Skinner and Carnap's Epistemological Dialogue: A Critical Review of The Relationship Between Skinner's Radical Behaviourism and Carnap's Naturalistic Semantics
Abstract
Abstract
The distinction between logical positivism and other intellectual traditions has long been a significant issue within scientific discourse. The question of whether there exists a historical and intellectual relationship between Rudolf Carnap and B.F. Skinner can be analysed from this perspective as well. This article aims to critically review the existing literature on the epistemological and methodological connections between Carnap's logical positivism and Skinner's radical behaviourism. Through a critical analysis of previous research, we explore three predominant approaches that frame this intellectual relationship.
The first approach, termed the "Standard Approach," posits that Skinner’s radical behaviourism can be understood as an application of logical positivism within the domain of behaviour. The second, the "Refutation Approach," argues that there is no substantive intellectual or structural connection between Carnap’s philosophy and Skinner’s behavioural theory. Finally, the "Intermediate Approach" suggests that despite a lack of direct historical interaction, there exists a shared naturalistic semantics and a conceptual link between Carnap’s logical framework and Skinner’s behavioural theories. This article is divided into three parts. The first part reviews key researchers in the field of behavioural epistemology and examines their positions regarding the three claims. In the second part, we conduct a deeper analysis of literature that explores various facets of Carnap’s and Skinner’s epistemologies and methodologies. The third part critically assesses whether the methodological distinctions between Carnap and Skinner reflect fundamental theoretical and functional divergences in their approaches to explaining human behaviour.
Keywords: Radical Behaviourism, Naturalistic Semantics, Experimental Methodology, Behaviour, Skinner, Carnap, Naturalist Epistemology.