PHILO 4Q

• Freedom


  Broader than free will, where a person exercises their desire without restraints of others
• Freedom


  The state of being free from external constraint / limitations
• Liberty


  More specific, interchangeable with freedom, connected to civil right/duty
• Freedoms/Rights


  • Alienable
  • Universal
  • Given to everyone
  • Right to something
  • Right to vote
  • Right to property
  • To life
  • To educate
  • To property
  • Privacy
  • Freedom of expression
  • Religion
• Cannot violate the rights of others, the rights must have limits that's why there is no absolute freedom
• Free will


  The capacity of the individual to exercise freedom, choose without external limitations, out of own will, autonomy
• Determinism


  Counterpart of free will, we are all determined by our own biology, free will is illusion only
• Determinism is said by scientists, it is a necessary illusion to make life meaningful and to be, without the rule we are no different from animals
• Democracy


  For the people / to the people, people tend to be selfish in democracy, you are free only with the limits of a certain law
• Freedom has ambivalence and fragility, it can be good if it benefits everyone
• Negative freedom


  External limitation, non-intervention or minimal interference, lack of pressure or restraint, absence of arbitrary coercion, absence of irrational force, you do it nonetheless, you do it as long as it won't meddle with the affair of another person, social contract, law that is equal and fair
• Proponents of negative freedom

  • Thomas Hobbes
  • John Locke
  • John Stuart Mill
• Positive freedom


  Control from within not from without, internal limitations, self-rule/self-mastery, promoted self-realization, critical, creative, compassionate, and accountable for one's own actions as well as those of others
• Proponents of positive freedom

  • Buddhists
  • Jean-Jacque Rosseau
  • Immanuel Kant
• Negative freedom


  Freedom from external interference and coercion
• Hobbes, Locke, and Mill contribute to the understanding of freedom as negative freedom
• Positive freedom


  Control from within, not from without
• Characteristics of positive freedom


  • Control from within
  • Self-rule/self-mastery
  • Promotes self-realization
  • Critical, creative, compassionate, and accountable for one's own actions as well as those of others
• Buddhists


  • Self-mastery is best acquired by lessening or abstaining from fleshly cravings and focusing on a more fitting object of desire
  • Positive freedom is achieved by mastering one's desires and attachments, ultimately attaining Nirvana, a state of complete freedom from suffering
  • Ethical development involves the ethical development of one's character, cultivating virtues like compassion, wisdom and mindfulness
  • Detaching from worldly desires and transcending the ego, leading to spiritual liberation and inner peace
• For Buddhists, fleshly cravings are frequently viewed as cruel and unpleasant
• The mind should be trained to focus on a steadier and truer object, something that transcends the tangible and finds illumination in that condition of being
• The keys to enlightenment, according to Buddhists, are mindfulness and conscientious effort
• In the Buddhist view, genuine conception and exercise of freedom is synonymous with self-mastery
• Self-mastery


  • Mastery of one's desire
  • There is nothing wrong with desire but you must control it and not the other way
  • Control the desire and don't let it control you
  • What consumes your mind, controls your life
• Mindfulness and conscientious effort


  • Pag hindi ka mindful magiging obsessed ka dun sa sarap and hindi ka na makakaahon
  • We become obsessed, driven, and enslaved by that
  • Leads to clouded judgement
  • We are not responsible for our emotions but we are responsible for what we do
  • You don't exercise your freedom because you are clouded by your anger
  • You should be aware of what's happening to you and what you should do
• Aristotle


  • You should be aware what you do, who you do it with, and when you do it
  • Right action, right person, and right time
• Immanuel Kant


  • Introduced the concept of autonomy and moral freedom
  • Autonomy is the capacity to act according to rational, self-imposed moral principles
  • Categorical Imperative guides moral actions, emphasizing that individuals should act in a way that they would will to become a universal law
  • Self-legislation of moral principles that align with rationality and human dignity, enabling individuals to act freely and morally
• Categorical Imperative


  • One must act only according to the maxim which an individual can become a universal law
  • Such law is rational, supreme, and absolute
  • Actions have moral value if they have universal applicability and reason that qualify criterion
  • Freedom is properly conceived and exercised within the sphere of the Categorical Imperative
• According to Kant, freedom is not about following one's passions or yielding to one's desire, but rather about controlling or mastering them
• Freedom must be conceived and practiced within the boundaries of reason, according to Kant
• Good will


  • The only thing that is absolutely good in itself and without qualification
  • All other intrinsic goods, both intellectual and moral, can serve the vicious will and thus contribute to evil
  • They are only morally valuable if accompanied by a good will
• Moral duties


  • Can be translated into the language of imperatives, or commands
  • Have imperative force
• Moral duties should be performed for their own sake, rooted in good will
• The principle of universality is a test of consistency - an action has moral worth if it has universal applications
• 3 Principles of the Categorical Imperative

  • The Principle of the Universal Law
  • The Principle of Humanity or Ends
  • The Principle of Autonomy
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau


  • Based on virtuous intent and interest of the majority, for the common good
  • Promotes and follows the general will of the people, the collective will for the common good
  • Freedom means social participation through the social contract, tied to individuals' participation in creating the laws and norms of a just society
• Jean-Paul Sartre


  • We are all doomed to be free, but freedom is not presented to anyone or bestowed upon by a perfect being
  • Human beings are inherently free the moment we become aware of our reality and ourselves
  • We define the kind of life that we want based on the choices that we make
  • Existence precedes essence - the essence of being human is neither pre-given nor predetermined, it is solely dependent upon the individual choices which human beings make
  • Radical freedom - humans are absolutely free to choose their actions, and this freedom extends even to choosing one's own value and ethics
  • Bad faith - individuals denying their freedom and pretending to be bound by external circumstances or social roles
  • Existential anguish - the weight of choices and the absence of external guidance can lead to anxiety and uncertainty
• We are all condemned to be free - there is no one else to help us but ourselves
• Our decisions define our essence/being, the moment we become aware of reality, our choices define us
• Existence precedes essence


  • Human beings have no preconceived essence or predefined nature
  • God is not responsible for our human life
  • We define our existence in this world
  • Our existence is determined by the choices and actions that we make, not by any god/s or external authority
  • Living authentically is the way to overcome life's absurdities
  • Human beings do not possess a predetermined essence, purpose, or set of characteristics that define them from birth. Instead, individuals come into existence first (through birth) and then create their own essence or identity through the choices they make, their actions, and their experiences
  • Human existence is characterized by freedom, responsibility, and the absence of inherent meaning. Each person must define their own values and beliefs