ethics community and the common good concept

The concept of the common good can apply just as well to secular or political values as to spiritual or religious ones. Social and political organizations should be devoted to the common good, but not all are, as Sullivan & Pagnucco (2014) point out. Some organizations base their founding principles, ideologies, and practices on hatred or fear, thereby detracting from the common good.

Catholic Social Teaching offers an idealized model of civil society in which each person is engaged in and committed to the common good: the creation and maintenance of the conditions necessary for human flourishing. The specific methods of working towards the common good, and how the common good will manifest, may vary from place to place or from time to time, but the ultimate goals of personal and collective fulfillment remain the same. Participation in social organizations is inevitable, even for those who remain relatively detached from business or politics.

Ultimately, the choices people make in their personal lives affects their community and the world around them. Therefore, each person has a part to play in either promoting the common good or detracting from the hard work that does bring about sustainable, life-affirming, positive communities. Moreover, the common good also promotes the dignity of all human beings. Not only is the common good about enhancing dignity and self-worth; working towards the common good can itself engender these essential qualities.

The common good can be fostered in multiple ways: through physical labor, through the changing of minds and hearts through information or education, or through healing modalities. The fundamental tenets of Christian faith are grounded in God’s love for humanity. Viewed like this, the common good is inseparable from God’s plan. God’s will is the common good, manifest through each person. Serving God means serving the common good and vice-versa.

Some social, political, and economic organizations are more overtly dedicated to the common good than others. The individuals that work with these organizations always do have the power to change themselves and the tenor of the organizations they work with, to bring about desirable social and political changes. Individual and collective benefits stem from working towards the common good. It is possible to strive towards personal goals while still achieving the long-term benefits of collective civil action.

A person who aligns his or her personal desires with the needs of the common good receives exponential benefits. Sacrificing oneself or one’s family does not necessarily bring about the common good, although personal sacrifices are often necessary in order to realize collective dreams and the fulfillment of broader social visions.

Income disparity can be resolved through a conscious effort in removing obstacles such as greed or hypocrisy in human economic activity, just as pollution and environmental degradation can be resolved through actions and norms that stress stewardship for the earth. No genuine individual good conflicts with the common good. Only the illusory notion of individual gain can clash with the ideals that promote the common good through work and civic action.

Other illusory means of promoting common good include hate-based organizations or any group that manufactures an identity and ideology that promotes the good.