Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Final Thoughts on Walden World.

Firstly, like Jeff, I thought this was a very interesting book with a lot to talk about. I really did enjoy reading it.

I believe the central idea that one must accept in order for Walden Two to be possible is the concept of control. You must accept determinism. Everything a person does can be traced back to the behavioral attributes of that person, however difficult it may be to predict these actions/instincts. This is how Frazier justifies himself in taking liberties to create a society where individuals are molded to behave in accordance with his vision of happiness and progress. Evil is simply the product of a competitive culture and is not innate. If people are appropriately "engineered" then all of the ways that evil can be expressed dissolve and become foreign.

I just don't buy it. As interesting as it all seems. I really love Frazier's character, but I find that he often contradicts himself. He never misleads, though he admits to misrepresentation in Walden Two's church-like services, or observances of the "Code". Also, on page 104 Frazier states, "We never administer an unpleasantness in the hope of repressing or eliminating undesirable behavior." This quote comes shortly after Frazier explains his behavior shaping method of the children having to wait before eating their meals. This exercise is used to bolster patience and is surely unpleasant, at least at first. In fact it is precisely because it is unpleasant that the virtue or patience is needed!

Finally, I disagree with Skinner's idea of love. He apparently thinks of love as a natural occurrence that will continue to endure, if given the proper conditions. However, all I see in this society is the careful avoidance of love and emotion. Love is some sort of vague appreciation for the community as whole, and actual loving actions between individuals is absent.

David

Monday, September 28, 2009

War and Love

page 97 "We are only just beginning to understand the power of love because we are just beginning to understand the weakness of force and aggression."
I feel like there is so much to talk about in this book.
-Jeff

Friday, September 4, 2009

"You like it? Our Golden Age? Yes?"

"I cannot remember much of the chorus. I was still in the same position when it came to an end, and too unsure of myself to relax my grip and join in the applause. But I saw Frazier and Castle on either side of me clapping energetically--and Fergy, beaming with pleasure and pride, bowing to right and left and turning to shake his clasped hands at the chorus. Once, as he bowed, he looked straight at me, out over his glasses, like some sort of dream gargoyle, and I imagined that if he could speak to me, it would be in a strange accent, and his words would be:
'You like it? Our Golden Age? Yes?'" (page 85)

This closing paragraph to chapter 11 was amazing to me. It has a humorous, yet slightly disturbing quality. Throughout the book thus far, the visitors have been fed the secrets to Walden Two's success, but it has been in a somewhat persuasive manner. It is as if, in order for the social structure to be successful it must be first believed that it can be successful. This is seen in Frazier's character when he seems to find self worth when he "astonishes" the visitors, and gets agitated when he falters. In this paragraph, Burris experiences more of the bedazzlement, as he is awed and confused by the performance.

Other than that, I have my reservations about how this society could cause such a significant alteration in human nature, or if there really is that much a difference between this "attitude of constant experimentation" and progress in general. But this can be discussed at the end of the book, I suppose.

David

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Intro-1976

I'm not sure how many of you got the reissued edition, but this is from the intro. The book was originally written in 1948, and the intro was written in 1976. Skinner is explaining why he thinks the book received so much attention, after first going unnoticed for a decade.

"But there was, I think, a better reason why more and more people began to read the book. The world was beginning to face problems of an entirely new order of magnitude- the exhaustion of resources, the pollution of the environment, overpopulation, and the possibility of a nuclear holocaust, to mention only four...
...How were people to be induced to use new forms of energy, to eat grain rather than meat, and to limit the size of their families; and how were atomic stockpiles to be kept out of the hands of desperate world leaders?"

Couldn't this have been written TODAY? The issues we're dealing with now (which are knocked for being "trendy") have been around a long time, and have only been growing more dire.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

A thread about the sheep

Chapter 3

"The curious thing is that most of these sheep have never been shocked by the fence. Most of them were born after we took the wire away. It has become a tradition among our sheep never to approach string. The lambs acquire it from their elders, whose judgment they never question."

I wonder how many of us live our lives like the sheep? Afraid of a shock that doesn't exist? Safely guarded by a fear that protects us from too much freedom? In fear of "Bishop" the guard dog? Perhaps we see the pasture as a place of rest and safety? The flock representing those on the journey with us, their company enriching our lives rather than dictating it? I don't purport to have answers, I just found this passage curious and suggestive of self-examination in the context of society as well as our individual worldviews.

Holly

Friday, August 21, 2009

"We shake the world in other ways"

"The Actual achievement is beside the point. That main thing is, we encourage our people to view every habit and custom with an eye to possible improvement. A constantly experimental attitude toward everything- that's all we need. Solutions to problems of every sort follow almost miraculously." (page 25)
It struck me that we don't do that at all...people are very happy and comfortable with the way things are that improvement isn't considered and sometimes avoided.
_Jeff

Monday, August 10, 2009