. We see
some animals behave like human beings because they
seem to perform actions in response to commands. A well-
trained dog can perform certain tasks on command such as
“stay” or “fetch” because it has been trained and
conditioned to perform them. The same cannot be said
about human beings. You cannot just approach a stranger,
toss him or her a ball and say “fetch!” Surely, you will be
embarrassed with curious and suspicious stares from that
person. A person will not respond automatically to the
command “fetch” because he or she is not conditioned to
obey like a dog.
 The human person does not experience the
world in the same way that animals do.

Animals act instinctively, meaning their actions are

more like predetermined responses to certain stimuli.
A person on the other hand, can choose the course of
action to take when given incitement or faces with a
certain situation. With us humans, our inherent
freedom makes us very dynamic creatures and our
actions do not necessarily follow a set pattern.
 Freedom gives us the choice to undertake one
of these possible actions. It also enables us to come
up with new choices. For example, some may take
some of the cash before reporting it to the police to
purchase their needs. The essence of freedom is
that it does not confine our actions to those do set
or expected by others; we can imagine you actions
and decide to undertake them.
 Now recall your answer and ask yourself why
you chose to take that action. Reflecting upon your
actions will enable you to know yourself better as a
person. Your actions also determine to uphold
human dignity and freedom. Having freedom,
however, also entails certain responsibilities. It is
possible for a person to diminish or deny a freedom
through the choices that he or she makes.
 Freedom requires a degree of control from the person who
exercises it. A person becomes freer when he or she exercises
control over himself or herself. On the other hand, a person
becomes less free when he or she is no longer in control of
himself or herself and is instead controlled by other forces. For
example, persons suffering from addiction are less free because
they are overpowered by their addiction to certain substances
and can barely control themselves when presented with these
things. People who act solely based on their emotions are also
less free because they allowed themselves to be controlled by
their feelings without any regard for ethical considerations. To
lose control of oneself diminishes human freedom and
dehumanizes the person.
“We are who we are because of the choices we
make.” Life is a long journey, and, in this
journey, we would likely face the same
situations again and again. Every repeated
choice that we make in the same scenario can
develop into a habit. If this habit continues, it
becomes one of your character traits.
 Lesson 1.2: Elements of Freedom

What makes us Free?

How does Freedom shape our experiences

There are two elements that define freedom.

1. Voluntariness refers to the ability of a person to act out

of his or her own free will and self-determination.
This means that a person may decide to act or not to
act, and these decisions are made of his or her own free
will. Voluntariness also means that a person may act even
if he or she is not required or called to act. Voluntary acts
are free acts which can be assigned a corresponding moral
value.
Reflect on the actions and choices
that were made in that situation.

• Why did the children play near the pool

unsupervised? Why was the Lifeguard not there?
Why did Freddy save them? Did Freddy have to
save the two children whom he did not know at
the expense of his own life? One can argue that
he does not have the responsibility to save them
since he is not a lifeguard. If he did that, what
would be the result of his inaction? Would it be
possible for other people to be heroic just like he
did? What can you say about Freddy’s actions?
What do you think will be the result of his actions?
• Whenever we decide to act, this results in a
certain consequence. All human actions have
consequences, and this affect not only the person
who commits the action, but also other people in
our surroundings. As a free being, the person must
accept the consequences of his or her actions to
take responsibility for them.
There are two elements that define freedom.

2. Responsibility refers to the person being accountable for his

or her actions and their consequences.
Taking responsibility can either mean a person will voluntarily
taking responsibility for his or her own actions or being held
responsible by other people. Whenever you know you
committed a bad action, you can either voluntarily confess to it
or other people will point it out and hold you responsible.
Responsibility can also have a positive or negative meaning , and
it goes hand in hand with voluntariness in determining the
morality of an action.
• The realization of voluntariness and responsibility in the
exercise of our freedom give our actions and
experiences a whole new meaning. We can now reflect
on our actions to better understand them and guide us
towards making the best possible decision.
• Another reality that we must face as we exercise our
freedom is the fact that freedom is experienced through
the path of making choices. Although human freedom
gives us the ability to think of countless decisions and
possible actions, we only get to choose one of these
possible actions or decisions. Having the ability to choose
and to enact a course of action does not automatically
mean that we should act every time. It is also possible that
the choice not to take action may be an acceptable and
moral choice in a given situation.
• When we make the choice to do a particular action, we
can never go back and redo our actions and make
another choice. Real life is not a movie where we can
stop and get as econd take on the situation. Therefore, it
is very important that when confronted with choices,
we exercise caution and prudence and reflect on our
possible courses of action.
 INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the
following questions briefly and
straight to the point.
• Why are voluntariness and responsibility
important elements of freedom?
What’s More • Is the choice of “doing nothing” a valid
and moral choice? In what situations is
this choice acceptable?
• How can self-reflection aid you in
exercising freedom and making choices
What I Have
Learned?
 INSTRUCTIONS: Analyze the following situations.
Give your recommendations on how the persons
involved can exercise freedom more responsibly.

What I Do?
ASSESSMENT #1
A. INSTRUCTIONS: Identify the following. Place your answer at back of
your notebook.
_______________1. This is the ability to make choices and perform
actions and is an essential property of the human person.
_______________2. This is freedom from any physical restraint.
_______________3. This is the freedom of choice.
_______________4. This is the ability to act out of one’s own free will
and self –determination.
_______________5. This refers to the person being accountable for his
or her actions and their consequences.
B. INSTRUCTIONS: Put a check beside the number of
the statement which shows responsible use of freedom.
________1. Instead of spending her excess allowance on a new pair of shoes,
Reyna decides to open a bank account and start saving up for her future.
________2. Despite the threats made on his life, the witness decided to come
forward and divulge important information regarding the crime he witnessed.
________3. A woman used the internet to humiliate her ex-boyfriend by
spreading lewd photos of him on social media.
________4. Despite knowing that many of his clients were poor and desperate,
a money lender continues to impose very high interest rates on loans.
________5. A businessman did not accept a high-paying position in an overseas
firm and instead decided to start his own business and spend more time with
his family.