QU’EST QU’UN BIEN COMMUN ?

Abstract

In this article, we first show that the commons, dealt by Bloomington school run by Elinor Ostrom,
is not a matter for “common good” class typology built as part of the new issue of rational choice
typology in which this type of good is both rival and non excludable and which other positions are
“public good,” “private good” and “club good”. Then it is concern with building a theoretical
typology institutional basis of which one of the positions in question comprises the commons. To
do this, we adopt a different approach than the rational choice. It leads to distinctly define a useful
object, a good and good (as opposed to evil), while highlighting the links between these three
categories. The typology built is relating to items and is specific to the type commonly called a
modern society. The two criteria used to construct this typology in understanding are the mode of
allocation of attribution way of right to have a useful object and public or private status of that
object. The commons then are matter for “public-private object” (private object at disposal of an
informal intermediary group whose substance is in a rival object). It leads the analysis of the
institutional solution in the dark that is suitable for this type of object; that is to say, self-organization
which is a form of intermediary organization (an organization within the meaning of North) which
is opposed to both the market and the hierarchy.