Skinner saw belief in free will as blocking rational social advance.
Evidence
Skinner concluded that the literature of freedom and dignity “stands in the way of further human achievement.” He argued that the missing puzzle piece holding back the urgent development of the “instruments and methods” essential for a technology of behavior was the stubborn allegiance to these antique notions among people determined to preserve “due credit” for their actions. The belief in “autonomous man” is a regressive source of resistance to a rational future, an “alternative explanation of behavior” that obstructs the advancement of society. — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1171
Categorization
- QUESTION: Skinner’s dismissal of free will as an ‘alternative explanation’ prefigures current debates about choice architecture and algorithmic determinism.
- XREF: Parallels the book’s earlier argument that surveillance capitalism treats ‘autonomous man’ as an obstacle to be engineered around. — connects to: Skinner treats free will as a fiction covering ignorance — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1160; Skinner held that gaining knowledge destroys the illusion of free will — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1153; Skinner saw Enlightenment freedom values as impediments to behavioral science — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1207 (+1 more)
Broader Connections
- Skinner saw Enlightenment freedom values as impediments to behavioral science
#expands(0.90) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1207 - Skinner held that gaining knowledge destroys the illusion of free will
#expands(0.85) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1153 - Behaviorism holds that free will is just ignorance of behavioral determinants
#expands(0.80) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1164