B. F. Skinner: On behalf of the future

Abstract

Discusses the writings of Skinner as they relate to the literature of survival and well-being, which address the problems of the future. The peace movement, the green movement, and the deep ecology movement point to what science and technology say about the future and appeal to autonomous people to change their views to prevent calamity. Skinner's views are seen as being able to emphasize the increasingly aversive conditions under which humankind lives and target the culprits, industries that seek short-term profits at the cost of long-term general well-being, religions that encourage overpopulation, governments that build weapons of mass destruction, and ultimately people as avid consumers and complacent citizens. Skinner's views are presented as holistic, ecological visions of interaction between organism and environment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)