The basic ideas are as follows. Each and every person should be recognized as being uniquely and intrinsically valuable, with a purpose in the universe and a certain dignity simply by virtue of being human, and thus not reducible to a means to someone else's ends. The unique value of each person is realizable only through the personal freedom, the liberating condition occurring when persons exercise free will in accordance with the norms and ideals of morality, acknowledging duties of care and compassion to other persons, accepting responsibilities to community, and showing respect for Nature. In this way, freedom is rooted in and protected by a covenant. Moral freedom arises out of honoring this covenant binding each of us one to another in recognition of some higher order in the universe.
Moral freedom is, however, dependent in practice on political freedoms.
Thus, political covenants, like a Constitution or Declaration of Rights, which guard political and economic liberties along with the political will to uphold these covenants, are required to enable humans to achieve personal moral freedom. The ideas of intrinsic value, covenant, and morality bring out another aspect of the human person, that in addition to being free and independent, humans are also social beings. Human communities, from family to state, provide systems of mutual support which by teaching and positively reinforcing moral habits enable each of us to realize our unique value. Thus, some ends of persons are mutually beneficial common ends, which are pursued in dependence on and in cooperation with others. With human activity becoming increasingly globalized and interdependent, it is clear that the duties of protection and promotion should be extended to all persons in the world community.