Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2017
This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F... more This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F. Skin-ner, a behavioral psychologist. They both were empiricists who argued in favor of the lawfulness of behavior while maintaining that random events were included within those laws. They both devoted much effort to describing how individuals could live effective, rewarding and pleasurable lives. They both emphasized simple and natural pleasures (or reinforcers) and the importance of combining personal pleasures with actions that benefit friends and community. They both opposed punishment and all aversive measures used by governments and religions to control behaviors. And both created utopias: a real community, The Garden, where Epicurus lived with his followers, and a fictional one, Walden Two, by Skinner. We consider how a combination of the ideas of Epicurus and Skinner can contribute to their common goal of helping people to live better lives.
This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F... more This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F. Skinner, a behavioral psychologist. They both were empiricists who argued in favor of the lawfulness of behavior while maintaining that random events were included within those laws. They both devoted much effort to describing how individuals could live effective, rewarding and pleasurable lives. They both emphasized simple and natural pleasures (or reinforcers) and the importance of combining personal pleasures with actions that benefit friends and community. They both opposed punishment and all aversive measures used by governments and religions to control behaviors. And both created utopias: a real community, The Garden, where Epicurus lived with his followers, and a fictional one, Walden Two, by Skinner. We consider how a combination of the ideas of Epicurus and Skinner can contribute to their common goal of helping people to live better lives.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2016
This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F... more This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F. Skinner, a behavioral psychologist. They both were empiricists who argued in favor of the lawfulness of behavior while maintaining that random events were included within those laws. They both devoted much effort to describing how individuals could live effective, rewarding and pleasurable lives. They both emphasized simple and natural pleasures (or reinforcers) and the importance of combining personal pleasures with actions that benefit friends and community. They both opposed punishment and all aversive measures used by governments and religions to control behaviors. And both created utopias: a real community, The Garden, where Epicurus lived with his followers, and a fictional one, Walden Two, by Skinner. We consider how a combination of the ideas of Epicurus and Skinner can contribute to their common goal of helping people to live better lives.
This paper explores Cicero's treatment of Epicurean philosophy in his De republica, and argues ag... more This paper explores Cicero's treatment of Epicurean philosophy in his De republica, and argues against those who think that Cicero's criticisms of Epicureanism in the work are neither serious nor significant. Cicero engages the Epicureans at the beginning, middle, and end of the De republica. In the prologue to Book 1 he argues against the Epicurean view that one should not take part in politics unless required to, showing why it is a misguided and mistaken view; in Book 3 he represents the character Philus praising the Epicurean view that justice should be sought solely on the basis of self-interest as the least objectionable account of those who defend justice; and in Book 6 Scipio ends his account of his dream by almost humorously critiquing the Epicurean view of the soul and the afterlife by showing the souls of Epicureans surviving death and suffering punishment for their errors. The paper ends by suggesting that Cicero presents Epicurean political thought as a serious problem in the De republica for three different reasons: literary, philosophical, and personal.
The Paradoxa Stoicorum1 was written in 46 BC and dedicated to Brutus. In the introduction Cicero ... more The Paradoxa Stoicorum1 was written in 46 BC and dedicated to Brutus. In the introduction Cicero praises Cato, Brutus' uncle and staunch Stoic, for successfully introducing philosophic topics into public life through his speeches. Cicero proposes to do Cato one better in the ...
Purpose: Some enigmatic remarks and behaviors of Socrates have been a subject of debate among sch... more Purpose: Some enigmatic remarks and behaviors of Socrates have been a subject of debate among scholars. We investigated the possibility of underlying epilepsy in Socrates by analyzing pathographic evidence in ancient literature from the viewpoint of the current understanding of seizure semiology.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2017
This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F... more This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F. Skin-ner, a behavioral psychologist. They both were empiricists who argued in favor of the lawfulness of behavior while maintaining that random events were included within those laws. They both devoted much effort to describing how individuals could live effective, rewarding and pleasurable lives. They both emphasized simple and natural pleasures (or reinforcers) and the importance of combining personal pleasures with actions that benefit friends and community. They both opposed punishment and all aversive measures used by governments and religions to control behaviors. And both created utopias: a real community, The Garden, where Epicurus lived with his followers, and a fictional one, Walden Two, by Skinner. We consider how a combination of the ideas of Epicurus and Skinner can contribute to their common goal of helping people to live better lives.
This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F... more This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F. Skinner, a behavioral psychologist. They both were empiricists who argued in favor of the lawfulness of behavior while maintaining that random events were included within those laws. They both devoted much effort to describing how individuals could live effective, rewarding and pleasurable lives. They both emphasized simple and natural pleasures (or reinforcers) and the importance of combining personal pleasures with actions that benefit friends and community. They both opposed punishment and all aversive measures used by governments and religions to control behaviors. And both created utopias: a real community, The Garden, where Epicurus lived with his followers, and a fictional one, Walden Two, by Skinner. We consider how a combination of the ideas of Epicurus and Skinner can contribute to their common goal of helping people to live better lives.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2016
This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F... more This paper examines similarities in the works of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, and B. F. Skinner, a behavioral psychologist. They both were empiricists who argued in favor of the lawfulness of behavior while maintaining that random events were included within those laws. They both devoted much effort to describing how individuals could live effective, rewarding and pleasurable lives. They both emphasized simple and natural pleasures (or reinforcers) and the importance of combining personal pleasures with actions that benefit friends and community. They both opposed punishment and all aversive measures used by governments and religions to control behaviors. And both created utopias: a real community, The Garden, where Epicurus lived with his followers, and a fictional one, Walden Two, by Skinner. We consider how a combination of the ideas of Epicurus and Skinner can contribute to their common goal of helping people to live better lives.
This paper explores Cicero's treatment of Epicurean philosophy in his De republica, and argues ag... more This paper explores Cicero's treatment of Epicurean philosophy in his De republica, and argues against those who think that Cicero's criticisms of Epicureanism in the work are neither serious nor significant. Cicero engages the Epicureans at the beginning, middle, and end of the De republica. In the prologue to Book 1 he argues against the Epicurean view that one should not take part in politics unless required to, showing why it is a misguided and mistaken view; in Book 3 he represents the character Philus praising the Epicurean view that justice should be sought solely on the basis of self-interest as the least objectionable account of those who defend justice; and in Book 6 Scipio ends his account of his dream by almost humorously critiquing the Epicurean view of the soul and the afterlife by showing the souls of Epicureans surviving death and suffering punishment for their errors. The paper ends by suggesting that Cicero presents Epicurean political thought as a serious problem in the De republica for three different reasons: literary, philosophical, and personal.
The Paradoxa Stoicorum1 was written in 46 BC and dedicated to Brutus. In the introduction Cicero ... more The Paradoxa Stoicorum1 was written in 46 BC and dedicated to Brutus. In the introduction Cicero praises Cato, Brutus' uncle and staunch Stoic, for successfully introducing philosophic topics into public life through his speeches. Cicero proposes to do Cato one better in the ...
Purpose: Some enigmatic remarks and behaviors of Socrates have been a subject of debate among sch... more Purpose: Some enigmatic remarks and behaviors of Socrates have been a subject of debate among scholars. We investigated the possibility of underlying epilepsy in Socrates by analyzing pathographic evidence in ancient literature from the viewpoint of the current understanding of seizure semiology.
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Papers by Walter Englert