Two pillars support the notion of the Common Good, namely, respect for the inviolable dignity of every human person, and a recognition of the social, thus interdependent, nature of human beings. T he principle of the Common Good is a dynamic one and thus must be applied by every generation to changing times.
Humans are, by nature, social beings.
Evenso, the individual is the foundation of every social institution. P lato and Aristotle believed that the Common Good of society was served by individuals acting virtuously and by government providing a stable environment for its citizens. Later, Augustine taught that the Common Good of society was peace, that is, an ordered harmony among citizens themselves as well as between the government and the people. Thomas Aquinas wrote about the Common Good in terms of people living well together, living the good life. The good life, he taught, was the virtuous life.