Reflections on Behaviorism and Society. Chapter 4: Humanism and Behaviorism. Quote 10

B. F. SKINNER FOUNDATION

Reflections on Behaviorism and Society. Chapter 4: Humanism and Behaviorism. Quote 10

Post author:B. F. Skinner Foundation
Post published:August 22, 2019
Post category:Skinner's Quote of the Day

“The age-old mistake is to look for salvation in the character of autonomous men and women rather than in the social environments that have appeared in the evolution of cultures and that can now be explicitly designed.” (pp. 54-55)

All proceeds support the B. F. Skinner Foundation and enable us to continue our important work. Thank you to all of current and previous donors for helping us continue our mission of Better Behavioral Science for a More Humane World!

The newest addition to the Skinner for the 21st Century series, Science and Human Behaivor: Extended Edition, is available in hard cover! A PDF version of the book is also available.

SKINNER'S QUOTE OF THE DAY

Verbal Behavior: Extended Edition. Chapter 8: The Verbal Operant as a Unit of Analysis. Quote 5
The pathological condition of verbal behavior called aphasia often emphasizes functional differences which are hard to understand in terms of the traditional account … The aphasic has lost some of the functional relationships which control his verbal behavior. A response of a given form may no longer be under the control of one functional relation, although it is still under the control of another. (p. 190)
[…]

“The age-old mistake is to look for salvation in the character of autonomous men and women rather than in the social environments that have appeared in the evolution of cultures and that can now be explicitly designed.” (pp. 54-55)

You Might Also Like

Verbal Behavior: Extended Edition. Chapter 4: Verbal Behavior under the Control of Verbal Stimuli. Quote 25

Reflections on Behaviorism and Society. Chapter 2: Are We Free to Have a Future? Quote 9

Verbal Behavior: Extended Edition. Chapter 7: The Audience. Quote 3