Tragedy of the Commons article questions:
Answer must be typed and written in complete sentences!!!!!!!
1. According to Hardin’s article there are some problems that have no scientific or
technical solution. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
2. How does the game of tick-tac-toe demonstrate Hardin’s argument that the problem
of overpopulation has no technical solution?
3. If resources are finite, and you as an individual or a member of a society use(s) a
disproportionate amount of resources compared to someone else, would you be willing
to give up some of your resources to support a larger population on the whole even if
your standard of living might decline? Why or why not?
4. Is maximizing the population of humans something that you think the human race
should strive to do? Why or why not?
5. Agree or disagree with the following statement, “the positive growth rate of a
population is evidence that it has yet to reach its optimum”.
6. Which do think is more important, your individual freedoms or the common
environmental good?
7. How does Hardin’s example of the herdsman and his mathematic justification (nearly
+1 and fraction of -1) embody the tragedy of the commons?
8. Do you think access to common areas such as national parks (owned collectively by all
citizens) should be open to everyone, all the time? Would your opinion change if the
influence of the “crowd” actually diminished the parks natural resources or aesthetic
value?
9. How does someone throwing their cigarette butt out of the car window demonstrate
the tragedy of the commons in terms of pollution?
10. How can the concept of “mutual coercion” in effect help to sustain resources we
are trying to utilize or exploit?
11. Agree or disagree with the following statement, “the necessity to abandon the
freedom to breed” is required to maintain a high quality of life?