The Explanation of Behaviour (Routledge Classics) - Essential critique

In this review of The Explanation of Behaviour the bottom line is clear: this is a foundational text for readers who want a rigorous philosophical challenge to behaviourism and a deeper account of what makes human action intelligible. Charles Taylor's first book combines piercing criticism with constructive insight, arguing that humans are embodied, minded agents with purposes, plans and goals rather than mere stimulus-response machines. For students of philosophy, psychology, or intellectual history the book rewards close reading by restoring purposive explanation to centre stage.

Key Features

• Historical significance: The book stands as Charles Taylor's first major work and marks an important moment in debates about behaviourism, showing why older reductionist accounts fall short.
• Philosophical anthropology: Taylor argues for understanding human beings as embodied and minded creatures, which helps readers appreciate explanations that appeal to intentions and goals.
• Critique of reductionism: The text systematically exposes limitations of scientific, behaviourist explanations, encouraging more nuanced interpretive approaches.
• Attention to non-human animals: Taylor gives a notable place to animals by treating their needs, desires and emotions as relevant to comparative understanding of behaviour.
• Compact, influential argument: As a concise early work it delivers concentrated reasoning that influenced later debates in philosophy and social sciences.

Who It's For

This edition is best for philosophy undergraduates, graduate students, and intellectually curious readers interested in the history of ideas about action and mind. It suits those preparing seminars on behaviourism, philosophy of mind, or philosophical anthropology who need a primary source that challenges mechanistic explanations.

Readers seeking a modern textbook introduction to cognitive science, empirical methods, or up-to-date neuroscience should look elsewhere for technical detail, since Taylor's concerns are conceptual and historical rather than methodological or experimental.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear, forceful critique that re-centres purposive explanation in thinking about human behaviour.
• Provides valuable historical perspective on behaviourism and the mid-20th century debates in philosophy.
• Incorporates consideration of non-human animals, widening the book's relevance for comparative questions.

Cons

• Not a modern textbook: readers looking for contemporary empirical research or neuroscience will find the treatment conceptual rather than technical.

Specifications

Title	The Explanation of Behaviour (Routledge Classics)
Author	Charles Taylor
Area	Philosophy; Philosophical anthropology; History of ideas
Main focus	Critique of behaviourism and defence of purposive explanation
Notable theme	Emphasis on embodied mind, purposes, plans and animal emotions
Audience	Students and readers of philosophy and social sciences

Our Verdict

Charles Taylor's early work remains a compact and influential corrective to reductionist accounts of action. Those seeking a thoughtful, historical and conceptual critique of behaviourism will find strong value here; it repays careful study and is a worthwhile addition to any philosophy or social theory reading list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a modern textbook on psychology?
No. The book is a philosophical and historical critique of behaviourism rather than a contemporary empirical textbook.

Does Taylor discuss animals?
Yes. He gives non-human animals a central place by addressing their needs, desires and emotions in comparative explanation.

Who benefits most from reading it?
Philosophy students and readers interested in the foundations of action theory and critiques of reductionism benefit most.