Walden Two: Human Nature and Society
The bourgeoisie naturally conceives the world in which it is supreme to be the best.
Karl Marx
People throughout history, since the beginning of time began, have been expressing dissatisfaction with the way the world is and trying to find ways to make it better. Along the way various fictional societies called "Utopias," after the book of the same name written by Thomas More in 1515 and 1516, were created in an image of perfectionism. These utopian communities, all somewhat different in many ways and often ultimately oppositional in form and function, nevertheless had one thing in common. Each one boasted proudly that it alone was worthy of the ultimate claim: a foundation of consummate judicial and moral principles with the ultimate result of effortless happiness and true freedom for all its people.
B.F. Skinner admits that when he wrote Walden Two in 1945 is "was not a bad time for Western Civilization." (Skinner, January 1979) This was an innocent time that did not yet know the daunting confusion and helpless anxiety of a world being decimated by hate crimes, crack babies, deadbeat dads, industrial pollution, melting polar ice caps, and the greenhouse effect, AIDs and Hep C Yet Skinner was still compelled to write a book that outlined what he believed would be a perfect society, where behavioral engineering is used to manipulate the environment and the people in it to function in a way that guarantees a comprehensive and idealistic community, based on moral and legal standards so high that freedom for every citizen is guaranteed. Skinner himself says in his Preface to Walden Two that "the dissatisfactions...
Question #4) Thoreau argues that his solitude does not equal loneliness. First, Thoreau describes the brilliance of his relationship with plants, animals, and the elements. Second, Thoreau comments on the connections he maintains with the world outside of Walden Pond, as visitors frequent the house to leave cards, flowers, and gifts in support of his endeavor. Finally, Thoreau feels paradoxically less lonely when he is alone: "I never found the companion
I realized that so much of my anxiety and trouble resulted from things I truly didn't care about. Who was that person who cared? I couldn't tell. It was a relief to find that beneath all the anxieties of daily life, anxieties propelled by rapid turnover and cliched expectations, that I had a personality. Beneath all the extraneous troubles, I had a conscience that would lead me where I
Eserver.org/walden02.html).This, he implies is impossible in society. Thoreau stresses that although he is alone, he is never lonely. In fact, it is society and living away from nature that creates a sense of loneliness and hatred for one's own species: "I experienced sometimes that the most sweet and tender, the most innocent and encouraging society may be found in any natural object, even for the poor misanthrope and most melancholy
In human services organizations, developing partnerships is paramount because of the benefits associated with working with other organizations. For example, with the collaboration between New Harbor Community and the business community, the input to the center is more powerful and with long-term efforts. Moreover, such partnerships guarantee long-term commitment because mission completion is well defined and shared. Therefore, it is a strategy for of overcoming problems like fragmenting the needs
Henry David Thoreau left us two most important options when things go very bad in this world: a bloodless but effective way of saying "no" and a fitting advice to rely on ourselves. He did this through his famous works, "Civil Disobedience" and "Walden." Civil Disobedience" is about showing protest by resisting the orders of the authority being opposed. When authority conflicts with one's true values, the person has the right
Dialogue Between B.F. Skinner and Abraham Maslow Maslow: So, Skinner, what are your views on behavior modification, to start this dialogue? Skinner: I think that operant conditioning has a lot to offer the world in terms of behavior modification. Behavior can be reduced to a simple analysis of stimuli and response. After all, human learning is simply a result of a person's response to a stimulus. In this sense, adhering to the
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