Final answer:
Hardin believes that the Tragedy of the Commons, which encompasses the population problem, cannot be solved by natural sciences alone. It requires societal and policy changes that enforce resource limits, coupled with a change in human behavior towards sustainability.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Garrett Hardin states that the problems of the common will not be solved by the natural sciences, he means that the issue of overusing shared resources, or the Tragedy of the Commons, is not merely a scientific problem but also one of human behavior and governance. Hardin believed that the population problem would be solved not just by scientific or technological means, but through changes in society and policy that recognize and enforce limits on resource use. This requires a fundamental shift in how individuals and societies value and manage common resources to ensure long-term sustainability.
Hardin's view is that managing the population problem effectively would involve addressing human attitudes and societal structures that drive resource overconsumption and environmental degradation. He indicates that merely relying on technological advancements without corresponding changes in human behavior and policy would be insufficient in averting the tragedy. Regulatory measures, such as property rights, fishing licenses, and harvest limits, have been advocated to help manage and conserve common resources sustainably.