- The Tragedy of the Commons
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Monday, 23rd November 2009
The tragedy of the commons refers to a dilemma described in an influential article by that name written by Garrett Hardin and first published in the journal Science in 1968. The article describes a situation in which multiple individuals, acting independently, and solely and rationally consulting their own self-interest, will ultimately destroy a shared limited resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone’s long-term interest for this to happen.
Tags: Asides, competitor Web sites, Environmental economics, free-spirited Internet user, Garrett Hardin, ISP, Market failure, Metaphors, Network neutrality, non-renewable energy sources, Resource, Sociology, Tragedy of the commons