William James

Este libro incluye una serie de conferencias para personas interesadas en el fenómeno religioso, abordándo la teología natural no en cuanto a instituciones religiosas sino desde una perspectiva individual de la persona, dictadas en la Universidad de Edimburgo, Escocia, entre 1901 y 1902, por William James, quien se confesaba agnostico, psicologo y filosofo. Estas conferencias se refieren a la naturaleza de la religion, el impulso religioso del ser humano y la falta de interes puesto de manifiesto por la ciencia.Es un magnifico libro para "neofitos" y "expertos", que se mantiene constantemente reimpreso por mas de un siglo debido a que los temas que trata continuan teniendo plena vigencia.

¿Qué papel desempeña la voluntad en la formación de nuestras creencias? El filósofo y matemático WILLIAM KINGDON CLIFFORD (1845-1879) defendió en un famoso ensayo titulado La ética de la creencia, que creer algo tomando como base una evidencia insuficiente es moralmente inaceptable siempre, en cualquier lugar y para todo el mundo. Entre las muchas respuestas que provoco este polemico escrito, brilla con luz propia el celebre escrito de WILLIAM JAMES (1842-1910) La voluntad de creer. En este ensayo, el que fuera uno de los fundadores del pragmatismo y creador de la psicologia cientifica americana rechaza, con la autoridad de quien ha experimentado en sus propias carnes el conflicto pascaliano entre las razones del corazon y las del intelecto, las pretensiones de vetar que nuestra naturaleza pasional intervenga en las decisiones de adoptar creencias filosoficas, religiosas o sentimentales, a la vez que busca fundamentar cientificamente la legitimidad de la fe voluntariamente aceptada. El libro se completa con una introduccion que ofrece una panoramica del contexto filosofico y social de Clifford y James, asi como un analisis de los detalles menos conocidos de la polemica.

Se suele considerar a William James como el padre de la psicología en Estados Unidos aunque también pasa por ser el último de los grandes metafísicos. Esta es una de tantas contradicciones, algunas muy famosas, a las que tenemos que enfrentarnos al intentar comprender un espiritu tan plural como el suyo [...]. La inmortalidad humana analiza la relacion existente entre la mente y el cerebro abordando dos de las teorias explicativas: la teoria de la produccion y la teoria de la transmision, apostando por esta ultima. Asi considera la mente humana como una porcion de una mente preexistente mayor que se filtra en este mundo a traves de nuestros cerebros, y que, una vez finalizada nuestra vida, puede regresar a su fuente. Angel CagigasWilliam James (Nueva York, 1842-Nuevo Hampshire, 1910) fue un influyente psicologo y filosofo estadounidense, considerado uno de los padres de la psicologia moderna. Estudio medicina y enseño en la Universidad de Harvard. Fue pionero en la psicologia funcionalista, enfocada en como la mente se adapta al entorno. Su obra mas destacada, Principios de psicologia (1890), marco un hito en la disciplina. James tambien fue una figura clave del pragmatismo filosofico, destacando la utilidad practica del pensamiento. Su interes por la religion y la experiencia mistica se refleja en Las variedades de la experiencia religiosa (1902). Su legado sigue influyendo en la psicologia y la filosofia contemporaneas.

At most of our American Colleges there are Clubs formed by the students devoted to particular branches of learning; and these clubs have the laudable custom of inviting once or twice a year some maturer scholar to address them, the occasion often being made a public one. I have from time to time accepted such invitations, and afterwards had my discourse printed in one or other of the Reviews. It has seemed to me that these addresses might now be worthy of collection in a volume, as they shed explanatory light upon each other, and taken together express a tolerably definite philosophic attitude in a very untechnical way.

W.J. e considerato il piu importante filosofo americano, insieme a C.S. Pierce e John Dewey, rappresentante del pragmatismo, cioe della particolare visione del mondo che vede il pensiero al servizio dellazione e della volonta, cioe dei bisogni e della liberta dellindividuo. "La fede in qualche cosa, puo contribuire a crearla." In questo libro James rivendica il diritto dellindividuo di dare ascolto a una sua fede personale per affermare certi valori nel mondo. INDICEIntroduzione La volonta di credereVal la pena di vivere?Il sentimento di razionalita Il dilemma del determinismoI grandi uomini e il loro ambiente

THE pivotal part of my book named Pragmatism is its account of the relation called truth which may obtain between an idea (opinion, belief, statement, or what not) and its object. Truth, I there say, is a property of certain of our ideas. It means their agreement, as falsity means their disagreement, with reality. Pragmatists and intellectualists both accept this definition as a matter of course.Where our ideas [do] not copy definitely their object, what does agreement with that object mean? ... Pragmatism asks its usual question. "Grant an idea or belief to be true," it says, "what concrete difference will its being true make in any ones actual life? What experiences [may] be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? How will the truth be realized? What, in short, is the truths cash-value in experiential terms?" The moment pragmatism asks this question, it sees the answer: TRUE IDEAS ARE THOSE THAT WE CAN ASSIMILATE, VALIDATE, CORROBORATE, AND VERIFY. FALSE IDEAS ARE THOSE THAT WE CANNOT. That is the practical difference it makes to us to have true ideas; that therefore is the meaning of truth, for it is all that truth is known as.

THE pivotal part of my book named Pragmatism is its account of the relation called truth which may obtain between an idea (opinion, belief, statement, or what not) and its object. Truth, I there say, is a property of certain of our ideas. It means their agreement, as falsity means their disagreement, with reality. Pragmatists and intellectualists both accept this definition as a matter of course.Where our ideas [do] not copy definitely their object, what does agreement with that object mean? Pragmatism asks its usual question. Grant an idea or belief to be true, it says, what concrete difference will its being true make in any ones actual life? What experiences [may] be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? How will the truth be realized? What, in short, is the truths cash-value in experiential terms? The moment pragmatism asks this question, it sees the answer: True ideas are those that we can assimilate, validate, corroborate, and verify. False ideas are those that we cannot. That is the practical difference it makes to us to have true ideas; that therefore is the meaning of truth, for it is all that truth is known as.

The question, What are the religious propensities? and the question, What is their philosophic significance? are two entirely different orders of question from the logical point of view; and, as a failure to recognize this fact distinctly may breed confusion, I wish to insist upon the point a little before we enter into the documents and materials to which I have referred.In recent books on logic, distinction is made between two orders of inquiry concerning anything. First, what is the nature of it? how did it come about? what is its constitution, origin, and history? And second, What is its importance, meaning, or significance, now that it is once here? The answer to the one question is given in an existential judgment or proposition. The answer to the other is a proposition of value, what the Germans call a Werthurtheil, or what we may, if we like, denominate a spiritual judgment. Neither judgment can be deduced immediately from the other. They proceed from diverse intellectual preoccupations, and the mind combines them only by making them first separately, and then adding them together.

"The Varieties of Religious Experience is a generous and endlessly insightful book about human nature." The New York Times"The most notable of all books in the field of the psychology of religion and probably destined to be the most influential book written on religion in the 20th century." Psychology todayPublished in 1902 and quickly established itself as a classic, this book is a work that opens a new era of thinking. The study made by William James brings us a new definition of the word Religion which "shall mean for us the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine." Therefore, a religious experience appears to be a subjective experience which is interpreted within a religious framework.This book is fully annotated by the author (more than 300 footnotes) and contains a short biography.

First published in 1902, "The Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James, a psychologist and philosopher who taught at Harvard, contains, in edited form, a series of natural theology lectures called the Gifford Lectures which he delivered at the University of Edinburgh in the two years leading up to its publication. The lectures argue about the nature of religion and the tendency of modern religious studies to ignore the importance of science in their research. The lectures, immediately acclaimed, are considered part of the Western canon. The lectures also contain hints of Jamess developing notion of pragmatism, which he later synthesised in his 1907 book, "Pragmatism".

There are some peopleand I am one of themwho think that the most practical and important thing about a man is still his view of the universe. We think that for a landlady considering a lodger, it is important to know his income, but still more important to know his philosophy. We think that for a general about to fight an enemy, it is important to know the enemys numbers, but still more important to know the enemys philosophy. We think the question is not whether the theory of the cosmos affects matters, but whether, in the long run, anything else affects them.

First published in 1907, "Pragmatism", a philosophical work by American philosopher William James, is an exploration of what is known as the pragmatic method, designed as a way to reconcile the claims of science with those of religion and morality. Pragmatism as a philosophy considers different philosophies most useful in terms of how they are implemented. Ultimately, James argues that any idea, be it philosophical, political, social, or otherwise, is valid only in terms of its experiential and practical consequences. The primary themes of Pragmatism are of truth, meaning, and reality, and the value they have when implemented. James explores the consequences of these differing philosophies when implemented, whether they can help people make better sense of the world and resolve the problems faced as both individuals and a larger society. "Pragmatism" is considered one of the most influential works of pragmatist philosophy.Two years later, a follow-up work, "The Meaning of Truth: A Sequel to Pragmatism" appeared. It is still widely read and analysed today by students of philosophy.

The lectures that follow were delivered at the Lowell Institute in Boston in November and December, 1906, and in January, 1907, at Columbia University, in New York. They are printed as delivered, without developments or notes. The pragmatic movement, so-calledI do not like the name, but apparently it is too late to change itseems to have rather suddenly precipitated itself out of the air. A number of tendencies that have always existed in philosophy have all at once become conscious of themselves collectively, and of their combined mission; and this has occurred in so many countries, and from so many different points of view, that much unconcerted statement has resulted. I have sought to unify the picture as it presents itself to my own eyes, dealing in broad strokes, and avoiding minute controversy. Much futile controversy might have been avoided, I believe, if our critics had been willing to wait until we got our message fairly out.

Indice dei ContenutiPrefazionePrefazione dellautoreParte Prima - Gli Ideali della VitaI. Il Vangelo dellabbandonoII. Di una curiosa cecita negli esseri umaniIII. Cio che da senso ad una vitaParte Seconda - Discorsi agli insegnanti sulla PsicologiaCapitolo I. La psicologia e larte dinsegnareCapitolo II. La corrente della coscienzaCapitolo III. Il bambino come un organismo educabileCapitolo IV. Educazione e contegnoCapitolo V. La necessita delle reazioniCapitolo VI. Reazioni congenite e reazioni acquisiteCapitolo VII. Quali sono le reazioni congeniteCapitolo VIII Le leggi dellabitudineCapitolo IX. Lassociazione delle ideeCapitolo X. InteresseCapitolo XI. AttenzioneCapitolo XII. MemoriaCapitolo XIII. Lacquisizione delle ideeCapitolo XIV. AppercezioneCapitolo XV. La volontaNote

The present volume is an attempt to carry out a plan which William James is known to have formed several years before his death. In 1907 he collected reprints in an envelope which he inscribed with the title Essays in Radical Empiricism; and he also had duplicate sets of these reprints bound, under the same title, and deposited for the use of students in the general Harvard Library, and in the Philosophical Library in Emerson Hall.Two years later Professor James published The Meaning of Truth and A Pluralistic Universe, and inserted in these volumes several of the articles which he had intended to use in the Essays in Radical Empiricism. Whether he would nevertheless have carried out his original plan, had he lived, cannot be certainly known. Several facts, however, stand out very clearly. In the first place, the articles included in the original plan but omitted from his later volumes are indispensable to the understanding of his other writings.

The work of William James contributed greatly to the burgeoning fields of psychology, particularly in the areas of education, religion, mysticism and pragmatism. The brother of novelist Henry James and of diarist Alice James, William wrote several powerful essays expressing his ideas on the pragmatic theory of truth, sentience, and human beings right to believe.