B. F. Skinner’s Walden two is a piece of fictional literature that depicts his ideas on the psychology of human behavior. It is written as an account of a visit to Walden Two, a typically utopian society that was founded and is facilitated by a man named Frazier. The book became popular because it suggested that there was a way in which people could be conditioned to live so that regular problems experienced in human societies such as opportunism, jealousy, selfishness, and conflict, among numerous others could be avoided (Kuhlmann, 2005) . Moreover, Skinner, through his alter ego, Frazier, suggests that this community can be created in the here and now, unlike in other fictional writing whereby readers can expect such things as time machines that travel to the future. The community life of Walden Two goes against all conventional American ideologies, which is a challenge to status quo. However, Frazier is clear in the book that the purpose is not to oppose or discredit democracy, capitalism and parenting and educational systems, among other existing realities. Rather, it is to provide an alternative way of living that is effective and productive.
The story begins as a journey in which Professor Burris, Castle, his colleague, Rogers, who is his former student, a fellow soldier and two women set out to visit a certain utopian society named Walden Two. They are received by a certain Frazier, who is the founder of the community. To a large extent, Frazier is an integral part of the community’s existence, suggesting that the community, without his input or involvement, would immediately malfunction (Kuhlmann, 2005) . However, he seems to strongly refute this suggestion indicating that the society can indeed sustain itself.
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Walden Two has various interesting characteristics. First, every good and service is obtained freely. There is no trade or commerce. The community has established a system of living in which every person must earn at least 1200 work credits in a year. The credits are earned for every two hours worked. Every community adult and able community member must therefore perform certain duties whereby they are assigned credits according to the work done. In order to establish fairness and to ensure that all labor is equally rewarding, tasks that are less popular earn more work credits than those which are more popular (Kuhlmann, 2005) . This way of living ensures that there is no disparity between living conditions, and that all people are equally valued and respected.
A concept that Skinner refers to as behavioral engineering is employed in the raising of children. The children spend most of their childhood in a highly controlled environment, and the level of control is reduced as the child matures because various character building traits have already been successfully instilled into them. Children grow up in an environment that controls all aspects of their lives. For instance, they are raised communally and are kept in central locations, as opposed to living with their parents. This ensures that parenting is done by the entire adult population and is standardized for each child (Kuhlmann, 2005) . Children are considered mature in their late teenage where they take up single abodes or find spouses. The society advocates for early marriage to facilitate early child bearing thereby enabling the woman to live a fulfilling life after childbirth. Greater emphasis is made on ethical and moral training over academic teaching.
Within the Walden Two community, leadership is undertaken by a few individuals who have been entrusted to all decision-making. These individuals, according to Frazier, should be human behaviorists who are selected from among the people by those currently in authority. There is therefore no democracy, and the people have no voting rights (Kuhlmann, 2005) . The basis for this reasoning is that those currently in authority, among whom is Frazier, have the best ability to assess the qualities of the people and select the most suitable among them. Moreover, behavioral scientists are deemed to have no selfish interests of their own, but simply seek to guide the society to optimum human function. At the pinnacle of Walden Two leadership are six planners who are responsible for overseeing the entire operations and functionality of the society. The managers assist the planners to do so by executing the planners’ policies and decisions. As aforementioned, planners are appointed by their predecessors.
The concepts that characterize Walden Two living are a source of heated debate among various proponents and opponents. Skinner, however, was shrewd in their presentation, making sure that he strategically placed comparisons to Robert Bellamy, another American utopia theorist, as well as ensuring that volatile terms such as communism and socialism were never mentioned in the book (Kuhlmann, 2005) . This reduces bias and improves the books appeal and reception among an American audience. Skinner had carried out research on prevailing American utopian theories and builds a subtle correlation to them in his book.
Walden Two living as depicted by Skinner has various advantages over the current societies. First, the overall impression, which is the main aim of the lifestyle, is that people are generally happier and contented. Issues such as corruption, crime, and conflicts, among other human vices, also seem to be almost nonexistent (Kuhlmann, 2005) . People live in harmony and all processes seem to flow smoothly and efficiently. In many ways, the measures seem to produce an effective society, one which appeals to the visitors, three of whom agree to remain behind after the visit and join the society. Punitive control is also replaced by positive reinforcement in instilling discipline and maintaining order.
There are, however, various undesirable characteristics observed in the Walden Two community. First, the book seems to propagate ideas of human control that have been extensively debated in various contexts such as communism. The only difference is that Skinner deliberately avoids calling them by those names. For instance, the behavioral engineering described in the children’s education system is simply a method of teaching the children to behave in certain way for the benefit of the group, thereby robbing them of their individuality and creativity (Kuhlmann, 2005) . There is also the demotion of nuclear family setups and the breaking of parental love bonds.
Moreover, it is evident that the people have no control over their own lives. Choices seem to be made by a select few individuals on behalf of the entire community. Yet the common people seem to be ill informed of the very issues that affect them, the decisions being made on their behalf, and the basis and impact of these decisions. This depicts the society as one which is totalitarian (Kuhlmann, 2005) . The people are heavily desensitized and suppressed, hence their perceived happiness can be deemed to be a result of ignorance. The happiness is therefore not real and is a result of a developed perception.
In conclusion, the Walden Two society sought to introduce Skinners ideas which advocate for a different way of life that would supposedly experience most of the social problems experienced today. Some of the examples given include a communal child rearing in a highly controlled environment, a government based on ability to lead and not the will of the people and an economic system that has eliminated most capitalistic aspects. However, while these measures have their advantages, they also have far reaching negative effects that indeed prove that such a life, even if it were achieved, would not be real.
Reference
Kuhlmann, H. (2005). Living Walden Two: B.F. Skinner's behaviorist utopia and experimental communities . Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
