We do not choose survival as a value, it chooses us.
B. F. SkinnerRead
The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote questions the ability of humans to think critically and thoughtfully compared to machines.
B. F. Skinner suggests that the true issue lies not in whether machines can emulate human thought processes but in the capacity of humans to engage in genuine thinking. This highlights a deeper concern about the nature of human cognition and the responsibilities of individuals in a world increasingly influenced by technology. It challenges us to reflect on our own thought processes and the extent to which we rely on external tools for understanding and decision-making.
Themes
MachinesThinkingHuman CognitionTechnologyPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of AI in society, one might quote Skinner to emphasize the importance of human thought.
More from B. F. Skinner
All quotes βEach of us has interests which conflict the interests of everybody else... 'everybody else' we call 'society'. It's a powerful opponent and it always wins. Oh, here and there an individual prevails for a while and gets what he wants. Sometimes he storms the culture of a society and changes it to his own advantage. But society wins in the long run, for it has the advantage of numbers and of age.
B. F. SkinnerRead
No theory changes what it is a theory about; man remains what he has always been.
B. F. SkinnerRead
I am opposed to the military use of animals. I am also opposed to the military use of men.
B. F. SkinnerRead
The ideal of behaviorism is to eliminate coercion: to apply controls by changing the environment in such a way as to reinforce the kind of behavior that benefits everyone.
B. F. SkinnerRead
Unable to understand how or why the person we see behaves as he does, we attribute his behavior to a person we cannot see, whose behavior we cannot explain either but about whom we are not inclined to ask questions.
B. F. SkinnerRead
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