Tommaso Scandroglio

The common good is the primary objective of the rulers’ mission and therefore it represents also their limit. To lead each man to a virtuous life in perspective of the common good is the intrinsic goal of law. Therefore only when the cardinal virtues are pertaining to justice, which is about the common good, such virtues are relevant to law. Justice is connected with the lex naturalis: thus, only that part of the moral imperative essential to build a strong social cohesion, seen as a voluntary union of people based on the principles of natural law, needs to be protected. How to protect such a justice? Creating the social conditions through which the individual is oriented to virtue on the voluntary basis, among which commands and prohibitions emerge as relevant. The firsts should impose exclusively those acts which are necessary for the common good, and the seconds should prohibit exclusively those acts which are heavily detrimental to it, taking into account the mean level of morality within the mentioned union of people. In this framework some wicked conducted might be tolerated, except those affecting by themselves the ordered harmony.