Tragedy of the Commons

The phenomenon of exhaustion of a common resource by a group of individuals each acting in their own interest despite the awareness that they are acting against the collective’s long-term interest. This concept was first introduced by the ecologist Garrett Hardin in the article “The Tragedy of the Commons” (Science, December 13, 1968) and it has been applied to different examples throughout the history of humankind.

External links and references

• Original article by Garrett Hardin from Science (journal)
• The Digital Library of the Commons
• The Myth of the Tragedy of the Commons by Ian Angus
• Global Tragedy of the Commons by John Hickman and Sarah Bartlett
• Tragedy of the Commons Explained with Smurfs by Ryan Somma