Common good Quote by Mark Lilla
““The most important lesson is this: that for two generations America has been without a political vision of its destiny. There is no conservative one; there is no liberal one. There are just two tired individualistic ideologies intrinsically incapable of discerning the common good and drawing the country together to secure it under present circumstances. We are governed by parties that no longer know what they want in a large sense, only what they don’t want in a small sense. Republicans don’t want the programs and reforms that are the legacy of the New Deal, the New Frontier, and the Great Society. Democrats don’t want Republicans to cut them. But what are the parties’ ultimate aims, whatever the size and shape of government? What are they fundamentally after? What sort of image of the future governs their actions? They seem no longer to know. So the public can hardly be expected to. We find ourselves in a post-vision America.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Once and Future Liberal, 2017
The passage contends that America lacks a unifying political vision, with both parties stuck in narrow, individualistic ideologies that fail to articulate a common good, leading to a post‑visionary political climate.
In simple terms: U.S. politics suffers from missing shared purpose, with parties focused on opposition rather than collective goals.
Seek a collective narrative that transcends partisan opposition.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy development
- grassroots movements
- civic education
- media analysis
- leadership training
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What could a shared American destiny look like?
- How can citizens foster a common political purpose?
Partisan interests and short‑term goals often outweigh long‑term vision.