Inaugural Lecture by Professor Frederick Toates
The theme of the lecture is how we might gain insights into human nature by looking to the psychology of motivation. Professor Toates will consider various approaches to this issue, starting with that of B.F. Skinner and his utopian vision. He will then look at more recent ideas in psychology, including the distinction between ‘wanting’ and ‘liking’. It will be suggested that human desires, failings and temptations can be better understood in terms of the layered organization of the brain. He will argue that recent developments in psychology lend support to much of the wisdom of philosophers, prophets and saints of past centuries.
Frederick Toates is Professor of Biological Psychology at the Open University. He has taught undergraduate classes in the United States, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Romania and Moldova. His books include Motivational Systems (1986) and Biological Psychology 2nd edition (2007).
