Discussing the possible use of common property to address the commons problem - Essay Example

Hardin argues that as part of human nature, each commoner will always attempt to maximize utility by either increasing the use of the resource by one more level at any given time. In so doing, the one unit increment in utility use carries with it both positive and negative components. In this case, he states that the positive part wills functionality of the one unit increment. The negative component is a function of one unit increment on the level of competition for that particular resource. The negative component is shared by all the commoners, and it is a fraction of negative one (-1).

When all such partial utilities are put together, a rational commoner only finds profitable to increase his/her utility of the resource. As this happens among all the commoners using the resource, the tragedy of depletion and lack of sustainability comes in. As such every commoner will be faced with ruin in the attempt of pursuit of each individual’s best interest. He concludes "freedom in the commons brings ruin." He further postulates that, some school of thought has it that the tragedy is often put on halt by the forces of natural selection.

It is argued that natural selection often propels the forces of psychological denial. As such a commoner will only benefit as an individual from the ability to deny the truth that such acts make the society as whole to suffer. In turn, in order to succeed in enabling sustainability, education provides the best platform for counteract the human nature to do the wrong thing. Such education must constantly be refreshed to remain relevant and for the inexorable succession of generations (Hardin 50-68).

After several scientific and social studies have been conducted overstretched periods of time, it has been revealed that people will not restrain from use of a common property even if they are better poised to benefit mutually from such restraints. Most often than not,