James, William (1842-1910): Definition, History and Characteristics
William James was an American philosopher and psychologist who is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern psychology. He is best known for his pioneering work in the field of psychology, particularly for his contribution to the development of the field of functional psychology. James is also credited with introducing the concept of pragmatism to the field of philosophy. He is also known for his work on the philosophy of religion and his influential book, The Varieties of Religious Experience.
Definition
William James was an American philosopher and psychologist who is widely considered to be one of the founders of modern psychology. He is best known for his pioneering work in the field of functional psychology, which focused on the study of the functions of the mind and its role in behavior. His work also included the study of the philosophy of religion and his influential book, The Varieties of Religious Experience.
History
William James was born in New York City in 1842. He studied medicine and psychology at Harvard University, where he was also appointed professor of psychology. In 1878, he became the founding president of the American Psychological Association. During his career, James wrote a number of influential books on psychology and philosophy, including The Principles of Psychology, which is considered to be the first comprehensive text on the topic. He also wrote a book on the philosophy of religion, The Varieties of Religious Experience.
Characteristics
William James is best known for his pioneering work in the field of functional psychology. He was a proponent of pragmatism, which is a philosophical approach that emphasizes the importance of practicality and experience over abstract theories. He argued that ideas and theories should be evaluated based on the results they produce in practice. James is also known for his work on the philosophy of religion, which focused on the relationship between religion and science.
References
Broughton, J. M. (2002). William James and the challenge of modernity. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
Goodwin, C. J. (2008). A history of modern psychology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Rorty, R. (1999). The philosophical lexicon. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Sternberg, R. J. (2003). The psychology of intelligence. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Wright, J. (2002). William James: In the maelstrom of American modernism. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.