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Freedom and Moral Choice Explained

The document discusses the relationship between freedom and moral choice, emphasizing that humans possess the unique ability to make ethical decisions due to free will. It argues that moral standards must be internalized and personally owned, leading to genuine ethical behavior. In contrast, animals act on instinct and are not subject to moral judgments like humans are.

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4 views17 pages

Freedom and Moral Choice Explained

The document discusses the relationship between freedom and moral choice, emphasizing that humans possess the unique ability to make ethical decisions due to free will. It argues that moral standards must be internalized and personally owned, leading to genuine ethical behavior. In contrast, animals act on instinct and are not subject to moral judgments like humans are.

Uploaded by

itssomeonesdummy
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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FREEDOM AS FOUNDATION

FOR MORAL ACTS


FIRST THINGS FIRST
When your name is called
respond using the sound of
your favorite animal.
QUICK Q&A PORTION
Why do we need to
choose? Why do we need
to make decisions?
QUICK Q&A
Is it ethical to hit a cat or
dog for eating food they
weren't given?
FREEDOM &
MORAL CHOICE
Humans are unique in their capacity to make
choices, and therefore, they are subject to
moral judgments. It's not appropriate to apply
ethical labels to animals; a cat eating your
dinner or a dog marking its territory aren't
making unethical decisions.
You can't make a moral choice without
freedom. To be truly responsible for our
actions, we must have free will – the ability to
make decisions without being forced. "if we
don't have free will, then our actions aren't
really moral or immoral; we're just acting as
we were predetermined to act" —Kant
If we have no choice, we can't be praised for
good deeds or punished for bad ones. In
essence, moral choice is a direct result of
being free, a fundamental aspect of being
human.
QUICK Q&A PORTION
If no one was watching,
would you still do the
right thing?
OWNING MORAL
STANDARDS
Having free will means choosing between
options after careful thought, leading you to
affirm or reject something. When you
develop a personal conviction, you truly
own a moral standard. It becomes a part of
you, and you follow it because you believe in
it, not just because someone else tells you
to.
You internalize a rule by understanding it
through reason. If you're convinced it's wise,
it guides your ethical choices. You act
because you believe it's right, not just
because it's the law. This is when the moral
standard becomes a part of you, naturally
guiding your decisions.
The idea is that you adopt a moral standard
because you're convinced it's the best one.
Any doubts about it have been resolved. Like
the Taoist concept of harmony, your
thoughts, words, and actions become one. As
one Taoist said, "What I think, I say, and I
do." This creates a unified and whole person.
However, achieving this unity is difficult.
QUICK Q&A
"Two roads diverged in the
woods; I took the one less
traveled by and that made all
the difference." — R. Frost
CONCLUSION
Ethics and morality require choice. Humans,
having this freedom, are expected to act
ethically. Animals, driven by instinct, aren't
subject to the same moral standards. True
ethical behavior means internalizing values,
doing what's right because you believe it, not
just because you're told to.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING

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