1. Common Good Approach Abby Kinnard, Tracey Amato,
Noreen Erdman, Jeanelle Kasten
LP: Ethical Theories Presentation
Section: Tuesday, 5:30
April 1, 2008

2. “The Humane Community Approach”
Common Good
“The Humane Community Approach”

3. 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

4. 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

5. Plato Theory originated in writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero
Communal life demands subordination of individual wishes and aims

6. 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

7. Thomas Hobbes Theory of “social contract”
Humans are exclusively self-interested
Pursue what’s in their best interest
Yet rational in pursuit of desires

8. 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

9. 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

10. David Gauthier Expanded on Hobbes argument
Establish morality without government enforcement

11. 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

12. Criticisms Feminist Critique/ Carole Pateman: Raceless Classless
Sexless

13. More Criticisms… Common good is ambiguous
Only basic necessities for survival remain the same

14. Organ Donation

15. 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

16. 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

17. Do you have any questions???

18. Discussion Questions:
What are your general thoughts about the common good approach
Compare and contrast the common good approach to the utilitarian approach

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