1. TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS

2. BIG POINTS FROM THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
1. Some problems have no “technology” solutions.
a. Define technology
b. Examples
2. There is not an inexhaustible supply of natural resources (The Commons - possessed by no one)
a. Resources (potentially renewable)
b. Pollution
3. We can not force people to do things by laws
4. We can not force people to do things by appealing to their conscience
5. How do we avoid overpopulation without giving up current lifestyle? NO technological solution

3. BIG POINTS FROM THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
6. The solution to the population problem is being coerced (way of changing thinking) into giving up our freedom to breed.
7. People must be coerced into doing things for their own good
8. Three market ways to control - ARE THEY FAIR???
Convert ownership to private hands (lowers use rate)
2)First come- first served
3) Restrict access (money, "social worth", "who do you know")

4. The Problem 1. Give three problems that have "no technical solution".
Nuclear war
tic-tac-toe
Populations

5. In Hardin's opinion, what are some characteristics of a "technical solution"?
Changes in techniques of natural science
No moral or ethical change needed

6. What shall we maximize 1. Is the amount of resources in the world infinite or finite? Why?
World is not infinite in size ∴ resources are limited

7. 2. What do maintenance calories do for people?
Keep us alive energy for biological mechanisms

8. 3. What do work calories do for people?
Allow us to do all the things we do every day. Work, play, art, music

9. 4. What does Hardin believe must happen to the amount of work (like gourmet meals & art) if we are to have the maximum number of people? What is his reason?
Will have to minimize the work calories because all the food supply is going to just keep people alive (maintenance calories)

10. 5. Hardin says we must choose between two "goods" - the greatest number of people or the greatest good per person. Does Hardin believe that humans can maximize both at the same time?
No he argues we cannot maximize both and another
problem is that we can not agree on what is "good" ski slope vs. natural reserve for the use of a mountain.
Nature defines "good" as survival. Natural selection picks the best. Most rapidly growing nations are the most miserable.

11. 6. He then says that we cannot work toward optimizing the population until we defeat the ideas of Adam Smith.
Smith said that if individuals are allowed to work to their maximum benefit then all those people working together will be the best for society.
If Smith is correct then people will only have enough children to produce the optimal society.

12. Tragedy of Freedom in a Common
1. What is the definition of "tragedy" that is given to us by Hardin?
The remorseless working of things.
Sadness is used as an example because we can all see the futility of trying to escape.

13. 2. The example given by Hardin is a commons
2. The example given by Hardin is a commons. In countries like Great Britain, what is a commons?
A small commonly shared area, usually in the middle of a village, open to all and access is not regulated.
Owned by NO ONE

14. 3. Hardin argues that in order to maximize their profits, each herder continues to add cattle to the commons. Why can this behavior not continue indefinitely?
There is only a limited amount of grass available to the cows. People are compelled to maximize profits (Adam Smith)

16. 4. What is one positive aspect in adding a cow, and one negative aspect in adding a cow to the commons?
Positive-farmer receives all the gain from cow (milk, meat, hide) Negative-They only pay a small part of the negative as they consume only a fraction of the total grass and pollute with cow waste a small part

17. 5. What eventually must happen to the commons?
As people continue to use resources in a world that has only limited resources those resources fail so all are harmed

18. 7. Hardin uses the example of fishing in the open sea as a tragedy of the commons. Describe how this is a good example.
An unregulated area open to all with no controls on catch size or type of organism taken.
Many individuals (countries, companies, individuals) all going after their own good, quickly depletes stocks of fish (they take years to grow to sexual maturity, we ruin places they live)

19. Pollution 1. Pollution is the reverse of when we take things out of the commons. Explain.
Instead of taking things out we can also add unwanted or harmful substances (pollutants)

20. 2. Hardin gives the examples of atmosphere and water
2. Hardin gives the examples of atmosphere and water. These cannot be owned by anyone. Why is that different than grazing land or a National Park?
Air and water flow from one area to another and can carry waste very far.
Air and water do not respect specific boundaries. Lands or parks have set limits can are not crossed.

21. 3. What is the "old saying" about rivers and how long it takes to purify the water? Why can modern societies no longer rely on this method?
A river can clean itself every ten miles. There are no longer any stretches or river that are ten miles long that are free from some form of pollution.

22. How to Legislate Temperance 1
How to Legislate Temperance 1. Hardin states that the morality of an act is a function of the times when that act occurred. Describe the bison example he gives in those terms.
Many years ago people would not stop to think about killing a bison, eating the tongue for dinner and leaving the rest to rot. Today we would never do that It's not "PC"!

23. 2. Hardin states that " the pattern of ancient ethics and therefore are poorly suited to governing a complex, crowded, changeable world". He goes on to say that it is very difficult to pass laws to govern all possibilities and therefore government turns to the bureaucracy to make laws work. Why is this not a good idea according to Harden? (N.B. Who polices the police?)
Laws take time to develop and pass, once enacted they cannot change according to every new technology or practice. A bureaucracy develops to deal with the day-to-day issues that are not covered in the law. The problem is who watches over the bureaucracy so we know that they are doing the right thing. Who polices the police?

24. 3. Do you believe that Hardin feels we can pass laws to solve the Tragedy of the Commons?
So, laws are to unwieldy to deal with every situation and the bureaucracy may not make the right decisions for every society ∴ we can not rely on law to solve the population problem.

25. Freedom to Breed is Intolerable 1
Freedom to Breed is Intolerable 1. How does Hardin feel about the freedom to have as many children as a family wants? He says: " But our society is deeply committed to the welfare state, and hence confronted with another aspect of the tragedy of the commons." What does this commitment lead to?
Harden argues that if families were only dependent on their own resources there would be very small family but we are committed to the family (UN Charter) and therefore committed to live the Tragedy of the Commons

26. Conscience is self-limiting 1
Conscience is self-limiting 1. Hardin says that: " To make such an appeal (to make families limit their size) is to set up a selective system that works toward the elimination of conscience from the race." Which is eliminated, the group that wants more children, or the groups that wants fewer children? Explain.
Harden argues here that if some families consciously chose have few children but other families have large families eventually the small family will die out because there are fewer children being born while large families are having lots of kids (Darwin)

27. Pathogenic effect of conscience 1
Pathogenic effect of conscience 1. Hardin states that appealing to someone's sense of conscience has both short term (as well as long term) problems. He states that instead of conscience we are really making someone fell guilty.
Reflect on when you have been made to feel guilty about something. Did you continue to do that activity and feel good about it?

28. 2. Why do you think Hardin uses this point when he is talking about controlling the human population?
Guilt brings its own problems, "damned if you do, damned if you do not" Also: " To conjure up a conscience in others is tempting to anyone who wishes to extend his control beyond the legal limits." Should we continue to use the technique of making people feel guilty when we know it causes harm? So, Hardin concludes that we cannot use laws that will control the family size. He also concludes that we cannot appeal to a people's conscience, nor can we make people feel guilty about having too many children.

29. Mutual Coercion, Mutually agreed upon 1
Mutual Coercion, Mutually agreed upon 1. What are two examples of social coercion?
1) Not robbing banks.
2) Taxes
3) Parking meters

30. 2. What do you think Hardin means by "mutual" in the sense of society?
It means every member of society partakes in the activity. It is an activity we may not like but one we all agree on. It is neither arbitrary nor set by bureaucrats.

31. 3. Hardin says: "Injustice is preferable to total ruin
3. Hardin says: "Injustice is preferable to total ruin." How does this help him argue for mutual coercion?
Hardin argues that we may not like the rule but rule is better than the effects of the "Tragedy of the Commons". Do lobster catchers really want to be told they can only keep lobsters over a certain size and to throw back the rest? No but they realize if they do not very soon there would be no lobster left to catch then all are out of business.
4. Why are taxes a good example of mutual coercion?

32. The Recognition of Necessity 1
The Recognition of Necessity 1. Hardin argues that through human history humans have lived with mutual coercion. Describe how the commons of farmland and waste disposal are examples.
Hunter-gatherers are living in a commons. A populations grew they realized that there was not enough food so they developed farming (Agricultural Revolution). As cities grew we realized you could not just throw waste into the streets, needed things to remove waste. Although costs more and inconvenient, better than throwing waste into street

33. 2. Finally, Hardin argues that we must abandon the freedom to breed
2. Finally, Hardin argues that we must abandon the freedom to breed. Describe this in terms of mutual coercion.
People locked in the tragedy will continue to harm themselves until we abandon breeding when we want and how many children we have.

34. 3. What aspect of the Tragedy of the Commons will humans avoid if we lower population levels?
Fewer resources used and the ones here will last longer thus maximizing quality of live. We need to relinquish this freedom to enjoy other freedoms.