B.F. SKINNER AND BEHAVIORISM
Ronald F. White, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy
College of Mount St. Joseph
INTRODUCTION
• Themes in this Course so Far
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The nature of the individual in relationship to the state
The nature of classes and/or “social groupings”
The nature of political leadership
The nature and direction of human history
• Mechanism and Historicism
• Progress or regress
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Power and Knowledge
Rationalism v. Empiricism
Idealism v. Realism
The Nature of work as a human activity
Economic Theory and Politics
• Classical Economics
• Marxism
NEW THEMES
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Science and Human Nature
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Explain, Predict, Control
Scientific Realism
– Truth as Correspondence
– Scientific Method
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Nature v. Human Nature
– Nature v. Nurture
– Evolution
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Biological Evolution (genes)
Cultural Evolution (ideas or memes)
– Freudianism
– Relativity Theory
– Quantum Theory
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Role of Science in Human Affairs
– Rise of Logical Positivism
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Material Reduction
Mechanism
– Free Will v. Determinism
A SCIENCE OF BEHAVIOR
• Rise of Behaviorism
– Critique of traditional psychology
– Psychology is the “Science of Behavior” NOT Mind
– Explain, Predict, Control Human Behavior without
relying on non-empirical components like mind.
– The “Black Box”
– Pavlov’s dogs
– Reflex-
• B.F. Skinner
– Pigeons
– Skinner Box
SKINNER’S POLITICAL VIEWS
• Human Flourishment
• The Controlled Society
– Walden II