Hardin's famous article, written over thirty years ago, is as significant today, if not more, as it was in the past. This is justified simply by comparing what society has evolved into with Hardin's own views of the world – one in which an ever-increasing population carries with it individuals who strive to pursue their own self interest and in doing so, reduce the world's resources to nothing.
             The main focus of his argument of "the tragedy of the commons" (TOTC) is that an exponentially increasing population will inevitably lead to this extremity and the only means of avoiding it is through population control and "mutual coercion" (Hardin, 1968). However, how accurately Hardin's portrayal of the commons reflects the real world is questionable. Does Hardin overlook the assumption that people do not have the ability or intention to cooperate with one another? Is his model confined and relevant only to an unchanging environment? This essay aims to explore the issues and concepts that were first presented in Garrett Hardin's stimulating essay "The Tragedy of the Commons" and with careful analysis, seek to establish a decision based on whether the policies prescribed by Hardin are viable.
             Since the publication of Hardin's article, many have criticised his literary work as a general and oversimplified view of such a significant issue. But it is to the belief of many that without this simplification, it would not have been "such a universally understandable metaphor" (Lundgren and Burnett 1999, p. 5). This is said because the essence in which he wrote "the tragedy of the commons" reached all on some level of thought. He was able to condense such a complex idea into one that all could comprehend and visualize. Yet, the trouble in viewing the commons in its most natural state is that "people have trouble seeing more than a grassy village when the topic...