[Paleopsych] Evolutionary / Man and society

[Lynn D. Johnson, Ph.D.]

Here is a nice example of unintended consequences of a welfare state:
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110006165

The problem is systemic - perverse reward systems create perverse 
behavior. Rolf is simply responding to the rewards offered.
Lynn

Hannes Eisler wrote:

> The discussion seems somewhat odd to me. One has to distinguish 
> between man's, let's say, inborn, dispositions, and man's behavior. 
> The first hardly can be changed by environmental (or political) 
> influence (here we have marxism's  big mistake), but the latter can. A 
> society works with rewards (reinforcement) and punishment to achieve 
> its aims, whatever they may be. Also sensitivity to reinforcement is 
> inborn; more complicated is to establish what is working as a 
> reinforcer for whom.