Russell thinks that the reason [for negation] is always verbal. Someone asks Is it raining? and we reply No, it is not raining . . . But the stimulus which controls a response to which no or not is added is often nonverbal. Rain may be a response to a similar stimulus—a few drops from a lawn sprinkler beyond a hedge, for example. The response It is raining then shows generic or metaphorical extension. Or a common accompaniment of rain—say, a threatening sky—may evoke the response as an example of metonymy. (pp. 322-323)
Verbal Behavior: Extended Edition. Chapter 12: The Autoclitic. Quote 26
- Post author:B. F. Skinner Foundation
- Post published:September 4, 2025
- Post category:Skinner's Quote of the Day
