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Google AL: Maritain sought to secure the autonomy of the individual and personal freedom.

Jacques Maritain defined freedom of choice (free will) as a means, not an end, that should be used to attain "freedom of autonomy" or "freedom of exultation" (independence/mastery of self). He argued that true freedom is the expansion of the human person, achieved when freedom of choice is used to align oneself with goodness.
Key aspects of Maritain's distinction:
  • Freedom of Choice (Freedom from Necessity): This is the basic, initial freedom of the will to choose between alternatives, including the ability to choose evil.
  • Freedom of Autonomy (Terminal Freedom/Exultation): This is the higher, ultimate freedom that comes with spiritual and moral maturity, where one acts according to their own rational nature in accordance with the good.
  • The Goal: The purpose of freedom of choice is to be used, through correct moral decisions, to conquer or achieve this state of full autonomy, or independence from external constraints and internal disorder.
Maritain believed this "freedom of exultation" is the fulfillment of human potential, representing a state where one is not merely choosing, but acting in alignment with their highest good.

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