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Common good

There are many different takes on the "common good." The first distinction that should be made is between common good and collective good. Collective good describes all that is good for all people in a given community. Common good describes a specific "good" that is shared between all or most members of that community.

In ethics and political science, to promote the common good means to benefit members of society. Thus, in essence, helping the common good equates helping all people, or at least the vast majority of them. In that sense, the term could be synonymous with the general welfare.

However, there is no strict definition of common good for each situation. The good that is common between person A and person B, for example, may not be the same as between person A and person C. Thus, the common good can often change, although there are some things (such as the basic requirements for staying alive: food, drinking water, shelter, etc.) that are always good for all people.

The common good is often regarded as a utilitarian ideal, thus representing "the greatest possible good for the greatest possible number of individuals". In the best case scenario, the "the greatest possible number of individuals" would mean all individuals.

Some assert that promoting the common good is the goal of democracy (in the sphere of politics) and socialism (in the sphere of economics).


Last updated: 12-22-2004 05:50:59