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William James was a psychologist and philosopher who had a significant influence on the development of psychology in the United States. Among his many accomplishments, he was the first to teach a psychology course in the U.S. and is often called the father of American psychology.

James was also known for contributing to functionalism, one of the earliest schools of thought in psychology. His bookThe Principles of Psychologyis considered one of the most classic and influential texts in psychology’s history.

At a GlanceWilliam James was one of the most prominent thinkers in psychology, and is often called thefather of American psychology. He is best known for:FunctionalismJames Lange theory of emotionPragmatism"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook," William James once wrote.Learn more about his life, career, ideas, and contributions to psychology in this brief biography.

At a Glance

William James was one of the most prominent thinkers in psychology, and is often called thefather of American psychology. He is best known for:FunctionalismJames Lange theory of emotionPragmatism"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook," William James once wrote.Learn more about his life, career, ideas, and contributions to psychology in this brief biography.

William James was one of the most prominent thinkers in psychology, and is often called thefather of American psychology. He is best known for:

“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook,” William James once wrote.Learn more about his life, career, ideas, and contributions to psychology in this brief biography.

William James' Early Life

William James was born into an affluent family. His father was deeply interested in philosophy and theology and strove to provide his children with an enriched education.

The James children traveled to Europe frequently, attended the best possible schools, and were immersed in culture and art, which apparently paid off—William James went on to become one of the most important figures in psychology, and two of his siblings became prominent figures as well.

One of his brothers was the novelist Henry James, who published several acclaimed works, includingThe Portrait of a LadyandThe Ambassadors. Their sister, Alice James, was a noted diarist.

Early in school, William James expressed an interest in becoming a painter. While Henry James Sr. was known as an unusually permissive and liberal father, he wanted William to study science or philosophy. Only after William persisted in his interest did Henry permit his son to formally study painting.

After studying painting with the famed artist William Morris Hunt for over a year, James abandoned his dream of being a painter and enrolled at Harvard to study chemistry. While two of James' brothers enlisted to serve in the American Civil War, William and Henry did not due to health problems.

William James' Career in Psychology

As the family money began to dwindle, William realized he would need to support himself and switched to Harvard Medical School. Unhappy with medicine as well, he left on an expedition with naturalist Louis Agassiz, although the experience was not a happy one.

“I was, body and soul, in a more indescribably hopeless, homeless, and friendless state than I ever want to be in again,” he later wrote.

His Growing Interest in Psychology

Developing health problems and severe depression, James spent the next two years in France and Germany. This period played an important role in shifting his interest in psychology and philosophy.

Career as a Psychology Teacher

Writing and Experimental Work

James also founded one of thefirst psychology laboratoriesin the United States. His classic textbookThe Principles of Psychology(1890) was widely acclaimed, but some were critical of James' personal, literary tone. “It is literature,” psychologist Wilhelm Wundt famously commented, “it is beautiful, but it is not psychology.”

James Williams' Theories of Psychology

James' theoretical contributions to psychology include the following:

Functionalism

James opposed the structuralist focus onintrospectionand breaking down mental events to the smallest elements. Instead, James focused on the wholeness of an event, taking into the impact of the environment on behavior.He believed that introspection could be used to better understand the stream ofconsciousnessthat people experience.

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

Both James and the Danish physiologist Carl Lange independently proposed the theory, which is why it is named after both theorists.

Pragmatism

James wrote extensively on the concept of pragmatism. According to pragmatism, the truth of an idea can never be proven.James proposed we instead focus on what he called the “cash value,” or usefulness, of an idea.

William James' Influence on Psychology

In addition to his enormous influence, many of James' students went on to have prosperous and influential careers in psychology. Some of James' students includedMary Whiton Calkins,Edward Thorndike, andG. Stanley Hall.

He is considered one of the founders of modern scientific psychology, and his influence was also felt inclinical psychologyandeducational psychology.

What This Means For YouWilliam James played a vital role in the foundations of psychology as a modern science. While psychologists today take a more eclectic approach than the early schools of thought, James' emphasis on practical uses for psychology continues to be felt today in applied and clinical fields. His work on introspection and consciousness also contributed to our understanding of how subjective experiences can shape human thought and behavior.

What This Means For You

William James played a vital role in the foundations of psychology as a modern science. While psychologists today take a more eclectic approach than the early schools of thought, James' emphasis on practical uses for psychology continues to be felt today in applied and clinical fields. His work on introspection and consciousness also contributed to our understanding of how subjective experiences can shape human thought and behavior.

12 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Snarey J, Coleman AE.James, William. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds.Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer US; 2011:841-844. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1552James W.The Principles of Psychology.New York: Henry Holt and Co.; 1890:369.Richardson RD, James W.William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism ; a Biography. 1. Mariner books ed. Houghton Mifflin; 2007.Croce PJ.Young William James Thinking. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2018.James W.The Letters of William James.Vol 1. James H, ed. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press; 1920.Schultz DP, Schultz SE.A History of Modern Psychology. 10th ed. Cengage Learning; 2011.Harvard University Press Catalogue.Psychology: The Briefer Course.Brioschi MR.How novelty arises from fields of experience: A comparison between W. James and A.N. Whitehead.Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2013. doi:10.4000/ejpap.595Coleman AE, Snarey J.James-Lange Theory of Emotion. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds.,Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Boston, MA: Springer; 2011. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9White H.William James’s pragmatism.Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2010. doi:10.4000/ejpap.941Croce PJ.Reaching beyond Uncle William: a century of William James in theory and in life.Hist Psychol. 2010;13(4):351-377. doi:10.1037/a0021106Leary DE.William James and British thought: Then and now.BJPsych Bull. 2020;44(2):53-56. doi:10.1192/bjb.2019.56Additional ReadingHarvard University Department of Psychology.William James.Hergenhahn, BR, Henley, T.An Introduction to the History of Psychology. Wadsworth Cengage Learning; 2013.Hoffman AG.WRITING SIBLINGS: Alice James and her brothers.Psychoanalytic Review.2015;102(1).

12 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Snarey J, Coleman AE.James, William. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds.Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer US; 2011:841-844. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1552James W.The Principles of Psychology.New York: Henry Holt and Co.; 1890:369.Richardson RD, James W.William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism ; a Biography. 1. Mariner books ed. Houghton Mifflin; 2007.Croce PJ.Young William James Thinking. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2018.James W.The Letters of William James.Vol 1. James H, ed. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press; 1920.Schultz DP, Schultz SE.A History of Modern Psychology. 10th ed. Cengage Learning; 2011.Harvard University Press Catalogue.Psychology: The Briefer Course.Brioschi MR.How novelty arises from fields of experience: A comparison between W. James and A.N. Whitehead.Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2013. doi:10.4000/ejpap.595Coleman AE, Snarey J.James-Lange Theory of Emotion. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds.,Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Boston, MA: Springer; 2011. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9White H.William James’s pragmatism.Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2010. doi:10.4000/ejpap.941Croce PJ.Reaching beyond Uncle William: a century of William James in theory and in life.Hist Psychol. 2010;13(4):351-377. doi:10.1037/a0021106Leary DE.William James and British thought: Then and now.BJPsych Bull. 2020;44(2):53-56. doi:10.1192/bjb.2019.56Additional ReadingHarvard University Department of Psychology.William James.Hergenhahn, BR, Henley, T.An Introduction to the History of Psychology. Wadsworth Cengage Learning; 2013.Hoffman AG.WRITING SIBLINGS: Alice James and her brothers.Psychoanalytic Review.2015;102(1).

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Snarey J, Coleman AE.James, William. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds.Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer US; 2011:841-844. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1552James W.The Principles of Psychology.New York: Henry Holt and Co.; 1890:369.Richardson RD, James W.William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism ; a Biography. 1. Mariner books ed. Houghton Mifflin; 2007.Croce PJ.Young William James Thinking. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2018.James W.The Letters of William James.Vol 1. James H, ed. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press; 1920.Schultz DP, Schultz SE.A History of Modern Psychology. 10th ed. Cengage Learning; 2011.Harvard University Press Catalogue.Psychology: The Briefer Course.Brioschi MR.How novelty arises from fields of experience: A comparison between W. James and A.N. Whitehead.Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2013. doi:10.4000/ejpap.595Coleman AE, Snarey J.James-Lange Theory of Emotion. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds.,Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Boston, MA: Springer; 2011. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9White H.William James’s pragmatism.Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2010. doi:10.4000/ejpap.941Croce PJ.Reaching beyond Uncle William: a century of William James in theory and in life.Hist Psychol. 2010;13(4):351-377. doi:10.1037/a0021106Leary DE.William James and British thought: Then and now.BJPsych Bull. 2020;44(2):53-56. doi:10.1192/bjb.2019.56

Snarey J, Coleman AE.James, William. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds.Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer US; 2011:841-844. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1552

James W.The Principles of Psychology.New York: Henry Holt and Co.; 1890:369.

Richardson RD, James W.William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism ; a Biography. 1. Mariner books ed. Houghton Mifflin; 2007.

Croce PJ.Young William James Thinking. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2018.

James W.The Letters of William James.Vol 1. James H, ed. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press; 1920.

Schultz DP, Schultz SE.A History of Modern Psychology. 10th ed. Cengage Learning; 2011.

Harvard University Press Catalogue.Psychology: The Briefer Course.

Brioschi MR.How novelty arises from fields of experience: A comparison between W. James and A.N. Whitehead.Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2013. doi:10.4000/ejpap.595

Coleman AE, Snarey J.James-Lange Theory of Emotion. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds.,Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Boston, MA: Springer; 2011. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9

White H.William James’s pragmatism.Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2010. doi:10.4000/ejpap.941

Croce PJ.Reaching beyond Uncle William: a century of William James in theory and in life.Hist Psychol. 2010;13(4):351-377. doi:10.1037/a0021106

Leary DE.William James and British thought: Then and now.BJPsych Bull. 2020;44(2):53-56. doi:10.1192/bjb.2019.56

Harvard University Department of Psychology.William James.Hergenhahn, BR, Henley, T.An Introduction to the History of Psychology. Wadsworth Cengage Learning; 2013.Hoffman AG.WRITING SIBLINGS: Alice James and her brothers.Psychoanalytic Review.2015;102(1).

Harvard University Department of Psychology.William James.

Hergenhahn, BR, Henley, T.An Introduction to the History of Psychology. Wadsworth Cengage Learning; 2013.

Hoffman AG.WRITING SIBLINGS: Alice James and her brothers.Psychoanalytic Review.2015;102(1).

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