The good is a key concept in ethics and in philosophical discussions of well-being. Different philosophers define the good in various ways, and many thinkers have explored its implications for practical reasoning and moral judgment. A good is a positive or desirable quality. The word is derived from the Latin term for ‘pleasant, agreeable, or favorable’. A good product is well-made, provides value for money, solves a problem, is easily understood by users, performs its task as efficiently as possible, and improves with use.

The concept of good has been important in discussions about the nature of values and moral judgments, and has been used by thinkers as diverse as Plato and Immanuel Kant. It has also been central to Enlightenment philosophy and religious thought.

In modern English, the adjective good is often used after linking verbs like taste, smell, look, feel, or appear: “This bread tastes good,” “These biscuits smell good,” and “You look really good today!” In some cases, the adjective good can be applied to a person’s spirits as well as their health: “I’m feeling pretty good about myself.”

Good has been a central idea in debates about the nature of goodness and about how we should live our lives. The word is often used as a synonym for right, and has also been defined as what is best for us or what is in our interests. Many philosophers have explored the relations between the good and other concepts such as truth, beauty, and love.

Kraut argues that we can understand the nature of the good by considering how it fits into our lives as human beings. He distinguishes between intrinsic goods – those that are valued for their own sakes – and instrumental goods – those that serve or enable the attainment of an intrinsic good. Money, for example, is usually regarded as an instrumental good, since it can be used to achieve the good of wealth or status.

Philosophers sometimes divide intrinsic goods further into a distinction between natural or agent-relative goods, which are good for someone in particular, and neutral or objective goods, which are good from everyone’s perspective. For instance, a long walk through a crowded city might be a good for someone who enjoys people-watching, but it would not be a good for a misanthrope who hates people.

A final category of good is that which is beneficial for the environment and society as a whole, but which may be difficult or even impossible to accomplish. These include combating climate change, reducing poverty, and promoting equality.