William James
American pragmatist philosopher-psychologist
William James was an American philosopher and psychologist (1842–1910), considered the father of American psychology and a founder of pragmatism.
His works include *The Principles of Psychology* and *The Varieties of Religious Experience*.
Brother of novelist Henry James.
William James argued that truth is what works in practice.
Knowledge through observation
- pluralismCoexistence of differing views
- metaphysicsPhilosophy of existence's nature
- free willAutonomous choice capacity
- determinismDoctrine of causal necessity
phenomenology · belief · reality · volition · subjectivity · moral philosophy · ethics · existentialism
Accordance with reality
- beliefsAccepted truths, personal
- consequencesResults of actions taken
- verificationProving something accurate
- utilityFunctional worth or purpose
practicality · instrumentalism · experimentation · inquiry · pluralism · contingency · Dewey · experience
Narrative mimicking uninterrupted thought
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
- habitSettled regular tendency
- emotionComplex psychological state
- selfOne's own being
attention · perception · individual differences · will · religious experience · psychopathology · associationism · educational psychology
Prestigious Cambridge university
- Gilded AgeLate 1800s American prosperity
- VictorianOf a prim era
- transcendentalismIntuition-based idealist philosophy
- EmersonAnglo surname, various namesakes
Thoreau · Cambridge · industrialization · Darwin · progressivism · reform movements · nineteenth century · American Renaissance
Uninterrupted mental narrative
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- selective attentionFiltering relevant from irrelevant
- fringeOutermost edge or margin
- focusConcentrated attention point
thought · personal identity · continuous flow · intentionality · mental states · wakefulness · self-awareness
empiricism
Knowledge through observation
- pluralismCoexistence of differing views
- metaphysicsPhilosophy of existence's nature
- free willAutonomous choice capacity
determinism · phenomenology · belief · reality · volition · subjectivity · moral philosophy · ethics · existentialism · intentionality
truth
Accordance with reality
- beliefsAccepted truths, personal
- consequencesResults of actions taken
- verificationProving something accurate
utility · practicality · instrumentalism · experimentation · inquiry · pluralism · contingency · Dewey · experience · action
stream of consciousness
Narrative mimicking uninterrupted thought
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
- habitSettled regular tendency
- emotionComplex psychological state
self · attention · perception · individual differences · will · religious experience · psychopathology · associationism · educational psychology · instinct
Harvard
Prestigious Cambridge university
- Gilded AgeLate 1800s American prosperity
- VictorianOf a prim era
- transcendentalismIntuition-based idealist philosophy
Emerson · Thoreau · Cambridge · industrialization · Darwin · progressivism · reform movements · nineteenth century · American Renaissance · Chautauqua
stream of thought
Uninterrupted mental narrative
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- selective attentionFiltering relevant from irrelevant
- fringeOutermost edge or margin
focus · thought · personal identity · continuous flow · intentionality · mental states · wakefulness · self-awareness
William Jamesrationalism
Reason as knowledge source
Immanuel Kant · René Descartes · Bertrand Russell · rationalists · Plato
William Jamesbehaviorism
Psychology studying observable conduct
B.F. Skinner · structuralists · behaviorists · reductionists