From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhtsa!alice!npoiv!npois!houxm!houxa!houxi!houxz!hogpc!houti!trc
Newsgroups: net.politics
Title: The True Tragedy of the Commons
Article-I.D.: houti.228
Posted: Thu Mar 10 08:45:56 1983
Received: Fri Mar 11 04:57:56 1983


Kenneth Almquist:

Quote:
	...self interest may sometimes benefit society, I dont't see
that rational self interest can form an adequate basis for building
a society.
:End-quote

In my article, I stated that self interest and altruism sometimes have
the same results.  I was NOT trying to justify self-interest when I said
that.  Rather, I was pointing out that, just because the results are the
same, the principles behind them need not be.  As for self interest
being a good basis for a society, check some of my previous notes, or
better yet, read some of Ayn Rand's works - "The Virtue of Selfishness"
in particular.  It answers many of the common objections to her philosophy.

I am familiar with the "tragedy" of the commons.  But I would make neither
of the arguments you suggest - reduced grazing or political "allocation"
solutions.  I would go to the real cause of the problem - the existance of
and dependence on a "communal resource".  Note that the problem would not
have existed if the Commons had been privately owned.  Individuals would
not have over-grazed their own land, or if they did, their neighbors
that did not would not be harmed.

As for self interest not being a good description of human behavior,
ask yourself how often you deliberately act in a way that goes
against the achievement of things that you value.  (Love, mutual
assistance in disasters, and so on ARE in one's self interest.)
For a good definition of self interest see Ayn Rand's works.  For a
quick definition  - Self interest is the attitude of seeking what is
good for oneself.  Rational self interest seeks things that really 
are good for oneself, as determined by the application of one's reason
to an analysis of one's values.

	Tom Craver
	houti!trc