Collective Action Problem Flashcards
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Questions and Answers

What is the Tragedy of the Commons?

  • A situation in which individuals use up commonly available resources (correct)
  • An economic model for resource distribution
  • A situation where people cooperate successfully
  • A form of folklore

    • Define collective action problem.

    A situation in which group members benefit by working together, but individuals gain more by not cooperating.

    What assumption does CAP make about humans?

    Humans are utility-maximizers.

    Which of the following can be a solution for CAP?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What solution for CAP did Plato reject?

    <p>Democracy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the 'interest of the weaker' argument of justice?

    <p>To take care of those who cannot do it themselves.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is justice according to the document?

    <p>Interest of the weaker and interest of the stronger arguments.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the interest of the stronger argument suggest?

    <p>No such thing as justice, only definitions by those in power.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    A just society must be well-ordered.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an aristocracy?

    <p>A government in which power is held by a hereditary ruling class.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes an oligarchy?

    <p>A small group controlling a country, organization, or institution.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define democracy.

    <p>Governed by popular sovereignty, majority rule, and power sharing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is tyranny?

    <p>Governed by an all-powerful ruler.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does 'tragedy' refer to in the context of CAP?

    <p>Failure to solve CAP leads to utility maximizers not cooperating.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the failures of different forms of government?

    <p>All of the above.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Aristotle's solution to CAP emphasize?

    <p>Community as a family, village, state.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the highest good according to the state of community?

    <p>The highest good.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is essential to politics as a solution to CAP?

    <p>Communal norms as soft constraints.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Aristotle's theory of human nature?

    <p>Man is seen as zoon politikon.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does zoon politikon mean?

    <p>Political animal (social animal).</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Aristotle's education and politics aim to cultivate?

    <p>The virtues of the community.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Hobbes' Social Contract Theory?

    <p>People create government and give up rights to a strong ruler for law and order.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Hobbes view human nature?

    <p>Humans are inherently selfish, greedy, revengeful, and solitary.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is radical-egoism?

    <p>Nothing escapes self-interest.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does 'war of all against all' mean?

    <p>Every man for himself.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Hobbes mean by the state of nature?

    <p>Perfect liberty (no constraints).</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the absence of community according to Hobbes?

    <p>Force and fraud as only virtues in perfect misery.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Hobbes perceive humans?

    <p>Anti-social, self-interested, and competitive.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Hobbes' solution to CAP?

    <p>Social contract.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Leviathan?

    <p>An all-powerful ruler that ensures constraints are enforced.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do conventions represent in this context?

    <p>Agreement.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a mechanism of enforcement?

    <p>Generates fear.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Fear and liberty can coexist.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Collective Action Problem Concepts

    • Tragedy of the Commons: Individual actions on shared resources lead to depletion, jeopardizing community welfare.
    • Collective Action Problem (CAP): Group members can achieve better outcomes through cooperation, yet individuals often choose self-interest over collaboration.
    • Assumption of CAP: Individuals are seen as utility-maximizers, seeking to maximize personal gain.

    Solutions to Collective Action Problem

    • Enforcement: Use of force to ensure compliance and collective cooperation.
    • Strong Leadership: Charismatic leaders can inspire and unify groups to combat the issue.
    • Community Norms: Establishing shared values and limitations to enhance cooperation.
    • Private Property/Captialism: Assigning responsibility to individuals can encourage sustainable resource use.
    • Democratic Approaches: Majority rule can provide a framework for cooperation, albeit with Plato's skepticism.

    Philosophical Perspectives on Justice

    • Plato's View on Justice: Community obligations toward the weaker (e.g., vulnerable individuals) reflect a moral society.
    • Thrasymachus' Skepticism: Challenges the notion of justice as merely a term used by those in power, claiming no intrinsic value.
    • Justice and Order: A just society is one that maintains structure and regulation for the common good.

    Forms of Government in Relation to Collective Action

    • Aristocracy: Power controlled by a hereditary elite; Plato's favored solution based on perceived natural inequality.
    • Oligarchy: A small ruling group wherein political power correlates with economic power.
    • Democracy: Governance based on popular sovereignty and majority will, criticized for its potential excesses.
    • Tyranny: A singular authoritative ruler governs, often resulting in reduced freedoms.

    Historical Perspectives on Human Nature

    • Aristotle's Community Focus: Emphasizes the interconnectedness of society—family, village, state—as vital to addressing CAP.
    • Hobbes' View of Humanity: Describes people as essentially selfish and solitary, necessitating a powerful central authority for order.
    • Radical-Egoism: Advocates that all actions are driven by self-interest; societal conditions are ‘nasty, brutish, and short.’

    Hobbes and the Social Contract

    • Social Contract Theory: Citizens cede rights to a sovereign in return for security and order; defines Hobbesian government as an absolute monarchy.
    • State of Nature: Considered a chaotic condition of unrestricted freedom with no societal constraints.
    • Enforcement Mechanism: Fear of a strong authority ensures compliance within the framework of human governance.
    • Leviathan Concept: Represents the ultimate authority that maintains peace through control and fear juxtaposed with liberty.

    Final Thoughts on Community and Politics

    • Hobbes & Community Absence: Without community, might and deceit become dominant virtues, leading to ‘perfect misery’.
    • Aristotle’s Political Animal: Humans as inherently social beings whose morality binds them together, underscoring a community’s role in mitigating CAP.

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    Explore key concepts related to the collective action problem through flashcards. These definitions will help you understand situations like the Tragedy of the Commons and other integral theories in social science. Perfect for students and enthusiasts alike.

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