Transcript The Common Good Approach - Moraine Park Technical College

The Common Good Approach
Teri Wuest, Katie Kuen, Rebecca Meixner
Th, 5:30
Ethical Theories Presentation
April 9, 2009
Define Common Good

Individuals own good is parallel with
the good of the community,
members are bound by the pursuit
of common values/goals
Systems and goods beneficial to all
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Social policies
Institutions
Environments
Social systems
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Affordable
healthcare
Effective public
safety
Peace among
nations
Just legal system
Unpolluted
environment
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publica
tions/iie/v7n1/thinking.html
Aristotle
384 BC – 322 BC
Traditional point of view
oEven
if the good is the same for the
individual and the city, the good of the
city clearly is the greater and more
perfect thing to attain and to
safeguard.
http://assets.cambridge.org/9780
5218/02055/sample/97805218020
55ws.pdf

The attainment of
the good for one
person alone is, to
be sure, a source
of satisfaction; yet
to secure it for a
nation and for
cities is nobler and
more and more
divine.
Affirmative Action Programs

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Do women and minorities deserve
to receive differential treatment in
job opportunities, qualified of not?
Do minorities deserve preferential
treatment in entering college,
merits or not?
John Rawls
1920-2002
Contemporary point of view

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"A Theory of Justice" (1971)
“We all have individual rights which
cannot be sacrificed in the name of
utility”
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=ca
che:dxQO_P0qSAwJ:libertyunboun
d.com/archive/2003_02/narvesonrawls.html+john+rawls+on+the+c
ommon+good+approach&cd=4&hl
=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
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“certain general
conditions that
are…equally to
everyone’s
advantage.”
Healthcare for all?
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Does everyone deserve the same
medical treatment, insured or not?
Does it matter what your income is
vs. what type of coverage you will
receive?
Who pays for it?
Criticism of the common good

All people work for
only the common
good and get an
equal share of
total output
regardless of how
hard (or little)
they worked
Criticism continued. . .
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Affirmative Action programs give
preferential treatment to women
and minorities
Individuals are not treated equally
However, these programs are
indispensable for achieving social
justice
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publica
tions/iie/v2n1/homepage.html
Conclusion
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Supports social programs that
promote justice and equality
A for effort
However, unrealistic in this day and
age
Questions

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What are the
benefits to the
Common Good
Approach?
Disadvantages?
Will the Common
Good Approach
cause more harm
than good?