ELINOR OSTROM and THE TRAGEDY(?) OF THE COMMONS

Have you ever heard the phrase, "THE TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS"? It was introduced in a massively influential 1968 Science article by eugenicist extraordinaire Garrett Hardin, at which point it rocked the world and entered the popular lexicon, explaining once and for all why humanity can't have nice things ...

That is, until economist and political scientist ELINOR OSTROM (1933-2012) made it her life's work to debunk the idea, which earned her a Nobel Prize in 2009 (SPOILER: It turns out that out that sometimes humans can share stuff, even when they're not being threatened to do so. She has proof.).

Let's explore Elinor Ostrom's intellectual legacy by checking out whichever of the following materials seem interesting (or don't! Even if you don't manage to read or watch any of it, just join us!). Then, let's hang out and talk.

TEXT :

• "The Commons: From Tragedy to Triumph" by UK Green Party activist Derek Wall (Chapter 2 from "Elinor Ostrom's Rules for Radicals: Cooperative Alternatives Beyond Markets and States", 2017 ; 14 pages) *** LINK WILL BE SHARED WHEN YOU RSVP ***
• "The Future of the Commons" by Marxian geographer David Harvey (from Radical History Review, 2011; 6 pages)

VIDEO :

• Women Who Changed the World: Elinor Ostrom (45-second YouTube short from @NobelPrize)
• Big Think Interview with Elinor Ostrom (2009; 16 minutes)
• Elinor Ostrom Nobel Prize in Economics Lecture (2010; 62 minutes)