Exploring Friendship, the Common Good, and Kumunukatsyo

This chapter delves into the relationship between personal good, common good, and friendship, contrasting different perspectives on prioritizing individual interests versus the well-being of the community. It discusses Aquinas' doctrine of communicatio as foundational for fostering true community and friendship and explores the concept of kumunukatsyo as a social relational context for friendship according to various scholars' interpretations. The chapter also examines how offering a gift, like God's offering of beatitude to man, establishes a shared happiness and social context for friendship despite differences.