Garrett Hardin’s Lifeboat Ethics

Garrett Hardin in his article states that the current global situation where the rich and the powerful dominate the poor and the weak is an inevitable fact of life. He declares that the resources in the world are not enough to support the entire human population and that only a few can benefit from these resources. He considers the United Nations as a world organization to be a toothless dog whose authority is not enough to control the harmful actions which are harmful not only to the environment but also increases the gap between the rich and the poor. He brings out his belief that only those who are fit to survive in this world are its true owners and that all those who are unable to cut a niche for themselves should be allowed to suffer.

It is my opinion that Hardin is incorrect in his pessimistic assumption that we cannot reverse the negative effects that our actions have brought upon the environment. We have it within our power to ensure that our environment is kept safe and all the resources within it are open for use for everyone in the world. All that all human beings have to do is to take social responsibility, to develop a consciousness or awareness towards the environment so that the environment can be maintained at a perfect state while it benefits the entire human population. We have the power to end all poverty in the world if only we care about one another, if the rich would not aspire to get richer at the expense of the poor without any consideration for the consequences of their actions.

References

Hardin, Garrett. Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor. Psychology Today, 1974. Retrieved from http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_lifeboat_ethics_case_against_helping_poor.html