Moral Freedom: Origin, Characteristics and Examples

The moral freedom It is a philosophical concept that defines the capacity of a human being not to do what he wants, but to do what is morally correct. It is not the absence of a capacity to restrict personal actions, but the ability to stick to what is morally right for every man.

Because what is considered morally right or wrong can be predefined by a particular religion, the concept of moral freedom is linked to religion. For example, in one religion it can be considered morally correct to eat pork and not in another.

The moral is defined as the decision making of a person who, while free, takes into account internal aspects. Religion usually plays an important role, because since people began to believe in history that"bad"acts lead people to hell, acting freely is conditioned by this belief.

Origin

The concept of moral freedom has always existed. However, it was strengthened with the emergence of the various religions worldwide in the last two millennia.

The main influence of this concept is the presence of a heaven and a hell, which have similar characteristics although they are different in each religion.

Moral freedom is another way of seeing freedom and, in part, it is opposed to the original concept. Freedom is a human capacity that exists since the species is aware of its existence.

It is a concept that means being free from servitude and being able to carry out actions without being influenced by any external factor.

characteristics

It is considered opposed to total freedom

Although moral freedom has been a type of freedom, the original concept of freedom indicates that there is no obligation to act in a specific way.

However, moral freedom makes the individual governed by the principles of their own way of thinking.

This limitation of making a person act based on a goal (religiously speaking it could be reaching heaven) makes the concept differ from the original idea of ​​freedom. It is a freedom with personal characteristics.

It is required for moral responsibilities

Moral freedom is a concept that, according to authors such as Plantinga, is necessary for the existence of morality in societies.

According to this concept, moral freedom is presupposed to be good, since it makes human beings act in a socially correct manner.

In religious terms, God made man free of action so that he would be able to distinguish between good and bad by himself. Therefore, the concept makes humans achieve moral goodness.

It is controversial

The implications of being morally free are so complex and difficult to define that the concept itself often brings much disagreement in discussions about freedom.

It is governed by social norms

The rules that govern moral freedom are usually personal. Each person interprets in a different way what is good and what is bad, although the perception of each determined society is equally important.

If a human being is raised in a society where homosexuality is not perceived negatively, the fact of being homosexual will not be perceived negatively by that human being.

This generates a moral acceptance of the concept; It happens to be seen as something good, but as a consequence of the society in which the individual was raised.

It is religious by nature

The moral freedom, although it is antonym of the total freedom, is a concept linked to the religion. The existence of religions worldwide changed the moral thinking of human beings.

Perceptions of what is good and what is bad began to revolve around religion since the emergence of early beliefs.

In turn, it is a concept that generates conflicts among philosophers. This is because many religious texts (particularly Christian) define humans as imperfect beings, whom God created in his image and likeness, granting them free will.

This free will is what generates discord among the experts. They state that God gave humans the ability to act freely; however, this must be linked to your ability to act according to what is right.

The definition of what is right or not is what defines moral freedom. Acting correctly in a free manner is what characterizes moral freedom.

Examples

One of the clearest examples of moral freedom is the act of committing a crime or not. When a human being considers the possibility of committing a crime (regardless of its justification), he evaluates a series of factors that influence his decision.

How important the person who commits the crime considers is contrasted with the moral significance that implies carrying it out. If he decides to commit the crime or decides to abstain from doing so, it remains a decision influenced by moral freedom.

According to the strict definition of the term, stealing is an act that breaks with moral freedom. Committing a crime or killing also goes against moral freedom.

On the other hand, the fact that a person decides to marry, maintain a stable relationship with their partner or even establish a friendship with an acquaintance are facts that respect the principles of moral freedom.

Moral commitments are also included in this concept. For example, if a fire fighter is in a fire and there are people in danger, the morally correct decision is that he will save them.

References

1. Moral Freedom and Power, Myrton Fryre, May 7, 1931. Taken from jstor.org
2. Moral Freedom Summary, Alan Wolfe, (n.d.). Taken from enotes.com
3. The Final Freedom, Alan Wolfe, March 18, 2001. Taken from nytimes.com
4. What Is So Good About Moral Freedom?, The Philosophical Quarterly, July 2001. Taken from Colorado.edu
5. What is Moral Freedom?, Institute of Basic Life Principles, (n.d.). Taken from iblp.org
6. Moral Freedom Definition, Catholic Dictionary, (n.d.). Taken from catholicculture.org
7. Four Visions of Moral Freedom, Pedro Vicente Aja, 1950. Taken from filosofía.org
8. Moral Freedom, Wikipedia in Spanish, March 25, 2015. Taken from Wikipedia.org