Beyond Freedom & Dignity
Beyond Freedom & Dignity by Burrhus Frederic Skinner, published by Hackett Pub. in 2002, is a revised edition that spans 234 pages. In this significant work, originally published in 1971, Skinner presents his critical perspective on human behavior and societal structures. He argues that traditional notions of freedom and dignity require reevaluation, as they may hinder progress in addressing contemporary global issues. Skinner emphasizes the importance of understanding behavior through the lens of environmental influences rather than relying on outdated mentalistic explanations.
Readers will find a thorough examination of the interplay between genetic factors and personal history in shaping behavior. Skinner advocates for a shift in focus from individual autonomy to the modification of physical and social environments to foster meaningful change. This book encourages a rethinking of established ideals and proposes a behaviorist approach to solving human problems, challenging readers to consider how societal structures can be transformed to achieve greater collective potential.
Official synopsis Publisher
In this profound and profoundly controversial work, a landmark of 20th-century thought originally published in 1971, B. F. Skinner makes his definitive statement about humankind and society.
Insisting that the problems of the world today can be solved only by dealing much more effectively with human behavior, Skinner argues that our traditional concepts of freedom and dignity must be sharply revised. They have played an important historical role in our struggle against many kinds of tyranny, he acknowledges, but they are now responsible for the futile defense of a presumed free and autonomous individual; they are perpetuating our use of punishment and blocking the development of more effective cultural practices. Basing his arguments on the massive results of the experimental analysis of behavior he pioneered, Skinner rejects traditional explanations of behavior in terms of states of mind, feelings, and other mental attributes in favor of explanations to be sought in the interaction between genetic endowment and personal history. He argues that instead of promoting freedom and dignity as personal attributes, we should direct our attention to the physical and social environments in which people live. It is the environment rather than humankind itself that must be changed if the traditional goals of the struggle for freedom and dignity are to be reached.
Beyond Freedom and Dignity urges us to reexamine the ideals we have taken for granted and to consider the possibility of a radically behaviorist approach to human problems–one that has appeared to some incompatible with those ideals, but which envisions the building of a world in which humankind can attain its greatest possible achievements.
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