'Language and Learning; The Debate between Jean Piaget and Noam Chmsky', edited by Massimo Piatelli-Palmarini

  • Autoregulation

     

    Kennemer Dunes, today. Go, leave the trail [ learning ]

    Min/max temperature: 8°C/12 °C; humidity: 96%; precipitation: 0.25 mm, sea level pressure: 1003.95 hPa; wind from N 26.1 km/h; visibility: 10.0 kilometres; Clouds few 731 m, scattered clouds 1493 m.

    "[The] essential characteristics of behaviour is precisely to transcenditself constantly and to change autoregulation into auto-organisation leading to new structures […] In psychology, autoregulation [ "Life is essentially autoregulation" ] is not a return to a previous state determined by any genetic structure but is always a "passing beyond".

    Jean Piaget in 'Language and Learning; The Debate between Jean Piaget and Noam Chomsky', page 5, 63, edited by Massimo Piatelli-Palmarini, first published in 1979 in France. English translation by Harvard University Press, USA

    "Mentalistic theories of ethical self-management appeal to entities which seem to be particularly accessible to introspection. The inner forces which are said to take place of environmental variables are feelings. Men do brave things because they feel courageous or help someone because they feel compassionate. It would seem to follow that to teach students to be brave or compassionate, the teacher must teach them to feel […] In both clinic and laboratory, what is to be attenuated is usually operant behaviour (particularly avoidance) rather than the emotional responses which are felt."

    B.F. Skinner 'The Technology of Teaching', page 193, 196, first published in 1968 by Prentice-Hall, Inc., USA

    "Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus: Good morning, Doctor.
    Psychiatrist: Good morning, Charles. You're looking splendid.
    Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus: I feel splendid.
    Psychiatrist: Every day, and in every way, you're feeling..
    Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus: Better and better.[…] Now, now, Doctor. Some people would consider your methods most unorthodox.
    Psychiatrist: I was just making sure that you're not a better liar than I am a psychiatrist."

    From 'The Pink Panther Strikes Again', the fifth film in The Pink Panther series written and directed by Blake Edwards, first released in December 1975 trough United Artists, USA