The idea of the 'common good' is rich in ambiguity. It may be taken to mean, at
times, that each person has an interest which others also have - we all need to eat, to have
shelter, and so forth - and the common good is a concept which recognises the interests of
each person. Jordan (1987a) refers to the 'reciprocity' which binds together the members
of a society - a principle which means, in this context, that everyone recognises the claims
of others in order to have their own interests respected. To take a simple example, since
no-one wants to be murdered in bed, there is a reciprocal advantage in everyone agreeing
that the act should be forbidden. This principle, taken to its logical conclusion, is the basis
of the concept of national insurance. Insurance involves the pooling of resources to protect
each person against risk. If everyone is at risk of poverty, sickness, or death, a system which
provides mutual protection in these contingencies is taken to be in everyone's interest.
Jordan proposes a model of social welfare which is clearly opposed to individualist values.