Paul Goodman's criticisms of and proposals for institutions, including educational institutions, have as their foundation 1) a set of leading principles derived from experience and centered in a transactional view of experiences and 2) a concept of "self" which constitutes a theory of human nature. Human nature is viewed as process: tendencies or dispositions actualized in contacts in the organism/environment field which, in turn, affect the ways in which a person approaches and contends with experience. Goodman's use of phenomenological method, his attention to experimental verification, and the essentially pragmatic foundation of his philosophy provide an empirically and logically sound basis for his theories. (Author)