William James
American philosopher and psychologist
William James (1842-1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist who trained as a physician. He wrote The Varieties of Religious Experience.
1 summary 30 min of listening
American Born 1842 in Astor House Died 1910
Influenced by Charles Darwin, David Hume
About William James
William James was born in New York City in 1842 into a wealthy family. His father was the theologian Henry James Sr., and his brother was the novelist Henry James. Though he trained as a physician, he lectured in anatomy at Harvard without ever practising medicine, and moved on to psychology and later philosophy. He offered the first psychology course taught by any educator in the United States, and many call him the father of American psychology. With Charles Sanders Peirce he founded the school of thought called pragmatism, and he also shaped the outlook known as radical empiricism. James wrote about many subjects, among them education, metaphysics, psychology, religion and mysticism. His books include The Principles of Psychology and Essays in Radical Empiricism. The Varieties of Religious Experience is his study of different forms of religious experience.