An article by Prof. L. Salutati, published on the blog of the Alphonsian Academy
With this first post, we begin a series of contributions intended to complement the multi-year, interdisciplinary course in economics, For a Synodal and Entrepreneurial Moral Conscience , inaugurated on June 6, 2025 ( Quaderni Economici 1 ). The goal is to create a small glossary of key words and concepts, particularly significant for the project’s research and training activities, starting with the first introductory course, Systemic Vision and Entrepreneurial Consciousness for Integral Human Development , which begins on March 14. The first entries in the glossary will concern the principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church that inspire the choice of topics explored in the training course.
1. The common good ( CDSC , nn. 164-170)
The common good is one of the cardinal principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church and indicates “the sum of those conditions of social life which allow both communities and their individual members to reach their fulfillment more fully and more readily ” ( CDSC , n. 164). It is therefore not a question of the simple sum of individual goods, but of a broader reality that concerns the entire human community and its orderly development.
The concept of the common good is based on the centrality of the human person (cf. CDSC , n. 106), created in the image of God and endowed with inviolable dignity. Every social, economic, and political structure must be oriented toward fostering the full development of the person in all his or her dimensions: material, cultural, moral, and spiritual. The common good can never be pursued by sacrificing the human being, but only by promoting his or her dignity and fundamental rights.
According to the Social Doctrine of the Church, the common good concerns each and every one of us. It has a communal dimension, because it is realized within social relationships, and a personal dimension, because only in society can the individual fully develop his or her potential. For this reason, the common good implies shared responsibilities, as each person is called to contribute, according to his or her abilities, to the construction of a more just and supportive society (cf. CDSC , nn. 164-165).
The common good includes essential elements such as respect for human rights, peace, justice, security, access to employment, education, health, culture, and dignified living conditions. These goods cannot be guaranteed by individual initiative alone, but require the commitment of institutions and political authority, which has the specific task of promoting and protecting the common good, without identifying with partisan interests (cf. CDSC , nos. 166-167).
A fundamental aspect of the common good is its universal character. It is not limited to a single nation or a particular community, but extends to the entire human family (GS, n. 26). In an increasingly interconnected world, the Social Doctrine of the Church emphasizes that the common good takes on a global dimension and requires forms of international cooperation, especially to address inequalities, poverty, migration, and the protection of creation.
The common good is closely linked to the principles of solidarity ( CDSC, nn. 192-196) and subsidiarity ( CDSC , nn. 185-188). Solidarity recalls the duty and responsibility to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable; subsidiarity affirms that larger communities must support, and not replace, the initiative of individuals and smaller communities (intermediate bodies). Together, these principles ensure a balance between individual responsibility and collective action.
In conclusion, the common good, in the Social Doctrine of the Church, is the ethical horizon that orients social life towards justice, peace and the full realisation of the human person, inviting everyone to overcome individualism and to build a society founded on collaboration and mutual respect.
