Truth and Freedom Free Will n n Free

Truth and Freedom

Free Will n n Free will makes us different from the animals Free Will: the gift given to us by God that allows us to choose between good and evil. n n n We are the authors of our choices Self determination Doesn’t mean we are the authors of right and wrong, we simply get to choose between them 1

Freedom n n True Freedom is expressed in doing what is good and just. We were created in God’s image and likeness n “Man is rational (possessing intellect and will) and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts. ” CCC 1730 2

Freedom n American view of Freedom in our culture n n n “Everyone” is free The ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want Want freedom for everyone but a double standard seems to apply n n Self-centered Sometimes we are willing to impose on others freedom to further our own 3

Freedom n Law steps in when one person’s desire to exercise freedom infringes on the freedom of another n n This is not always the case Since we have taken out God, we have no moral compass n n n Without God the law is reduced to simply protect us from each other Not necessarily leading people to a moral good If it doesn’t hurt anyone else then the law shouldn’t say no 4

Freedom n Without God, the idea of freedom is reduced to doing whatever you want n n Freedom exists for its own sake Does Freedom have a greater purpose? What does it really mean to be free? Does freedom exist for its own sake or for something greater? n Is there a responsibility attached to that freedom? 5

What is Freedom? n n n Freedom is the ability to desire and choose the good Freedom is “perfected” or truly experienced when we desire and choose the good. True freedom can only be experienced in the context of our relationship with God, the one who designed us 6

What is Freedom? n n n St. Augustine, Thomas and Aristotle see freedom as being ordered toward human perfection Freedom leads us to live out our highest level of human potential Freedom exists to leads us to live out our nature as humans n The more free you are the more human you become

What is Freedom? n God created our nature n n n If freedom leads us to live our nature as humans more fully and our nature was created by God, then we must look to God’s law to understand how to live freedom fully and thus become more fully human Christ fully reveals man to himself Freedom therefore, if lived, should lead us toward the Absolute Good which is God

What is Freedom? n n Freedom is rooted in our rational nature We are free when we use our rational powers (reason and will) toward the Absolute Good n n n Reason: ability to understand the good Will: desiring and loving the good Perfection of freedom is found in a virtuous life n Here one chooses the good out of love for the good

What is Freedom? n Virtue: habit of doing the good n n n External living of the law is not necessarily virtuous Virtue exists when one has the internal desire to do the good When one chooses the good so often it becomes a habit… n n …and they love to do the good One who is virtuous is also free

Why do we have freedom? n VS 35: we have freedom to seek our Creator n n God does not want to force himself on us. God wants us to freely choose him Our freedom is ordered toward God and therefore toward love Freedom is the basis of morality n VS 35: there is no morality without freedom

Why do we have freedom? n n n When we freely seek God and cling to him we are able to achieve perfection through him VS 39: by being moral we increase our living out of our likeness to God we do not have freedom in order to decide what is right and wrong

Freedom and the Law n We often see laws as a limiting of our freedom n n n Mostly we feel this with Church or moral laws Most often felt with regard to sexual morality VS 35: God’s law promotes and protects freedom

Freedom and Love n Freedom exists for the sake of love n n n Freedom leads us to choose the good God is love and goodness Therefore, when we live freedom we are at the same time choosing and loving God

Freedom and Truth n n n Freedom is dependent on truth Our choices must correspond with and be informed by truth Truth is an objective reality n n n It is not subjective or defined by our personal experience or opinion Culture does not define truth Moral relativism is the idea that morality is relative or subjective n What is true/right for you may not be for me.

Freedom and Truth n Objective Truth n n There are some things that by nature are simply good or evil; eg. murder, stealing Culturally we tend to allow the person to determine if the act is good or evil n n We also allow the intentions of the action to determine the good or evil of the act Christ tells us: “you will know the truth and the truth will make you free” n Implies that when we act in accordance with truth we experience real freedom!

Freedom and Truth n n n VS 32: JPII notices that in our society we have decided to forego truth leaving each person with to judge actions by their own “individual truths” The Church seeks to remind us that God is the origin of truth Christ tells us that he is the way the TRUTH and the life

Natural law n n n This objective truth we recognize is called Natural Law: the eternal law (God’s law) written on the heart of every man VS 43: God provides for man differently than the animals n n n He gives laws within our heart to help us choose how to use our free will Natural law helps us to act proper to our nature The more we follow natural law the more human we become

Natural Law n n By nature of being human we know that certain things are simply wrong Natural law has two basic characteristics: n Universality: it applies to everyone in every culture and in every historical context n because n it is a part of our rational human nature Immutability: it does not change n just like the Creator who is the source of natural law, it is unchanging

Natural Law n n n Natural law is what human reason can discover about human nature and its moral obligations independent of God’s gift of Revelation Because of original sin we have a weakened intellect that makes it hard to discern natural law God provided some help n 10 Commandments n Christ came to reveal fullness of the law n Love God and to love your neighbor

Natural Law n n n CCC 1959 Natural law is the foundation on which we build the structure of moral rules to guide our choices It provides the basis for civil law The idea of “inalienable rights endowed by our creator” is an expression of our understanding of natural law and objective truth

Natural law and conscience n n n VS 54: Relationship between our freedom and God’s law is lived deep within; in the moral conscience Our conscience detects the law given to him from above and recognizes the need to be obedient to it. Obedience to this conscience is the dignity of man and the judge of man n This is why we experience guilt when we don’t do what is right

Natural law and conscience n n VS 57: conscience confronts man with the law and becomes the “witness for man” CCC 1777: conscience calls us to do good and avoid evil Since the natural law is God’s law written on our heart the conscience in a certain sense sees to it that we abide by the natural law. The conscience is the witness to our faithfulness or unfaithfulness to the natural law

Conscience n Conscience: the interior voice of a human being, within whose heart the inner law of God is inscribed. Moral conscience is a judgment of practical reason about the moral quality of a human action. It moves the person to do good and avoid evil.

Conscience n Three aspects of conscience: n n Particular judgment General knowledge Inner sanctuary Particular Judgment: (VS 59) n n It is a moral judgment of a a particular act or choice before, during or after it is done Judges a concrete case as either good or evil

Conscience n n General Knowledge: (CCC 1780) n Perception or awareness of moral principles in general n To have an understanding of objective truth n Tells us what ought to be done based on natural reason Inner sanctuary: n The place in our heart where God speaks to us n VS 58: God’s messenger which commands us to do right n Where we have dialogue with God or become aware of the objective truth

Conscience and Truth n n n Conscience is rooted in truth Objective truth informs our conscience in the natural law We must therefore, seek truth in order to make good judgments of conscience Conscience in Latin is cum scientia which means “with knowledge” The knowledge the conscience seeks is deeper understanding of truth given in the Gospels

Bellwork n n 11/16/09 For man, when perfected is the best of animals, but , when separated from law and justice, is the worst of all…Wherefore, if he has not virtue, he is the most unholy and the most savage of animals. - Aristotle What are the 3 elements of conscience?

Forming your conscience n Our conscience is a fallible guide n n We are obligated to follow our conscience n n It is subject to error Therefore, we must align our conscience with truth to ensure that we are not sinning Our conscience can either be (1)true or (2)erroneous n (1)True conscience: one that correctly deduces an act is lawful based on Truth

Forming your conscience n (2)Erroneous conscience: one that decides from false principles, considered as true, that something is lawful or unlawful. 2 forms of erroneous conscience n n Vincible ignorance: ignorance of truth that can be overcome by diligence. Results from failure to find out what is required to be good. A result of neglect and therefore puts oneself at risk of committing sin Invincible ignorance: ignorance that cannot be overcome by diligence. Ignorance of moral law because one has no reasonable access to the truth. One is not culpable of sin.

Applying Morality Using conscience to inform our actions

Applying morality n n n Because we have freedom we are morally responsible or culpable for our actions Culpability: moral responsibility for one’s actions Because we have freedom we can morally evaluate human acts

What is a Human Act? n n It is an act that is freely chosen It is a behavior that has been deliberately chosen n n Deliberated: It was reasoned to by use of intellect It was chosen: act of will It has been chosen based on a judgment of conscience These acts can be morally evaluated

Human Acts n n As the author of the act chosen you morally define yourself Based on your moral choices you make yourself a certain kind of person n Eg. By choosing to cheat, you become a “cheater”; by choosing to lie, you make yourself a “liar”; choosing to steal - “thief” etc. 7

Evaluating morality n There are three criteria for evaluation 1. Object chosen 2. “End” or intention 3. Circumstances of action n n (1) and (2) are the most important to evaluate (3) makes the action more or less good or evil A morally good act requires all three to be good If one of them is bad it spoils the whole act Some things are intrinsically evil regardless of end and circumstance

1. Object Chosen n n “matter” of the human act or the action itself Object determines morality of an act Conscience can help us to evaluate if the object is in itself good or evil These things are evaluated objectively n n n Eg. Prostitution, adultery, abortion = moral evils Eg. Almsgiving, prayer, fasting = moral goods If the object is an absolute evil it is an intrinsic evil and end or circumstances cannot make it morally good.

2. Intention or “End” n The reason for the action - the motive or goal of the action n n This is in the mind of the person doing the action All intentions of an action must be good Good intention can reduce the guilt of a morally bad act but cannot make an intrinsic evil, good THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS n You are not permitted to do evil so that good can result!!!!!

3. Circumstances n Circumstances are secondary in evaluating morality n They can increase or diminish the moral goodness or evil of an act n Eg. Amount of theft - more stolen the more evil n Eg. Amount alms given - based on circumstance n n It’s the context, however, context cannot change moral quality of acts in themselves They can increase or diminish a persons culpability or guilt

Morality and Sin n n Choosing an act that violates goodness on any level is sinful Depending on the seriousness of the object, end or circumstances the act may be venial sin or mortal sin n n The object of venial sin is less serious than mortal Lots of venial sins do not add up to mortal sin but they can lead to it n n Venial sin weakens our resistance to mortal sin We become more likely to participate in mortal sin

What are some things that diminish Moral Culpability? 1. Ignorance of effect: ü ü 2. Didn’t foresee a negative result of an action Lack of knowledge of effect Could you have known the effect? Could the effect have been avoided Inadvertence ü ü ü Cause something other than what you expect What you expect doesn’t happen. You are responsible

What are some things that diminish Moral Culpability? 3. Fear ü ü 4. You are responsible but not fully You are not truly deliberating a choice Duress ü ü ü Make choice based on outside influence The more significant the threat the less culpable you are “It is better to suffer evil than to do evil. ”

What can void a persons moral culpability? 1. Mental defect: ü ü 2. Can’t always see effect of choices May not have full freedom Mental illness: ü ü Compulsive or obsessive behaviors Very rare and specific cases

What can void a person moral culpability? 3. Habit: ü Forming a habit of doing evil - vice - may later be outside of your control ü o o o Eg. addiction Did you knowingly acquire the vice? Did you make effort to overcome vice? How do you feel about your behavior?