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From: valis@athena.mit.edu (John O'Neil)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Modelling reinforcement
Message-ID: <VALIS.90Dec14201209@e40-008-6.mit.edu>
Date: 15 Dec 90 02:12:09 GMT
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In-Reply-To: greenba@gambia.crd.ge.com's message of 11 Dec 90 16:13:33 GMT

In article <GREENBA.90Dec11111333@gambia.crd.ge.com> greenba@gambia.crd.ge.com (ben a green) writes:

   I could attempt a precis of modern behaviorism, but it wouldn't be as
   good as Skinner's book, _About Behaviorism_, already available in
   paperback in your neighborhood.  See especially the early chapter
   listing myths about behaviorism.  I'd enjoy further discussion with
   anyone who takes the trouble to avoid these elementary errors.

I agree: one should read the literature in order to avoid elementary
errors.

For an excellent criticism of the behavioristic view of language and
semantics, see Chomsky's review of B. F. Skinner's ``Verbal Behavior''
in Language 35: 26-58.  Although not as easily available, it is a
useful antidote to Skinner's work.


 John O'Neil
 Organlegger
"From head to toe, you know where to go."
 Spleens a specialty.