The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do. The mystery which surrounds a thinking machine already surrounds a thinking man." - Meaning and context.">
Contingencies of Reinforcement: A Theoretical Analysis (1969)
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The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do. The mystery which surrounds a thinking machine already surrounds a thinking man.

— B. F. Skinner

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do. The mystery which surrounds a thinking machine already surrounds a thinking man." in the context of "Contingencies of Reinforcement: A Theoretical Analysis (1969)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "B. F. Skinner" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
B. F. Skinner

About B. F. Skinner

Burrhus Frederic Skinner (20 March 1904 – 18 August 1990) was an American behaviorist, author, inventor, baseball enthusiast, social philosopher and poet.