Behavior analysis takes a natural science approach to human and animal behavior. Some basic tenets are widely agreed in the field but it can be argued that some other assumptions are implicit in our approach and, if unexamined, may impair progress. Since the time of David Hume, there has been a strong Western philosophical tradition of naturalism and realism. Although behavior analysis has from the outset embraced pragmatism, features of naturalism are embedded in the metaphysics of science and thus have been imported into behavior analysis. Many versions of naturalism imply dualism, but this can be avoided without abandoning a naturalist–realist position either by adopting the historicist approach of Rorty, which suggests that apparently a priori truths are often merely conventions of a philosophical tradition, or by accepting Wittgenstein’s view that there are hinge statements that are fundamental to our thinking but are not propositional beliefs and do not entail dualism. As an alternative, we can adopt the metaphysical assumptions of monism, possibly starting from William James’s approach of neutral monism. Revising our metaphysical assumptions while retaining the pragmatism that is central to behavior analysis may enable us to engage more effectively with cognitive psychology, to develop stronger links with ecological psychology and other approaches that reject representationalism, and to move beyond the debate about the status of private events.

行为分析采用自然科学方法来处理人和动物的行为。一些基本原则在该领域已被广泛认可，但可以认为我们的方法中隐含了其他一些假设，如果不加以研究，可能会损害进度。自从大卫·休ume（David Hume）时代以来，西方就已经有很强的自然主义和现实主义哲学传统。尽管行为分析从一开始就包含实用主义，但自然主义的特征已嵌入科学的形而上学，因此已被引入行为分析中。自然主义的许多版本都暗示着二元论，但是可以通过采用罗蒂的历史主义方法来避免不放弃自然主义者-现实主义立场的情况，这表明显然先验真理通常仅是哲学传统的惯例，或接受维特根斯坦（Wittgenstein）的观点，即有些铰链陈述对我们的思想至关重要，但不是命题信念，也没有二元论。作为替代，我们可以采用一元论的形而上学假设，可能是从威廉·詹姆斯（William James）的中性一元论方法开始的。修改我们的形而上学的假设，同时保留对行为分析至关重要的实用主义，这可以使我们更有效地与认知心理学互动，与生态心理学和其他拒绝代表主义的方法建立更牢固的联系，并超越关于私人地位的争论事件。可能是从威廉·詹姆斯（William James）的中性一元论开始的。修改我们的形而上学的假设，同时保留对行为分析至关重要的实用主义，这可以使我们更有效地与认知心理学互动，与生态心理学和其他拒绝代表主义的方法建立更牢固的联系，并超越关于私人地位的争论事件。可能是从威廉·詹姆斯（William James）的中性一元论开始的。修改我们的形而上学的假设，同时保留对行为分析至关重要的实用主义，这可以使我们更有效地与认知心理学互动，与生态心理学和其他拒绝代表主义的方法建立更牢固的联系，并超越关于私人地位的争论事件。