A Philosophical Examination of the Ethical Foundations of the Commons

Abstract

This paper examines the ethical background of the commons and peer-to-peer networks from a philosophical perspective. Despite discussing issues related to the governance of things and people, justice, political organization, and connectedness within communities, the commons literature barely refers to the ethics that derive from peer-to-peer practices and research. A certain philosophical background can be located in the work of some commons scholars, but they refer either to ontological, political, or epistemological dimensions of commoning. Some scholars tend to hint at the ethical principles of the commons without delving deeply into this issue philosophically. In this paper, I approach the commons in terms of Ethics. The main aim is to provide an ethical framework for commoning and peer-to-peer networks based on philosophical concepts. Several ethical pathways are connected with commons practices and research, providing multiple possibilities for a future Ethics of the commons to surface.

Keywords

• commons
• ethics
• peer production
• degrowth
• environmental ethics