James, William
James, William
(1842-1910) Unquestionably one of the most influential of American thinkers, William James began his career as a teacher shortly after graduation (MD, 1870) from Harvard University. He became widely known as a brilliant and original lecturer, and his already considerable reputation was greatly enhanced in 1890 when his Principles of Psychology made its appearance. Had James written no other work, his position in American philosophy and psychology would be secure; the vividness and clarity of his style no less than the keenness of his analysis roused the imagination of a public in this country which had long been apathetic to the more abstract problems of technical philosophy. Nor did James allow this rising interest to flag. Turning to religious and moral problems, and later to metaphysics, he produced a large number of writings which gave ample evidence of his amazing ability to cut through the cumbersome terminology of traditional statement and to lay bare the essential character of the matter in hand. In this sense, James was able to revivify philosophical issues long buried from any save the classical scholars. Such oversimplifications as exist, for example, in his own “pragmatism” and “radical empiricism” must be weighed against his great accomplishment in clearing such problems as that of the One and the Many from the dry rot of centuries, and in rendering such problems immediately relevant to practical and personal difficulties. — W.S.W.
Other main works
The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy, 1897;
Varieties of Religious ExperienceA Study in Human Nature, 1902;
PragmatismA New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking, 1907;
A Pluralistic Universe, 1909;
Some Problems of Philosophy, 1911;
Essays in Radical Empiricism, 1912.
Cf. R. B. Perry, Thought and Character of William. James, 2 vols., 1935.