Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
B.f. Skinners Walden Two - College Essays

B.f. Skinners Walden Two


Is it possible for psychologists to ever understand the human condition well enough to create a utopia by "engineering" human behavior? This is the challenge thrown out by behavioral psychologist, B.F. Skinner in his novel, Walden Two (1948). Well written and entertaining, Walden Two is directed to the layman rather than to the professional psychologist. It concerns a fictitious intentional community of 1,000 started by one Frazier (no first name or title ever mentioned) who applies the tools of behavioral modification to make of Walden Two the best of all possible worlds.
Skinner's technique as a propagandist is to show us Walden Two through the eyes of various outsiders who possess ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

The reader and the skeptical visitors sense he is trying to soften them up and stiffen their backs all the more. A philosophy professor named Castle is the main bearer of resistance. Skinner looks down upon philosophy as a form of navel gazing and Castle is made an easy target. More serious reservations come from the narrator, a psychology professor named Burris. However, Burris also serves as a voice for Skinner and much conversation between him and Frazier is like an internal dialogue within Skinner, himself. The party is completed by two young men and their girlfriends. The guys and one of the girls are the enthusiasts of the group while the other girl resists by avoidance. She never engages any of Frazier's ideas and remains untouched by them throughout the visit.
Why do we have such a strong tendency to resist the concept of behavioral engineering? Skinner devoted another book, this time in essay form, which grapples with the issue. Its title, "Beyond Freedom and Dignity," ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.


Already a member? Login

way, everyone is about equally contented. And residents choose their work (assuming it's something they can do of course) so the people who figure out the value of a credit can adjust it by the number of people who volunteer for each task. If fewer people volunteer for something, they give it a higher labor value until more start volunteering. Thus, the economy combines elements of capitalism (supply and demand) with collectivism (everything is owned and consumed in common and used for the common good).
The educational system is also based on freedom and self-motivation. There are no regimented classrooms or threats of bad grades. Motivation to learn is solely the curiousity of the ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library.
Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports,
and research papers in 2 minutes or less.


CITE THIS PAGE:

B.f. Skinners Walden Two. (2008, January 4). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/B-f-Skinners-Walden-Two/76941
"B.f. Skinners Walden Two." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 4 Jan. 2008. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/B-f-Skinners-Walden-Two/76941>
"B.f. Skinners Walden Two." Essayworld.com. January 4, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/B-f-Skinners-Walden-Two/76941.
"B.f. Skinners Walden Two." Essayworld.com. January 4, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/B-f-Skinners-Walden-Two/76941.
JOIN NOW
Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays


PAPER DETAILS
Added: 1/4/2008 11:30:37 AM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 3221
Pages: 12

Save | Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS
Save and find your favorite essays easier

SIMILAR ESSAYS
» B.F. Skinner And His Influence ...
Copyright | Cancel | Contact Us

Copyright © 2024 Essayworld. All rights reserved