Opening Skinner's Box
Lauren Slater
Chapter 1: B.F. Skinner's Rat Race
Summary:
This chapter discusses B.F. Skinner, the "father" of operant conditioning or theory. Skinner believed we did not have free will, but rather that we are conditioned to behave the way we do. He was a humanist and a pacifist, but also had radical ideas of a world controlled not by governments but by behavioralists. The author uses Skinner's ideas to break her daughter of night-crying, and Skinner's daughter shows her the house that Skinner raised his children.
Discussion:
I thought this read was awesome. I definitely agree that we are more conditioned than possess free will. Unless we are distinctly aware of being controlled behaviorally, our free will does not truly manifest itself. However, I would also suggest this is the product of being intelligent. After all, wouldn't only unintelligent beings do things that resulted in harm?
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