| William James (1) [1842–1910]For other authors named William James, see the disambiguation page.| 11,399 (14,142) | 91 | 1,780 |  (3.89) | 45 | 0 | William James, oldest of five children (including Henry James and Alice James) in the extraordinary James family, was born in New York City on January 11, 1842. He has had a far-reaching influence on writers and thinkers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Broadly educated by private tutors and through European travel, James initially studied painting. During the Civil War, however, he turned to medicine and physiology, attended Harvard medical school, and became interested in the workings of the mind. His text, The Principles of Psychology (1890), presents psychology as a science rather than a philosophy and emphasizes the connection between the mind and the body. James believed in free will and the power of the mind to affect events and determine the future. In The Will to Believe (1897) and The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), he explores metaphysical concepts and mystical experiences. He saw truth not as absolute but as relative, depending on the given situation and the forces at work in it. He believed that the universe was not static and orderly but ever-changing and chaotic. His most important work, Pragmatism (1907), examines the practical consequences of behavior and rejects the idealist philosophy of the transcendentalists. This philosophy seems to reinforce the tenets of social Darwinism and the idea of financial success as the justification of the means in a materialistic society; nevertheless, James strove to demonstrate the practical value of ethical behavior. Overall, James's lifelong concern with what he called the "stream of thought" or "stream of consciousness" changed the way writers conceptualize characters and present the relationship between humans, society, and the natural world. He died due to heart failure on August 26, 1910. (Bowker Author Biography) — biography from The Varieties of Religious Experience … (more) |
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William James has 1 past event. (show) Daytime Great Books Club William James, The Moral Equivalent of War . We meet each month to discuss enduring issues and ideas presented through readings selected to stimulate good conversation and hard thinking. For more information about the group, stop at the Warrenton Library reference desk or call or e-mail Jeanne Day, (540) 347-8750, ext. 6. To learn more about all of the library's book clubs, visit the library's home page (library.fauquiercounty.gov). (fauquierlibrary)… (more)
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| Canonical name | | | Legal name | | | Other names | | | Date of birth | | | Date of death | | | Burial location | | | Gender | | | Nationality | | | Country (for map) | | | Birthplace | | | Place of death | | | Cause of death | | | Places of residence | | | Education | | | Occupations | | | Relationships | | | Organizations | | | Awards and honors | | | Agents | | | Short biography | | | Improve this authorCombine/separate worksAuthor division"William James" is composed of at least 8 distinct authors, divided by their works. You can edit the division. Name disambiguationGo to the disambiguation page to edit author name combination and separation. IncludesWilliam James is composed of 15 names. You can examine and separate out names. Combine with…
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