The behavioral and the mystical: Reflections on behaviorism and eastern thought.
The Behavior analyst 1986 DOI: 10.1007/bf03391943 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that radical behaviorism parallels Eastern philosophical traditions in recognizing language as a source of dualism and mentalism, and proposes that verbal behavior analysis and the three-term contingency can integrate organism and environment and help demystify mystical claims. |
Abstract
As in the case of other scientific conceptual schemas, features of radical behaviorism can be compared to descriptions of the world that have evolved within Eastern philosophic traditions. Applications of the analysis of verbal behavior can further the move within contemporary scientific writing towards calling attention to the structuring and limiting effects of language, effects long recognized in the East as sources of dualism and mentalism. Use of the three-term contingency automatically integrates organism and environment. Radical behavioral analyses can help demystify the mystical.