The aim of society is the wellbeing of its members. Since the dawn of civilization humans have gathered together in groups to cooperate in fulfilling their basic common needs for survival. In the East, the dominant social philosophy as conceived by Confucius was that the happiness of the members of a society should be the goal of society. In the West, Aristotle declared that the purpose of society was to enable people to live a virtuous and happy life. Our current understanding of the concept of "happiness" is best expressed as "wellbeing". Wellbeing is a universal concept fundamental to our humanity and should therefore serve as the foundation of society.

The concept of personal wellbeing involves the material goods necessary for survival and the metaphysical realm of intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. It is the metaphysical that defines purpose and meaning for an individual. Values provide the foundation for a course of action and serve as a guide for what we would like to accomplish in life. They give purpose and meaning to life. Every person should have the right to determine what is important to them and seek opportunities to develop their innate talents to create a meaningful life. This is the right of individual self-determination.

Personal wellbeing and the social environment depend on each other. The community should serve as a support network for its members. It should provide the opportunity for people to realize their potential and secure for themselves the type of life they envision. Individuals through their social interaction contribute their goods and services to others thus strengthening the community. Through this reciprocal interaction, personal well being and community reinforce and sustain each other. In essence, we all depend on each other. A person can only develop their full potential in connection with others.

Social values express the aims and ideals that the members of a society share in common. They are the fundamental principles for the organization and functioning of society. Over the course of human history there arose the many industries, public utilities, education and government agencies designed for the (hopefully efficient) satisfaction of human needs in accord with that society's values. For example, the values of freedom, equality, and justice continue to inspire and provide direction for American society.

The American philosophy of government is based on the simple idea of self-government by the people. Through collective action people have sovereign authority to determine social goals and the practices to implement them. We are free to imagine and pursue new social possibilities together. What is it that we believe in? Who do we want to be? Where do we want to go? It's up to us. Democracy provides the freedom for both our growth as individuals as well as the development of strong communities and is a process that requires our participation.

Read the next chapter in our story of building the good society which examines the importance of social values available here.