Lesson 2_Freedom

“Freedom consists not in doing what
we like but in having the right to do
what we ought.”

Pope John Paul II

 Freedom is an awesome, incredible capacity. We
all want it! Its one of the things we treasure as one
of the greatest goods in life.

 Freedom however, is a difficult gift, as its not easy
to live freely.

 Freedom can feel like a burden; at times it may be
too much to handle; for with freedom comes
responsibility.

 Many people think they are free – only to
discover they are truly confined. However, we
cannot think of being a moral being without
freedom since without freedom there is no
morality.

Freedom: a force of growth and maturity in truth
and goodness. It is the capacity to act and be
rational that sets us apart from the animal
kingdom. Freedom is the power to act or not act.
Ex: I have the capacity to take an initiative to
begin something that will have an impact on me
for the rest of my life.



External Freedom:
 This is usually what we think of when we say

“Freedom”
 The ability to do all that we possibly can
 The freedom to do what we want when we

want
Internal Freedom:
 The freedom to be all we can possibly be
 A state of fulfilled being instead of a way of

acting

In deciding whether to act or not act many issues
can arise. Our decision, based on our freedom
can either be morally and ethically good, or
equally morally or ethically bad.
Freedom can deny its greatest good (God). We
call this “sin”: Turning away from God, ourselves
and others.
The ability to sin shows that freedom involves
testing the very core of human existence.

Freedom has contributed to Liberation in many ways
especially in the development of human rights. Its
protected the individual from authoritative
governments and helped societies recognize
intolerable conditions like:
 Slavery
 Child Labour
 Subjugation of Women
 Torture
 Freedom of Speech
 Right to integrity
 Right to life

Along with the benefits of freedom; freedom also
comes with a price. The most harmful effects of
freedom can be seen in the following areas:

1. Growing Atheism
2. The Isolation of the Individual
3. Autonomism

Friedrich Nietzsche : German Philosopher who
coined the phrase “God is Dead”

• Claimed that the western civilization has
killed God. He claimed that although we
remembered God’s name, He has died in
our culture.

• He claimed that without God, humanity
would feel a tremendous emptiness and
that without God we would lose our firm
footing; leaving us unsure of where to
stand.

The idea that actions and choices are designed to fulfill
individual interests
 People have begun to think that the only value that animals,

plants, oceans, the soil and minerals have is “for us” , that
these things have no values in themselves.
 These are objects for our use and we are not responsible for
them.
Ex: Rapid Development of Science & Technology
Nature is no longer considered the “Glory of God” but rather
an object for manipulation.
 Science and Technology was meant to make us freer but
instead we work harder and longer hours

“Auto” – self “Nomos” – laws
 A Law unto myself - essentially doing what one

pleases; Looking out for one’s own well-being;
guided by our selfish desires
People in society don’t like to be told “what to do”
 The attitude of Autonomy is “to be like God”; it’s a
freedom that acts like a power to do what “I” want
without constraint. Any constraints is seen as a
limitation of my freedom.
 This type of freedom demands that there are no
rules.

We become more aware of freedom when we experience
constraints.
Social Limits:
 Limits imposed by individuals in authority (parents,

teachers, police)
 Societal Limits (social rules/laws of school, state and

church)
 We push these limits when parents or school rules

present us with curfews or behaviours and dress code.
 We test these limits in the hopes that we can over come

the imposed limits.
Ex: Protesting

External Threats:
 These are forces in society that interfere with

our freedom. They include:
 imprisonment
 Confinement
 Oppression
 Injustice
 prejudice

Internal Threats:
 These are forces within

ourselves that interfere
with our freedom. They
include:
 Ignorance
 Prejudice
 Habits(vices) and
addictions
 Passions (hatred, fear,
sorrow)

 Acts are moral or ethical because they come from our
freedom; but this freedom is not without obligation.

 Moral Freedom must take into account moral norms,
rules, commandments, laws and principles.

 These moral limitation are not a denial of freedom but
rather guidelines and education of our freedom, with
them we can become morally and ethically free.

 Natural Law: there are inherent laws in nature that are
unchanging

Ex: If you jump off a building you will fall (gravity)

Think of some other laws that are inherent?

 God gave us freedom to choose because he loves us, yet we
can freely choose to hurt our relationship with God

 We have the freedom to choose sin over love
 We have the freedom to choose not to be free
 Freedom in itself does not make one free

It comes down to “will” – the freedom and power to
choose, decided and act morally and ethically.

Freedom is not doing what you want,
freedom is wanting to do what you have to
do...this kind of freedom is always rooted
in practiced habit.
Northrop Frye