Garrett Hardin Quotes

A collection of quotes by Garrett Hardin.

Garrett Hardin (1915-2003) was an American ecologist, biologist, and writer, best known for his influential work on the concept of the tragedy of the commons. Born in Dallas, Texas, Hardin earned his Ph.D. in microbiology at Stanford University in 1941. He later taught biology and ecology at several prestigious universities, including Stanford, University of California, and UC Santa Barbara.

Hardin's most notable contribution, the tragedy of the commons, was published in the journal Science in 1968. In this influential essay, he argued that when a commonly owned resource is accessible to all individuals, each person's self-interest would eventually lead to its degradation or overuse. This concept challenged the prevailing belief in the power of human altruism, emphasizing the need for collective action and regulation to manage shared resources sustainably.

Throughout his career, Garrett Hardin engaged in debates on population ethics, global sustainability, and the ethics of reproductive choices. He tackled controversial subjects, such as the ethics of famine relief and immigration, as well as advocating for limitations on human population growth. His views often sparked heated discussions, and he is recognized as a key figure in the field of environmental ethics.

Garrett Hardin authored numerous books and articles, including "The Tragedy of the Commons" (1968) and "Living Within Limits: Ecology, Economics, and Population Taboos" (1993). His works continue to provoke discussions and shape environmental policies worldwide.

Moreover, the practical recommendations deduced from ecologi

Moreover, the practical recommendations deduced from ecological principles threaten the vested interests of commerce it is hardly surprising that the financial and political power created by these investments should be used sometimes to suppress environmental impact studies.

Education can counteract the natural tendency to do the wron

Education can counteract the natural tendency to do the wrong thing, but the inexorable succession of generations requires that the basis for this knowledge be constantly refreshed.

Why are ecologists and environmentalists so feared and hated

Why are ecologists and environmentalists so feared and hated? This is because in part what they have to say is new to the general public, and the new is always alarming.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes the fami

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes the family as the natural and fundamental unit of society. It follows that any choice and decision with regard to the size of the family must irrevocably rest with the family itself, and cannot be made by anyone else.

Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each purs

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.

Indeed, our particular concept of private property, which de

Indeed, our particular concept of private property, which deters us from exhausting the positive resources of the earth, favors pollution.

A technical solution may be defined as one that requires a c

A technical solution may be defined as one that requires a change only in the techniques of the natural sciences, demanding little or nothing in the way of change in human values or ideas of morality.

Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, a

Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around.

Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.

Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.

Of course, a positive growth rate might be taken as evidence

Of course, a positive growth rate might be taken as evidence that a population is below its optimum.

In a finite world this means that the per capita share of th

In a finite world this means that the per capita share of the world's goods must steadily decrease.

A coldly rationalist individualist can deny that he has any

A coldly rationalist individualist can deny that he has any obligation to make sacrifices for the future.

Fundamentalists are panicked by the apparent disintegration

Fundamentalists are panicked by the apparent disintegration of the family, the disappearance of certainty and the decay of morality. Fear leads them to ask, if we cannot trust the Bible, what can we trust?