William James

William James, who has been called the "father of American psychology", was one of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. Along with Charles Sanders Peirce, William James established the school of thought known as "Pragmatism", a philosophy which rejected the idea that language and thought exists simply to represent nature, but rather it must be useful in transacting with nature, in predicting outcomes, and solving problems. First published...

"The Varieties of Religious Experience is a generous and endlessly insightful book about human nature." - The New York Times "The most notable of all books in the field of the psychology of religion and probably destined to be the most influential book written on religion in the 20th century." - Psychology today Published in 1902 and quickly established itself as a classic, this book is a work that opens a new era of thinking. The study made by...

This edition includes a modern introduction and a list of suggested further reading. These classic essays address concerns of religious faith from a philosophical perspective. "The Will to Believe" is a defense of the legitimacy of religious faith-though not as a defense of the validity of such faith. James responds to the often corrosive effect of rationality on religious faith by arguing that it is most rational to choose faith. He continues his...

This edition includes a modern introduction and a list of suggested further reading. The word "pragmatism" is used everywhere today, from business to sports to politics. Although the word hadn't yet entered everyday language when William James published Pragmatism in 1907, the philosopher believed its doctrine had virtually become common sense in twentieth-century America. For James, pragmatism was a specific philosophical alternative to essentialism...

Brother of novelist Henry James and godson of eminent philosopher, essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, William James earned his own reputation for the monumental contributions he made in the field of Psychology. Here in his most comprehensive work on psychology, "Principles of Psychology", we find a textbook which took James twelve years to complete, and which is still prevalent in the contemporary study of psychology. James' writings were, influenced...

The work of William James contributed greatly to the burgeoning fields of psychology, particularly in the areas of education, religion, mysticism and pragmatism. The brother of novelist Henry James and of diarist Alice James, William wrote several powerful essays expressing his ideas on the pragmatic theory of truth, sentience, and human beings' right to believe. In "The Will to Believe", James suggests that what a person holds to be true or attainable...

William James's fascinating treatise explores the psychology of habitual behavior in human beings, discussing the science of habit and it's drawbacks, benefits, negation, and more. This easy-to-digest volume is highly recommended for students and will appeal those with an interest in psychology. William James (1842 - 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist. He is among the most influential thinkers of the late nineteenth century and is...

Condensed and reworked from James's monumental Principles of Psychology, this classic text examines habit; stream of consciousness; self and the sense of personal identity; discrimination and association; the sense of time; memory; perception; imagination; reasoning; emotions, instincts; the will and voluntary acts; and much more. This edition omits the outdated first nine chapters.

William James was the older brother of novelist Henry James, and a pioneering psychologist and philosopher. His works pushed the boundaries of psychology and helped shape the direction the field would grow in. Collected here are four of his most important books: 'Essays in Radical Empiricism', 'The Meaning of Truth', 'The Varieties of Religious Experience', and 'What is an Emotion?' These books helped forge a field and remain as important today as...

I should say first of all that the only emotions I propose expressly to consider here are those that have a distinct bodily expression. That there are feelings of pleasure and displeasure, of interest and excitement, bound up with mental operations, but having no obvious bodily expression for their consequence, would, I suppose, be held true by most readers. Certain arrangements of sounds, of lines, of colours, are agreeable, and others the reverse,...