Philosophical

=Philosophically a Good Citizen=

The Common Good is often tossed around as a way to speak about how people should chose to act in society. In Bill Jordan’s book that’s exactly what his analysis of Aristotle’s philosophical outlook on citizenship focuses on. Jordan says, “Citizenship is the basis of the common good” (Jordan 67). Based on Aristotle the way of citizenship is broken down into five sections. The first of these sections states that, “A political community is a shared project” (Jordan 69). Jordan goes on to state that, “People committed to a common purpose, to provide themselves and others with certain goods” (Jordan 69). So in order to be a good citizen we must admit that we are part of something bigger and accept the fact that we must work together and for each other to make society function. This ties directly in with the second point that says, “The people who join together to form a community have a bond to each other” (Jordan 69). The third point he makes it clear what politics is and what the goal is. He says, “The political community aims to achieve the common good of its members… Every activity and association has aims and purposes, and the state has the aim of achieving what is good…the good in the sphere of politics is justice; and justice consist in what tends to promote the common interest” (Jordan 69-70). In the fourth point Jordan says we act as members he says, “Membership of a political community (citizenship) is an active, not a passive process; the members must rule themselves” (Jordan 70). To be a citizen we must take part in what is going one sitting on the sidelines observing just simply isn’t enough. He goes on to say, “The citizen in this strict sense is best described by one criterion: a man who shares in the administration of justice and the holing of office” (Jordan 70). In the eyes of Jordan and Aristotle citizenship can only be achieved if someone looks outside their own back yard and steps foot into the public arena. The fifth and final point Jordan makes is telling us that the way we get the power to participate and rule is through ourselves. Jordan says, “Power used to activate commitment to the common good is self-rule, the collective ability to achieve the goals of the community (Jordan 70). Finally we are told where the common good comes from. Jordan says, “The common good is not something that is achieved by individuals setting aside their own interests – it is the common interest (Jordan 70). In conclusion to be a good citizen in the philosophical standpoint is to recognize we are part of something bigger, recognize and act on behalf of the common good, participate and distribute justice, and realize the common good is not our own personal belief.