common good
Society's collective welfare
The common good is what benefits society as a whole rather than particular individuals or groups.
Political and ethical discussions invoke the common good when arguing that private interests should yield to collective welfare: Taxes for public education serve the common good.
The phrase often appears in debates about balancing individual rights against community needs.
Joint action toward shared aims
- mutual aidCooperative community support
- reciprocityMutual exchange of actions
- interdependenceReciprocal reliance between entities
- collective actionOrganized group pursuit
shared responsibility · unity · collaboration · partnership · consensus · harmony · cohesion · social cohesion
Agreement exchanging freedom for order
- utilitarianismGreatest-happiness moral theory
- communitarianismPhilosophy prioritizing collective bonds
- civic virtueDevotion to community welfare
- commonwealthState for public good
public interest · moral philosophy · political theory · normative · pluralism · Aristotelian · natural law · ethical framework
Status as state member
- civic dutyObligation owed to community
- participationAct of taking part
- civic engagementActive citizenship in community
- votingFormally registering a choice
democracy · governance · civil rights · representation · legislation · policy · stewardship · accountability
Generous giving for others
- charityVoluntary aid for others
- volunteerismUnpaid community assistance
- selflessnessPrioritizing others over oneself
- benevolenceDisposition toward doing good
generosity · service · compassion · donation · humanitarianism · giving · prosocial · helping
Organized provision of treatment
- educationSystematic development of mind
- well-beingState of health, contentment
- social servicesPublic aid programs
- safety netProtection against failure
public housing · poverty relief · childcare · elder care · nutrition · pensions · unemployment insurance · Medicaid
Public recreation grounds
- librariesPublic book lending institutions
- roadsPaved paths for vehicles
- bridgesStructures spanning obstacles
- water supplyProvisioned H2O delivery system
sanitation · electricity · public transit · schools · fire department · police · recreation centers · sewage
cooperation
Joint action toward shared aims
- mutual aidCooperative community support
- reciprocityMutual exchange of actions
- interdependenceReciprocal reliance between entities
collective action · shared responsibility · unity · collaboration · partnership · consensus · harmony · cohesion · social cohesion · neighborliness
social contract
Agreement exchanging freedom for order
- utilitarianismGreatest-happiness moral theory
- communitarianismPhilosophy prioritizing collective bonds
- civic virtueDevotion to community welfare
commonwealth · public interest · moral philosophy · political theory · normative · pluralism · Aristotelian · natural law · ethical framework · shared values
citizenship
Status as state member
- civic dutyObligation owed to community
- participationAct of taking part
- civic engagementActive citizenship in community
voting · democracy · governance · civil rights · representation · legislation · policy · stewardship · accountability · transparency
philanthropy
Generous giving for others
- charityVoluntary aid for others
- volunteerismUnpaid community assistance
- selflessnessPrioritizing others over oneself
benevolence · generosity · service · compassion · donation · humanitarianism · giving · prosocial · helping · caring
healthcare
Organized provision of treatment
- educationSystematic development of mind
- well-beingState of health, contentment
- social servicesPublic aid programs
safety net · public housing · poverty relief · childcare · elder care · nutrition · pensions · unemployment insurance · Medicaid · Medicare
parks
Public recreation grounds
- librariesPublic book lending institutions
- roadsPaved paths for vehicles
- bridgesStructures spanning obstacles
water supply · sanitation · electricity · public transit · schools · fire department · police · recreation centers · sewage · urban planning
- Catholic social teachingCST, encyclicals, human dignity, subsidiarity, John Paul II
- Christian DemocracyCDA, CSU, subsidiarity, personalism, Angela Merkel
- civicsballot, election, ballots, Bill of Rights, branches of government
- communityneighbors, neighborliness, neighborhoods, kinship, mutual aid
- community valuessolidarity, social cohesion, diversity, mutual respect, trust
- moral sayingsdo unto others, golden rule, do the right thing, honesty is the best policy, treat others fairly
common goodselfishness
Excessive concern for oneself
greed · egoism · self-serving · avarice · acquisitiveness
good, common, community, communicate, communication, uncommon, commune, communal, commons