William James

William James was born at the Astor House in New York City in 1842. He was born to Henry James Sr. who was an independently wealthy man in the city. His younger brother, Henry James was a prominent novelist and his younger sister, Alice James was famous for her posthumous diary. Together with his brothers and sister, William James received trans-Atlantic education in his childhood days, hence developing fluency in both German and French. Because of their affluence, James family toured frequently to Europe and William James attended some of the best schools. These early trips shaped his artistic bent of mind which led him to an apprenticeship under the artist William Morris Hunt. After studying painting under him for more than a year, he joined Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard in 1861.

 

William James suffered from lot of physical ailments in his early adulthood days. He had problems in eyes, back, skin and stomach and was tone deaf. He was suffering from variety of psychological symptoms including depression and suicidal tendencies which further led to his being diagnosed with neurasthenia. Despite his poor physical condition, William James did not leave studying and enrolled himself in Harvard Medical School in 1864. But within a year, disinterested in medicine, he went in an expedition with naturalist Louis Agassiz. But due to his frequent sickness he had to abort the trip in eight months only. His prolonged illness interrupted his studies and made him to travel Germany in search of a cure in 1867. He remained there till November 1868. James completed his M.D. in June 1869 but never practiced it. The next two years of his life sank down in depression and his “soul searching”. In year 1872, he accepted the offer of President Eliot of Harvard to teach undergraduate course in comparative physiology. He married Alice Howe Gibbens in 1878.

 

William James nearly spent his entire academic career at Harvard. Starting as an instructor in physiology in the spring of 1873, he turned assistant professor in psychology in 1876. His acquaintances with names like Hermann Helmholtz, Pierre Janet helped him to introduce scientific psychology at Harvard University. He gave his first experimental psychology course at Harvard in the academic year of 1875-76. He took the post of assistant professor of philosophy in 1881 and became full professor in year 1885.  His philosophical discussions with other noted philosophers like Charles Peirce, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Chauncey Wright led to the formation of ‘The Metaphysical Club’. This club became the foundation of American intellectual thought for decades. His famous students at Harvard University include names like Boris Sidis, Theodore Roosevelt, George Santayana, W. E. B. Du Bois, G. Stanley Hall, Ralph, Barton Perry, Gertrude Stein, Morris Raphael Cohen, Walter Lippmann, Alain Locke, C. I. Lewis, and Mary Calkins.

 

William James was known for his non- exhaustive writings. His most famous work was “The Principles of Psychology” which was published in 1890. This voluminous book of twelve hundred pages took twelve years to complete. The four methods that William James used in his Psychology were analysis, introspection, experiment and conclusion. The main five targets of the critical arguments in this volume were innatism, associationism, materialism, spiritualism and metaphysical. Two important topics that were discussed in “The Principles of Psychology” are ‘Emotions’ and ‘Will’. His other significant work, “The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy” came in year 1897. This book contained his previously published essays including the famous essays like “The Sentiment of Rationality”, “The Dilemma of Determinism,” “Great Men and Their Environment” and “The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life”.

 

William James’ other important writing named, “The Varieties of Religious Experience” was published in 1902. In this book, James related human nature with religious experience. He said that the human nature is disinterested to religious institutions, rituals or even ideas but seemed to be interested in the feelings and experiences of individual men in their solitude. His later writings include his famous book; “Pragmatism” which was published in year 1907. In this book, he wrote considerably about the concept of pragmatism. His book, “Pragmatism”, says that truth of an idea can not be proved. For this, James proposed that we instead should focus on usefulness or cash value of the idea. In his final days, James came up with two other writings namely, “A Pluralistic Universe” and “The Meaning of Truth”. The former book was based on his discussion over the temperamental determination of philosophical theories. While with “Pragmatism”, James colligated the religious with pragmatic, in “A Pluralistic Universe” he offered that religious has a super relation with the universe.

 

James took his retirement from Harvard in year 1907, but still continued to write and lecture. While he was publishing his works like “Pragmatism”, “A Pluralistic Universe”, and “The Meaning of Truth”; he was afflicted with increased cardiac pain. His condition worsened in year 1909 which forced him to sail towards Europe in the spring of 1910. After a series of unsuccessful experimental treatments, he returned home on August 18. Shortly after, he died at his home in Chocorua, New Hampshire, on August 26, 1910. After the death, he was buried in the family plot in Cambridge Cemetery, Cambridge.

1842: William James was born at the Astor House in New York City.

1855: Moved to Europe along with his family.

1858: Joined his study of painting under William Hunt.

1861: Left painting and took admission in Lawrence Scientific School at      Harvard.

1864: Shifted to Harvard School of Medicine.

1865: Went on an expedition with Louis Agassiz.

1869: Completed his M.D. but never practiced it.

1872: Accepted the offer from President Eliot of Harvard to teach in physiology.

1878: Married Alice Howe Gibbens.

1890: “The Principles of Psychology” was published.

1897: “The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy” was released.

1902: “The Varieties of Religious Experience” was published.

1907: “Pragmatism” was published; Retired from Harvard.

1910: Died at his home in Chocorua, New Hampshire.