The Commons in the Shifting Problematization of Contemporary Society

The article elaborates on the current debate over the commons and its genealogy. Hardin’s formulation of the issue emerged in the context of a «limits to growth» problematization of the social, economic and environmental crisis of embedded liberalism. Backdrop of Ostrom’s work, instead, is the post-Fordist reorganization as «growth of limits», with ensuing preoccupations about the consequences of a complete commodification of the socio-ecological bases of capitalism. Growing relevance of the notion of «commoning», whereby commons become an alternative, rather than a complement, to State and market, signals a further shift in the debate, in a context of unprecedented plunder of human and non-human value. However, critics share with current capitalism a vision of a fully domesticated reality, amenable to limitless transformation. This troubled state of affairs urges further inquiry, beyond a «double movement» account of capitalism versus commonization and towards a post-Polanyian «triple movement» perspective. The special issue contributes to such an endeavour, offering novel insights into the challenges and opportunities of the commons in a fast-changing social, technological and ecological landscape.