Tragedy of the Commons Reflection Questions

2008-09-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

“The Tragedy of the Commons” Discussion Questions
1. What does Hardin mean by a "technical solution" to a problem?
Fixing the problem in a techniques of the natural sciences.
2. What does Hardin mean by a “dilemma” with “no technical solution”?
Our population is to great so the per-capita share of the world's decreace.
3. What does Hardin mean that you can't maximize two variables simultaneously?
They can't fit two variables in the same place.
To what two variables is he referring in the case of population growth?
With boths living organisms they must have a source of engery but only for one oragnism.
4. Hardin argues that the earth's resources are finite. What does he mean by this?
Engery ( our food & water) is being used up because the world wasn't meet to hold as many people there are today.
5. What is "good"? How is "good" determined in nature?
Good could mean to another person another way of good value or idea to make of it.
Our we use our resources in nature.
6. Do you agree with Adam Smith that decisions reached individually will
necessarily be the best for an entire society?
No. Men wouldn't control their individual fecundity to produce the optimum population.
7. What does Hardin means by a "commons"?
A natural freedom of speak of mind and belief.
8 What is the "tragedy"?
The esssence of dratic tragedy is not unhappiness.
9. What does Hardin mean by "freedom in a common brings ruin to all"?
To have the human choice and decision of the size of the family only by itself.
10. What does Hardin mean that morality is "system sensitive"? Give an example.
Yes. Our ethics let ourself into a complex, crowed, chandgeable world.
11. Hardin argues that controlling the breeding freedom of humans cannot be done
by an appeal to conscience. Do you agree?
Yes. If one family only have 4 people in their's and another have 7 the next generation get longer from both family but one who have the most would have an higher number of family member from generation by generation.
12. What does Hardin mean by "mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon?"

Note: These questions are modified from those found on the following website:
http://employees.csbsju.edu/SSAUPE/biol116/Ecology/tragedy.htm

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Tragedy of the Commons Reflection Questions