Common Good and Individual Good

This chapter explores medieval Latin developments that led to the separation of the common good and the good of an individual. It starts by presenting two different explanations for why acting morally well is difficult: either morality demands aiming for the common good at the expense of one’s own good, or it requires developing a virtuous character and recognizing that one’s true good aligns with actions that promote the common good. Based on earlier research, it is suggested that the latter view (eudaemonism) was replaced by the former (ethical anti-egoism) during late medieval period. The chapter focuses on moral psychology, examining the identity between the individual good and the common good, the challenge of self-sacrifice to this identity, and the role of moral motivation in the development of the distinction between the individual and the common good.