Aug
2
2026

"I'll Give You a Topic. The 'Common Good' is Neither 'Common' Nor 'Good'. Discuss."

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There's a big discussion about the concept of "Common Good" over at National Review. If you want to jump right into the middle of it, check out Charles C.W. Cooke's post: Okay, But What Do You Want to Actually Do. His key point, made to both sides:

I want the Supreme Court to interpret the words in the Constitution in line with their public meaning at the time of ratification. If that’s “common good jurisprudence,” then great. If it’s not, then I’m against it. If “common good economics” means low taxes, limited spending, and a respect for markets, then great. If it doesn’t, I’m against it. The same goes everywhere else: speech, federalism, foreign policy, whatever. Certainly, I could spend my life arguing that the way in which the term “common good” is currently being used is incorrect or undesirable or anachronistic. But why would I, when I can immediately get to the material matter by demanding an audit of the specifics? It’s not as if I wrote in blood at some point in my past that I promise to support all policies that are labeled “common good,” and am thus obliged to litigate the term ad nauseam. My politics are my politics. If they line up with the people who call themselves “common good” conservatives, then that’s nice. I guess I’m one of them. And if they don’t, then . . . well, I’m not.

One of the observations I made while looking for today's eye candy: there are a lot of books that contain "common good" right in their titles. Two examples: The Common Good by Robert Reich; Common Good Constitutionalism by Adrian Vermeule.

Reader, I'm pretty sure the Venn diagram between those two works has very little intersection, if any. I'm also pretty sure that I wouldn't find either one satisfactory. I think V. Vader's book, pictured above, might have a better shot at my favor.

I've mentioned that I have a News Alert set for occurrences of my state's motto, "Live Free or Die", in the Google's news sources. What I've observed is that people, bless their hearts, use LFOD in their advocacy. (Example from a few days ago, if you missed it.) I suspect the same goes for "common good".

For the record: Article 1. of my state's constitution: "All men are born equally free and independent; Therefore, all government of right originates from the people, is founded in consent, and instituted for the general good." Which is pretty close to "common good", but rings better to my ear.