Garrett Hardin Quotes

Garrett Hardin — American Environmentalist born on April 21, 1915, died on September 14, 2003

Garrett James Hardin was an American ecologist who warned of the dangers of overpopulation. His exposition of the tragedy of the commons, in a famous 1968 paper in Science, called attention to "the damage that innocent actions by individuals can inflict on the environment". He is also known for Hardin's First Law of Human Ecology: "You cannot do only one thing", which "modestly implies that there is at least one unwanted consequence"... (wikipedia)

Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons.

In an approximate way, the logic of commons has been understood for a long time, perhaps since the discovery of agriculture or the invention of private property in real estate.

A finite world can support only a finite population; therefore, population growth must eventually equal zero.

But as population became denser, the natural chemical and biological recycling processes became overloaded, calling for a redefinition of property rights.

It is a mistake to think that we can control the breeding of mankind in the long run by an appeal to conscience.

Garrett Hardin Quotes

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