Common Good ApproachAbby Kinnard, Tracey Amato,Noreen Erdman, Jeanelle Kasten

LP: Ethical Theories Presentation

Section: Tuesday, 5:30

April 1, 2008

Common Good

“The Humane Community Approach”

Theory: What is ethical is what advances

the common good Pursuit of common values and

goals Focusing on policies, systems,

and institutions beneficial to all

Theory Continued: Urges us to view ourselves as

members of a community Challenges us to recognize and

further the goals we share Look for commonalities rather

than differences

Plato Theory originated

in writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero

Communal life demands subordination of individual wishes and aims

New Definitions: More recently Rawls defined the

common good as “certain general conditions that are…equally to everyone’s advantage.”

The community is comprised of individuals whose own good is inextricably bound to the good of the whole

Thomas Hobbes

Theory of “social contract”

Humans are exclusively self-interested

Pursue what’s in their best interest

Yet rational in pursuit of desires

Thomas Hobbes cont. Social contract = live under

common laws, create government for power and authority

Breach of contract = punishment Self-interest in keeping contract ‘Commodious living’ is purely

conventional

Thomas Hobbes cont. Prior to social contract anything

goes With social contract, keep

promises and cooperate with one another

Depend upon social contract to live well

David Gauthier Expanded on

Hobbes argument

Establish morality without government enforcement

David Gauthier cont. Rationality = cooperation and

honoring of agreements When others’ actions affect own

interests, better to act cooperatively

Acting to further interests of others serves one’s own interests

Criticisms

Feminist Critique/ Carole Pateman: Raceless Classless Sexless

More Criticisms… Common good is ambiguous Only basic necessities for

survival remain the same

Organ Donation

Organ Donation cont. Transplantation benefits the

individual recipient and society 84,000 people on the wait list 68 people receive a transplant per day 84% of kidney recipients are alive 5

years after their transplants

Organ Donation cont. Anti-donation myths

Doctors won’t work to save me I won’t really be dead I won’t be able to have an open casket Its against my religion

www.mayoclinic.com/health/organ-donation/FL00077

Do you have any questions???

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your general thoughts about the common good approach

2. Compare and contrast the common good approach to the utilitarian approach

Discussion Questions

3. Are we responsible for actions of others even though we didn’t choose them or approve of them