If the human will is indeed considered one of the greatest freedoms, why is it that psychology continually shows patterns showing human beings are slaves to the system?
Question: If the human will is indeed considered one of the greatest freedoms, why is it that psychology continually shows patterns showing human beings are slaves to the system?
Quotation: (Skinner 2017, 23) “Our soul consists of our mind, our power of reasoning, thinking, imagining, weighing, our power to receive impressions, and stimulate actions of our body. ’’
Talking Points: Best known for his principle of reinforcement, B.F Skinner challenges the theory of free will and whether an action any human being takes is influenced by anything. In the statement he makes above, he relates the mind conceiving a thought before the body works on its simulation. Skinner illustrates the conceivability of controlling the human actions by application of appropriate pressure on the brain, in turn, the soul. In his work, he supported other psychologists like Spinoza, who had earlier stated their opinions on the futile illusion of free will. However, if a person objectively looks at his controversial theory, along with many others like Ivan Pavlov (the famous Pavlov experiments), there is a marked resemblance to Skinner’s theory. Social sciences prove that most people’s actions have a direct relation to the perceived or actual possibility of consequence for it. A person will most likely repeat or fail to repeat a particular activity if its results benefit or cause risk to them. The environment surrounding them could affect how they perceive their actions, leading one to believe that freedom does not exist. In his work, Skinner advocated for a Utopian society, which many critics put to mean the suppression of the human being. What the literature turned psychologist may have meant was for the conditioning of the human mind to form a wholesome society. With the success of programs like Scared Straight, which help prevent the conversion of at-risk teens to crime, I think that maybe Skinner was right in his controversial perceptions all through.
Works Cited
Neuringer, Allen, and Walter Englert. “Epicurus and BF Skinner: In search of the good life.” Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior 107.1 (2017): 21-33.