Tragedy of the Commons

Tragedy of the Commons

1)Commons are un-owned or commonly-held "pool" resources that are "free," or not allocated by markets. 2)Hardin's ToC model assumes that individuals are short-term, self-interested "rational" actors, seeking to maximize their own gains. 3)Such actors will exploit commons (have more babies, add more cattle to pastures, pollute the air) as long as they believe the costs to them individually are less than the benefits.

HOw does Hardin believe population can be controlled

1)It should be accomplished by "mutual coercion mutually agreed upon." 2)Sacrificing freedom to breed will obtain for us other more important freedoms which will otherwise be lost. 3)"Coercive" restrictions on breeding could take a number of forms. 4)The "right" to determine the size of one's family must be rescinded.

HOw does Hardin want to gain people's consent for these types of institutions

1)People will consent if they understand the dire consequences of letting the population growth rate be set only by individuals' choices. 2)Educating all people about the ToC, its consequences, and the alternatives to it, is necessary. 3)Then various restraints and incentives for low reproduction can and must be instituted

Describe why Hardin believes that the world is biophysically finite

1)The more people there are, the less each person's share must be. 2)Technology (ie, agricultural) cannot fundamentally alter this. 3)We can't both maximize the number of people and satisfy every desire or "good" of everyone. 4)Practically, biophysical limits dictate we must both stabilize population, and make hard choices about which "goods" are to be sought. 5)Both steps will generate opposition, since many people will have to relinquish something.

What are Hardin's 4 major assumptions

1)The world is biophysically finite 2)Over-population is an example of the tragedy of the commons 3)The "commons" system for breeding must be abandoned (as it has been for other resources) 4)The problem is then to gain peoples' consent to a system of coercion

Hardin on Laissez-faire

A laissez-faire system (letting individuals choose as they like) will not "as if by an invisible hand" solve over-population

Garrett Hardin

He is the author of the Tragedy of the Commons

The "commons" system for breeding must be abandoned

In other words, something must restrain individual reproduction. . .

Appeals to conscious

Restraining individual reproduction must not be by individual conscience; appealing to conscience will only result in fewer people with conscience in the population (assuming here that it is genetic, or perfectly transmitted by learning).

Welfare

The system of welfare insulates individuals from bearing the full costs of over-reproducing.

Effect of the Tragedy and people exploiting things (like by overreproducing)

When every individual believes and behaves in this manner, commons are quickly filled, degraded, and ruined along with their erst-while exploiters.