The Common Good

Americans are known for their commitment to individual freedom: freedom to make their own choices, freedom to speak their mind, and freedom to come and go as they please. While each of these are individual and private actions and activities, an important part of our democracy identifies that there are also shared resources, ideals, and goals that should benefit everyone. Things that are good for everyone in a society are called the “common good.” We achieve the common good by actively participating as citizens to work together around shared rules, laws, and general courtesy toward others.

Since prehistoric times humans have increased their chances of survival by living in groups. We are also emotionally happier when we find people we can connect with. We need each other. But when people become part of a group (called an “in-group”), this means there are others who are not in that group (called an “out-group”). While being part of social groups is normal and healthy, deciding who should be in a group and who should not be in the group has been the source of conflict and violence throughout history. When does group membership go too far? How has that influenced the development of our culture?

Many aspects of the common good are the parts of society that affect all of us, like the environment, health and wellness, and education, but it can also include unanticipated events like natural disasters and pandemics. Thinking about the common good can be easy in many cases. For example, we all generally agree that following traffic laws is a good idea. But, when faced with challenges that require us to sacrifice individual liberty for the common good, freedom-loving Americans have tough choices to make. The struggle to reconcile activities that benefit everyone in society versus just a few people’s self-interests is one of the biggest issues in America, and it has dominated political and personal debates since America’s founding.

How much individual freedom should we sacrifice for the common good?