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- Why, according to Skinner, do people believe in free will?
Jennifer Gardner's "Free Will or Free Won’t?" speaks to B. F. Skinner
and his views on free will.
http://pages.prodigy.net/darvi/will.htm
"According to B.F. Skinner’s “Freedom and the Control of Man,” there
is no such thing as a free will. What we may think of as behaviors and
choices chosen by a free will are really behaviors and choices chosen
by external influences within the culture we live in. This world,
according to Skinner, chooses for us. This type of control by our
culture is inevitable. As he puts it in his article, “We are all
controlled by the world in which we live, and part of that world has
been and will be constructed by men.” For Skinner, free will is not so
important as our ability to withstand the control we’re under. He
advocates making wise decisions for ourselves, which is only possible
once we’ve realized the truth that free will is but an illusion."
A Sandhills Community College page titled "History of Psychology" has:
http://normandy.sandhills.cc.nc.us/psy150/psy150l1.html
"Another principle of behaviorism which is the result of Skinner's
influence is the belief that all human behavior is determined or
controlled by the environment and that free will is just an illusion.
Most people would like to believe that their actions are the result of
conscious decisions and that they have a choice as to what they do.
According to Skinner, however, all behavior is totally predictable if
we know everything about the environmental influences the person has
been exposed to."
The American Communication Journal article titled "Organizational
Communication Ethics". explores some motivations we have for believing
in free will.
http://acjournal.org/holdings/vol5/iss1/special/decaro.htm
"Individuals seek to explain behavior by looking inward (Skinner, 1971)."
...
"In the study of human behavior, scientists and laymen alike have
assumed that, to a large extent, individuals possess free will, that
they are capable of choosing their own destiny, and that they are
responsible for their actions, and hence, they should be held accountable
for those actions. Individuals are seen as free to evaluate their
options, weigh the pros and cons of various decisions, as well as the
possible consequences, and act accordingly. The environment, if
examined at all, is seen as something for the “autonomous individual” to
overcome, conquer, or rise above. It is an obstacle to action.
According to Skinner, the concept of the autonomous individual has
permeated our society, governed institutions, provided the basis for our
legal system, directed our thinking, and indeed, shaped our language
(Skinner, 1971)."
Search Strategy - Searched Google on the keywords:
"according to skinner" believe "free will"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22according+to+skinner%22+believe+%22free+will%22
If you need any clarification, feel free to ask.
Looking Forward, denco-ga |
