William James

I have long defended to my own students the lawfulness of voluntarily adopted faith; but as soon as they have got well imbued with the logical spirit, they have as a rule refused to admit my contention to be lawful philosophically, even though in point of fact they were personally all the time chock-full of some faith or other themselves. I am all the while, however, so profoundly convinced that my own position is correct, that your invitation has seemed to me a good occasion to make my statements more clear. Perhaps your minds will be more open than those with which I have hitherto had to deal. I will be as little technical as I can, though I must begin by setting up some technical distinctions that will help us in the end. From the Forward Get Your Copy Now.

Will to believe - And other Essays in popular Philosophy is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1897. Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

Talks to Teachers on Psychology - And to students on some of life's ideals is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1899. Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

"... M. James place le fait religieux proprement dit dans l'exp rience individuelle. Ce n'est pas l , chez lui, un artifice de m thode, propre faire rentrer les choses de la religion dans le domaine de la psychologie exp rimentale. Il est certain que, dans la vie de St-Paul, St-Augustin, Luther, l'exp rimentation int rieure a jou un r le consid rable. On sait que, pour Pascal, physicien et mystique, c'est une exp rience, dispos e comme celle du Puy-de-D me, qui doit convaincre les incr dules. J'aurais bient t quitt les plaisirs, disent-ils, si j'avais la foi. Et moi je vous dis: vous auriez bient t la foi si vous aviez quitt les plaisirs. Or c'est vous commencer. Si je pouvais, je vous donnerais la foi. Je ne puis le faire, ni, partant, prouver la v rit de ce que vous dites. Mais vous pouvez bien quitter les plaisirs, et prouver si ce que je vous dis est vrai. Chez les mystiques en particulier, la vie religieuse est une continuelle exp rimentation. Eux-m mes d crivent ce travail int rieur avec une finesse, une subtilit , une p n tration extraordinaires. Quelle t che plus digne d'un psychologue que de se pencher avec amour, non plus sur des doctrines et des formules, r sidus fig s de la pens e et de l'action, mais sur la vie elle-m me, prise dans sa source pure et jaillissante ..."

These lectures concerning the nature of religion were delivered at the University of Edinburgh between 1901 and 1902. Soon after its publication, the book found its way into the canon of psychology and philosophy, and has remained in print for over a century.