The "Tragedy of the Commons"
"Tragedy
of the Commons" is the title of an essay written by Garrett Hardin in
Science (Vol 162: 1243 - 1248). We will study this essay in class.
Consider the following questions:
- What does Hardin mean by
a "technical solution" to a problem? Can you give a few examples?
- What does Hardin mean by
a dilemma with no technical solution? What examples does he cite? Can
you think of others?
- Do you agree that there
some problems lack a technical solution? Give an example.
- Why does Hardin think
that technical solutions are always welcome.
- What does Hardin mean
that you can't maximize two variables simultaneously? To what two
variables is he referring in the case of population growth? Is this true
for other environmental concerns?
- Hardin argues that the
earth's resources are finite. Do you agree? Explain.
- What is "good"?
How is "good" determined in nature?
- Will humans individual
control their fecundity as suggested by Adam Smith?
- Do you agree with Adam
Smith that decisions reached individually will necessarily be the best for an
entire society?
- What does Hardin means
by a "commons"? Give some examples.
- What is the "tragedy".
Give some examples.
- Do you agree that
"freedom in a common brings ruin to all"?
- How should we contend
with the overuse of our national parks?
- What does Hardin mean
that morality is "system sensitive". Give an example.
- What does Hardin think
about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that states "...any choice and
decision with regard to the size of the family must irrevocably rest with the
family itself, and cannot be made by anyone else?" What is your opinion?
- Hardin argues that
controlling the breeding freedom of humans cannot be done by an appeal to
conscious. Do you agree?
- What does Hardin mean by
"mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon?"
Last updated: May 10, 2004
� Copyright by SG Saupe
