Ethics: Freedom, Personhood, and Responsibility
Ethics is a philosophical discipline that examines morality and seeks to provide a foundation for it. Moral conduct is conduct guided by rules and moral values, reflecting an understanding of norms and values conscientiously undertaken. We conclude that a prerequisite for moral behavior is freedom. When behavior is dictated by laws, rigid nature, or uncontrollable instincts, it cannot be judged morally. Moral behavior, being freely chosen, can be judged or valued by others as good or bad. The key difference lies in the individual’s capacity to choose; they possess the freedom to decide.
Be Free, Be a Person, Be Responsible
Be Free
The problem of freedom arises because evolution has given rise to a reality that questions its own freedom and seeks an answer. We are beings with self-awareness and the ability to think using language. Are we free? Yes. Reasons:
- Self-awareness allows us to resist stimuli, granting us the ability to say no and refuse to respond.
- Language enables us to consider possible projects and compare alternatives before making decisions.
Freedom and Circumstances
Total knowledge is unattainable. Any human project must acknowledge and rely on constraints on freedom. Human action, including work, arises from the reality in which human beings exist. Defending freedom does not mean ignoring circumstances that may minimize it. We must distinguish between freedom rooted in human nature and the specific possibilities for its daily exercise. This freedom can be expanded by developing more favorable conditions, meeting basic human needs, and fostering appropriate socio-political environments where human beings can live freely and with dignity.
Being a Person
Historical Development of the Notion of Person: The concept of a person first appeared in Christian thought, law, and Roman philosophy. In Roman law, “person” was a legal term referring to an entity subject to rights and duties.
Current Concept of Person
- A person is not predetermined; personhood is the result of freedom, where one creates their own life.
- We recognize the same person despite changes in their projects.
- Human beings acquire personhood in relationship with others, assuming duties and demanding rights.
- To assume duties and demand rights, the individual must be able to respond to others and to themselves, that is, be responsible.
Be Responsible
Responsibility stems from our nature as free beings capable of making our own decisions. It is a duty acquired as a person, involving both taking on and demanding rights.
To Whom Should We Answer?
To others and to oneself. Reasons:
- Personhood is associated with inherent dignity, which one should not allow to be violated by oneself or others.
- Our actions become part of ourselves; we are what we do.
- Religious individuals also acquire the commitment to answer to God.
Responsibility and Moral Conduct
Moral behavior is possible only if the individual can decide what to do or not do. This ability is linked to the capacity to pursue one’s own purposes, making the individual responsible to themselves because their lives depend on their decisions. As social beings, we acquire our human condition in relation to others. Thus, a key element is the relationship with others, manifested in the form of rights and duties through which we acquire responsibilities to others.