Searching for the Common Good: Philosophical, Theological and Economical Approaches - Paperback

by Mathias Nebel (Editor), Thierry Collaud (Editor), Verlagsgesellschaft Nomos (With)

This book addresses the heated debate on whether politics has to care only about the question of justice, rights and tolerance or open up to a teleological concept like the common good. Long considered the central feature of the public sphere, the common good was progressively sidelined during the 20th century. But amid ambiguous globalisation and the limits of political liberalism, the common good is returning to the fore. This volume gathers together theologians, economists and philosophers in order to investigate this concepts relevance in meeting the challenges of our time. It argues in different ways and from different disciplines that the common good is what shapes the public sphere most profoundly. It is not a closed concept, but rather a dia-lectic that drives societies and humanity towards more human integration. As such, the common good is a form of hope, hope that what is good for me and what is good for others are not ultimately at odds but actually enrich and extend each other.

Author Biography

Mathias Nebel is professor of social ethics and Catholic social thought and research director of the Instituto Promotor del Bien Comun at the Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP, Mexico). He was previously professor of moral theology at the Institut Catholique de Paris. Thierry Collaud is a medical doctor, medical ethicist and catholic theologian. He practiced medicine as a general practitioner during 20 years while being active in medical ethics continuous education. He is currently professor of Christian social ethics at the university of Fribourg, Switzerland.