“Whose Commons?”

‘The commons we want’ appears to be a very simple and clear theme for a conference, but it can only be so if we consider ourselves mere technicians and ignore the philosophies around our expertise. The greatest failing of scientists today is the failure to acknowledge that the ‘age of discovery’ has passed and we are in the age of philosophy when we need to reflect on how to use what we know. The commons is more a philosophical concept than a physical object or space, because the definition lies in how it is used or shared. Uses change over time, so by definition, ‘the commons’ cannot be a static concept. Consequently, we currently face two major challenges to the commons. One is from acquisitive interests that want to ‘save’ the commons by owning them and making them static structures. The second threat is from the scientists and practitioners who work for those interests. As we discuss ‘The commons we want’ therefore, we need to ask ourselves two major questions; Who are ‘we’ and why our ‘wants’ are important (assuming that they are)