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The principle of common good

The common good in general terms refers to a general condition from which all members

in society, both as individuals and as group members can realize the fulfillment of their being. 1

To realize thus the common good is to promote the positive conditions which will allow people

to reach the full potential of their being. To put it in negative term, it means removing all the

negative conditions which work against the realization of the full development of all the

members.

One of the characteristics of “the common good” is that it cannot be achieved

individually. As social beings, we cannot achieve our fulfillment alone; we need the help of

others with whom we bond together. We see this reality in the various groups and associations

formed by people--from family to intermediate groups, to national groupings, and up to a much

wider international relationship. These various groupings have been formed precisely for the

attainment of the common good. People unite together because there are goods that are common

for them and which can only be addressed collectively. It is thus for the pursuit of the common

good that the State has been created. Hence, it is the primary duty of the State to pursue the

common good of all its members. The State, thus, has the duty to establish social conditions

which enable its members, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment as fully

and as easily as possible. Specifically, it is the duty of the State to ensure peace and order which

will enable members to carry out their responsibilities in a secure manner, to ensure that the

rights of its members are respected and promoted so that they can reach their full stature without

1
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, (Libreria Editrice
Vaticana, Vatican, 2004), 101
hindrances, to provide economic opportunities so that the people can provide for their own needs

and consequently also contribute to the creation of the wealth of the nation. The State thus attains

its purpose when its action promotes the common good. 2

In its more literal meaning, the common good refers to the good of all that is the good of

the whole individual and of all people.3 This definition needs some explanation. It says the

“whole” individual, meaning the good of an individual as a person, viewed in its totality as both

body and spirit. Thus a society which neglects spiritual values in exchange of material values is

not really serving the true common good. The “the good of all people” means, no one is left out.

The common good does not mean the good of the majority. 4 It is not a “numbers game.” The

common good has an intrinsic character that is the basis for its action--grounded in the intrinsic

dignity of the person.5 That is why it is called “the common good”--because it is based on the

intrinsic dignity which is common to all persons.

The common good thus is not a consensus of good based upon majority votes. Neither is

it a “compromise good” based on the leveling-off of interests from various competing groups.

The dignity of the person—the intrinsic basis of the common good, is not something that can be

decidedly arbitrarily.

However, the social conditions in our country seem to be, in general, against the full

development of our people. Material poverty is one. Many Filipinos do not succeed in realizing

their basic human vocation because they are deprived of essential goods and services necessary

2
Ibid., 102.

3
John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis: Encyclical Letter of His Holiness John Paul II. (Pasay City: Daughters of St.
Paul, 1996), 74.
4
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 104.
5
Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, The Acting Person, translated from the Polish by Andrej Potocki (Dordretch: D. Reidel
Publishing Co., 1979), 283.
for realizing it. Only very few students in public schools can afford to go to college. The

education that is supposed to be for the good of all seems only for the privileged few. Many are

homeless and landless. The land that is meant for all is in the hands of relatively few elite

Filipino families. Corruption in the government is rampant. The common resources that are

supposed to be for all the people often go into the pockets of corrupt officials. Selfishness and

greed, the drive for profit and thirst for power “at all costs”, sideline the common good of the

Filipino people. It is a scandal, because it is done by those who are supposed to serve and protect

the common interest of the people. These leaders even go further and have institutionalized this

greed by putting in some systems or structures to ensure their selfish interests.

Bibliography

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. Catechism for the Filipino Catholics. Manila:
ECCE Word and Life Publications, 1997.

John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis: Encyclical Letter of His Holiness John Paul II. Pasay City:
Daughters of St. Paul, 1996.

Wojtyla, Karol. The Acting Person. Translated from the Polish by Andrej Potocki, Dordretch: D.
Reidel Publishing Co., 1979.