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Introduction to the
Philosophy
of the Human
Person
Quarter 2 – Module 5

Freedom of the Human Person

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Introduction to the
Philosophy
of the Human
Person
Quarter 2 – Module 5

Freedom of the Human Person

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and

reviewed by educators from public and private schools, colleges, and
universities. We encourage teachers and other education stake

holders to email there feedback, comments, and recommendations to

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the Department of Education at action @deped.gov.ph

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

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Lesson 1: Definition of Freedom and
It’s Kind
Learning Competency: Realize that “all actions have consequences.
”(PPT11/12-IIa-5.1)

What’s New?

Activity 1: Show Me A Picture.

1. Paste/draw any picture in the box that depicts a caged animal.

1. What emotions and ideas can be derived from the picture when it comes to
freedom? Why?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________

2. Could there be a considerable amount of change if animals are given the

freedom and roam freely in their natural habitat? Expound your answer.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________

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 What Is It?

What is Freedom? What is the essence of freedom?

- The ability to make choices and perform those choices.
- The ability to be what we want and to decide and create
oneself.

Two concepts that will help us fully understand freedom:

1. Freedom itself

“Freedom is generally defined as having the ability to act or change

without constraint-Wikipedia” Someone or something is “free” if he/it can do
or change anything effortlessly and responsibly. A person or an animal has
the freedom to do things that will not, in theory, or practice, be prevented by
other forces. But freedom has its particular limitations beyond himself
because he is bound by consequences of his actions either to promote
goodness or destruction to himself or other persons.

Example:

Your teacher gave you a pen and paper. The goal here is to make these
two items useful for you. You can either use the pen to write a letter or draw
something on the paper. You can also transform the paper into a paper
airplane and write a message on it and throw it in the air until it finally lands
to another person’s lap. Using your freedom as an instrument to create
action without constraint is its true meaning.

2. Free will
Free will is the ability to choose different courses of action without
restrictions. If we exercise our free will, we get to decide on things that will
lead to results, either good or bad, beneficial or not. The actions that we do
depend on the values we uphold and the acceptance and expectations of
the community we live in, including family members and friends that we
care about.
To be precise, free will is our ability to choose things according to our
moral reasoning, which can also be related to our previous lesson on self-
determination or the ability to select on what is right and wrong, that a
person’s action determines what kind of person he or she becomes.

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 KINDS OF FREEDOM

1. Physical Freedom

Physical freedom refers to the absence of any physical restraint. The

person has the freedom of mobility to go where he or she wants to go. He
or she is not impeded in his or her actions by any physical force. Granted
that the person has natural limitations, physical freedom enables him or
her to act and move in determined manner. You cannot be everywhere at
once, but your freedom allows you to move one place to another and to go
whenever you want to go.

2. Psychological Freedom

Psychological freedom is also called freedom of choice. The person

is free to perform actions that he or she considers right and wise. A person
is also free to act or not to act. Psychological freedom is innate and cannot
be denied to a person. No outside force or influence can compel a person
to take action against his or her will.

3. Moral Freedom

Moral freedom refers to using freedom in a manner that upholds

human dignity and goodness. Freedom is not an object that a person may
use in whatever way he or she pleases. A person must use his or her
freedom to grow as a person. A person becomes freer when he or she uses
freedom well but becomes less free when he or she uses it in a wicked
way. Humans have a natural inclination for what is right and moral, and when

a person uses his or her freedom to do acts that violates human dignity and
goodness, he or she dehumanizes himself or herself and effectively
negates human freedom.

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 What’s More?

Activity 2: My Reflection.

Write your reflection in your activity notebook if you chose to write an essay or
send to our GC if you chose to produce a two-minute video.

Listen to (or View) the message of Ruth Chang via Ted Talk on making hard choices
through https://www.ted.com/talks/ruth_chang or read the transcript below. You can
make a two-minute talk video about your own difficulty in choosing (career path,
relationships, studies, etc) and send it to our GC or write a 5 paragraph (300 word)
essay on “The Choice I Make”. The idea here is whether you made a good or bad
decisions and its effect on you as a person. Have fun and enjoy!

Rut
h [Chang-] : How to make hard choices (transcript)
According to her rational individuals are not merely discoverers of reasons but creators of them
through the activity of commitment and by owning full responsibilities of your choice or decision.
She is a philosopher, lawyer and researcher.

Summary

People definitely say that they have some hard choices. They think that hard choices are
big and hard, it matters to them but they can't choose one because they are stupid.
However, the speaker who studies hard choices and is a philosopher, tells us that we
shouldn't choose one because there is no best option. It means that we misunderstand
hard choices but we have to choose one.
1) If you start with two things that are equally good, and you improve one of them, it now
must be better than the other. This is not the case with options in hard choices.
2) You assume that the choice has a good answer that is greater or lesser or equal.
However, the value of the choices can't be measured by something. She calls this "on a
par."
3) In fact, the alternatives are in the same area and at the same level. It's very different
in kind of value but you don't realize.
4) The choice means to create reasons for yourself and make yourself into the kind of
person who you want to be. It's not dictated by reasons given to you. The reasons create
to you like you became the authors of your own life.
In other words, how to make hard choices doesn't have the failure, because you can
make yourself in the space of hard choices where you get to exercise your normative
power. The power creates reasons for yourself and makes yourself fit the reasons. You
can decide your life by yourself. This is the answer on how to make hard choices. You
can enjoy it.
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 Criteria Rating
Content Organization: The video output must show clear
statement of purpose, what is this video about and must be able to
1 2 3 4
present at least two hard choices in your life and the decision you
make, its consequence and how you deal with it until this time.
Originality: The video output must not be copy-pasted from other
person’s work or ideas with a sense of creativity and with
1 2 3 4
punchlines or “hugot”. It must relate to your own personal
experience and thoughts.
Production Standard: The video output must have smooth
picture quality, lighting is sufficient, audio is clear, back drop is 1 2 3 4
pleasing and speaker is in his formal casual/school uniform attire.
Completion: The Video output must be complete following the
1 2 3 4
maximum time of two minutes.
TOTAL (20 points)
Rubrics for Video

Rubrics for Essay

Criteria Rating
Content Organization: The essay output must present clear
statement of purpose or introduction. It must also contain a well-
developed body of ideas with at least two hard choices in your life
1 2 3 4
and the decision you make, its consequence and how you deal
with it until this time. The ending should contain powerful message
like lessons learned or insights or relevant quotations.
Originality: The essay output must not be copy-pasted from other
person’s work or ideas with a sense of creativity and with
punchlines or “hugot” and “voice” which must relate to your own 1 2 3 4
personal experience and ideas.

Unity: The ideas presented must be interconnected and form part

of the whole of the essay using connectors and transition words.
1 2 3 4
Word choice and details of each sentence must be clear and
appropriate. .
Language Mechanics: Spelling, grammar, sentence structure
1 2 3 4
and mechanics should follow the standard English.
TOTAL (20 points)

Getting the Mean: Descriptions: 4= outstanding

Total Score 3= Very Satisfactory
5 2= Satisfactory
1= Needs Improvement

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 Lesson 2: Elements of Freedom
Learning Competencies: Evaluate and exercise prudence in choices realize
that:
a. Choices have consequences (PPT11/12-IIa-5.2)
b. Some things are given while others are obtained in making choices
(PPT11/12-IIb-5.3)

What’s New?

Activity 1: Knowing My Priorities

Read the situation below and answer the questions after it. Write your answer in
your activity notebook.

News came that a sudden deluge of water ran over some houses near your area.
Thank God, no one was hurt except that most of their homes were destroyed and all
of their belongings were literally washed out. Your school is planning to help since
some of their students live there. The school needed the help from student volunteers
who were lucky to have been spared from this calamity. Are you willing to accept this
call?

a. Would you volunteer to the said activity? Why or why not?

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
b. What do you think drives you to join or not join the activity?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
c. If you choose to volunteer for the activity, what are the responsibilities that
you can associate to your act of voluntarism?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

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 What Is It?

Two elements that define freedom:

1. Voluntariness

It is the ability of a person to act of his or her own free will and self-determination.
A person may decide to do things or not to do it according to his own free will. It also
means that even though she/he is not required to do such things he/she could still do
it or take action on it.

Voluntary acts are free acts which can be assigned a corresponding moral
value. One must always remember that in every action we make, in every choice we
make there is an equivalent consequence. These consequences affect not just the
individual who does the decision but also other people in their surroundings. With
that, one must always accept the consequences that results from his or her choices
or actions and take responsibility for them.

2. Responsibility
Responsibility refers to the person being accountable for his or her action and
their consequences. Taking responsibility can mean either you take responsibility to
your doing voluntarily or other people will hold you responsible. For example, if you
made a bad action it’s either you take responsibility of it or other people will hold you
accountable for it.

Example of voluntariness and responsibility

Mira wanted to earn extra income to support her studies. That is why she joined
an online business that offer to sell beauty products and vitamins. At first, Mira was
making money enough to support her school needs like fare and food for one week.
Her demands grew better, so, she wanted to earn more by recruiting members to join
her company she knew nothing of its origin. Later, she found out that this company was
a hoax and several classmates she enlisted and even teachers she enticed to buy
warned that her products have harmful effects to a person’s kidney and liver. Still she
continued selling because she needed the money badly without considering the health
of her customers. One day, Mira was apprehended by the NBI, Narcotics and SOCO
officers for selling counterfeit products.

This situation tells us about volunteerism on the part of Mira who at first aspires
for extra income to support her schooling by engaging in an online business which is
not bad. But when she learned about the company/s fraudulent and counterfeit

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 products, she has the responsibility to leave the company and report it to the
authorities.

Discuss:

1. What kind of freedom does Mira exercise?

2. How does truthful knowledge contribute to or limit Mira’s freedom?
3. How can you show respect for the freedom of others?

There are significant factors to consider in the exercise of freedom. These are Prudence
and Self-reflection.

• Prudence is the ability to govern and discipline oneself with the use of reason; it is
having caution and giving good judgments in making decisions. Making hard
choices is an exercise of freedom. But freedom should also be based on
truthful knowledge and wise reasoning. Hence, we should practice self-
reflection on every decision we make.

• Self-reflection allows each person to analyze his life both in small and big details in
terms of the decisions, actions and choices he make Browning, G (2009). It is
a deeper form of learning where if practiced with higher sense of wise
judgement and keen perception, the experiences he makes are more
meaningful and serve as guide for improved and informed decisions, actions
and choices.

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Finish the Sentence

 I do my best when . . .
 I struggle when . . .
 I am comfortable when . . .
 I feel stress when . . .
 I am courageous when . . .
 One of the most important things I learned was . . .
 I missed a great opportunity when . . .
 One of my favorite memories is . . .
 My toughest decisions involve . . .
 Being myself is hard because . . .
 I can be myself when . . .
 I wish I were more . . .
 I wish I could . . .
 I wish I would regularly . . .
 I wish I had . . .
 I wish I knew . . .
 I wish I felt . . .
 I wish I saw . . .
 I wish I thought . . .
 Life should be about . . .
 I am going to make my life about . . .

What’s More?

Activity 2: My Freedom Circle.

Write down as many good and bad decisions you made in the
past one year inside the circle and cross out the decisions you
think you regret.

According to Ruth Chang, there is no best choice in decision-

making, but it is your commitment to own that decision where it
will shape the best version of yourself. Fill the chart below with
words or phrases to know whether your judgements are good
and bad ones. Cross out those you think are limiting your
freedom and the freedom of others.

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Activity3: Reflect.

Draw/sketch a scene or an object where it reflects prudence in decision-

making or write down a line or two of a song/poem where it talks about
thoughtful or wise choice.

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For inquiries and feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education
Division of Cagayan de Oro City
Fr. William F. Masterson Ave Upper Balulang Cagayan de Oro
Telefax: (08822)855-0048
E-mail Address: cagayandeoro.city@deped.gov.ph

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