Select Works of William James (8 vols.)

by William James

Publishers:

Longman; Houghton Mifflin Company; Riverside Press

, 1897–1912

Overview

Is life worth living? This question, the title of one of William James’ essays, is one James himself struggled with in his life and work. Trained as a doctor, James never practiced medicine. Perhaps due to his own struggles with depression and melancholy, he was drawn to philosophy and psychology. That interest turned into a serious academic career. Known as the father of American psychology, James is the founder of functional psychology and cofounder of the James-Lange Theory of Emotion. He also wrote an important work on the psychology of religious experience. James’ philosophical work forms some of the seminal thinking on pragmatism—the belief that usefulness, not truth, should be the focus of philosophical ideas.

The Select Works of William James contains James’ key texts on psychology and philosophy. All eight volumes are indexed, allowing you to search for a word or a phrase with a click. Citations are automatically generated according to your preferred format. Look up difficult medical and philosophical terms using the dictionary lookup tool. References to other philosophers and psychologists are linked to their books. This allows you to see exactly what James is refuting or supporting by pulling up the reference and comparing the two side by side.

Key Features

• Contains James’ seminal works in psychology and philosophy
• Provides an in-depth index
• Includes introductions by the author
• Offers annotated tables of contents

Product Details

• Title: Select Works of William James
• Author: William James
• Volumes: 8
• Pages: 2,468

William James (1842–1910) was born at the Astor House in New York City. His father, Henry James Sr., was a Swedenborgian theologian. His godfather was poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. James studied science at Harvard University and enrolled in Harvard Medical School, earning an MD in 1869. In 1878, he married Alice Gibbens, and in 1882, he became a member of the theosophical society. James suffered various forms of depression throughout his life. Though he studied medicine, he was drawn to philosophy and psychology. He began writing on these subjects and eventually began teaching at Harvard. He held professorships of both philosophy and psychology, ending his career as emeritus professor of philosophy in 1907. Medical historians consider him the 14th most eminent psychologist of the twentieth century.