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 – 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 – 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 Science and Human Nature – Explain, Predict, Control Scientific Realism – Truth as Correspondence – Scientific Method Nature v. Human Nature – Nature v. Nurture – Evolution Biological Evolution (genes) Cultural Evolution (ideas or memes) – Freudianism – Relativity Theory – Quantum Theory Role of Science in Human Affairs – Rise of Logical Positivism 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