Walden Two [Paperback]

B. F. Skinner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0872207781 | ISBN-13: 978-0872207783

A reprint of the 1976 Macmillan edition. This fictional outline of a modern Utopia has been a centre of controversy ever since its publication in 1948. Set in the United States, it pictures a society in which human problems are solved by a scientific technology of human conduct. FROM THE PREFACE: It is now widely recognised that great changes must be made in the American way of life. Not only can we not face the rest of the world while consuming and polluting as we do, we cannot for long face ourselves while acknowledging the violence and chaos in which we live. The choice is clear: either we do nothing and allow a miserable and probably catastrophic future to overtake us, or we use our knowledge about human behaviour to create a social environment in which we shall live productive and creative lives and do so without jeopardising the chances that those who follow us will be able to do the same. Something like a Walden Two would not be a bad start.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

With environmental and social problems becoming serious issues in todays society, the search for solutions is evident. B.F. Skinner's book presents a fictional outline of a modern utopia in which human problems are solved by a scientific technology of human conduct. This book serves as a possible example of how our knowledge of human behavior can be used to create a productive social environment while preserving the chances of future generations to do the same. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904 1990), regarded by many as the most important and influential psychologist since Freud, earned his doctorate in psychology at Harvard University in 1931. Following appointments at the University of Minnesota and Indiana University, he returned to Harvard in 1948. He remained there for the rest of his career, retiring in 1974 as Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 301 pages
• Publisher: Hackett Pub Co (July 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872207781
• ISBN-13: 978-0872207783
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.6 x 5.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Behavioral Sciences > Behavioral Psychology

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a novel theory March 18, 2002

By Patrick Merlevede

Format:Mass Market Paperback

In this book Skinner presents his blueprint for a utopia based on behavioral sciences. While someone who is just looking for a entertaining story may be disappointed or even call this book boring, I'm pretty sure that you'll like it if you have some serious interest in Behaviorism or behavioral engineering. Even if I have a master in cognitive sciences, I didn't find Skinner's ideas *really* "incompatible" with what I know, even if much of it probably remains to be proven, but the only way to prove it would be to set up such a community. Some other reviews call it a communist model, but the book actually includes chapters pointing out the differences between fascist and communist models, and Skinner's analysis shows, some 40 years before the Berlin wall collapses why the Soviet Union wouldn't survive.

I wouldn't call this book "unscientific" or "outdated" as some other reviewers did. True, I would enjoy some footnotes to connect Skinner's ideas from this book to the rest of his writing and I'm wondering what would happen if we "upgraded" this book to take place in the modern internet society and taking into account all new things cognitive sciences and emotional intelligence have brought us over the 50+ years since this book has been written. This book will give you enough "food for thought".

...

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A look into a fascinating yet frightening idea! April 11, 2002

By Kevin S. Currie

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Imagine a world where you got to choose what you did every day (as long as your four daily labor-credits are completed), where, as everyone is equal to everyone else, the words 'thank-you' are never used and where education, which is never forced, is something your kids just WANT to do. Is this better living through operant conditioning?

This fictional community is the brain-child of the famous (and imfamous) behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner. Skinner believed that all behavior can be controlled by modification and 'positive reinforcement.' Well, here it is. A Skinnerian utopia.

The book itself has no real plot to speak of. The central characters,a group of 2 university professors, 2 twenty-somethings fresh from army service, and their two girlfriends that have been invited to take a tour of the Walden Two community. The book (narrated by one of the professors) is the fictional account of the tour which gets extraordinarily specific. The communes education, commerce, child-rearing, and governing practices are well-examined and this book, whether you agree with good ol' B.F. or not, will have you constantly thinking from new angles. If you're anything like me (frightening thought!) you might find yourself actually talking back to the book. What a rare experience!

The four stars are for both the writing- Skinner does much better than most psychologists crossing over to fiction- and for the wealth of ideas which are sharp, challenging and scary. Although in the end, I disagree with just about every idea Skinner remonstrates, this is a book that I'm sure I will reread and ponder over quite often.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Skinner's Monument To A Theoretic Utopian Society May 2, 2005

By Bugs

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This influential book created quite a stir when it was first published in 1948, so much so, that many people actually started forming intentional, egalitarian communes and existing ones embraced many of the ideas of social structure presented in "Walden Two". Further, Aldus Huxley, author of "Brave New World", was so impressed with the ideas presented in "Walden Two", that he incorporated and expanded on them in his last novel, "Island". And many people feel this was his best work. I concur.

The book is not a monument to fine novel writing and was not intended to be, yet it is fascinating and eye-opening as a fictional dissertation on utopian social structure can be. Huxley's "Island", on the other hand was beautifully written and requires no awareness of the psychology of social construction going on at the same time- neither book does, really. They are both interesting and thought provoking.

Skinner's basic premise was that with gentle behavioral modifications using positive re-enforcement and academics, coupled with leveling the social playing field with no class structure our hyper-competitive, private enterprise, we could then concentrate all of our energies on education and entertainment, thereby removing most all of the ills and stress that conventional society suffers from- sounds enticing, on paper anyway.

B.F. Skinner was a famous research psychologist who had a life-time of noted insights into the human psyche and his constant experimentation with behavioral studies led him to map-out, in a fictional utopian setting, a demonstration of what the supposed benefits of behavioral modification would do for a large group of people. He was not trying to be a novelist, rather he was submitting to a broader audience than his peers, a theoretic utopian society that the general public could assess on their own and no doubt, Skinner was probably keen to see how the public would respond- further studies of human response to mechanisms- his favorite occupation.

His very clinical approach to human behavioral studies was often criticized, but he was always quick to point out that he had no interest in debate on his methods. The following two paragraphs are borrowed from Skinner's bio seen at the Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio website Skinner pages. Material was compiled by Christa Swenson, 1999.

"Skinner was never highly influenced by critical reactions, he is not interested in the right or wrong because they are either effective or ineffective, and arguments of no avail. For that reason he is not interested in psychological theories, rational equations, or other verbal systems that are required to be proven right."- whoa. And:

[Following the principles of Bacon, Skinner rejects verbal authority, stating, "I have studied nature not books asking questions of the organism rather than those who have studied the organism."... "Observation overemphasizes stimuli; experimentation includes the rest of the contingencies which generate repertoires" (Dews, 1970, p18).]

It is interesting to note about his life that he is mainly remembered for such famous/infamous experiments as his "Skinner Box"- a replica of the famous Russian psychologist, Ivan Pavlov and his "Pavlov's Dog" positive response contraption. To say the least, he was highly impressed with Pavlov's work, but instead of dogs, he preferred rats and humans for study subjects and behavior reaction, not dog saliva studies (however interesting that might be).

So I would imagine that if Skinner were alive today, he would get a kick out of the reviews here that are somewhat unflattering and he would have no problem brushing them off as he would also see fit to do with the flattering ones.

His Walden Two book was influenced by the writing of Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" (Note the borrowed title) and many other similar writers. No wonder then, that he was keen to let that influence mellow his somewhat starchy, clinical outlook when he wrote it. And we are thankful for that- it made for a much more human and pleasing read.

Understandably, it does not please many that his story characters had embraced such social quirks as seeing no benefit in saying "thank you" and many other social graces- this is Skinner's personality coming through: social graces are a waste time. Level-headed, nothing-to-hide, and non-competitive people supposedly don`t need that nonsense.

Did Skinner miss something in the demonstrated efficacy of social courtesy? No matter, he lets many of his characters have their conventional, "good" social habits- he has to, to show contrast.

The communal setting the book describes is egalitarian, fair and desires no material gain other than normal sustenance. Labor needs are divvied-up at the start of each day and earn the communards "work credits" to ensure that they work a minimal amount for their keep. Over-work is discouraged and considered counter-productive, education and entertainment are much more important and with a large labor pool, daily chores can be completed quickly.

New incoming members must agree to the communities social dictates: "The Walden Code" , a set of easy rules of conduct for harmony in the communal setting. Administrative members called "Planners" have a bit more leeway and can over-ride the rules when dealing with the outside world. All social positions are on a rotating basis including work, to facilitate an even distribution of duties so everyone can gain experience of the total spectrum of communal life.

So what became of the communities that formed on Skinner's ideas? Many of them are still going and the most renown one modeled completely around Walden Two, "Twin Oaks Community", is still at it. Kathleen "Kat" Kinkade, one of the founding members, wrote a book about the "real" experimental commune, "A Walden Two Experiment"- Foreword by Skinner himself.

This assessment of the project was written about two years into the project and then followed by another report, "Is It Utopia Yet?: An Insider's View of Twin Oaks Community In Its 26th Year". Kat Kinkade is now the longest standing member and although she left the community for some time and then returned, she has a substantial history and intimate view of the project. Her assessments are an open, frank and honest look at intentional, communal living with all of it's inherrant ups and downs and is a fascinating follow-up to Skinner's Walden Two.