The Tragedy Of The Commons Hardin Summary

In Hardin’s 1968 article, “The Tragedy of the commons,” his foundational ideas are derived from the question: is there a technical solution to the population problem(Hardin 1243)? He argues that there is a not a technical solution to this problem, which means that the natural sciences will not be able to provide an adequate solution, and thus, a change must be made to human morality and values(1243). This lack of a technical solution tied with society’s current values revolve around Adam Smith’s idea of laissez-faire and individuals maximizing their personal gains results in the condition of Hardin’s problem: an optimal population size cannot be reached with the current system and values that society holds(1244). Furthermore, this problem …show more content…
He argues that there is a not a technical solution to this problem, which means that the natural sciences will not be able to provide an adequate solution, and thus, a change must be made to human morality and values(1243). This lack of a technical solution tied with society’s current values revolve around Adam Smith’s idea of laissez-faire and individuals maximizing their personal gains results in the condition of Hardin’s problem: an optimal population size cannot be reached with the current system and values that society holds(1244). Furthermore, this problem has consequences. At low-populations, polluting, overfishing, and overgrazing were not an issue because the resources were abundant. However, once overpopulation happened, humans would exploit and use their natural resources faster than nature could replenish …show more content…
His first piece of reasoning is a rebuttal to the laissez-fair ideology of the current system through illustrating the tragedy of the commons (1244). The tragedy of the commons is the idea that the system that individuals exist in compels them to always try to maximize their individual gain. The individual gains positive utility from catching more fish or adding more sheep to their herd, which could be more money or more food for them and their family(1244). Yet, in each individual’s attempt to maximize their utility, they strain natural resources by overgrazing, overfishing, or polluting too much. Therefore, demonstrating the idea that an individually rational choice can be collectively irrational. Conflicting directly with Adam Smith’s laissez-fair ideology that individual’s decisions will not always promote the public interest. Hardin’s second line of reasoning extends the logic of the tragedy of the commons to individual polluting. He does this by explaining that individuals find that it is cheaper to pollute than to clean their waste of harmful toxins before he or she releases their waste(1245). The current system solves this problem with private property; however, as the population increases to heights where pollution affects the air all people breathe and water that all people drink, the system’s reliance on