FREEDOM AND LAW

FREEDOM AND LAW

            Freedom is a call (Gal. 5:13), showing further that since Christian morality is a response to the call of God, freedom is as essential as it is a prerequisite since it ensures the right response to God’s call. CCC 1730, quoting St. Irenaeus, affirms that man is created with free-will and is master over his actions. But, the imbuing of man with freewill by God is to be able to make his decisions and seek his creator without coercion.

            There have been series of misunderstandings as regards the notion of freedom. Central is William Ockham. With Ockham’s nominalism, resulted what S. Pinckaers calls an ‘atomic explosion’ whereby the unity between faith, reason, freedom, grace and nature were destroyed. His interventions dismantled the true teachings of the Catholic Church and laid the grounds for the reformation and the enlightenment. In the same line were those of Descartes, Kant and Max Scheler among others who contributed greatly to the exploitation of the concept of freedom.

Ockam’s nominalism for instance denied that universal concepts and principles exist in reality, but that they exist in the mind. Thus, things like human nature exist only as a terminology (name), but not in reality. If this is the case, the denial of this fundamental presupposition shatters the entire moral system. Morality then becomes a law and obligation for nominalism. Thus, it is external and not internal, and imposed by God on humans, and humans on humans.

Furthermore, for Ockham, morality is defined only by the subjective will. This makes freedom that of choice alone. This affirmed the claim of modern autonomy which exalts freedom to such an extent that it becomes absolute, which would then become the source of values (V.S. 32).  This leads to individualism. But, autonomy produces particularly baneful effects and eventually leads to atheism. The disappearance of God is the impoverishment of man (V.S. 39). But, with Aquinas, freedom is a product of the will and intellect.

Side by side this, are some trends emphasize the social and psychological factors which condition human freedom and so question the very existence of human freedom. J.P. Sartre is clear here. For him, man is condemned to freedom and factically thrown to freedom.

Freedom correctly speaking

The power to decide what is evil or good, does not belong to man, but to God alone (Gen. 2:16-17). Man is certainly free, but this is inasmuch as he can understand and accept God’s commands. But, this freedom is not unlimited, it must halt before “the tree of God and of evil”, and is called to accept the moral law given by God. Human freedom finds its authentic and complete fulfillment precisely in the acceptance of that law. God’s law does not assuage or abbreviate man’s freedom but protects and promotes it.

God willed to leave man in the power of his own counsel, so that he would seek his creator of his own accord and would freely arrive at full and blessed perfection by cleaving to God (Gaudium et Spes, 17). Man’s dominion extends in a certain sense over man himself. The exercise of dominion over the world represents a great and responsible task for man, one which involves his freedom in obedience to the creator’s command: fill the earth and subdue it (Gen. 1:28). Man and creation has been entrusted to man’s care and responsibility, that he might seek his creator and freely attain perfection (V.S. 39).

Contrary to modern thought, reason cannot create values and moral norms. Practical reason must/ought to participate in the wisdom of the divine creator and lawgiver. Genuine moral autonomy is the acceptance of the moral law, of God’s command. Obedience to God is not heteronomy as if the moral life were subject to the will of something all-powerful, absolute and extraneous to man and intolerant to his freedom. Contra heteronomy, theonomy and participated theonomy is the focus since man’s free obedience to God’s law effectively implies that the human person and the human will participate in God’s wisdom and providence. Man’s freedom is not negated by his obedience to the divine law, it is in even in this that his freedom abides in the truth and conforms to human dignity.

Freedom and Natural law

In his journey towards God who alone is good, man must freely do good and avoid evil. Freedom does not consist in the physical capability of doing evil, but on the moral duty of choosing the good. The ability to recognize the good and the evil in itself is made possible by the light of natural reason, enlightened by divine revelation and faith.  Since man has reason, he is able to order his actions towards an end. This light of natural reason is the function of the natural law, which is nothing else but the rational creatures participation in the eternal law (Aquinas). The natural law is itself the eternal law, implanted in human beings endowed with reason, and inclining them toward their right action and end. It is the eternal reason of the creator and ruler of the universe. God’s plan and laws places no threat on man’s genuine freedom, rather, the acceptance of God’s law and plan affirms and fulfills this freedom. The natural law enables man to identify and discern the good that must be done, and the evil that must be avoided in his pursuit of the end.

Natural law involves universality since it is inscribed in the rational nature of the person, making itself felt to all human beings endowed with reason and living in history. In this light, he must do good and avoid evil, be concerned with the transmission and preservation of life, refine and develop the riches of the material world, cultivate social life, seek truth, practice good and contemplate beauty. While universal, it does not ignore the individuality of human beings. Immutability of the natural law is that there exists objective norms of morality, valid for all people both in the present, future as for those of the past.

Characteristics: Universality, immutability, indispensability.

Objections of physicalism and naturalism against natural law have accused it of presenting as moral laws, what are in themselves mere biological laws.

The body and soul are inseparable in the person, in the willing agent and in the deliberate act, they stand or fall together.