The Roman Catholic idea that a good society is characterised by a concern for the well-being of every person - not just the few or the many.
"Political power, which is the natural and necessary link for ensuring the cohesion of the social body, must have as its aim the achievement of the common good. While respecting the legitimate liberties of individuals, families and subsidiary groups, it acts in such a way as to create, effectively and for the well-being of all, the conditions required for attaining humanity's true and complete good, including spiritual ends."
- Pope John VI, 'A Call To Action', 1971
The common good is not a utilitarian philosophy that seeks the greatest good for the greatest number. A society that pursues the common good will seek the welfare of all people.
Interdependence
The idea of the common good is central to Catholic social teaching. The idea recognises that we live in an interdependent world where private behaviours have social and environmental consequences.
The idea of the common good works on local, national and global levels. Of humanity's global interdependencies Pope John Paul II has written:
"Interdependence must be transformed into solidarity... Surmounting every type of imperialism and determination to preserve their own hegemony, the stronger and richer nations must have a sense of moral responsibility for the other nations, so that a real international system may be established which will rest on the foundation of the equality of all peoples and on the necessary respect for their legitimate differences."
The common good and British politics
For many Britons the idea of the common good first came to their notice during the 1997 General Election campaign.
The Catholic Bishops published a document entitled 'The Common Good and the Catholic Church’s Social Teaching'. In a sign of how far some Tories had become detached from their party's one nation tradition the document's emphasis on social justice issues was seen by some members of the Major government as an attack. Other more thoughtful Conservatives saw the document as a timeless reminder of every politician's responsibilities to the poor.
If the Tories needed to be reminded of their responsibilities to the poor the post-97 Labour administrations have needed to be reminded of their responsibilities to the unborn, the very sick and the very old. The Blair government's record on stem cell research, cloning and euthanasia are in direct conflict with the Catholic Church's pro-life teaching.
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