E.O. Wilson and B.F. Skinner (eBook)

Prologue 7
Contents 13
Introduction 15
1 "Selection by Consequences": The Essential B.F. Skinner 18
1.1 The Behavioral Century 19
1.2 Skinners New Paradigm 24
1.3 The Vocabulary of Operant Conditioning 25
1.4 Reinforcers, Cues, and Operant Shaping 26
1.5 Beyond a Technology of Behavior 30
1.6 Selection by Consequences 32
2 Human Sociobiology: The Essential E.O. Wilson 37
2.1 The HMS Beagle to the Modern Synthesis 39
2.2 Sociobiology and the New Synthesis 43
2.3 Human Sociobiology 46
2.4 Gene-Culture Coevolution 49
2.5 Additional Considerations 53
2.6 Consilience 55
3 A Consilient View of B.F. Skinner and E.O. Wilson: The Operant Foundation of Sociobiology 59
3.1 Radical Behaviorism 62
3.2 Aligning Skinner and Wilson 66
3.3 The Dilemma of Free Will 70
3.4 Language and Culture 72
3.5 Units of Culture 73
3.6 Culturgens and Epigenesis 73
3.7 The Operant Basis of Sociobiology 75
3.8 A Conversation 76
4 Conversation Between B.F. Skinner and E.O. Wilson 77
4.1 Notes 95
5 To What Beginning? 102
5.1 Skinners Technology of Behavior 103
5.2 Wilsons Consilient Worldview 104
6 The Challenge: A More Integrated Approach to Human Nature 107
6.1 Skinner and Wilson 108
6.2 Enlarging the Conversation 109
6.3 Mirror Neurons and Imitation 112
6.4 Developmental Plasticity and Evolution 114
6.5 Rational Behaviorism and Emergents 116
6.6 Final Thoughts 120
Epilogue: Some Historical Notes and Indications of the Future 121
6.1 The Position of Darwinism in Contemporary Psychology 108
6.1 Problems with the Concept of Reinforcement 109
6.1 Rational Behaviorism as the Next Step 112
6.1 Sneaking Up on Cognitivism 114
6.1 Twentieth Century Cognitivists 116
6.1 A More Useful View of Reinforcement 120
6.1 Rational Behaviorism and the Future 128
6.1 Acknowledgments 130
Acknowledgments 130
Glossary 132
Bibliography 142
Index 147