Positive Change In World Through Manipulation of Behavior in B.F Skinner's Waldo Two

Positive Change In World Through Manipulation of Behavior in B.F Skinner's Waldo Two

B.F. Skinner, in his novel Walden Two, presents many arguments about how

he foresees a positive change in the world through manipulation of behavior on

the personal level. Sigmund Freud, in his works, specifically Civilization and

Its Discontents, presents his view of human nature and what is innately

problematic about it. Both Freud and Skinner agree that human behavior is the

result of outside factors that severely hinder the concept of free will.

Skinner believes that humans, in the correct environment, can live happily,

while Freud understands that humans are destined to live in "some degree of

anguish or discontent."

Skinner uses the ideal setting of Walden Two to illustrate his ideas of

how human behavior should be "formed." Much of Skinner's argument on how to

eliminate what he knows as problematic rests on his prescription of dismissing

the notion of individual freedom. Skinner does not only say that the concept

of individual freedom is a farce. He takes it a step further and states that

the search for it is where society has gone wrong. He wants no part in the

quest for individual freedom. If we give up this illusion, says Skinner, we

can condition everyone to act in acceptable ways.

Skinner has a specific prescription for creating this utopian society.

He declares that all that is necessary is to change the conditions which

surround man. "G...