Philosophy

• Freedom


  A social and political concept that has great significance in how people participate in society
• Freedom emerged as an important philosophical issue during the Age of Enlightenment


  18th-century Europe
• Reason


  Can legislate, but only through will can its legislation be translated into action
• Happiness


  Of every human being is in his own hands, to preserve and develop, or to cast away
• Human being


  Is rational; reason is a divine characteristic
• Intellect


  The ultimate guide in understanding the very nature of one's acts
• Conscience


  Related to morality and becomes a basis before and after every act
• St. Thomas Aquinas


  • Catholic priest and one of the most important Medieval philosophers and theologians
  • Considers the human being as a moral agent
• Moral acts of man


  • Our inner view awareness of an aptitude to do right or wrong
  • The common testimony of all human beings
  • The general employment of praise and blame
• Fourfold classification of law by Aquinas

  • Eternal law
  • Natural law
  • Human law
  • Divine law
• Eternal law


  The decree of God that governs all creation
• Natural law


  Based on "first principles" which states that nothing exists without a sufficient reason for its being and existence
• Human law


  • Man-made law that should not only be obeyed but also obeyed voluntarily and with understanding
  • The Bill of Rights and the Constitution are two foundations of the inherent and sovereign rights and duties of every Filipino
• Divine law


  • Deals with interior disposition as well as external acts and ensures the final punishment of all evildoings
  • Accountability of human beings ensures a better disposition in life and all external acts will have a corresponding punishment
• Three types of freedom

  • Physical freedom
  • Psychological freedom
  • Moral freedom
• Physical freedom


  The absence of any physical restraint and the freedom of mobility to act and go whatever, whenever, and wherever he or she pleases
• Psychological freedom


  Also called freedom of choice
• Moral freedom


  Using freedom in a manner that upholds dignity and goodness
• Certain rights


  • Natural rights
  • Legal rights
  • Theological views
• Natural rights


  Rights that are innate in the person such as the right to life
• Legal rights


  Rights that are based on society's customs and laws and are enacted by legislation and enforced by a government
• Theological views


  Freedom as freedom from sin and living a life of righteousness
• Voluntariness


  Refers to the ability of a person to act out of his or her own free will and self-determination
• Responsibility


  Refers to the person being accountable for his or her actions and their consequences
• Jean Paul Sartre


  • Was a foremost existentialist, novelist and playwright whose works emphasize freedom and responsibility
• Habit


  Every repeated choice that we make in the same scenario and it becomes one of our character traits
• Voluntariness


  Related to responsibility
• Every day we take responsibility and voluntarily do the things we need to do to live a happy life or build a better society
• It is important to be responsible because every human act delivers responsibility
• We must be accountable so that others see us as someone they can rely on
• We must be responsible so that we do not leave a trail of destruct so that others do not have to bear the burden of our actions
• The realization of voluntariness and responsibility in the exercise of our freedom gives our actions and experiences a whole new meaning
• We can reflect on our actions to better understand them and guide us toward making the best possible decision
• It is very important that when confronted with choices, we exercise caution and prudence and reflect on our possible courses of action
• Advantage of having freedom

  • Freedom gives us the choice to undertake one of these possible actions
  • Freedom requires a degree of control from the person who exercises it
  • The essence of freedom is that it does not confine our actions to those set expected by others
• Existentialism and phenomenology


  Major philosophical branches that devote much discussion to the concept of interpersonal relations
• Edmund Husserl


  • Coined the term intersubjectivity
• Intersubjectivity


  Refers to the shared perception of reality among two or more individuals
• Confucius


  • "Do not do unto others what you would not others to do to you", is one of the main teachings of this famous Chinese philosopher regarding intersubjectivity
  • One of the main ideas of Confucianism is Ren or "human-heartedness"
• Human being

  • Is a social being who lives in companionship with others or a community, rather than isolation
  • Communicate and establish relations with the environment and with other human beings
  • It is a relationship that creates a communion of beings through which human beings establish community