Romain bilharz biography of william james

William James January 11, — August 26, was an American philosopher and psychologist, and the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States. James trained as a physician and taught anatomy at Harvard, but never practiced medicine. Instead, he pursued his interests in psychology and then philosophy. He wrote widely on many topics, including epistemology , education, metaphysics , psychology , religion, and mysticism.

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Among his most influential books are The Principles of Psychology , a groundbreaking text in the field of psychology; Essays in Radical Empiricism , an important text in philosophy; and The Varieties of Religious Experience , an investigation of different forms of religious experience , including theories on mind-cure. Along with Charles Sanders Peirce , James established the philosophical school known as pragmatism , and is also cited as one of the founders of functional psychology.

A Review of General Psychology analysis, published in , ranked James as the 14th most eminent psychologist of the 20th century. James's work has influenced philosophers and academics such as Alan Watts , [ 10 ] W. He was the son of Henry James Sr. The intellectual brilliance of the James family milieu and the remarkable epistolary talents of several of its members have made them a subject of continuing interest to historians, biographers, and critics.

William James received an eclectic trans-Atlantic education, developing fluency in both German and French. Education in the James household encouraged cosmopolitanism.