Freedom of the Human Person PDF

Freedom in a political and social  context means the freedom of an individual from oppression, compulsion, or coercion from other person, an author...

Freedom in a political and social  context means the freedom of an individual from oppression, compulsion, or coercion from other person, an authority figure, or from society itself. Freedom is a social and political concept which has great significance in how people participate in society. However, the establishment of societies required people to surrender some of their freedoms to live in harmony with others and ensure the survival of society. POLITICAL FREEDOM consists of two types of liberties: liberty refers to a person taking control of his or her own life and fulfilling one’s potential. freedom from external restraint, barriers, and other interferences from other people. The development of a number of political ideologies was influenced by varied ideas on human liberty. Liberalism upholds the preservation of individual rights and stresses the role of government in protecting these civil liberties. Libertarianism believes that individual, not the government, is the best judge in upholding and exercising rights. Socialism considers freedom as the freedom to acquire economic resources and the ability to work and act according to one’s desires. Freedom also entails the recognition of certain rights and entitlements of persons. Natural rights refer to rights which are innate in the person such as the right to life. The rights are considered universal and inalienable. Legal rights are rights that are legislation and enforced by a based on society’s customs and government. laws and are enacted by Philosophers define freedom as being based on free will or the capacity of persons to choose their own actions and decisions. The exercise of free will of the individual should be based on sound judgment and rational thinking. For Aristotle, a human being is rational. Reason is a divine characteristic. If there has been no intellect, there would be no will. Reason can legislate, but only through will can its legislation be turned into action. Our will is an instrument of free choice. CAPABILITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL to act and exert management over his or her behavior. For example, attending class is a student’s responsibility. Should the student cut class, then he/she must be held responsible for the consequences of his actions. As a result, he/she must be held  responsible for any accident or failure in grades that will befall on him/her. The student may regret what he/she had done, but all the regrets in the world will not call it back. Of all creatures of our God, human beings have the distinctive power to alter themselves and therefore the things around them for the better. Our spirituality separates us from animals. Through our spirituality, we’ve got a conscience. Whether we choose to be “good” or “evil” becomes our responsibility.  HUMAN BEINGS, as being rational, have laws that should not only be obeyed but also obeyed voluntarily and with understanding. ETERNAL LAW HUMAN LAW DIVINE LAW NATURAL LAW NATURAL LAW AND HUMAN LAW Applies only to human beings.  Do good, avoid evil Concerned with ends determined simply by humanity’s nature. DIVINE LAW AND ETERNAL LAW The basis for all other kinds of laws. As God created the universe, the universe is governed by His laws. All evil deeds must be punished. For Aquinas, natural and human laws are concerned with ends determined just by humanity’s nature. However, since a human being is in fact, ordained to an end transcending his nature, it’s necessary that he has a law ordering him to that end, and this is the divine law or revelation. Sartre’s existentialism stems from this principle: existence precedes essence. Sartre emphasizes the importance of free individual selection, regardless of the power of other people to influence and coerce our desires, beliefs, and choices. To be human, to be aware, is to be liberated to imagine, free to choose, and be responsible for one’s life. The human person builds the road to the destiny of his/her choosing; he/she is the creator. As an example, your mother wants you to become a doctor however, you cannot see yourself as a doctor, and instead you would like to become a teacher someday. In this case, you will choose your own destiny, your own road to fulfill in what area you will be happy. Free, rational, self-interested people realize that there are more benefits in cooperating than in not cooperating. Rights imply obligations, therefore once you take from the common pot – by enjoying the goods that the system provides – you’re additionally expected to pay in. For example, we need to pay our taxes in every item that we buy or services in return, the government will use that money for the wage of the policemen for the sake of our security and safety. Thomas Hobbes, known for his “Law of Nature”, he projected a general rule that states the preservation of our own life for the better. Avoiding things that may cause destruction to human. Hobbes concludes that we must always obtain peace to preserve our life and to have contract with others that may be the basis of our moral obligation and duty. 1st Law of Nature – We should seek peace. 2nd Law of Nature – We mutually divest ourselves of certain rights to achieve peace 3rd Law of Nature – is that human beings perform their covenant made. Rousseau is one of the most famous and influential philosophers of the French Enlightenment in the 18th century. In his book The Social Contract, he elaborated his theory of human nature. Rosseau believes that a human being is born free and good. Now, he is in chains and has become bad due to the evil influence of society, civilization, learning and progress. The term ‘Social Contract’ is not an actual historical event. It is a philosophical fiction, a metaphor, and a certain way of looking at a society of voluntary collection of agreeable individuals.