Philosophy AT

Freedom

%%Freedom may be defined in three ways%%

  • First, it is the ==power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance== or restraint as when we say that we have the freedom to speak.
  • Second, it is ==the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved as when one say,== "Finally. after three years of my imprisonment, I had tasted freedom again."
  • Thirdly, it is the ==unrestricted use of something as when we say==. "We had more or less complete freedom of using our laptop whenever and wherever we wanted."

%%Jean Paul Sartre in Freedom%%

  • According to Jean-Paul Sartre ==freedom is to be seen in relation to man's defining himself==. This means that ==freedom is no other than mans power to be what he wants== to be such as being a lawyer, a politician an engineer or a teacher Being so, ==man is responsible as to what happens to himself== .There are no excuses ==He cannot blame others as to what happens to him.== He can only blame his own self Moreover, Sartre said that ==man is condemned to freedom which implies that man cannot escape freedom Man is forever free.== He has to make a choice all the time He cannot even choose not to choose for not choosing is choosing just the same. However this freedom of man should not be seen as something which is chaotic and anarchic Freedom for Sartre is ==freedom of synthesis which entails that when man makes a choice he is not only making a choice for himself but for all mankind==

%%Immanuel Kant of Freedom%%

  • According to Immanuel Kant, ==freedom is to be seen in relation to the autonomy of the will== .The will is a kind of causality belonging to living beings in so far as they are rational. This entails that f==reedom is caused by reason.== Conversely, the absence of rationality entails ==the absence of freedom Without reason freedom does not exist.== Being so, the exercise of freedom must always be a product of one's reason in terms of action one's choice of action is a result of one's reason Thus, before doing anything, one must think and answer the question Will I will that my will will be willed by others?" or "Will I will that what I want will be wanted by others?"

%%Freedom and Morality%%

  • For the ==morality of an act to be determinable==, the act must be a ==human act==. For an act to be a human act, ==it must be done with knowledge, freedom, and voluntariness.== Without any of these three elements, ==the act is simply an act of man Its morality or immorality cannot be determined==. In relation to freedom, if ==the doer the act has no freedom in doing the act, then he is not accountable as the same is not his action.== If he has freedom, then he is accountable for it.

%%Freedom and Democracy%%

  • In a democratic society, citizens are , afforded with freedoms and rights, such as freedom of expression, liberty of abode. right to education, right to work, and others. This entails that if the society is not democratic, freedoms and rights are curtailed or are limited, or they may be eliminated totally. Thus, ==freedom and democracy go hand in hand together, without one, the other cannot exist.==

%%Freedom and Religion%%

  • One of the fundamental freedom that man has is religion, that is, freedom of religion. ==If man is free, then he has the right to choose his own religion==. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion: this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance."

Individual Differences

  • According to %%Emmanuel Levinas%%, there is ==someone who exists aside from me and that is no other than the other - the other person.== This other is not me. This other is different from me. Being different from me, I have to recognize his otherness. Otherness means anything that is not me. Otherness entails difference. And, I have to see this difference every time that encounter the other. In so doing. I am giving justice to him. In recognizing that the other is different from, I am seeing the other as truly another In looking at the other as someone different, I have to understand that his views opinions, beliefs, ways of believing, ways of talking, ways of eating and others are different from me. The same holds true with his intelligence.
  • According to %%Dr. Howard Gardne%%r, the ==traditional notion of intelligence, is far too limited because human beings have different intelligences.== He said that there are eight different intelligences.
  • These intelligences are:

  Linguistic intelligence (word smart):

  Logical-mathematical intelligence (number/reasoning smart);

  Spatial intelligence (picture/image smart);

  Bodily/Kinesthetic intelligence (body smart);

  Musical intelligence (music smart),

  Interpersonal intelligence (people smart);

  Intrapersonal intelligence (self-smart), and

  Naturalist intelligence (nature smart).

Environmental Philosophy

  • %%Environmental philosophy%% is a branch of philosophy ==that is concerned with the natural environment and humans' place within it==. It asks crucial questions about human environmental relations such as "What do we mean when we talk about nature?" "How should we respond to environmental challenges such as environmental degradation, pollution and climate change?" and "What is our place in the natural world?"
  • It is concerned with ==defining environment and nature, how to value the environment, aesthetic value of nature, restoration of nature, moral status of animals and plants, endangered species, environmentalism and deep ecology and consideration of future generations==.
  • Environmental philosophy includes the following areas: ==environmental ethics==. ==environmental aesthetics==, ==ecofeminism==, ==environmental hermeneutics==, and ==environmental theology.==

Areas of Environmental Philosophy

  • Environmental philosophy has five areas, namely environmental ethics, environmental aesthetics, ecofeminism, environmental hermeneutics, and environmental theology.

Environmental ethics

  • %%environmental ethics%% is the part of environmental philosophy which ==considers extending the traditional boundaries of ethics from solely including humans to including the non-human world.==

Environmental aesthetics

  • %%Environmental aesthetics%% has as its subject matter the aesthetic experience of the world. It focuses on ==questions concerning appreciation of the world at large and, moreover that world as it is constituted== not simply by particular objects but also by environments themselves.

Ecofeminism

  • %%Ecofeminism%% is an area of environmental philosophy that ==links feminism with ecology I seeks to eradicate all forms of social injustice, not just injustice against women and the environment.==

Environmental hermeneutic

  • %%environmental hermeneuti%%c is an area of environmental philosophy that ==applies the techniques and resources of the philosophical field of hermeneutics to environmental issues.== I addresses issues of ==interpretation as they relate to nature and environmental issue.==

Environmental theology

  • %%Environmental theology %%is an area of environmental philosophy that focuses on ==the understanding of God's relationship to the cosmos or Creation.==

Environment-related Worldviews

  • There are ==three worldviews which are related to the environment, namely, biocentrism, ecocentrism, and anthropocentrism.==

Biocentrism

  • %%Biocentrism%% is a world-view that upholds that ==all living beings have inherent value and humans are not superior to others.== It is an ethical point of view that ==extends inherent value to all living things==. It is an understanding of how the earth works, ==particularly as it relates to its biosphere or biodiversity==. It stands in contrast to anthropocentrism, which centers on the value of humans. ==Biocentrism does not imply the idea of equality among the animal kingdom==. for no such notion can be observed in nature. ==Biocentric thought is nature-based, not human based,== Advocates of ==biocentrism often promote the preservation of biodiversity, animal rights, and environmental protection.==

Ecocentrism

  • %%Ecocentrism%% is a world-view which puts forward ==the value of the ecosystems (both its living and non-living components)== above all. As such, ==the value of biodiversity is above the value of individuals or single species (including humans)==. Ecocentrism denotes a ==nature centere==d as opposed to human-centered (ie. anthropocentric), system of values

Anthropocentrism

  • %%Anthropocentrism %%is a world-view that puts ==the human being at the center stage and, hence, nature and ecosystems are sources of resources for human use.== It is the belief that human beings are the most important entity in the universe. ==Anthropocentrism interprets or regards the world in terms of human values and experiences.== Anthropocentrism is considered to be profoundly embedded in many modem human cultures and conscious acts. It is a major concept in the field of environmental ethics and environmental philosophy, where it is often considered to be the root cause of problems created by human action within the ecosphere.

Philippine Laws Protective of the Environment

  • There are three different laws in the Philippines that protect the environment. These les are the following

%%Sec 16, Art. It, 1987 Philippine Constitution%%

This provision mandates that ==the State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.==

%%Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000).%%

  • This law provides that it is the policy of ==the State to adopt a systematic, comprehensive and ecological sold waste management program which shall:==

a) ensuretheprotectionofthepublichealthandenvironmentensure the protection of the public health and environment

b) utilizeenvironmentally−soundmethodsthatmaximizeutilize environmentally-sound methods that maximize the utilizationofvaluableresourcesandencourageresourceconservationandrecovery.tilization of valuable resources and encourage resource conservation and recovery.

c) setguidelinesandminimizationmeasureset guidelines and minimization measures, including composting,recycling,re−use,recovery,greencharcoalgetsforsolidwastecomposting, recycling, re-use, recovery, green charcoal gets for solid waste avoidance and volume reduction through source reduction and waste process, and others before collection, treatment and disposal in appropriate and environmentallysoundsolidwastemanagementfacilitiesinaccordancewithecologicallySustainabledevelopmentprinciple.environmentally sound solid waste management facilities in accordance with ecologically Sustainable development principle.

%%Republic Act No. 9275 (Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004).%%

  • This law provides that the ==State shall pursue a policy of economic growth in a manner consistent with the protection preservation and revival of the quality of our fresh, brackish and marine waters.== To achieve this end, the framework for sustainable development shall be pursued. As such it shall be the policy of the State:

a) to streamline processes and procedures in the prevention, controlandabatementofpollutionofthecountry′swaterresources;control and abatement of pollution of the country's water resources;

b) to promoteenvironmentalstrategies,useofappropriateeconomicinstrumentsandofcontrolmechanismsfortheprotectionofwaterresources,promote environmental strategies, use of appropriate economic instruments and of control mechanisms for the protection of water resources,

c) to formulate a holisticnationalprogramofwaterqualitymanagementthatrecognizesthatwaterqualityholistic national program of water quality management that recognizes that water quality management issues can be separated from concerns about water sources and ecological protection, water supply public health and quality of life, and,

d) to formulateanintegratedwaterqualitymanagementframeworkthroughproperdelegationformulate an integrated water quality management framework through proper delegation and effective coordination of functions and activities,

%%Republic Act No. 8749 (Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999).%%

  • This law provides that the ==State shall pursue a policy of balancing development and environment protection.== To achieve this end, the framework for sustainable development shall be pursued. As such, if shall be the policy of the State to:

a) formulate a holisticnationalprogramofairpollutionthatshallbeimplementedbythegovernmentholistic national program of air pollution that shall be implemented by the government through proper delegation and effective coordination of function and activities,

b) encouragecooperationandself−regulationamongcitizenandprimarilyonpollutionpreventionencourage cooperation and self-regulation among citizen and primarily on pollution prevention rather than on control and provide for a comprehensive es through the application of incentives market based instruments,

c) ==f==ocusmanagementprogramonairpollutionocus management program on air pollution