Overconsumption of Resources and Garrett Hardin's „The Tragedy of the Commons“

Abstract

In the face of global environmental crises, the overconsumption of natural resources is one of the major economic challenges of the 21st century. Garrett Hardin is known for his essay “The Tragedy of the Commons”, which warns us about the damage that the rational individuals inevitably cause to the environment if the natural resources are commons. The purpose of this paper is to analyze his arguments. The thesis is that the premises of his theory and the examples he cites do not prove the „tragedy of the commons“ and the need to privatize or nationalize them.