Beyond Freedom and Dignity
E21181
Beyond Freedom and Dignity is a controversial 1971 book by behaviorist B. F. Skinner that argues human behavior is best shaped through environmental conditioning rather than notions of free will or moral autonomy.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf | book → |
| advocates |
design of cultural practices using behavioral science
→
systematic use of reinforcement to shape behavior → |
| argues |
that appeals to freedom and dignity hinder effective social planning
→
that behavior can be controlled through manipulation of the environment → |
| author |
B. F. Skinner (born Burrhus Frederic Skinner)
→
surface form: "B. F. Skinner"
|
| claims | that traditional concepts of personhood are obstacles to effective behavior analysis → |
| controversy |
accusations of promoting social control
→
criticisms from humanistic psychologists → criticisms from philosophers of free will → |
| countryOfOrigin |
United States of America
→
surface form: "United States"
|
| criticizes |
the concept of inner free will
→
traditional notions of dignity based on autonomous agency → |
| describedAs | controversial → |
| discipline |
applied behavior analysis
→
behavioral psychology → |
| format | print → |
| genre |
non-fiction
→
philosophy of science book → psychology book → |
| hasAuthorProfession |
behaviorist
→
psychologist → |
| impact |
influenced discussions on social policy and behavior modification
→
stimulated debate about ethics of behavior control → |
| influencedBy | radical behaviorism → |
| language | English → |
| mainSubject |
behaviorism
→
environmental conditioning → free will → human behavior → moral responsibility → social engineering → |
| notableFor |
explicit rejection of inner freedom as a scientific construct
→
systematic defense of behavioral control of human affairs → |
| philosophicalStance |
determinism
→
rejection of mentalistic explanations of behavior → |
| proposes | that human behavior is determined largely by environmental contingencies of reinforcement → |
| publicationYear | 1971 → |
| publisher | Alfred A. Knopf → |
| relatedWork |
Science and Human Behavior
→
Walden Two → |
| states | that cultural evolution can be guided by behavioral technology → |
| targetAudience |
philosophers
→
psychologists → social scientists → |
| timePeriodDiscussed | 20th century society → |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form: "B. F. Skinner"