Common good

September 12, 2024

I am very much enjoying the many opportunities to learn more about the College. I had great tours of the labs in biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as the spaces of arts and DIFT, I joined department meetings with biology, communication, English, theology, I met with the College’s Academic Leadership group and the Advisory Committee, and I loved Suzanne Chouteau’s exhibition “In Perspective.”

I am much looking forward to attending next week’s Constitution Day Colloquium, and I am very grateful to Mack Mariani as well as Steve Frankel, Ed Kosack, Rachel Behr LaRose, Paul O’Hara, and Katie Robiadek for organizing and contributing to this wonderful event. They have developed an exciting schedule that begins on Monday, September 16 at 4 p.m. with an address by Notre Dame’s Christina Bambrick and continues Tuesday with several parallel sessions and panel discussions.

Several articles in the Constitution Day Reader contribute to the ongoing debate whether the founders of the American experiment had been drawing on the liberal or the republican tradition. Did the founders focus mainly on the importance of protecting individual rights, or did they emphasize the civic virtue and importance of participating in local government and local affairs? Might it be possible to combine and interpret the two approaches in a coherent way?

The readings remind me of the Latin origin of the word republic: res publica, or public matter. Res publica is derived from the Greek work politeia, which refers to the organization or community of citizens within their city-state. To have a republic requires that there be a community, a common or public good that draws people together and that is worth preserving. Because we may not agree on all aspects of the common good, we must leave room for debate to see whether and how our ideas hold up against the ideas of others. A better understanding of the ideas of others allows for compromises that are based on what we have in common and that strengthen our common good. 

I find the idea of a common good very comforting when I participate in discussions and debates. No matter how much our ideas might differ at the outset, there is room for resolution and agreement. Thus, I am looking forward to much spirited discussion and conversation next week. If you have time, please join the Colloquium in the Gallagher Student Center.

By Dr. Florenz Plassmann
Dean