Ethics: Concepts of Freedom, Determinism, and Action

Vocabulary flashcards covering the ethical definitions of freedom, negative versus positive freedom, external and internal restrictions on freedom of action, and determinism versus freedom of the will.

Freedom (Class Definition)

The possibility of making one's own decisions and having control over one's own life rather than being captive; characterized as a feeling of security, fulfillment of needs, and self-determination.

Unfreedom (Unfreiheit)

The state of being bound, restricted, or held behind bars.

Negative Freedom (Negative Freiheit)

Freedom 'from' (frei von) external constraints and obstacles, where no one prevents an individual from doing something, meaning they can theoretically do anything.

Positive Freedom (Positive Freiheit)

Freedom 'to' (frei zu), representing the actual power and ability to carry out specific actions, make active decisions, choose goals, and shape one's own life.

Freedom of Action (Handlungsfreiheit)

The condition of being free to do what one wants to do and putting one's intentions into action without impediment, centered on the core question: 'Can I do what I want?'

External Restrictions (Äußere Einschränkungen)

Practical, outside obstacles to freedom of action, such as having too little money to drive a car or not being legally permitted because one is under 18 years old.

Internal Restrictions (Innere Einschränkungen)

Inner causes that limit freedom of action originating from within an individual, including negative feelings, fear (such as fearing damage to hair when wanting to dye it), or mental incapacities.

Determinism (Determinismus)

The concept that events are strictly caused and follow one another like falling dominoes, where everything has an antecedent cause tracing back to initial origins, such as one's birth or the formation of the Earth.

Freedom of Will (Willensfreiheit)

Also called freedom of choice or decision (Entscheidungsfreiheit / Wahlfreiheit); the principle that human decisions are not entirely predetermined by prior causes from the start, but result from one's own will.