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The For-Profit Paradigm |
The Commons Paradigm |
Resources |
Scarcity is given or created (through barriers and exclusions). |
For rivalrous resources, there is enough for all through sharing. For non-rivalrous resources, there is abundance. |
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Strategy: “Efficient” resource allocation. |
Strategy: Strengthening social relations is decisive for assuring fair shares and sustainable use of resources. |
Idea of the individual |
Individuals maximize benefits for themselves (Homo economicus). |
Humans are primarily cooperative social beings. |
Human relationships to nature and other humans |
Separation
- Either/or
- Individualism vs. collectivism
- Human society vs. Nature
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Interrelationality
- Individuals and the collective are nested within each other and mutually reinforcing.
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Change agents |
Powerful political lobbies, interest groups and institutionalized politics focused on government. |
Diverse communities working as distributed networks, with solutions coming from the margins. |
Focus |
Market exchange and growth (GDP) achieved through individual initiative, innovation and “efficiency.” |
Use-value, common wealth, sustainable livelihoods and complementarity of enterprise. |
Core question |
What can be sold and bought? |
What do I / we need to live? |
GOVERNANCE |
Decision making |
Hierarchical, top-down; command & control |
Horizontal, decentralized, bottom-up. Self-organization, monitoring and adjustment of resource use. |
Decision principle |
Majority rules. |
Consensus. |
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP |
Power relation tendency |
Centralization & monopoly. |
Decentralization & collaboration. |
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Exclusive private property. “I can do what I want with what is mine.”
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Collectively used possession. “I am co-responsible for what I co-use.”
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Access to rival resources (land, water, forest)
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Limited access; rules defined by owner.
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Limited access; rules defined by users.
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Access to non- rival resources (ideas, code...)
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Limited access; scarcity is artificially created through law and technology.
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Unlimited access; open access is the default norm.
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Granted by owner (or not). Focus on: individual rights.
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Co-decided by co-producing users. Focus on: fairness, access for all.
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Prevail at the expense of others; competition dominates.
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Commoning; cooperation dominates
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Corporate ideology and values integrated into education and knowledge production.
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Peer-to-peer, networking and collaboration allows diversity of viewpoints.
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Knowledge regarded as scarce asset to be bought and sold.
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Knowledge regarded as plentiful resource for the common good of society.
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Proprietary technologies.
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Free and open source technologies.
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Highly specialized knowledge and expertise are privileged.
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Knowledge is subject to social and democratic control.
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Depletion/exploitation. Enclosure.
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Conservation / maintenance. Reproduction & expansion.
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Individual appropriation vs. collective interests.
Exclusion.
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“My personal unfolding is a condition for the development of others, and vice- versa.”
Emancipation through convivial connections.
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