Wisdom as the Key to a Better World

Abstract

B. F. Skinner (1971) begins his book, Beyond Freedom and Dignity, by reviewing some of the “terrifying problems that face us in the world today.” Skinner notes that “technology itself is increasingly at fault” and that “the application of the physical and biological sciences alone will not solve our problems.” Skinner’s diagnosis is that “we need to make vast changes in human behavior” (pp. 1, 2). This author agrees wholeheartedly with Skinner on all of these points. However, quite a different vision from Skinner’s concerning the kind of changes humans need to undergo and how they may be brought about will be presented in this chapter. In particular, my contention is that universal wisdom is the key to bringing about the better world we all need and want.