Alexander P. Eisenberg

The article characterizes the views on the problem of the common good of one of the representatives of the school of natural law, the German lawyer, philosopher and political thinker Johannes Althusius, whose activities are largely associated with the formation of political and legal thought of the New Age. Using the example of Johannes Althusius’s main work “Politics” and some others, his views on the origin of the ideas of good, justice and humanity from one source — the idea of the common good, its coordination with the good of an individual and society as a whole are traced. The question of what the common good is has not yet been resolved. There is no unambiguous definition, which is directly related to its different understanding and perception in society. This is due to many factors, including in the context of a particular historical period. The theory of the common good has always considered issues related to supreme power, sovereignty, legality, the concept of good, morality, ethics, justice, compromise of the common and individual good. The main goal of the article is to identify the fundamental ideas of the German thinker, which underlay his views on the state and law.