Tragedy of the commons

Garrett Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons describes the inevitable result of unregulated use of a common resource. Under this perspective, the land on planet Earth can be viewed as one large common (ignoring political boundaries and property rights). The responsible thing to do would be to utilize the land and the resources it contains in a manner that does not degrade it. However, as the classic example of tragedy of the commons states, a cattleman who adds another cow to…

Within literature, tragedy is generally exemplified by a grave and unfortunate situation that is inflicted onto a heroic figure, causing emotions of sorrow and pity for its audience. Today tragedies can be delivered in various literary forms, yet centuries ago a tragedy exclusively pertained to stage performances. The iconic plays of Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Hamlet by William Shakespeare are examples of two traditional tragedies from two different eras, Greek and Elizabethan. It’s due…

Miller demonstrates through his play, The Crucible, that John Proctor, the main protagonist, is indeed a modern tragic hero. Throughout another one of Miller’s works, his essay “Tragedy and the Common Man”, he explains who and what a tragic hero really is. This helps to inform the reader about Proctor’s stance as a common tragic hero. Throughout the play, The Crucible, John Proctor faces many obstacles and challenges. Soon after we are introduced to Proctor in the play, we learn that he had an…

success in the “American Dream”. It should be said that Willy's real tragedy is not only in his suicide, but in his pursuit of a lifetime of his dream, and his attitude towards his life. The destruction of the impoverished person reflects the conflict between dream and reality: between the conflict of a humble small characters and the brilliant "American Dream". This…

come to mind, yet most of them are a tragedy. Literary tragedy is well known in classic Greek plays and literature as well as the trademark of many famous Greek play righters. Though tragedy is a literary element, other elements contribute to the tragedy found in Greek works such as Oedipus the King. Three common elements that support tragedy specifically in Oedipus the King are hubris, dramatic irony, and theme. One common literary element found in Greek tragedy is hubris. Oedipus is a prime…

(1968) as a tragedy of the commons. In this paper, it will be argued that humans exploiting the aquatic ecosystem through the operation of dams, as portrayed in DamNation (2014), is an example of a tragedy of the commons for the following two reasons: first, as evidenced by the destruction of the quality of water and second, by the collapse of the Chinook salmon population. The Tragedy of the Commons Hardin (1968) states that for an environmental resource to be considered a commons it must…

The “Tragedy of the Commons” is a metaphoric term that was popularized by Garrett Hardin in 1968. However, the Tragedy of the Commons is widely understood as an economic theory that suggests that individuals will act in their own self-interests and overuse a common pool resource for their own short-term benefits, while destroying the resource for long-term use. While focusing on population growth, the welfare state, and the use of the Earth’s natural resources, Hardin suggests that individuals…

tragic hero better than he does Aristotle's. Miller's version of a tragic hero is representative of the common man's ability to be affected by tragedy in the same way as classical kings. Miller argues that in order for there to be tragedy the common man must be able to understand. Aristotle's version is representative of the flaws in great people. This version of the tragic hero is not a common man but is a great being that has a flaw which causes them to lose what they value most; the audience…

in both the population and quality of life. Hardin mentions that we as a whole have a difficulty choosing the limit of the population and deciding which goods to produce in a world that cannot produce everything. He formulated the metaphor “Tragedy of the Commons.” When a resource is held…

society by storm. Locke’s ideas on property and Hardin’s tragedy of the limits of shared resources had people thinking: “Can we trust other human beings to engage in productive economic life without depriving each other of these very opportunities and harming the Earth?” Well to answer this question in short, sure! Hardin mentions “the commons” multiple times in his famous 1968 analysis. If you really think about it, the implications of a commons is that since no one owns it, anyone can use it,…