A Biblical description of the nature of man Made in the image of God The image lost The image regained Philosophical origins of Behaviorism Rene’ Descartes John Locke David Hume Herbert Spencer Development of psychology as a science William Wundt Schools of psychology Clark Hull Development of Behaviorism John B. Watson Edward L. Thorndike Ivan Pavlov Behaviorism as Skinnerian Reinforcement Search for lawfulness Classical versus operant conditioning Shaping and successive approximations Reinforcement and extinction Operant educational programming Behaviorism applied B-Mod as programmed instruction B-Mod as contingency management B-Mod as behavioral engineering The Keller Plan Theological and philosophical evaluation Determinism and monism Scientific versus Scriptural truth Evaluation of behaviorism and education practice The necessity of training Animal versus human studies The law of effect An “empty organism” theory Behavioral objectives Performance-based approach Behavior modification per se The place of punishment Conclusion DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PAPER ON BEHAVIORISM

In An Essay concerning Human Understanding, John Locke sets out his theory of knowledge and how we acquire it. Eschewing doctrines of innate principles and ideas, Locke shows how all our ideas, even the most abstract and complex, are grounded in human experience and attained by sensation of external things or reflection upon our own mental activities. A thorough examination of the communication of ideas through language and the conventions of taking words as signs of ideas paves the way for his penetrating critique of the limitations of ideas and the extent of our knowledge of ourselves, the world, God, and morals. Locke’s masterpiece laid the foundation of British empiricism and is of enduring interest to anyone exploring the development of philosophical thought. This sensitive abridgement uses P. H. Nidditch’s authoritative text, and together with an illuminating introduction and other features, makes Locke’s arguments more accessible.