What is "the Common Good" and what is so good about it?

Answer 1

I don't think we can ever achieve a unanimous definition of what constitutes "the Common Good" in all areas. The same can be said for "justice", as well as a slew of other issues of ethics and morality.

In some areas, it’s easy to define what the common good is. It’s obviously good fro everyone that murder is not permitted. But on lesser issues, there can never be clarity, such as levels of taxation, war, etc.

Someone had earlier stated that, "if an action will benefit the majority then it is ethical..." which is very shortsighted. Using this mentality one can make a case for any actions of any sort as long as the majority of people somehow benefit. If somehow 80% of the population would benefit by exterminating the other 20%, this would benefit the majority, but it could hardly be called ethical by anyone's definition (short of Hitler I suppose).


With all this being said, I believe there are things that are good for 100% of the people, meaning no discrepancy can be added as to whether it is a "common good". For instance: a growing economy, a lower unemployment rate, or a lower crime rate. No one can justly argue that these items are not good for everyone across the board - and so, I would say (in my own words) that "the common good" is something that adds benefit to 100% of the people (with no regard to the individual percentages, as long as everyone is positively improving). Why is it good? Because an increase in the common good is just that, an increase for everyone.

Answer 2

The common good is what is good for everybody, because if it is hurt or destroyed we all suffer and maybe die, yet if it is healthy and thriving we too shall all be in good health and full of energy. In theory anyways. Like air pollution, this should be a concern to us all we must all breath the air and the ripple effects like acid rain, when rain brings this polluted air down to the ground some chemicals have literally killed off the ecology of the whole lake killing off the fish, plants, shellfish, seaweed, insects etc. leaving a dead lake. The rain that lands on the top soil kills crops, seeds you get the picture.
Same thing applies to our oceans, and Forrest, the ozone layer the ability to pro-create and learn. All these things are for the common good even the ability to communicate and avoid war.
Today's world is a most dangerous and people are wondering if humanity can prevent it's own extinction. It seems a very small plutocracy about 147 Billionaires own almost everything on the planet add their families and you have about 5,000 people having more then all of Africa, South America, Austrailia, Scotland, and a list of countries too long to remember off the top of my head. They enjoy their own private islands, have deep buried cities where they can live if they should decide to launch a nuclear war. Why are they posioning the planet with depleted uraniam? Why do they insist on burning fossil fuels when we could easily withen a decade be using free renewable clean never ending (for at least a couple billion years) solar energy.
Why allow climate change. How dare they presume they have the right to privitize water a basic God given source of life given to all. Will they allow those who cannot afford it to dye? yes they will. I have seen it first hand in Latin American countries where the CIA has gone in and overthrown an elected government and put a puppet dictator rgime in power with a private junta, freindly to American business. First they are forced to sell off their govrnment assets that are not soppused to make a profit, they are for the living of life quality for the people. First the electrical power plants are privitized, prices soar then half the county peasants arein the dark. Nicuargra, El Savado, all those CIA guellia wars, next privitize the water, same thing.. now they want to do this stuff in the U.S and Canada. They have in some parts. Where ever you see a whole town with out water, means it effects the bottom line. Oprah did a show on it once...Mary

Answer 3

This is a good question.

I think the common good cannot exist in a free country. Why? Because no one here has a standard viewpoint on what is best for themselves or for everyone else. In a free-thinking country, the common good is different for each person.

Common good for me is to leave me alone, let me do my job, let me live my life, and as long as no one else gets hurt, then I'm doing what is for the common good.

For Cindy Sheehan, it is terrorizing the government with her pain and suffering of loss of a child. It is trying to get as many people to sympathize for this simpering woman who cannot just understand that the government did not kill her son, he went voluntarily, and lost his life for a cause he supported in some honorable way.

For the church in the midwest who protests soldiers' funerals because they object to the war, the common good is trying to make their point that they support God by insulting and threatening grieving families.

For George Bush, it is protecting the country, and the world, from terrorists, and un-necessary death. Those brave souls who are losing their lives are doing that for the "common good."

For Reggie Jackson, and Al Sharpton, it is finding a black enough candidate for president. Is that Barak? I'm not so sure... The man is educated, he is Muslim, he is intelligent, he currently represents Chicago, and he thinks about more than the African American race.. He thinks of common good as being for everyone, not just a skin tone.

What is good about it is that it is interpretive. You can have your own common good, and work toward your goals, and so can I.

Common good is easier in dictatorships... The common good of Cuba is anything that suits Castro.

But, I contend that in the USA, and around the world, "Lest it harm no one, do as you will." That is the common good.

Answer 4

The common good is when decisions are made for the benefit of everyone. Sometimes rules are made, etc. But it is not meant to destroy individual freedom...and we need to be careful not to do that. The Common Good could take away our liberty....not a good thing at all.

Answer 5

The common good refers to the best interest of the whole and oftentimes, speaks of benefits to the nation, as opposed to the people.

A war may be said to be for the common good though the advantages are not immediately apparent to the public.

Answer 6

Any time you hear the words "common good" from an individual, you can bet someone is trying to justify their actions. "common good" can only be decided by a group as a whole.
If the group isn't deciding what the "common good" is, it is just being used as an excuse for the actions of an individual.

Answer 7

Bring em, it is liberals that think the Constitution can mean whatever they decide it means. I am still looking for the word privacy in the Constitution.

That phrase can mean different things depending on who is saying it and how it is used. It has been used to encourage people to do great deeds and it has been used to oppress many people in the past.

When you live in a society you have to determine what you are willing to give up in freedoms to gain in other freedoms. I think the common good in society is to determine what kind of society you personally want and push for that. Is it for the common good to live with the freedom to smoke whereever you want or is it for the common good of society to protect those that wish to have the freedom to walk around and not have smoke blown in their faces? We have a Constitution that protects basic human rights and those cant be touched. But as for the rest of the the socalled rights, which are wrongly called rights many times, we have to decide as a society what we are willing to give up in order to have something else. Anytime you pass a law or put a program in existance you are taking a freedom away to give a different freedom. Which freedoms do we believe are the common good for the society we wish to live in.

Answer 8

The common good of the people. The welfare of our society as we know it.

Answer 9

What is good for one is evil for another. The quest for survival is a common good, because virtually everybody wants to survive. Remember; Be Good, because it is good to be good!

Answer 10

i think it means impartiality. if an action will benefit the majority then it is ethical. it also is a common sense.makes decision making easier and just.