William James

Since the 19th century, William Clifford and William James have been the foremost religious theorist and have attempted to answer significant creation and theological mysteries. However, Clifford and James have varying views on the belief debate, each formulating a rational argument of what the basis for belief should be. Clifford’s, Ethics of Belief and James’ The Will to Believe outline their respective arguments which are vastly similar and but have marked differences. Both articles will be examined

William James was an American philosopher and psychologist who specialized in Pragmatism and philosophy related to such. He led a philosophical revolution in the USA and would make the philosophy known as ¨Pragmatism" very well known. In his book ¨The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy", William explains different philosophical beliefs while also challenging them and supporting the right to believe in a religion or even life itself. William James' style of writing is more Expository

William James was a philosopher and psychologist but was most well known in the field of Psychology for developing the philosophy of pragmatism, or the Functionalist theory: "Theory of mental life and behavior that is concerned with how an organism uses its perceptual abilities to function in its environment." He was also the first Psychologist to be born in America.      William James was born on January 11, 1842 in New York City. His father, Henry James Sr. was a Swednborgian theologian, and one

groceries and oversized items are impractical to take on a city bus. Enter the philosophy of William James, the pragmatist; in this essay, I will reproduce his pragmatic philosophy and tie his view against determinism and for free will, into his notion of beliefs that pay and have cash value. Furthermore, I will discuss and use examples and allegory to demonstrate how his pragmatism works and will show how in Mr. James’ opinion, pragmatism, free will, and beliefs that pay and have cash-value relate to religion

Believe is a lecture that was presented by William James in 1896, it specifically defends that one can choose to believe in a religion without prior evidence of its truth. William James was a well-distinguished philosopher as well as a psychologist and a physician. He with a few other philosophers like Charles sanders Pierce and John Dewey were fundamental in establishing modern philosophy in America and are thought to be the founding fathers of pragmatism. James taught at several universities including

answer and question it no further. However in the back of our minds we all want to know the truth, and we will eventually conjure up a reason why what we accept as truth, in fact, the truth. Two very prominent philosophers, René Descartes, and William James were concerned with truth and how people come to believe and accept something as true or false. They believed that there is a very definite truth, but they mapped out different routes in order to get to the place where truth could be found. René

Friedrich Nietzsche and William James were philosophers who examined the search for truth and its application in modern society. While both scholars were contemporaries and concentrated on the function of truth, Nietzsche’s philosophy advocated a scientific approach which renounced all religious frameworks, while James’ theory enabled one to find truth even in the metaphysical. In “The Portable Nietzsche,” Nietzsche investigates the meaning of truth in the apparent world and its relationship to

William James, and John Dewey are well-known for their contributions to early psychology. Both were highly influential in the transition from mental philosophy to scientific psychology. This transition involved moving from a narrow focus of consciousness structure to the psychological study of the purpose, and processes of human functioning. These psychologists used their own reflections to attempt the separation of conscious experience into elements. James conceived a more practical, and dynamic

William James and Early American Psychology When one thinks of American psychology, one cannot help but think of William James. James’s contributions to psychology remain influential to this day. For starters, he helped move American psychology away from philosophy and towards a science. Although not a laboratory scientist, James is considered one of the founders of American psychology because of his scientific ideas. James proposed that a habit is developed as a result of our complex nervous systems

In William James’ 1902 book “The Varieties of Religious Experience” he opens with depicting the approach of his analysis. He clarifies that it wouldn’t be helpful to construct the examination with respect to regular people who have had religious encounters or to the customs which have been passed down from generations. Rather, he centers his research around “religious geniuses”. Actually, he clarifies in his second lecture; the attention must be on individual religious experience instead of collective