The Common Good

The Common Good

What is The Common Good?

Bibliography:

1. What theologians, popes, or bishops' conference developed this teaching?

2. What is the definition?

3. What is the theological basis or justification of this term?

4. What is one example of how this term is practically applied to a moral action or social movement?

vs.

Utilitarianism

The Common Good

John Stuart Mill, a philosopher, and Jeremy Bentham, in the 19th century, came up with the Utilitarianism concept to help create laws that were morally best for the whole society.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, there are three essential elements to the common good:

1. The common good presupposes that human beings have fundamental and inalienable rights that public authorities must respect.

2. The common good requires that public authorities foster social well-being and development of society. Development of societies is possible when necessities and essentials for human life are provided such as: “food, clothing, health, work, education and culture, suitable information, the right to establish a family, and so on.”

3. The common good presupposes that society is entitled to security and stability from authorities.

They conduced that the morally right action is the action that produces

the most good. Everyone’s happiness counts the same and there is impartialness, where all individuals are on an equal plane field. (Stanford.edu)

There are three ways to analyze an issue using the utilitarian approach: identifying the different ways of taking action, by deciding who will be affected beneficially and harmed by each action, and lastly we determine which action will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm. (Velasquez)

Utilitarianism= "the greatest possible good for the greatest possible number of individuals"

"A Framework for Moral Decision Making." A Framework for Moral Decision Making.

N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

"Catechism of the Catholic Church - Participation in Social Life."Catechism of the

Catholic Church - Participation in Social Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

"The Common Good." The Common Good. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

The common good approach is one where the good of one person is equated to the good of the community. The common good is defined as “certain general conditions that are…equally to everyone’s advantage.” (Velasquez)

What Theologians, Popes, or Bishops' Conference Developed The Common Good?

Who Are The Authorities?

Common Goods

Some examples of common goods also include “affordable health care, effective public safety, peace among nations, a just legal system, and an unpolluted environment.” (Velasquez)

When referring to authorities, the church means people or institutions that make laws of which citizens are expected to abide by.

God is said to have appointed these authoritative individuals to that position: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." (Vatican.va)

The earliest mention of the Common Good notion is in Epistle of Barnabas, "Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves, as if you were already [fully] justified, but gather instead to seek together the common good."

How Does The Common Good Notion Apply To a Social Movement or a Moral Action?

With the help of Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle, the explanation of the common good in Augustine of Hippo's magnum opus City of God became a staple in Roman Catholic moral theology.

Definition:

Social Movement: The Women's movement or Feminist movement is a social movement that focuses on reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence.

The common good notion is also seen in the Rerum Novarum, a papal encyclical by Pope Leo XIII, issued in 1891, where it then became the central concept in the modern tradition of Catholic social teaching.

The Common Good stems from dignity, unity and equality.

Moral action: The act of stealing is immoral because it is damaging to the relationship between one individual with another. Also, it is violating the protection of an individual's right to own his or her property.

The Common Good is defined as: “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.” Second Vatican Council , Gaudium et Spes (1965)

Moral Actions vs. Common Good

The common good supports moral actions because they are for the benefit of everyone.

For example, stealing (an immoral action) would go against the common good because only one individual (the stealer) is benefiting, while everyone else is not.

Social Movement vs. The Common Good

The common good is when “certain general conditions that are…equally to everyone’s advantage.” In the case of stealing, it violates the common good notion because it is not to everyone's advantage.

The common good is: “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.”

When one group of people (women) are divided socially, economically, and politically, the common good notion is being violated.

The notion is being violated because one group of individuals is not reaching "their fulfillment more fully and more easily."

Thus, based on the common good notion, it is in the best interest of the nation for women to be equal to men socially, economically, and politically.