B.F.Skinner - Control

Excerpted from Beyond Freedom and Dignity
By B.F. Skinner

Rousseau could take this line because he had unlimited faith in the benevolence of teachers, who would use their absolute control for the good of their students. But we soon saw that benevolence is no guarantee against the misuse of power, and very few figures in the history of the struggle for freedom have shown Rousseau’s lack of concern.

 

"Truth is completely spontaneous. Lies may have to be taught."

On the contrary, they have taken the extreme position that all control is wrong. In doing so they exemplify a behavioral process called generalization. Many instances of control are aversive, in either their nature or their consequences and hence all instances are to be avoided.

The Puritans carried the generalization a step further by arguing that most positive reinforcement was wrong, this was whether or not it was intentionally arranged, just because it got some people into trouble. The Literature of freedom has encouraged escape from or attack upon all controllers. It has done so by making any indication of control aversive.

Those who manipulate human behavior are said to be evil men, necessarily bent on exploitation. Control is clearly the opposite of freedom and if freedom is good then control must be bad. What is overlooked is control which has does not have aversive consequences at any time. Many social practices essential to the welfare of the species involve  the control by one person over another and no one can suppress them who has any concern over human achievements.
　

"All truth, in the long run, is only common sense clarified."

We see later that in order to maintain the position that all control is wrong, it has been necessary to conceal or disguise the nature of useful practices, to prefer weak practices just because they can be disguised or concealed, and - a most extraordinary result indeed - to perpetuate punitive measures.

Pub's Side Note: Yes, I know, this is too much for the Creative Researchers And Producers. But many have seen our goal of decontrol, by making this blog independent first chance we get then work on all the others to make them independent.