skinner

skinner
daniel dennett's critique. Brainstorms Ch4 Skinner Skinned

skinner's central philosophical claim //behavioural science proves that people are not free, dignified, morally responsible agents//

steps: "mentalism" is the enemy (language like beliefs, desires, ideas, hopes, fears, feelings, emotions is disqualified because it could never be scientific)

Skinners reasons for dismissing mentalism are different from other behaviourists and anti-mentalists
 * mental things must be made of non physical stuff (Cartesian dualism)
 * the privacy of the mental
 * events whose occurrence can only be inferred (Chomsky takes this as Skinner's main objection)
 * internal events (inferred, internal, unobservable)
 * **homunculus - a little man in the machine, a demon or goblin which provides an explanation which will not be explained in turn (Skinner's central argument)**

mental means internal means inferred means unobservable means private means demons means superstition

UNFINISHED