Pre-order the June 2024 issue: Pursuing the common good

Most philanthropists would claim that enhancing the common good is at the heart of their philanthropic purpose. But how many live up to this expectation? How would philanthropy be different if pursuing the common good became the defining principle in efforts to find solutions to the decline of democracy, the onset of cataclysmic climate change, the erosion of civic media, and failures of digital governance and other interconnected problems.

If advancing the public’s commitment to the common good is a key driver of social progress, then philanthropy has a key role compensating for the negative consequences of modern market capitalism—by balancing the forces of individual acquisition and consumption with those of the pursuit of the common good. This special feature will make the case for philanthropy to renew and prioritise the idea of the common good as a primary goal for the successful functioning of contemporary society.

Guest editors: Judith Symonds and Bruce Sievers