Most Popular Books by William James

"William James (1842 1910) was an American psychologist and philosopher. Topics of his books included psychology, religious psychology, educational psychology, mysticism, and pragmatism. James played a major role is the transition from 19th century European philosophy to American philosophy. James wrote "True ideas lead us into useful verbal and conceptual quarters as well as directly up to useful sensible termini. They lead to consistency, stability and flowing human intercourse" but "all true processes must lead to the face of directly verifying sensible experiences somewhere," Shortly before his death William James expressed the desire to collect some of his addresses and essays into one volume. Topics included are: Louis Agassiz, Address to the Emerson Centenary in Concord, Robert Gould Shaw, Francis Boott, Thomas Davidson a Knight-Errant of the Intellectual Life, Herbert Spencers Autobiography, Frederick Myers Services to Psychology, Final Impressions of a Psychical Researcher, On Some Mental Effects of the Earthquake, The Energies of Men, The Moral Equivalent of War, Remarks at the Peace banquet, The Social Value of the College Bred, The University and the Individual, and A Pluralistic Mystic." --

A selection of seventeen essays from the writings of pioneering American psychologist/philosopher William James that provide insight into his thinking on emotion, war, habit, determinism, religion, and other topics.

What is reality? How do we test the value of any given philosophical system? Can philosophy be useful? Why must we reject the notion that there is one concrete truth? American psychologist and philosopher WILLIAM JAMES (18421910), brother of novelist Henry James, was a groundbreaking researcher at Harvard University, author of such works as Principles of Psychology (1890) and The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature (1902), and one of the most influential academics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Here, over a series of eight lectures delivered at the Lowell Institute in Boston in late 1906 and at Columbia University in early 1907, he explores these questions as he discusses: [ The Present Dilemma in Philosophy [ What Pragmatism Means [ Some Metaphysical Problems Pragmatically Considered [ The One and the Many [ Pragmatism and Common Sense [ Pragmatisms Conception of Truth [ Pragmatism and Humanism [ Pragmatism and Religion

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time The Varieties of Religious Experience was an immediate bestseller upon its publication in June 1902. Reflecting the pluralistic views of psychologist turned philosopher William James, it posits that individual religious experiences, rather than the tenets of organized religions, form the backbone of religious life. James’s discussion of conversion, repentance, mysticism, and hope of reward and fears of punishment in the hereafter—as well as his observations on the religious experiences of such diverse thinkers as Voltaire, Emerson, Luther, and others—all support his thesis. Walter Houston Clark in Psychology Today deemed it “the most notable of all books in the field of the psychology of religion.”

Originally a lecture given at Harvard as part of the Ingersoll Lecture on Immortality, this small volume is psychologist William James's updated second edition, which addresses criticisms levied against his original work on the nature of human immortality. James sees the individual soul as part of a greater soul, hidden behind the veil of death. And that greater soul, perhaps God, perhaps an essence that defies description, is eternal. James brings together modern science and mysticism to show his audience that the two are not as incompatible as they might have believed. Spiritual seekers, religious individuals, and even skeptics will find this discussion on the possibility of immortality thought-provoking and electric.American psychologist and philosopher WILLIAM JAMES (1842-1910), brother of novelist Henry James, was a groundbreaking researcher at Harvard University and one of the most popular thinkers of the 19th century. Among his many works are Principles of Psychology (1890) and The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature (1902).

William James' 'The Principles of Psychology (The Complete Two-Volume Edition)' stands as a seminal work in the field of psychology, first published in 1890. This comprehensive two-volume set delves into the complexities of human psychology, exploring topics such as consciousness, emotions, habits, and will. James employs a blend of scientific rigor and philosophical insight, making the book accessible to both scholars and general readers. His writing style is engaging, with vivid examples and case studies that bring abstract concepts to life. The book is a cornerstone of modern psychology, influencing generations of researchers and thinkers. James' empirical approach and focus on the workings of the mind set a standard for psychological study that endures to this day. His exploration of topics like attention and memory laid the groundwork for future developments in the field. 'The Principles of Psychology' is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of the human mind and the roots of modern psychological thought.

"This book provides a chronological presentation and explanation of letters by William James from 1893-1910. Readers of this book will have seen that the center of his interest had always been religious and philosophical"--Create. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

"Psychology: Briefer Course" is a book by William James, an American philosopher and psychologist, which covers a large number of topics, but some topics stand out as being more useful and applicable than others particularly the sections on stream of consciousness, emotion, habit, and will. This book lays the basic understanding of the idea of psychology and presents a study of human psychology and everything worth knowing about the subject, including the definition of psychology, general sensation, touch, sight, hearing, and other things influenced by the subject.

Why is real-world experience vital to a mature appreciation of any philosophical system? Why is the search for objective truth a trickier proposition than it seems at first glance? American psychologist and philosopher WILLIAM JAMES (18421910), brother of novelist Henry James, was a groundbreaking researcher at Harvard University, author of such works as Principles of Psychology (1890) and The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature (1902), and one of the most influential academics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Here, in a series of essays first published in book form in 1909, and considered a sequel to his series of lectures collected in Pragmatism (also available from Cosimo), James explores these questions as he discusses: [ the function of cognition [ humanism and truth [ the relation between knower and known [ the essence of humanism [ the meaning of the word truth [ the absolute and strenuous life [ and more.

How do students learn? What is the mental life of the pupil? How can students and teachers alike intensify their relationship and enhance the learning environment? American psychologist and philosopher WILLIAM JAMES (18421910), brother of novelist Henry James, was a groundbreaking researcher at Harvard University, as well as a profoundly influential explorer of the learning process and one of the most significant academics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In these essays, considered a vital companion to Jamess Principles of Psychology (1890) and gleaned from a series of lectures on psychology given to teachers at Harvard in 1892James addresses both students and teachers on: [ psychology and the teaching art t[ he stream of consciousness [ education and behavior [ the laws of habit [ the acquisition of ideas [ the gospel of relaxation [ what makes a life significant [ and more.

William James, the radical modern philosopher and father of American psychology, found habit and will to be the secret of a good life. He elaborated this discovery into a philosophy of life that runs through his many scintillating writings, ranging from psychology and religion to pragmatism and war. Always he urged people to cultivate habits of mind---especially habits of will, including the power to break bad habits---that give us self-mastery. alert us to truth, equip us to act, and lend zest to life. In the extensive introduction James Sloan Allen shows how William James came to his philosophy of life and how he played it out in ideas and works that have immediate value today. In the selections that are included in the book, we see William James weaving his philosophy through classic writings on habit and its uses, consciousness and the discipline of will, the efficacy of belief and clues to morality, the truths of experience, and the strenuous life and its rewards.

These lectures concerning the nature of religion were delivered at the University of Edinburgh between 1901 and 1902. Soon after its publication, the book found its way into the canon of psychology and philosophy, and has remained in print for over a century.

A pioneer in early studies of the human mind and founder of that peculiarly American philosophy called Pragmatism, William James remains America's most widely read philosopher. Generations of students have been drawn to his lucid presentations of philosophical problems. His works, now being made available for the first time in a definitive edition, have a permanent place in American letters and a continuing influence in philosophy and psychology. The essays gathered in the posthumously published Essays in Radical Empiricism formulate ideas that had brewed in James's mind for thirty years as he sought a way out of the philosophical dilemmas generated by the new psychology of the late nineteenth century. They constitute the explanatory core of his doctrine of radical empiricism, a doctrine that charts his course between the absolute idealism he could not accept and, at the other extreme, the law of associationism, which reduces knowledge to sheer contiguity of ideas. In his introduction John J. McDermott describes the historical background and the genesis of James's theory and considers the objections raised by its opponents.

This new release of the classic text Pragmatism is absolutely timely. James' seminal statement of pragmatism's underpinnings and its treatment of essential philosophical questions (the nature of truth; the one and the many; free will; etc.) could not come at a more appropriate time. In a “post-truth” era of fake news, alternative facts, and a belief that "truth isn't truth," James' presentation of pragmatism as a method of adjudicating truth-claims is a must-read. Perfect for courses in: Philosophy of Education (Graduate Level), American Philosophy (Graduate and Upper-Level Undergraduate), American Studies, Special topics class on William James or Pragmatism, Sociology of Education (Graduate Level), Religious Studies.

Harvard psychologist and philosopher William James' The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature explores the nature of religion and, in James' observation, its divorce from science when studied academically. After publication in 1902 it quickly became a canonical text of philosophy and psychology, remaining in print through the entire century.

High quality reprint of Principles Of Psychology - Volume 1 by William James.