Philosophy Chapter 1: Freedom and Morality

Lesson 1: Freedom of the Human Person

• Human freedom is a social concept recognizing individual dignity, defined as the absence of coercive constraints.
• Existentialists view humans as free because God grants freedom.
• Freedom, while naturally good, can sometimes be misused.
• True freedom is within the context of choice but not from the consequences.
• Three kinds of freedom exist: freedom from physical constraints (like for infants), freedom in action, and authentic freedom, aligning with divine will.

Consequences of Actions

• Consequences are the effects or results of actions.
• Obligations are duties stemming from legal or moral requirements.
• Responsibility is the duty to deal with something or having control.
• Moral obligation stems from the right thing to do.

Human Actions and Morality

• Actions, purposeful and intentional, are performed knowingly and freely.
• Conscious knowledge and will control human actions.
• Examples include telling the truth, giving to the poor, and attending school.
• Deliberate actions are considered voluntary.

Aristotle's Voluntary and Involuntary Actions

• Voluntary actions originate from the person performing the act, using knowledge of the situation.
• Actions are classified as voluntary or involuntary based on the presence or absence of force or coercion, along with the knowledge of the person involved.
• Involuntary actions include actions under compulsion, force, unawareness of circumstances, and feeling remorse.

Lesson 2: Intersubjectivity

• Intersubjectivity is the sharing of subjective experiences among two or more individuals.
• Co-existence and human existence are connected with intersubjectivity.
• Human beings are social beings, capable of sharing themselves with others.
• Philosophers like Confucius and Martin Buber have explored intersubjectivity.

Lesson 3: Human Person and Society

• Society is a group of people who live together and share a sense of belonging in a specific territory.
• Authority is the power to make laws for the general good.
• Societies evolve; pre-industrial societies (tribal) differ from post-industrial societies (service-based).
• Dis-embodied subjects and human interactions are affected by digital technology.
• Information societies have effects on social, economic, political, and cultural aspects of society.

Lesson 4: Human Person and Death

• Death is the end of a person's life.
• Death is considered a personal experience, not shared.
• Clinical criteria of death are based on bodily functions and are judged by a physician.
• Bargaining is one stage of accepting death, characterized by negotiating with others.
• Near-death experiences (NDEs) involve altered states of consciousness, often after life-threatening injury.