Inappropriate Nature Natural Resources as Commons

Abstract

This paper seeks to examine from a philosophical perspective the relationship between nature and property (whether public, private or communal). The way our fossil-based societies inhabit the world clashes with the biophysical limits of the planet, which has led to the current socioecological crisis. Against this background, it is essential to rethink some classic problems also in the field of humanities. First, we outline the notion of nature as biosphere. Second, we identify some milestones in the discussion on common goods in the Western tradition. Finally, we review different approaches to the ownership of natural resources or goods (understood as the basis for human life) and highlight the importance of treating them as commons—especially in the context of the Anthropocene.
 
Keywords: Nature as Biosphere; Property; History of the Commons; Common Goods; Anthropocene