ErikaJan 3, 2023

The tragedy of the commons is a pernicious myth.

The demise of the commons of Britain and Europe wasn't the result of misuse by commoners, but enclosing by the landowners. The original hypothetical was made up for storytelling purposes, and the term was popularized by an ecologist with anti-immigrant and racist views.

Here is my recommended reading for heading into 2023:

https://aeon.co/essays/the-tragedy-of-the-commons-is-a-false-and-dangerous-myth

The tragedy of the commons is a false and dangerous myth | Aeon Essays

Far from being profoundly destructive, we humans have deep capacities for sharing resources with generosity and foresight

Show threadBen Crowell
@mulegirl "The tragedy of the commons is a pernicious myth. The demise of the commons of Britain and Europe wasn't the result of misuse by commoners, but enclosing by the landowners."
This seems like a false dilemma/straw man argument. Nobody is claiming that the phrase "tragedy of the commons" is an explanation for why the British commons went away. That was because of the Inclosure Acts.
Jan 3, 2023 at 2:46pmWeb