Chapter 2: Human Freedom Flashcards
1
Q
Traditional definitions of freedom include
A
the lack of constraint or pressure.
2
Q
generally impedes or seriously restricts the exercise
of freedom.
A
external coercion
3
Q
The absence of these
“external” authorities provide a more
A
democratic space in which to exercise one’s freedom.
4
Q
the broader the spectrum of non-interference, the more notable _____ is.
A
freedom
5
Q
what is needed to achieve human good?
A
a minimum degree of personal freedom
6
Q
object of freedom
A
human good
7
Q
there should be a distinction between what?
A
private and public spheres
8
Q
is the individual space where one realizes a certain degree of autonomy and authority, unconstrained by external interventions, like social groups, the government, or other institutions.
A
private sphere
9
Q
the social or public life of the individual where it is coextensive with public or external authority.
A
public sphere
10
Q
the domain where public debate and social issues are discussed.
A
public sphere
11
Q
provides the discursive space for individuals or groups to talk about certain issues of shared interests and perhaps arrive at a mutual agreement.
A
public sphere
12
Q
traditional philosophers generally concur that there should be certain parameters of freedom that
A
take into consideration the reasonable interests of other people, elite advocacy, and influential forces suppressing others’ freedom.
13
Q
Political philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and John
Stuart Mill are strong advocates for
A
reasonable limitations of freedom.
14
Q
In Leviathan (1651), Hobbes explains that human beings are, by nature, greedy and selfish, and this is fundamentally grounded and stirred by
A
one’s craving for wealth and power.
15
Q
Thomas Hobbes described the natural condition of a human being as
A
self-seeking and competitive
16
Q
Who? — One would do anything just to satisfy one’s needs
and achieve one’s goals in life.
A
Thomas Hobbes
17
Q
Who? — Human beings have an infinite
desire to possess and seek individual satisfaction.
A
Thomas Hobbes
18
Q
According to Hobbes, once we leave all the decisions to the people themselves, without the proper guidance and moderation of the government, what will happen?
A
people will behave on their wicked inclinations
19
Q
giving power to the individual will create a dangerous situation that will start a
and make life
A
“war of every man against every man”
“solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
20
Q
Hobbes felt that nations, like people, are
A
selfishly motivated
21
Q
For Hobbes, each nation is always in a constant battle for
A
supremacy and resources
22
Q
the thing that motivates everything in the universe, either lower or higher beings, in one way or another.
A
Power
23
Q
What are created to protect people from their own selfish
interests and evil propensities according to Hobbes?
A
Governments
24
Q
the best possible government is one that has the great power
and leadership of a
A
Leviathan
25
According to Hobbes' psychology of civic life, human beings, in their state of nature, are basically ______ and ______.
antisocial and non-political
26
Hobbes argued that in the state of nature, without _______, there will be
competition between men for wealth, security, and glory
civil society
27
HOBBES: human beings are motivated by desires and aversions and most of these desires are directed to
preserve one's biological existence.
28
human beings are, by nature, equal in _________, and in this equality of ability
arises equality of ____ in attaining their desired ends.
mind and body
hope
29
men cannot have equal enjoyment and satisfaction of their desire; thus, it will result in
individual conflict and/or social reticence
30
equality of inequality of satisfaction will lead to
mutual violence and war,
31
homo homini lupus
"every man is against every man"
32
For Hobbes, it cannot be an appeal to conventional morality, divine justice, or cosmic mediation since in the state of nature, these ideas have no meaning and self-understanding order, but they can be regulated through
Social contract
33
Through this, it is assumed that all the essential rights and duties of citizens can be logically deduced.
Social contract
34
Through social contract, sovereign is identified with _____ rather than the ____.
might; law
35
The sovereign's power, through the Leviathan, is
as absolute as men can conceive it.
36
In Two Treatises of Government (1689), the second treatise summarizes Locke's political ideas for a more civilized society grounded on
natural rights and social contract
37
Locke believed that under the state of nature, all men and women
are
created equal by God.
38
What should be exercised by all human beings since it is of divine cradle according to Locke?
Freedom
39
This state of nature presupposes _______; grounding the political power of everyone as such power and control are ________
Perfect freedom
| equal and communal
40
If infringement arises in the event of a clash or conflict, what should happen to individuals according to Locke?
should be restrained from violating the rights of others.
41
anyone can defend one's right to life and property if there is a
clear and present danger to this freedom.
42
How did Locke explain negative freedom in terms of social contract?
all human beings are equal, communal, and autonomous, and everyone has the right
to preserve one's right to life, liberty, property, and/or happiness.
43
What must one do to preserve and maintain the separation of powers in the government and create a regulative order in society,
submit one's will for the common good by establishing the social contract.
44
In light of human progress, ownership of properties, and advancement of technology, any government that runs without the consent of the people and democratic legislation
can be removed from power.
45
In the book On Liberty (1859), Mill states that
"the only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs or impede their efforts to obtain it."
46
Who? — harm principle assumes that individual freedom should
| only be restricted to forestall harm to others.
John Stuart Mill
47
freedom to seek one's own happiness (Mill)
Summum bonum
48
(Mill) governments ought to have fitting limitations in applying the principle of
Utilitarianism
49
promotes the idea of the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Utilitarianism
50
essential role of politics according to Mill
maintaining the balance
keeping up the harmony between maximizing the exercise of individual freedom and augmenting the protection of the government.
51
Too much weight on individual liberty produces
anarchism
52
lawlessness/rebellion
anarchism
53
too much emphasis on authority results in
despotism
54
oppressiveness/tyranny
despotism
55
Who? — Freedom is crucial in any civil society because he wanted individuals to express their peculiarities, mental boldness, and élan vital regardless of their religious or political affiliations rather than being subsumed by "collective mediocrity."
John Stuart Mill
56
means self-mastery
Positive freedom
57
It implies the right possession and awareness of values or conditions necessary to recognise the source of one's strengths and weaknesses, find creative means to transcend certain forces or inner tensions, and direct the mind to a higher plane of understanding.
Positive freedom
58
Oftentimes, we choose the "higher" over the "lower" selves because?
- we were either taught to choose the former as something that is worth desiring (meritorious)
- we were "coerced" by custom and conservative minds to discard the latter since it is detrimental (unfavorable) to the exercise of freedom.
59
the notion of freedom is quite difficult to distinguish from its "real self" with an _______
external reality
60
According to Berlin, what is a dishonorable act or a moral pretense?
exercising freedom on behalf of someone else's "real self"
61
Berlin made it clear that coercing other people for their own good may be justified to some extent, but it
does not make it any less coercive.
62
For the Buddhists, Stoics, and Ascetics, self-mastery is best achieved when
one lessens or abstains from the desires of the flesh and focuses on a more appropriate object of desire.
63
If our actions are based on this craving, then we are
creating unrealistic expectations and living in a world of illusion.
64
The mind should be attuned to
a more stable and authentic object, something that transcends the concrete and finds illumination in that state of being.
65
the keys to an enlightened self.
Mindfulness and conscientious effort
66
means identifying and understanding the right conditions necessary for the proper
exercise and realization of freedom.
Freedom as self-realization
67
the proper conditions for the realization of one's being.
Knowledge of the Good and the proper understanding of the Good
68
What diverts our knowledge and understanding of the Good?
creation of illusory objects
69
What is a genuine exercise of freedom if rightly conceived?
The good
70
For Erich Fromm, in Escape from Freedom (1941), freedom means
Self-realization
71
"This freedom man can be attained by the realization of his (her) self, by being him (her) self."
Self-realization
72
Self-realization is accomplished not only by ______ but also by _______
the realization of man's total personality; active expression of his emotional and intellectual potentialities
73
present in everybody and they become real only to the extent to which they are expressed.
emotional and intellectual potentialities
74
consists in the spontaneous activity of the total, integrated personality.
Positive freedom
75
For him, reason alone is not enough for human nature to be a vanguard of human freedom as it could only be accomplished through the dynamic fusion of human potentialities.
Erich Fromm
76
It is an essential quality of freedom. It means free activity and implies one's free will.
Spontaneity
77
What does activity mean for freedom of self-realization?
quality of creative activity that can operate in one's emotional, intellectual, and sensuous experiences, and will
78
For Rudolf Steiner, in Philosophy of Freedom (1918), thinking is the
dynamic relation between concept formation and sense perception
79
According to, Rudolf Steiner, what is the inner and spiritual activity of the mind?
Freedom
80
Freedom is neither purely ______ nor _______.
cognitive; perceptual
81
One is truly free if
an action is done creatively and thoughtfully out of love and is motivated by it.
82
2 values that set the condition for the possibility of freedom. Without it, freedom becomes arbitrary and nonsensical.
Self-awareness and moral imagination
83
From an existentialist perspective, life has
no determinate a priori meaning.
84
Life is dependent upon how an individual gives meaning to it.
Existentialism
85
This idea abhors any pre-given situations or fixed concepts that define human existence.
Existentialism
86
KANT: The notion of freedom, as a postulate of reason, is an
Ethical inquiry
87
states that one must act only according to that maxim which an individual can become a universal law.
Categorical imperative
88
KANT: freedom, as a postulate of reason, must exist as a
necessary condition to justify the moral law.
89
For Kant, freedom is not about following one's passions or submitting to one's inclinations but rather
Controlling them
90
The rational will of the individual.
Good will
91
According to the notion of good will, how can one attain a rational
life?
individual should strive to overcome all forms of irrationality
92
Jean-Jacques Rousseau explains his theory of freedom based on the
notion of the
social contract
93
"Men are born free, yet everywhere are in chains."
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
94
According to Rousseau, only what has the consent of the people can hold authority and empower the citizenry to enter a social contract for the sake of mutual protection?
legitimate government
95
For Rousseau, the individual has enviable freedom
under the state of nature.
96
problems an individual or society creates are the result of one's
one's irresponsible and thoughtless decisions.
97
The kind of problems we create in society reflects much on how
we cannot handle the insatiable desires or needs that we have.
98
The solution posited by Rousseau to address the negative and toxic tendencies of humans
develop a social covenant that would regulate or limit
| these vicious human tendencies.
99
a social agreement among individuals that have a collective will and common interest to preserve and maintain a genuinely free political society.
social contract
100
has more strength and influence over individual freedom.
human general will
101
Goodwill is always directed to
common good and the preservation of civil liberties.
102
The main function of the general will
inform the state regarding the creation of laws.
103
Who identified four kinds of freedom?
Rousseau
104
For them, moral actions can be achieved through reason, and reason alone is a necessary and sufficient condition for the moral life of the individual.
Rousseau and Kant
105
Freedom means respect and obedience to the law which we demand of ourselves.
Rationalism
106
Freedom and determinism create an antinomy that can further be differentiated as
free will and incompatibilism
107
From a scientific point of view, freedom is merely
an illusion and creates a morass of
| contradictions.
108
From a philosophical point of view, freedom is
a postulate of reason and an existential criterion of shaping one's authentic response to any given situation.
109
"We are all doomed to be free"
Jean-Paul Sartre
110
Human beings are inherently free the moment ___________
we become aware of our reality and ourselves.
111
Freedom is qualifiedly called "freedom" only if we are responsible for
decisions and actions we make
112
It is a consequence of the proposition, existence precedes essence,
responsibility
113
For Sartre, responsibility implies
the other.
114
one's actions or choices are logically implied that others may follow, and one's decisions are causally consistent with one's _______ to others.
responsibility
115
Discovering meaning in life is self-determined, and searching for the truth is an _________ and are not imposed by
individual endeavour; external means
116
"Existence precedes essence"
humans must
| exist first before he/she creates his/her essence.
117
The essence of being human is dependent upon
the choices which human beings undertake.
118
When human life becomes mechanical, one lives in
bad faith
119
For Sartre, bad faith happens when one
lies to oneself
120
is anchored on making conscious choices and mindful actions without a total disregard for the other.
Authenticity
121
To be absolutely free means to be
absolutely responsible for oneself and the other.
122
the view that all actions or events that occur are (directly or indirectly) influenced or conditioned by prior causes or reasons.
Determinism
123
assumes that we are determined by certain factors or prior causes, yet we are at the same time free.
Soft determinism
124
when we act as the efficient cause of our actions, then one is said to be acting freely.
Soft determinism
125
St. Augustine, Baruch Spinoza, and Friedrich Schleiermacher. (Soft or Hard Determinism)
Soft determinism
126
assumes that freedom and determinism are irreconcilable since all actions are causally determined either by the natural law or certain preconditions that are found in society, environment, or familial upbringing.
Hard determinism
127
free will is merely an illusion where?
Hard determinism
128
Everything that happens, happens for a reason and is explainable through a chain of causal relations.
Hard determinism
129
David Hume and Baron von Holbach. (Soft or Hard Determinism)
Hard determinism
130
freedom is neither the absence of coercion nor a self-enlightened practice but is profoundly embedded in the existential decisions we encounter in any given situation.
freedom in an existentialist POV
131
The lack of constraint or coercive forces that limits the exercise of free will
Liberty
132
The ability to choose between alternative courses of action without restriction, persuasion, or impediment
Free will
133
freedom from external imperatives or any oppressive forces that restrict
the individual capacity to choose in a certain situation.
Physical freedom
134
the capacity of the individual to choose anything when all the vital conditions are perceived and present in any given situation.
Psychological freedom
135
the absence of mental, emotional, or spiritual coercion or pressure that prohibits the individual to determine his/her chosen alternative.
Psychological freedom
136
one of many pathological symptoms of the post-truth era.
Populism
137
a political doctrine and strategy at the same time which highlights the views and sides of the public in a dishonest and cunning way.
Populism
138
an effective strategy to persuade people.
The rule of emotion and affective appeal
139
freedom is based on popular expressions, fashionable representations, and/or emotivist speeches.
Populist Freedom
140
(Empfindung)
sentiment
141
(Gefüh)
Feeling
142
According to Friedrich Schleiermacher, gives the person the motivational force or psychological drive to act, not reason are
feeling
| sentiment
143
Feelings or sentiments (affective states) are insufficient motivation to carry out one's responsibilities since
not totally duty-bound,
144
inherently complex and nuanced psychological activities.
moral agency and intentionality
145
the foundation of human agency.
our capacity for desiring something
146
has a signifying function at its most basic level.
power of desire
147
The primary function of desire
depict prospective goals
148
a person's subjective activity that is based on the moral subject.
impulse
149
to desire is to will something when the moral agent goes beyond his/her basic ________
and thus begins to implement methods and rules for ________.
instincts and goals; social cognition
150
one is said to be acting morally when a moral agent integrates
fundamental principles to concrete things or situations,
151
freedom is neither arbitrary nor subjectivistic but operates within the kind of
virtue that the agent develops
152
has a compounding effect that begins to form character by emphasizing specific dispositions and motivations over others.
virtuous conduct
153
"Operari sequitur esse"
Our being is determined by our actions.
