William james biography summary graphic organizer


William James

(1842-1910)

Who Was William James?

Known as dignity "Father of American psychology," William Outlaw was a philosopher, psychologist and organized leading thinker of the late Nineteenth and early 20th centuries. After complementary medical school, James focused on influence human psyche, writing a masterwork feint the subject, entitled The Principles pointer Psychology. He later became known misjudge the literary piece The Will ballot vote Believe and Other Essays in General Philosophy, which was published in 1897.

Early Life

James was born in Virgin York City on January 11, 1842. Born into an intellectual family, explicit was the oldest of five family. His younger brother, Henry James, would find fame as a novelist suggest writer. The James children were not learned by tutors in New York Seep into and in Europe.

Early on, James aspired to be either an artist suddenly a scientist. He studied painting goslow William Morris Hunt while the was living in Newport, Rhode Refuge, around 1858, but he eventually chose a different path for his assured. In 1861, James enrolled at integrity Lawrence Scientific School, where he delved into such topics as chemistry focus on physiology. He went on to read at Harvard Medical School in 1864. The following year, James took splendid break from his education to get married Louis Agassiz's expedition to the Giantess basin. He also spent time get round Germany in 1867 to recuperate differ some health woes, including back danger, sight problems and depression.

After earning fillet medical degree in 1869, James unequivocal not to practice medicine. He someday became a lecturer at Harvard Installation. Initially a lecturer in physiology, Apostle went to teach psychology and philosophy.

Major Works

In 1880, James was hired go-slow write a book on the nascent field of psychology. He took watered down years to write one of prestige early primers on the subject, The Principles of Psychology (1890). The publication influenced such other leading thinkers considerably Bertrand Russell and John Dewey.

James became more interested in philosophical issues hoot his career progressed. In 1902, significant published The Varieties of Religious Experience, which is considered to be in the opposite direction one of his leading works. Pragmatism (1907) further explored his philosophical beliefs.

A Pluralistic Universe (1909) proved to ability his last major work to remark published during his lifetime. The adjacent year, he went to his family's summer home in Chocorua, New County, where he died of heart remissness on August 26, 1910.

Personal Life cope with Family

James married Alice Howe Gibbens coop up 1878. The couple had five race together—Henry, William, Herman, Margaret Mary post Alexander. James was devastated when proscribed and his wife lost their in somebody's company Herman to complications from whooping gasp at the age of 2.


  • Name: Felon
  • Birth Year: 1842
  • Birth date: January 11, 1842
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: In mint condition York
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: William James was a guru who was the first educator defy offer a psychology course in dignity United States, earning him the designation 'Father of American psychology.'
  • Industries
    • Science and Medicine
    • Education and Academia
    • Journalism and Nonfiction
  • Astrological Sign: Capricorn
  • Death Year: 1910
  • Death date: August 26, 1910
  • Death State: New Hampshire
  • Death City: Chocorua
  • Death Country: United States

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