Redefined Notion of Commons, Informed by the Aristotelian Theory of Causation

Discussion

S.A. Hamed and Barry K. Gils:

"Commons encompass more than just tangible entities such as common pool resources, public spaces, shared ownership, or commonwealth institutions. To avoid reductionism in understanding commons and commoning, the Aristotelian theory of causation can be used. By applying the four causes to the concept of commons, a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding can be obtained that recognizes the multiple dimensions and levels of commons and commoning. This includes the agential, ecological, and social structural, as well as the iterative processes through which they are sustained and regenerated.

A commons is a living ecosystem, or a complex ‘species-being’ in and of itself, which – according to the Aristotelian doctrine of causality – consists of four constituting elements.

Firstly, the efficient cause is the activities of the commoners (both human and non-human) and their subjectivities, which include skills, knowledge, agency, experiences, and capabilities that are actualized through the process of building and maintaining commons, as well as their ‘organs as tools’ and ‘tools as organs.’6

Secondly, the material cause is a set of resources that are held in common, conserved, enhanced, and governed collectively, as well as the flows of energy and mass in and out of the commons as an open system.

Thirdly, the formal cause is its structure, or what Marx would refer to as an ‘ensemble of social [ecological] relations,’ along with their corresponding forms of cooperation and conviviality across a plurality of subjects, as well as the norms, rules, evaluative measures, and mutual rights and responsibilities that regulate these relations and guide actions toward the realization of the final cause.

Finally, the final cause is the self-sustaining and life-regenerating function of the commons as a living being seeking a good life through the transformative praxis of commoning by the commoners (De Angelis, 2022; Mau, 2022).

A redefined notion of commons, informed by the Aristotelian theory of causation, could provide several benefits when applied to understanding the nature of human creative power."

(https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/290382/1/9781003805588.pdf)