from 'Walden Two' by B.F. Skinner
"(T)here's a great deal wrong with personal figures of any sort. After all, what's the function of the leader-of the hero? Have you ever thought that through? Isn't it to piece out an inadequate science of government? In a pre-scientific society the best the common man can do is pin his faith on a leader and give him his support, trusting in his benevolence against misuse of the delegated power and in his wisdom to govern justly and to make war successfully. It's the only possible course when government remains an art.
"In the world at large we seldom vote for a principle or a given state of affairs. We vote for a man who pretends to believe in that principle or promises to achieve that state. We don't want a man, we want a condition of peace and plenty-or, it may be, war and want-but we must vote for a man. The leader or hero supplements a faulty science. That's his first function- to use his head and heart where science fails.
" 'The state is power, and the hero is the state!' What a faulty political design! It's true that many states wouldn't have come into existence except through the efforts of a leader. The structure is in that sense natural-but always in early forms of government.
"A society which functions for the good of all cannot tolerate the emergence of individual figures. The leader principle has always failed in the long run. On the other hand, a society without heroes has an almost fabulous strength."
and please listen to this:
NewPerfectCircleSingle
"(T)here's a great deal wrong with personal figures of any sort. After all, what's the function of the leader-of the hero? Have you ever thought that through? Isn't it to piece out an inadequate science of government? In a pre-scientific society the best the common man can do is pin his faith on a leader and give him his support, trusting in his benevolence against misuse of the delegated power and in his wisdom to govern justly and to make war successfully. It's the only possible course when government remains an art.
"In the world at large we seldom vote for a principle or a given state of affairs. We vote for a man who pretends to believe in that principle or promises to achieve that state. We don't want a man, we want a condition of peace and plenty-or, it may be, war and want-but we must vote for a man. The leader or hero supplements a faulty science. That's his first function- to use his head and heart where science fails.
" 'The state is power, and the hero is the state!' What a faulty political design! It's true that many states wouldn't have come into existence except through the efforts of a leader. The structure is in that sense natural-but always in early forms of government.
"A society which functions for the good of all cannot tolerate the emergence of individual figures. The leader principle has always failed in the long run. On the other hand, a society without heroes has an almost fabulous strength."
and please listen to this:
NewPerfectCircleSingle
VIEW 11 of 11 COMMENTS
bloody bruised and tied up.
that's how I like 'em
YEAGH!!
i just get so paranoid with health problems.
trin
xoxo