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About
Behaviorism
by B. F. Skinner
Skinner
in this book does what he fails to do in many of his other works, make
it readable for the mass audience. B.F. Skinner has made a lasting impression
on the field of psychology by his unbelievable attention to detail and
the breadth of application that his work has. This book covers most areas
of his analysis, that are more fully described in other places, in a user
friendly manner and makes accessible for the lay person his explanations
in easy to follow examples. This is an excellent primer to Skinner.
B.F. Skinner is another behaviorist who views
Man as an animal, subject to the same laws of stimulus-response that he
observes in his "rat boxes". Skinner makes no bones about it and flatly
denies the existence of a "human mind", personal responsibility and any
type of "inner personality". It is essential to understand Skinner to grasp
where the current unworkable and basically degrading theories and methods
of pseudo-scientific psychology and psychiatry come from. To him thoughts,
will, intention, purposes and responsibility are meaningless terms which
only "seem" to exist. He considers them tedious concepts which interfere
with a "true" understanding of Man as a controllable animal devoid of a
soul, mind and any ability to act on one's own self-determinism.
The scary part of it all is that so many
people believe this trash. Studying, following and implementing behavioral
ideas eventually always leads to oppression and totalitarianism. Somebody
will decide what behavior is desirable and "right", and they will use all
their methods of manipulation to bring about the ideas, beliefs, atitudes
and behaviors they desire. They don't ever attempt to appeal to understanding,
intelligence or a person's ability to learn. How could they? They don't
think "you" exist. Not your mind, not your ideas, and not your choices
- only your body and it's behavior is real to them. To the behaviorist
all else is meaningless.
Skinner is one theorist of many similar fools
spreading the anti-mind, anti-responsibility, and anti-soul view of Man
in modern times. He should be read with an aim towards understanding where
modern thought has gone wrong. Behaviorism
is one large example of this.
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