Moral Principle of the Common Good

Definition

The common good is the collection of goods that are created and shared by a society that help human beings attain true human fulfillment.

Explanation

By coming together as a society, people create goods that would not necessarily be available to individuals living on their own. Goods such as culture, education, health care, and mutual security are products of social life that are necessary for authentic human development, helping human beings grow physically and spiritually. The basic needs for survival are also considered part of the common good because the root purpose of society is interdependence, to help each other meet our needs.

Common goods cannot be owned or controlled by any single power since they are created by society as a whole. Also, they need to be universally available to every human being because they are necessary for human development. The role of government is to protect the common good and to ensure universal access. Government must find a balance between achieving this task and exerting too much control over the common goods.

Application

• The cost of health care and of insurance means that health care is currently not available to everyone in our society. However, the government must be careful not to seize complete control over this common good in its attempt to make it universally available. This is a delicate balance that will require a creative solution.
• Education is currently universally available, even though the quality if education is in question for the poor. Catholic dioceses have seen it as their duty to provide Catholic schools that serve the poor by offering them quality education that state-run schools may not be able to offer because of lower property taxes in poor areas.
• Events that are often seen as “leisure,” such as art galleries, theater productions, and musical concerts are part of the common good and are seen in Catholic thought as a proper use of leisure, given that they are of a quality that edifies and doesn’t degrade the human spirit.
• Programs that serve the poor are considered “social justice” because they ensure the common good is universally available. Of course, they should also be acts of charity for Catholics, who serve others out of love.