[Tora] Mobi Beyond Freedom and Dignity
By B.F. Skinner
In this controversial work, a landmark of 20th-century thought, Skinner makes
his definitive statement about humans & society. Insisting world problems can
be solved only by dealing more effectively with behavior, he claims traditional
concepts of freedom & dignity must be sharply revised. They've played an
important historical role in struggles against many kinds of tyranny, but they're
now responsible for the futile defense of a presumed free & autonomous
individual. They're perpetuating the use of punishment & blocking the
development of more effective cultural practices. Basing his arguments on the
results of the experimental analyses of behavior he pioneered, he rejects
traditional explanations of behavior in terms of states of mind, feelings & other
mental attributes in favor of explanations to be sought in the interaction
between genetic endowment & personal history. He argues that instead of
promoting freedom & dignity as personal attributes, we
