Environmental Ethics

Volume 9, Issue 4, Winter 1987

An Alternative to the Common Heritage Principle

Many valuable natural resources are found outside current territorial limits, for example, on the Moon and in the deep sea. As technology advances, these resources become more accessible. I argue that the claim that all humanity owns these resources is insupportable if taken literally. Because they are truly unowned, we need to develop a principle of justice in acquisition which describes the procedure that must be followed to obtain property rights to these unowned objects. I conclude with a tentative development of such a principle based on the moral ideals of fairness, freedom, and the maximization of the common good.