The Notion of the Common Good in Early American Thought.

The common good is an ambiguous notion. All those who found democratic governments argue that they are creating governmental structures that will benefit the common good. But what is the common good? The Declaration of Independence argues that British governance of the American colonies did not provide for the common good, and used this as a justification for revolution and independence. The Constitution of 1787 is a document intended to create a governmental structure to promote the common good. But there were two schools of thought at the time of ratification of the Constitution. Federalists argued that the Constitution was the best governmental structure by which the common good could be achieved. Anti-Federalists argued that the Constitution would impede the achievement of the common good. Did both groups define the common good in the same manner? This paper explores the common good in early American thought, using the Federalist and Anti-Federalist perspectives to survey the notion of the common good. It also explores philosophical and political conceptualizations of the common good and analyzes whether the Federalists and Anti-Federalists used the notion of the common good in a philosophical or political fashion to further their cause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]