Tragedy of the Commons

Analysis of The tragedy of the commons

There are numerous problems the world is facing today- Climate changes, Pollution, Global warming and so on. But the roots of all these lie in the speeded growth of population in the past few centuries. The tragedy of the commons was written by Hardin in 1968 engaging the attention of an educated audience with a scientific bent of mind formulating the population problem. Its is not just about the grazing policy and has a little to with the problems of pollution and land management. It is a threat to the environment at the same time an individual choice.

Hardin Believes that the problem of overpopulation is moral than a technical one. Technical solutions are based on the natural sciences whereas the moral solutions call for a change in human values. He analyses the relationship of the resources available to the needs of the humans. He considers the limiting factors that is the unlimited demand and limited resources for the use of humans. But every human wants more and more, having no end to what he wants. As it is rightly said that a finite world can can support only finite problems, we have to choose between the material quality of life and population. Both the factors can not be maximised since they are inversely proportional. Hardin rejects the proposal that improved food production quality can sustain indefinite population growth. Maximized benefits in both material quality of life and population are impractical since increasing the number of stomachs to be fed with food, will result reduction of calories that one will get.

The doctrine of Laissez faire enhances the thought of individuals pursuing their private interests that will further serve the interest of all. When a resource is held as a "common, it is available and accessible to all. According to Hardin, the rational characteristic of one makes him fully exploit a resources obtaining maximum benefit from it while the cost is equally distributed among all....