The Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin) - Key Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering the major concepts, terms, and arguments from Hardin's The Tragedy of the Commons.

Tragedy of the Commons

A scenario in which individuals, acting in their own self-interest within a shared resource, overuse the resource and bring ruin to all.

No technical solution problem

Problems that cannot be solved by changing only science or technology; they require changes in human values, morality, or social arrangements.

Mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon

Coercive social arrangements (taxes, regulations) that are agreed by the majority to prevent the ruin of a commons, rather than relying on voluntary self-restraint.

Commons

A shared resource open to all users, where individual use imposes costs on others and can lead to overuse.

Private property as remedy

An alternative to the commons that can curb overuse but is not perfectly just; supported by legal frameworks and inheritance.

Carrying capacity

The maximum population that a given environment can sustain indefinitely; exceeding it leads to degradation.

Overgrazing

Exceeding the land's carrying capacity by adding more animals, causing erosion and ecological decline.

Optimum population

The population size that yields the greatest good per person; smaller than the maximum possible population.

Incommensurables

Goods that cannot be directly compared on a single scale; require a criterion and weighting to evaluate.

Maintenance calories

Energy required to keep a person alive; about 1600 calories per day in Hardin's framework.

Work calories

Energy expended for activities beyond maintenance; used for work, recreation, and creation.

The invisible hand

Adam Smith's idea that individuals pursuing self-interest can promote public welfare; Hardin argues this is not guaranteed in population problems.

Responsibility as social arrangement

The view that responsibility arises from definite social arrangements, not mere exhortation or conscience.

Conscience and its dangers

Appeals to conscience can be psychologically harmful and may lead to the erosion of conscience over generations.

Double bind

A situation where mixed messages (explicit and implicit) create a no-win dilemma, potentially harming mental health.

Administrative law

Law that relies on administrative agencies to manage details beyond what statutes can cover, to prevent bureaucratic corruption.

Pollution as a commons problem

Disposing wastes into shared environments imposes costs on all; requires coercive measures like taxes to prevent "fouling one's nest."

Freedom to breed

The notion that individuals can reproduce without constraint; Hardin argues this freedom leads to ruin and must be abandoned for the common good.

Recognition of necessity

The conclusion that the commons must be abandoned in breeding and that there is no technical solution; education reveals necessity.