The cause of unity, of the equal dignity of all people, of justice and civil liberties, is not merely an American cause. It is, in Thomas Paine’s phrase, “the cause of all mankind.” 

E Pluribus Unum—Out of Many, One—is the motto of the United States. It expresses the aspiration that from our diversity, we might be —and always be becoming—one. The motto captures something deeper than mere tolerance of difference: it affirms the aspiration for unity. It insists that “wisdom takes many forms and emerges best in a polyphonic chorus of voices”: not just of individuals, but of the families, congregations, neighborhoods, civic associations, and states that give America its shape.

But the aspiration should not be understood as America’s alone. The cause of unity, of the equal dignity of all people, of justice and civil liberties, is not merely an American cause. It is, in Thomas Paine’s phrase, “the cause of all mankind.” The American experiment has always drawn its deepest meaning from this universal horizon: not that America is the world, but that what America is trying to become matters to the world. Common good pluralism inherits that ambition at a moment when countries around the world are experiencing rapid technological, environmental, and economic change in the midst of dramatic social challenges, like widespread loneliness, disconnection, and ennui, alongside political—and geopolitical—realignment. 

This essay series takes the “cause of all mankind” and the urgency of its renewal seriously, as both intellectual and political challenges.

In 2025, Ian Marcus Corbin, Caroline Cassidy, and I wrote that “WEIRD Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. societies must redirect their energy toward becoming better, not just richer. A flourishing society fosters strong families, rich culture, great art, deep learning, and beautiful environments. True individuality thrives in supportive communities, serving the common good.” That essay offered a diagnosis and suggested principles for renewal. These new essays attempt to show how we might apply those principles to some of our most pressing challenges.

Out of Many, One brings together Capita Fellows and guest contributors to explore what we call common good pluralism—the conviction that genuine human flourishing is irreducibly social, that beauty, art, culture, health, and spirituality are integral to a fully human life, and that these goods are best pursued through many different institutions and traditions rather than by any single authority. A good society actively cultivates the conditions in which that pluralism can thrive.

The essays span disciplines and move between first principles and their application to concrete policy questions and proposals. They ask what the common good actually requires, who is responsible for pursuing it, and what it looks like in practice across domains like public education, health care, higher education, and more.

Above all, we hope these essays make useful proposals for meeting the challenges ahead.

Joe Waters is Capita’s Co-Founder and CEO.