Who decides what is the "Common Good"?

[JackVk]

There is a lot of talk in Catholic social justice circles about “promoting the common good”. The only gaping problem with this is that there has to be a definition of the “common good”.

Is it arbitrarily decided by the powers that be? It appears so. If not, then who?

 

[Petaro]

Remember the golden rule. Who ever has the gold makes the rules. If you want to decide the “Common Good” ensure you are not a commoner and that you make enough gold to be a decision maker. Thankfully the common good is entirely arbitrary and subjective, so often changes depending on the plutocracy in control.
Look after those who you have authority over and let the rest rely on the providence of God.
It has worked for me to stop overpowering stress ever since I stopped believing I had to change the world and realised I would be held responsible only for my own decisions.

 

[shockerfan]

There is a lot of talk in Catholic social justice circles about “promoting the common good”. The only gaping problem with this is that there has to be a definition of the “common good”.

Is it arbitrarily decided by the powers that be? It appears so. If not, then who?

The common good is not purely arbitrary. For Catholics, a well formed conscience would be a necessary prerequisite. This does not mean that there will not be debate…but it would mean the debate would be charitable.

 

[stevegravy]

Well……if your A Bolshevik, then Lenin/Stalin does, a Nazi Hitler does, A Chicom Mao, Khmer Rouge Pol Pot, and on and on and on and on and on.

 

[davidv]

There is a lot of talk in Catholic social justice circles about “promoting the common good”. The only gaping problem with this is that there has to be a definition of the “common good”.

Is it arbitrarily decided by the powers that be? It appears so. If not, then who?

The common good is not arbitrary. It can be deduced from these three principles:

1. “…human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met”
2. “… the dignity of work and protecting the rights of workers”
3. “We have a duty to care for God’s creation”
   Source for the above: “Forming consciences for Faithful Citizenship” by the USCCB.

 

[HelenRose]

Well……if your A Bolshevik, then Lenin/Stalin does, a Nazi Hitler does, A Chicom Mao, Khmer Rouge Pol Pot, and on and on and on and on and on.

At this point my authority is the Catholic Church. She is a loving Mother and has had 2,000 years looking out for her children.

 

[stevegravy]

Well that makes it easy for us. Do as instructed in the Gospels and Epistles. The secular just muck everything up.

 

[minkymurph]

There is a lot of talk in Catholic social justice circles about “promoting the common good”. The only gaping problem with this is that there has to be a definition of the “common good”.

Is it arbitrarily decided by the powers that be? It appears so. If not, then who?

I’ve been working on a theory that includes an examination into the common good.

In short, the theory is anything that is good promotes thriving. Thriving is defined as prosperous and growing; flourishing. If something enables us to thrive it is good. If it impedes thriving it is bad. Everyone has a right to thrive on the ground they have come into being, as in the natural course of things once something comes into being it will seek to thrive.

Of course this is a principle and a simplistic interpretation of the common good. There are things that are good to some as they enable them to thrive, but bad to others as they impede thriving. In which case we should balance elements that facilitate thriving for some, and impede thriving for others. Thus, the balance of ‘goods’ are the common good in that this balance enables all to thrive.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[mikekle]

IMO, the common good is largely based on economics (in the US at least), state and federal governments want as many people as possible working, paying taxes, buying things, they want as many businesses and companies in their specific region as possible, its all done for economic reasons, and what is ‘good’ is also based on this.

It may be good for the govts, but not so good for the people in some cases, we are brought up to believe its normal and ‘good’ to get a career, end up working a job 50-70+ hours a week until we are 70 yrs old, going into as much debt and buying as many things as possible during our lifespans, Im sorry, but that is not what life was intended to be like.

So really, anything that furthers economic growth and prosperity is ‘good’ and anything that goes against that is not good…go figure?

 

[Blue_Horizon]

The common good is not arbitrary. It can be deduced from these three principles:

1. “…human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met”
2. “… the dignity of work and protecting the rights of workers”
3. “We have a duty to care for God’s creation”
   Source for the above: “Forming consciences for Faithful Citizenship” by the USCCB.

And who decides if these worthy principles are met?
And if it’s just me then it’s not really common good anymore it seems!

 

[Genesis315]

The common good is not arbitrary. It can be deduced from these three principles:

1. “…human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met”
2. “… the dignity of work and protecting the rights of workers”
3. “We have a duty to care for God’s creation”
   Source for the above: “Forming consciences for Faithful Citizenship” by the USCCB.

I don’t think this is totally accurate. 2 and 3 simply fall under 1. I think the CCC gives the better list of the three essential elements:

CCC 1925 The common good consists of three essential elements: respect for and promotion of the fundamental rights of the person; prosperity, or the development of the spiritual and temporal goods of society; the peace and security of the group and of its members.
Blue Horizon:

And who decides if these worthy principles are met?
And if it’s just me then it’s not really common good anymore it seems!

This is ultimately the purpose of civil authority.

CCC 1898 Every human community needs an authority to govern it.16 The foundation of such authority lies in human nature. It is necessary for the unity of the state. Its role is to ensure as far as possible the common good of the society.

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium: 240. It is the responsibility of the State to safeguard and promote the common good of society.

Pope St. John XXIII, Pacem in Terris: 54. The attainment of the common good is the sole reason for the existence of civil authorities.

Again, while we all have a role to play, it is primarily the job of civil authority:

CCC: 1906…The common good concerns the life of all. It calls for prudence from each, and even more from those who exercise the office of authority.

CCC: 1910 Each human community possesses a common good which permits it to be recognized as such; it is in the political community that its most complete realization is found. It is the role of the state to defend and promote the common good of civil society, its citizens, and intermediate bodies.

Furthermore, this can’t be arbitrary. The state must measure its judgments according to the truth.

CCC1902 Authority does not derive its moral legitimacy from itself. It must not behave in a despotic manner, but must act for the common good as a “moral force based on freedom and a sense of responsibility”:21

A human law has the character of law to the extent that it accords with right reason, and thus derives from the eternal law. Insofar as it falls short of right reason it is said to be an unjust law, and thus has not so much the nature of law as of a kind of violence.22

CCC1903 Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned and if it employs morally licit means to attain it. If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures contrary to the moral order, such arrangements would not be binding in conscience. In such a case, "authority breaks down completely and results in shameful abuse."23

CCC 2244 Every institution is inspired, at least implicitly, by a vision of man and his destiny, from which it derives the point of reference for its judgment, its hierarchy of values, its line of conduct. Most societies have formed their institutions in the recognition of a certain preeminence of man over things. Only the divinely revealed religion has clearly recognized man’s origin and destiny in God, the Creator and Redeemer. The Church invites political authorities to measure their judgments and decisions against this inspired truth about God and man:

Societies not recognizing this vision or rejecting it in the name of their independence from God are brought to seek their criteria and goal in themselves or to borrow them from some ideology. Since they do not admit that one can defend an objective criterion of good and evil, they arrogate to themselves an explicit or implicit totalitarian power over man and his destiny, as history shows.51​

Ultimately, the authorities must stand before God to account for their actions like we all must. So in that sense, He is the final judge. But in the meantime, we all must do our part to work toward the common good, especially the civil authorities. If they harm the common good we should vote them out of office.

 

[Lucretius]

St. Augustine says that common goods are goods that, when shared, do not decrease, and can even increase!

Christi pax,

Lucretius

 

[djames99]

At this point my authority is the Catholic Church. She is a loving Mother and has had 2,000 years looking out for her children.

except for those with criminal records who are blocked from community service in their diocese. The irony is the Church would have us caring for the vulnerable, while behind the scenes screening out the "Old Men" to ensure they are not given an opportunity to prove themselves "New Men".

The Church definitely does not want those with prior records, constituting a De Facto excommunication on them(category Delict). No place for the St. Paul's,Augustines and Dismases of this generation in the modern Church.

 

[styrgwillidar]

Well……if your A Bolshevik, then Lenin/Stalin does, a Nazi Hitler does, A Chicom Mao, Khmer Rouge Pol Pot, and on and on and on and on and on.

Yes, in reality what is in the common good is defined by those with the weapons to enforce what they see as in the common good on the masses. Hence, those folks tended to view having a monopoly on weapons as in the common good, since the masses were often too poorly educated or too selfish to realize their betters in power had a clearer vision of the common good.

 

[mikekle]

except for those with criminal records who are blocked from community service in their diocese. The irony is the Church would have us caring for the vulnerable, while behind the scenes screening out the “Old Men” to ensure they are not given an opportunity to prove themselves “New Men”.

The Church definitely does not want those with prior records, constituting a De Facto excommunication on them(category Delict). No place for the St. Paul's,Augustines and Dismases of this generation in the modern Church.

Thats not right, once a person ‘pays their debt’ to society, they should be given as much chance as anyone else. I believe it is very wrong to continually hold a persons past over their head for the rest of their lives, actually this would be refusing to forgive too.