The Puzzle of the Global Commons or The Tragedy of Inequality Revisiting Hardin

Half a century after Garrett Hardin published “The Tragedy of the Commons”1 calling for “lifeboat ethics,”2 many of the central tenets of his papers are still being debated and debunked. He addresses the population problem; the self-maximizing behavior of people in the commons—whether it is in terms of extracting resources or polluting the commons—raises the issue of how to “legislate for temperance,” postulates that “freedom to breed is intolerable” and calls for “mutual coercion mutually agreed upon.” He suggests that enclosing the commons can help, but argues forcefully for the need to abandon the “freedom to breed.” In “Living on a Lifeboat” he argues against aid, against redistribution, and against immigration and implicitly emphasizes a hegemonic strategy for the United States, stating, “We are all the descendants of thieves, and the world's resources are inequitably distributed, but we must begin the journey to tomorrow from the point where we are today.”3 I have used his text to inspire the writing of this article, in which I choose to differ from Hardin's viewpoints. I focus mainly on the global commons, highlighting the role of inequality, then dwell on population growth, and finally argue for legislating for temperance through mutual coercion mutually agreed upon.