Final answer:
Problems of the commons emerged when individuals began overusing shared resources without facing the full cost of their actions, leading to resource depletion and negative outcomes for the collective. Notable in human history, this issue is exemplified by the Tragedy of the Commons and has modern relevance in environmental challenges like global climate change.
Step-by-step explanation:
Problems of the commons began to emerge in human history when shared resources were exploited beyond their capacity to regenerate, leading to depletion and negative consequences for all. The concept was famously detailed by Garrett Hardin in his 1968 article, 'The Tragedy of the Commons.' He described how shared resources like pastures, fisheries, and the atmosphere suffer from overuse because individual users gain the full benefit of their exploitation while the costs are distributed among all users. This leads to overextraction and ultimate depletion of the resource. The problem was earlier observed by William Forster Lloyd in the 1800s, who noted the degradation of public grazing commons due to unrestricted access and use. In modern times, this concept applies to issues such as global climate change, where the atmosphere is treated as a commons into which greenhouse gases are emitted, causing damage on a global scale.
One of the reasons for the emergence of commons problems is the lack of ownership or clear property rights, leading individuals to extract maximum short-term personal benefit without regard for the long-term collective detriment. Collective action challenges, such as convincing individuals to conserve shared resources for the common good, are at the heart of addressing this issue. The work of economists like Elinor Ostrom offers hope, as she identified instances where communities have successfully managed commons through collective decision-making and clear rules enforcement.