Created by Emma Singer and Nico Carrino, in January 2018, as a final project for Professor Andrew Lamas' Community Economic Development Class (URBS 452) at the University of Pennsylvania.
Many thanks to our professor, our class, and the resources provided by Penn
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Garrett Hardin
Hardin’s now infamous piece has been cited by over 35,000 scholars. His ideas have clearly proliferated throughout the economic, governmental, and public spheres.
“The Tragedy of the Commons.” Science. Volume 162, Number 3859: 1243-1248. [ Ссылка ].
Khan Academy’s explanation of the Tragedy of the Commons (from which we drew much of our aesthetic inspiration): [ Ссылка ]
In this video, which has been viewed over 150K times, the narrator lays out Hardin’s theory of the commons as fact, using the same examples Hardin did. Through this simplification of the commons, the Khan video makes ownership by the people seem IMPOSSIBLE, directly countering centuries of examples. Through this problematic oversimplification of the commons, Khan Academy's ahistorical presentation makes a mockery of the commons and promotes privatization as the one and only -- or most rational -- governance model -- shades of Margaret Thatcher's "There is No Alternative”. In regards to the reach of this message, Khan Academy is multi-million dollar non-profit that aims to create online tools to help educate students. It’s YouTube videos are used in classrooms around the world.
John Stuart Mill
A 19th century British philosopher and economist, Mill’s ideas regarding what constitutes a rational man, still hold strength today.
“The whole of man’s nature…” Quote: Essays on Some Unsettled Questions of Political Economy. Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer. London, 1874 (2nd edition). V.38. [ Ссылка ].
Final Quote: Principles of Political Economy with some of their Applications to Social Philosophy. Longmans, Green and Co. London, 1909 (7th edition). IV.7.12. [ Ссылка ].
Probably the most accurate image of the commons we’ll ever have: [ Ссылка ]. Just kidding (but not really).
Elinor Ostrom
While she's written lengthy papers on “Sustainable Development and the Tragedy of the Commons”, this video also provides a succinct explanation on Ostrom's thoughts. In a “Stockholm Whiteboard Seminar” presented by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Ostrom critiques Hardin’s theory and pushes viewers to look beyond simplified graphs to try to see things from a local level. [ Ссылка ].
Geof Glass also provides a short Youtube series that debunks Hardin’s theories and lays out the historical background of the commons.
Part one: [ Ссылка ]
Part two: [ Ссылка ]
Ian Angus
A marxist writer, educator, and activist, Angus breaks down Hardin’s theory and explains why it has stuck around for so long. He suggests that Hardin’s theory provides a strong (but as we know, inaccurate) basis for global development policies by the IMF and World Bank as well as the continued dismantling of indigenous communities by North American governments.
“The Myth of the Tragedy of the Commons.” MR Online. Aug 25 2008. [ Ссылка ].
Mishel, Lawrence, Elise Gould, and Josh Bivens. 2015. Wage stagnation in nine charts. Economic Policy Institute.
This is where got data on wage differentials between those at the top and the bottom. There's some really great stuff here, check it out!
We cite the work done by the Alaska Permanent Oil Fund. Learn more about them here: [ Ссылка ].
Picture of Elinor Ostrom. Holger Motzkau 2010 / Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons.
Picture of J.S. Mill. Given by George Frederic Watts, 1895.
Our resources proved too extensive for a Youtube description. Please visit this google doc to access our sources and additional information: [ Ссылка ]
Thanks for sticking with us to the end! We hope this list and video are helpful and only the starting point for your INTELLECTUAL JOURNEY!
