Introduction to the

Philosophy of the
Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 5:
Freedom of Human Person
Personal Development
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 1: Title
First Edition, 2020

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Introduction to the
Philosophy of the
Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 5:
Freedom of Human Person
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person

Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Freedom of Human Person!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators

both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in
helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while
overcoming their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration
their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies
that will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist
the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:

Welcome to the Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person Alternative

Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Freedom of Human Person!

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a
learner is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant
competencies and skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in
your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities
for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be
enabled to process the contents of the learning resource while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in
the module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of

the lesson. This aims to help you discover
and understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to

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process what you learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

help you transfer your new knowledge or
skill into real life situations or concerns.

Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your

level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of
the lesson learned. This also tends
retention of learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of
the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your
answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning
and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind on how you can evaluate
and exercise prudence in choices. This will also help you to realize that choices
have consequences and some things are given up while others are obtained in
making choices. From this module, you will also learn to show situations that
demonstrate freedom of choice and the consequences of their choices. Your ability
in evaluating prudence in your choices will help you in everyday situations.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Realize that “all actions have consequences”;
2. Evaluate and exercising prudence;
3. Rationalize that:
a. Choice have consequences
b. Some things are given up while others are obtained in
making choices;
4. Show situations that demonstrate freedom of choice and the consequences
of their choices

What I Know

Let’s see how much you know about this pre-test. Let’s get started!

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. Behaviour influence by biological forces like genes, hormones and evolution.
a. biological determinism
b. environmental determinism
c. psychic determinism
d. scientific emphasis

2. It is an act of making good judgment that allows a person to avoid risks.

a. freedom
b. choice
c. prudence
d. determinism

3. In a traditional sense, is synonymous to liberty or independence.

a. freedom
b. choice
c. prudence
d. determinism

4. It refers to the ability of a person to act out his or her free will and self-
determination.
a. voluntariness
b. responsibility
c. existentialism
d. determinism

5. It is a kind of philosophy that highlights human existence, human freedom,

and choice avoid risks.
a. freedom
b. choice
c. existentialism
d. determinism

6. It is behavior controlled by features of the environment.

a. biological determinism
b. environmental determinism
c. psychic determinism
d. scientific emphasis

7. It refers to the person being accountable for his or her actions and
consequences.
a. voluntariness
b. responsibility
c. existentialism
d. determinism

8. The ability to decide what to do independently of any outside influence.

a. free will
b. choice
c. self-determination
d. determinism

9. It refers to as freedom in manner that upholds human dignity and goodness.

a. moral freedom
b. psychological freedom
c. physical freedom
d. manner freedom

10.It refers to the absence of any physical restraint. The person is free move
wherever he or she goes.
a. moral freedom
b. psychological freedom
c. physical freedom
d. manner freedom

Lesson Freedom of Human Person

5

This lesson will discuss about the freedom of human person. In able to realize and
value the importance of our freedom in every situation especially when we are
making a decision in life.

What’s In

Let’s have this first for a review.

I. Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer.

1. What is the ability to exercise one’s freedom in any manner?

a. freedom of self
b. freedom of choice
c. freedom of information
2. What is the Act of making good judgment that allows a person to avoid risk?

a. attention
b. freedom
c. prudence
3. Which of the following is not a legal form of freedom?

a. freedom of self
b. freedom of choice
c. freedom of expression
4. Which of the following demonstrates freedom of choice for a grade 12 student?

a. watching videos over the internet

b. reading a book
c. deciding between taking the exam or going to band’s concert
5. How can prudence affect freedom of choice?

a. using prudence avoid conversation

b. using prudence avoid harm
c. using prudence avoid stress

II. What can you say about the picture? Have you been in this kind of situation?
What are the things that you considered in making choices?
1. Answers:
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Notes to the Teacher

Encourage the students to complete the module. Tell them to
always prepare their writing implements, papers and notebooks,
and if they have internet connections, their cell phones, while
working on the module. Students may write questions in their
notebook to be discussed with the teacher when face to face
meeting is possible.
What’s New

Activity: Actions and Consequences

Read the following situations. Discuss the given actions below and brainstorm
about the possible consequences. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

ACTION CONSEQUENCES
a student studying his or her lesson
a responsible citizen following the ECQ
guidelines/rules
athletes practicing regularly
a person taking illegal drugs
a student practicing conservation of
natural resources

“All decisions, big or small, have corresponding consequences which may be good
or bad”

Processing Questions:
1. What did you feel about the activity?
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2. Why is it important that we exercise prudence in our choices?
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3. What are your realizations in the activity?
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What is It

Freedom (Kalayaan) in a traditional sense, is synonymous to liberty or

independence. In a democratic society, this term is often used as the right of a
person to do whatever he/she pleases to do, for as long as his/her conduct or
actions are within the bounds set by law. In present society freedom is associated
with freedom of expression where people can express themselves through different
media, such as art, fashion sense of clothing, and even in terms of body tattoos and
piercings.

Freedom is also associated with the freedom of speech which serves as

right for an individual to openly criticize or affirm the actions of the people around
him/her. This freedom fuels a person to comment on the conduct of a certain
official in the government and even the government itself. Such freedom even
extends to social media where anyone can freely express his/her opinions about
almost anything. However, the objectives of philosophy is not to magnify such
freedom enjoyed by the people, but so simply put certain limits of the said freedom
within proper perspective.

Freedom is an intrinsic and essential property of the person!

“This means that the human person by nature is a FREE BEING, and that it
is in his or her nature to seek wisdom.”

Where does freedom rooted?

Self-determination “The ability or power to make decisions for yourself,

especially the power of a nation to decide how it will be governed, ’the ability to
BECOME.”

Exercise of intellect “The process to manifest his or her ideas and

aspirations.”

Free will “The ability to decide what to do independently of any outside

influence”

Kinds of freedom

1. Physical Freedom -refers to the absence of any physical restraint. The

person is free move wherever he or she goes.

2. Psychological Freedom -is also called as FREEDOM OF CHOICE. The

person performs actions that he considers right and wise.

3. Moral Freedom -refers to as FREEDOM IN MANNER that upholds

human dignity and goodness. The person is not an object of other’s freedom.
Two Elements of Freedom

Voluntariness -It refers to the ability of a person to act out his or her free
will and self-determination.

-It means that a person may decide to act or not to act, and these decisions
are made out of his or her own free will.

-It also means that a person may act even if he or she is not required or
called to take action.

Responsibility -It refers to the person being accountable for his or her
actions and consequences. As a free being, the person must accept the
consequences of his or her action and take responsibility for them.

-Voluntariness and responsibility go hand in-hand in determining a person’s

freedom. In any situation where a person is forced to do an action against his or
her will, it follows that he or she cannot be held responsible for his or her
involuntary actions.

We can therefore examine our actions, habits, and behaviour by asking

ourselves the following questions:

1. What should I do?

2. Why should I do it?
3. What will happen if I do it?
4. How will my actions or behavior affect myself, others, and my
surroundings?
5. Will my actions or behavior be considered correct, proper, beneficial,
and moral?

Freedom and Existentialism

Existentialism is a kind of philosophy that highlights human existence,

human freedom, and choice. It argues that one must define his/her meaning in life
and make rational decisions.

The core of this philosophy is anchored on the question of human existence.

It holds that a person was thrown into nothingness and fro him/her to counter
such state, he/she must embrace his/her existence. Existentialist believe that a
person is free and should take full responsibility for his/her own doings.

Known existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre explore the true meaning of freedom

and in what way a person can achieve such. With due reference to a person’s
consciousness, freedom is viewed simply as the ability to choose. Sartre also claims
that a person is not an object, but is a subject. This valuing of human nature
ensures one of his/her dignity, derived from his/her freedom of choice.
Determinism and Freewill

It is the philosophical proposition that every event, including decision and

action, is causal determined by an unbroken chain of prior occurrences.
Biological determinism- behaviour influence by biological forces like
genes, hormones and evolution.
Environmental determinism- behaviour controlled by features of the
environment. Example: Skinner- conditioning (phobias)
Psychic determinism - behaviour controlled by unconscious conflict.
Example: Freudian- ID, ego, superego (psychosexual stages)
Scientific emphasis on casual explanations – science is based on the idea
and cause and effect, being able to make predictions.

Choices (Pagpili) and Consequences (Kinahihinatnan)

All our actions (Spoken or Physical) have consequences. Some are good
(positive) and some are bad (negative). Consequences are result or an effect.

“Lahat ng bagay na ating gagawin ay may kaakibat na pananagutan”

“If, however, it is true that existence is prior to essence, man is responsible

for what he is. Thus, the first effect of existentialism is that it puts every man
passion of himself as he is, and places that entire responsibility for his existence
squarely upon his own shoulders. And, when we say that man is responsible for
himself, we do not mean that he is responsible only for his own individuality, but
that he is responsible for all men”
-Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism (1946)

Demonstrating Prudence in all Choices

Prudence (matalinong pagpapasya) is an act of making good judgement that
allows a person to avoid risks. It is important to be prudent at all times to prevent
any harm that a decision may cause.
In making a decision, it is critical to determine the adverse effects
beforehand to avoid greater risk. Exercising prudence in choice implies that one
has already criticized all available options, and well-thought-of choice has been
made.
What’s More

Activity 1.1 Actions and Consequences

What is the message of the picture? Write your reflection about this picture.

Answers:
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Activity 1.2 Prudence in your choices

Imagine you won in a big contest, and you were ask to choose just one the following prizes:

A. a luxury car with a non-transferable contract

B. a 4-year college educational scholarship at any school in the Philippines
C. a 1 month all-expense paid trip to Korea

Processing questions: Write your answer on a separate paper.

1. Which price will you choose?

2. What factors made you come up with that decision?
In the previous example, you were asked to choose just one prize. Seemingly,
all of them are great prizes. However, if you will weigh the pros and cons of each,
you will easily realize that one may be better than the other.

What I Have Learned

1. Freedom (Kalayaan) in a traditional sense, is synonymous to liberty or

independence. It is also associated with the freedom of speech which serves
as right for an individual to openly criticize or affirm the actions of the
people around him/her.
2. Freedom is an intrinsic and essential property of the person!
“This means that the human person by nature is a free being, and that it is
in his or her nature to seek wisdom.”
3. The ability to exercise one’s freedom in any manner is called freedom of
choice.
4. The freedom to choose stops when there is risk or harm that may be
inflicted on the self or other people.
5. The different kinds of freedom
a. Physical Freedom -refers to the absence of any physical restraint. The
person is free move wherever he or she goes.

b. Psychological Freedom -is also called as freedom of choice. The person

performs actions that he considers right and wise.

c. Moral Freedom -refers to as freedom in manner that upholds human

dignity and goodness. The person is not an object of other’s freedom.
6. The two elements of freedom
a. Voluntariness -It refers to the ability of a person to act out his or her free
will and self-determination.

b. Responsibility -It refers to the person being accountable for his or her
actions and consequences. As a free being, the person must accept the
consequences of his or her action and take responsibility for them.

7. Existentialism is a kind of philosophy that highlights human existence,

human freedom, and choice. It argues that one must define his/her meaning
in life and make rational decisions.
8. Determinism is the philosophical proposition that every event, including
decision and action, is causal determined by an unbroken chain of prior
occurrences.
9. All our actions (Spoken or Physical) have consequences. Some are good
(positive) and some are bad (negative). Consequences are result or an effect.
10. The consequences of making choices while exercising our freedom to choose
is attainable by all people, it should always be realized that decision-making
is linear and complex task that requires accountability and commitment.
11. The importance of prudence in every choice
12. Prudence (matalinong pagpapasya) is an act of making good judgment that
allows a person to avoid risks. It is important to be prudent at all times to
prevent any harm that a decision may cause. A living thing reacts to a
stimulus, which is a change in the environment, by producing a response.
13. A part from the freedom to choose, it is also relevant to know that freedom
does not stop at making a choice. There are also several areas where
freedom may be exercised.
14. Religious and cultural practices may limit one’s freedom of choice. Even
though a person is given the right by the state to choose for himself, he may
not be able to do so because of the religion or culture that he belongs to.
15. All forms of action are brought about by a person’s decision to accomplish
them.
What I Can Do

Explain your stand on the following statements. Write your answer on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. I am free as long as I do not harm others.
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2. I am my own architect. I know what is good or bad for me.

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3. My happiness is my choice.
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Assessment

Modified True or False: Answer True if the statement is correct, and False if the
underlined word made the statement incorrect and write the correct word(s) on the
space provided after each number.
In this activity, you should have to think wisely in every item and value the
importance of prudence in our choice. “Every action has its Consequences”-
Indonesian Proverb
___________1. Freedom is also associated with the freedom of speech which serves
as right for an individual to openly criticize or affirm the actions of the people
around him/her. Answer: _______________________
___________2. Physical freedom refers to the absence of any physical restraint. The
person is free move wherever he or she goes. Answer: _______________________
___________3. Voluntariness refers to the ability of a person to act out his or her
free will and self-determination. Answer: _______________________

___________4. Existentialism is a kind of philosophy that highlights human

existence, human freedom, and choice. Answer: _______________________

___________5. Prudence is an act of making good judgement that allows a person to

avoid risks. Answer: _______________________

___________6. Determinism refers to the person being accountable for his or her
actions and consequences. Answer: _______________________

___________7. Responsibility is the philosophical proposition that every event,

including decision and action, is causal determined by an unbroken chain of prior
occurrences. Answer: _______________________

___________8. Environmental determinism behaviour influence by biological forces

like genes, hormones and evolution. Answer: _______________________
___________9.Biological determinism behaviour controlled by features of the
environment. Answer: _______________________

___________10. Moral freedom is also called as freedom of choice. The person

performs actions that he considers right and wise. Answer: _______________________
Additional Activities

Answer the following. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Discuss the concept of freedom in the context following views.
a. Determinist
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b. Existentialist
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2. How is free will manifested in human actions?

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3. As a Filipino youth, how should you exercise your freedom?

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4. Describe what may happen if the Filipinos are deprived of their freedom?
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Answer Key

Assessment What's In What I Know

1. True I. 1. A
2. True 2. C
3. True 1. B 3. A
4. True 2. C 4. A
5. True 3. C 5. C
6. Responsibility 4. C 6. B
7. Determinism 5. B 7. B
8. Biological 8. A
determinism 9. A
9. Environmental 10. C
determinism
10. Psychological
freedom
References

Rafael Jotojot Jr, “Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person,” Last
modified June-2016, Academia.edu <[email protected]>

Nuelan A. Magbanua et al, Foundations of Philosophy (Quezon City: Brilliant

Creations Publishing Inc., 2017)

I Hope, “Freedom of Choice and its Consequences I Intro to the Philosophy of the
Human Person,” Last modified July 13, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=1ndvm3NABn4&t=465s

Loreto C. Jugo Jr. LPT, SST II, “Freedom of Human Person,” Last modified
September 17, 2018, https://www.slideshare.net/LjJugo/freedom-of-the-human-
person-114987565

Monica Ojos, “Lesson 5 of the subject Introduction to the Philosophy of Human

Person (IPHP),” Last modified September 29, 2019,
https://www.slideshare.net/MONICAOJOS/human-person-and-freedom
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