FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN PERSON

-it consists of going beyond situations such as physical or economic.

• A. Aristotle

The power of Volition

- The imperative quality of a judgement of practical intellect is meaningless, apart from will.
Reason can legislate, but only through will can its legislation be translated into action. The task
of practical intellect is to guide will by enlightening it. If there were no intellect, there would be
no will.

- The will of humanity is an instrument of free choice. It is within the power of everyone to be
good or bad, worthy or worthless. This is borne out by:

a. Our inner awareness of an aptitude to do right or wrong.

b. The common testimony of all human beings.
c. The rewards and punishments of rulers; and
d. The general employment of praise and blame.
Action is an area in philosophy concerned with theories about the processes causing willful human bodily
movements of a more or less complex kind. Reason is a divine characteristic and can be legislate but only
through Will can its legislation be turned into action.
 St. Thomas Aquinas
“Love is freedom”
Of all creatures of God, human beings have the unique power to change themselves and the
things around them for the better.
He considers the human being as a moral agent.
A human being, therefore has a supernatural, transcendental destiny./
The power to change however cannot be done by human beings alone but is achieved trough
cooperation with God.
Fourfold classification of law
• Eternal law - Eternal law is identical to the mind of God as seen by God himself. It can be called
law because God stands to the universe which he creates as a ruler does to a community which he
rules. When God's reason is considered as it is understood by God Himself, i.e. in its unchanging,
eternal nature.
• Natural law - The natural law is law with moral content, more general than human law. Natural
law deals with necessary rather than with variable things. In working out human laws, human
practical reason moves from the general principles implanted in natural law to the contingent
commands of human law
• Human law - can be promulgated by word of mouth or, even better, by writing. Human laws are
subject to change, according to Aquinas, because experience in practical matters may allow us to
improve them. Human law can be changed, and occasionally should be changed, but it should not
be lightly changed. The reason is that respect for the law is largely a matter of custom or habit,
and inessential change undermines this custom.
• Divine law - is derived from eternal law as it appears historically to humans, especially through
revelation, i.e., when it appears to human beings as divine commands. Divine law is divided into
the Old Law and the New Law . The Old and New Law roughly corresponding to the Old and
New Testaments of the Bible. When he speaks of the Old Law, Thomas is thinking mainly of the
Ten Commandments. When he speaks of the New Law, the teachings of Jesus.
• Old Law -- commands conduct externally -- reaches humans through their capacity for fear --
Law promised earthly rewards (social peace and its benefits)
• New Law -- commands internal conduct -- reaches humans by the example of divine love --
promises heavenly reward

St Thomas wisely and aptly chose and proposed Love rather than law to bring about the
transformation of humanity. For love is in consonance with humanity’s free nature, for Law
commands and complete; Love only calls and invites. St. Thomas emphasizes the freedom of
humanity but choose love in governing humanity’s life. Since God is love, then love is the
guiding principles of humanity toward his self-perception and happiness – his ultimate destiny.

 St. Thomas Aquinas :

Spiritual Freedom

The existence of god as a First cause. Of all gods Creations, human Beings have the Unique
power to Change themselves and things around them for the better. As humans , we are both
material and spiritual. We have conscience because of our spirituality. God is love and love is our
destiny.

*Actions
(good or evil)
*conscience
* Gods love

 INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM - Jean Paul Sartre

Sartre philosophy considered to be a representative of existentialism.
The human person is the desire to be God: the desire to exist as being which has its sufficient
ground in itself (en sui causa) .
There are no guideposts along the road life.
The human person builds the road to the destiny of his/her choosing; he/she is the creator
(srathern 1998).
 Existence precedes essence
• The person, first, exist, encounters himself and surges up in the world then defines himself
afterward. The person is nothing else but that what he makes of himself.
• The person is provided with a supreme opportunity to give meaning to ones life, one fills the
world with meaning.
• Freedom, is therefore, the very core and the door to authentic existence. Authentic existence is
realized only in deeds that are committed alone, in absolute freedom and responsibility in which,
therefore, the character of true creation .
• The person is what one has done and doing.
• On the other hand, the human person who tries to escape obligations and strives to be en -soi
(i.e.., excuses, such as, “I was born this way” “ I grew up in a bad environment”) is acting
on bad faith (mauvais foi)
• Theory of social contract - Thomas Hobbes
• a Law of Nature (lex naturalis) - is a precept or general rule established by reason, by which
person is forbidden to do that which is destructive of his life or takes away the means of
preserving the same; and to omit that by which he thinks it may be best preserved
• First law of nature
Seek Peace – which is that we mutually divest ourselves of certain rights (such as the right
to take another persons life) so as to achieve peace.
Contract- it is the basis of the notion of moral obligation and duty.
• Second Law of nature
the rational pursuit of self preservation – is what lead us to form commonwealth or states;
the laws of nature give the condition for the establishment of the society and government.
In leviathan, Hobbes asserts:
“the fundamental law of nature seek peace and follows it, while at the same time, by the sum of
natural right, we should defend ourselves by all means that we can.”
• Third law of nature
Human beings perform their covenant made – without this law of nature, covenants are
in vain and but empty words ;
• And the right of all human beings to all things remaining, we are still in the condition of war.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU
• One of the 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. In Rousseau , a new
era of sentimental piety found its beginning.
• There must be common power or Government which the plurality of Individuals (citizens)
should confer all their Powers and strength into (freedom)One will (ruler).