The greater good

[the]

When you use the phrase "the greater good" what do you mean by it?

When you hear someone say that phrase, how do you interpret the meaning?

the greater good... Greater than what?

how far does the greater good reach? Like, how great does it need to be? Can it be too great or far reaching?

 

[Nixie]

I typically interpret it to mean "what is best for the whole, not just the individual". It would help me to be able to drive 100mph and get home faster but "the greater good" says that limiting the speed limit makes it safer for everybody.

 

[La Sagna]

I think the 'greater good' means greater than just you. It can vary according to context but it means to do what is best for the greater part of whatever group of people would be affected.

 

[Wildfire]

Don’t laugh at me, but I have to confess that when I hear the term “the greater good” I immediately think of Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, and about the way his (Dumbledore’s) own understanding and action related to “the greater good” changed. And I think that’s what made him so good at acting on behalf of “the greater good”… his willingness to change.

Apart from this I can only say that it’s all about perspective, and the greater, or more enlightened the perspective, the greater the good. But I suppose that's rather obvious.

 

[Lark]

When you use the phrase "the greater good" what do you mean by it?

When you hear someone say that phrase, how do you interpret the meaning?

the greater good... Greater than what?

how far does the greater good reach? Like, how great does it need to be? Can it be too great or far reaching?

When I hear it I think precisely what you have typed here, it is not sufficient by itself to evoke any sort of response from me other than skepticism and even suspiscion. Perhaps its living in the age of the soundbite when important concepts or topics are handled in reductive and populist ways but it is possible also aggrivation about peoples ignorance of ignorance and how they're easily provoked to reactions or mobilised by people all to willing to exploit peoples needs for validation, vague grievances or something as simple as excitement.

Personally I prefer to consider the "common good", that is the good which is shared by the individual and the wider society, reciprocity, duty, obligation and indebtedness to others, tradition, the wider society as defined as individuals in aggregate if nothing more. "Greater good" does require clarifications and qualifications as you have said, greater than what is a very good question because, even as a socialist, I believe that individual good is one of the greatest ends there is and no one should be a means to anyone else's end (in the sense of the Kantian categorical imperative).