William James
American physician, psychologist and philosopher
American Harvard teacher who taught an experimental psychology course in 1875 to 1876, wrote the 1890 Principles of Psychology, advanced a theory of emotion and helped establish the philosophy of pragmatism.
Why this person matters
James's Principles of Psychology gave English-language readers a broad account of mind, from habit and attention to emotion and the stream of thought. He also taught students who became prominent, among them Mary Whiton Calkins, who attended Harvard classes as a guest because the university did not admit women.
Main contributions
The Principles of Psychology
The two-volume work of about twelve hundred pages (1890) took twelve years to complete after he agreed to write it in 1878. Its 28 chapters include habit, the stream of thought, attention, memory, instinct and the emotions. A shorter Briefer Course followed in 1892.
James-Lange theory of emotion
In the 1880s, independently of the Danish physiologist Carl Lange, James proposed that emotion follows bodily expression: we feel afraid because we tremble. His article 'What is an Emotion?' appeared in Mind in 1884.
Pragmatism and psychical research
He identified himself as a pragmatist in an 1898 lecture and published Pragmatism in 1907; he is credited with establishing the approach along with Charles Sanders Peirce. He was also a founder of the American Society for Psychical Research.
Context and limits
James's support for psychical research drew criticism: James McKeen Cattell and Edward Titchener considered his statements unscientific. Bertrand Russell criticised the 'will to believe' position in Free Thought and Official Propaganda. Sources differ on whether his Harvard facility of the mid-1870s or G. Stanley Hall's Johns Hopkins laboratory of 1883 was the first American psychology laboratory. He moved from psychology towards philosophy after the 1890s.
In your introductory course
History and research methods.Appears in the history chapter as the main American voice of the 1890s, and in the emotion chapter through the James-Lange theory.
Related course reading: Psychology 2e, section 1.2. This is course context rather than a biographical source.
Years of active work
- 1875
Taught his first experimental psychology course at Harvard (academic year 1875 to 1876).
- 1884
Published 'What is an Emotion?' in Mind.
- 1890
Published The Principles of Psychology.
- 1892
Published Psychology: The Briefer Course.
Sources
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, William JamesReference work. Reference article inspected.
- Classics in the History of Psychology (York University), James, The Principles of Psychology (contents page)Original work. Contents page inspected.
- Wikipedia, William JamesReference work. Reference article inspected.