The Expanses of Sustainability and the Limits of Privatarianism

Bibliographic Data

ID6239044
AuthorsJohn R Ferguson (York University, corresponding author)
Year1997
Volume30
Issue2
Pages285-306
Publication date1997-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCanadian Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0008-4239 • E-ISSN: 1744-9324
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0008423900015444
OpenAlexW2166140835
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited27

A review of contributions to the resource conservation literature shows that sustainability problems are seen as caused by “common property.” This “tragedy of the commons” is understood as the result of the failure to assign fully property rights to individuals. The supporting assumptions and premises to these “privatarian” arguments are explicated and examined. After refuting the main premises, it is argued that the application of neoclassical assumptions and premises overlooks other legitimate forms of ownership as effective solutions to the tragedy of the commons. In revisiting other categories of ownership, the limits of privatarianism are identified and the prospects for solutions to sustainability problems are expanded

Business · Common property · Common-pool resource · Commons · Economics · Epistemology · Law and economics · Microeconomics · Political science · Property (philosophy · Property rights · Resource (disambiguation · Social science · Sociology · Sustainability · Tragedy (event · Tragedy of the commons · Computer Science · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Ecology · Economic and Environmental Valuation · Law · Mining and Resource Management · Philosophy

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