The Tragedy of the Commons," ecologist Garrett Hardin examined the challenges presented when societal interests conflict with the interest of the individual.Hardin’s essay points to the dilemma of a community of cattle owners — each of whom is incentivized to add additional cattle to the common pasture.
Even though it means the yield from each cow decreases, the owner’s loss is offset by the presence of the additional animal.And without measures in place to protect the common good, the more selfish nature of the owners would lead to overgrazing and the inevitable failure of food production, Hardin concluded.As laid out in "Vaccination Mandates: The Public Health Imperative and Individual Rights" — authored by scholars Kevin M.