Acting for the Common Good - by Michael J McGrath

Book Synopsis

The goods that we pursue in our lives are for us, first and foremost, goods that are particular and personal, and thus goods that are immediate to our attention. Not readily apparent to us are goods necessary for the flourishing of our lives but that can be attained by us only in consort with others and thus realized only through collective action. Such goods are common goods. The wider the good, the more extensive must be the human cooperation to realize the good. A stable, orderly society and a habitable planetary environment are common goods that can be realized only in and through the cooperation of all for the benefit of all. That all contribute to the shared good of the whole is a matter of justice--social justice. Acting for the Common Good undertakes the study of social justice in light of the common good--this from the viewpoint of Catholic social teaching, which draws upon the tradition of the common good that is articulated classically in the philosophy of Aristotle and the theology of Thomas Aquinas and in the modern-day social thought and authoritative teachings of the Catholic Church.

Review Quotes

"As the Catholic Church lives out the call to synodality from Pope Francis, many sectors are calling for a new emphasis on Catholic social teaching and moral witness. In Acting for the Common Good, Michael McGrath provides the intellectual underpinnings for that project, offering a view of the church as social witness and active agent for social justice and the common good in society. This book arrives at just the right moment for Catholics in the U.S. and around the world."
-- Richard L. Wood, University of New Mexico

"This book has an insightful theme of social justice based on the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition. Social justice is not a social activity but rather a common good that pivots on the virtue of the rational appetite. For pluralistic societies, Michael J. McGrath's thought provides a challenge to overcome the complexities of tension between minority and majority, where unconditional love is still possible to be shared."
--Stefanus Christian Haryono, Duta Wacana Christian University, Indonesia

About the Author

Michael J. McGrath teaches theology and ethics at Bloy House, The Episcopal Theological School at Los Angeles.