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Focusing on the concept of the common good, this book clarifies its meaning through Aristotelian philosophy, Catholic Social Thought, and political liberalism. It argues that embracing the common good does not reject liberalism, countering the polarization seen in contemporary Catholic discourse. Drawing from the Second Vatican Council's Gaudium et spes, it emphasizes dialogue and inclusion, proposing criteria that prevent the exclusion of individuals or aspects of human flourishing. This approach fosters collaboration among diverse worldviews within a liberal political framework.

ABOUT THE BOOK In Recovering Common Goods, Patrick Riordan explores how Catholic social teaching and the principle of the common good can be successfully deployed in the public sphere, be it in relation to education, economics, democracy or civil rights. From global conflicts, to national politics and industrial disputes, we are bombarded with news of the divisions between people, the issues that separate them and the violence of their language and actions towards one another. However, in working together to uphold the common good we help enable both ourselves and our neighbour to realise objectives, and, in turn, to flourish both as individuals and as communities. Recovering Common Goods illuminates the power of social solidarity with recourse to scriptural analysis, philosophical inquiry and Church doctrine, and is aimed at anyone interested in creating a more equitable society, particularly those working with local communities or charitable organisations in the pursuit of social justice. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Patrick Riordan SJ is a lecturer in political philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London. Riordan holds an MA from Die Hochschule für Philosophie, Munich, and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Innsbruck.

Patrick Riordan takes a different approach to the questions of global ethics by following the direction of questioning initially pioneered by Aristotle; for him the most basic question of ethics is 'what is the good life'? So in the context of contemporary global ethics the Aristotelian questioner wonders about the good life on a global scale. Global Ethics and Global Common Goods fills the gap in existing literature caused by the neglect of the topic of the good in global ethics. Beginning by outlining answers to questions such as 'what is good?' and 'is there a highest good?' Riordan demonstrates the value of a common good perspective in matters of universal human rights and their institutions and practices, the study of international relations and the construction of global institutions, and debates about global justice between cosmopolitanism, nationalism and economic globalization. Philosophical questions provoked by these debates are identified and pursued, such as the question of a common human nature which seems presupposed by the language of universal rights. For experienced students of political philosophy and international relations this is a crucial text in the literature exploring the possibilities for politics on a world scale, while the perspective of the common good adds a new and distinctive dimension to current debates on global security and the challenges of managing conflict.

The unifying theme of the papers in this volume is the human good, analyzed from the perspectives of different disciplines. Their guiding intuition is that the topic of the human good is neglected. They draw attention to values which are present and operative in public life, and attempt to strengthen the intellectual resources available for talking about them. The disciplines of theology, philosophy, politics, sociology, economics and aesthetics are engaged in a conversation about a shared concern and strengthen the literacy for appreciating the values which are aspects of our common goods.