William James and the Metaphysics of ExperienceWilliam James is frequently considered one of America's most important philosophers, as well as a foundational thinker for the study of religion. Despite his reputation as the founder of pragmatism, he is rarely considered a serious philosopher or religious thinker. In this new interpretation David Lamberth argues that James's major contribution was to develop a systematic metaphysics of experience integrally related to his developing pluralistic and social religious ideas. Lamberth systematically interprets James's radically empiricist world-view and argues for an early dating (1895) for his commitment to the metaphysics of radical empiricism. He offers a close reading of Varieties of Religious Experience; and concludes by connecting James's ideas about experience, pluralism and truth to current debates in philosophy, the philosophy of religion, and theology, suggesting James's functional, experiential metaphysics as a conceptual aid in bridging the social and interpretive with the immediate and concrete while avoiding naive realism. |
Contents
| 1 | |
CHAPTER 1 Jamess radically empiricist Weltanschauung | 9 |
pure experience and radical empiricism in the 1890s | 61 |
indications of a philosophy adapted to normal religious needs | 97 |
making philosophy intimate in A Pluralistic Universe | 146 |
CHAPTER 5 Estimations and anticipations | 203 |
| 242 | |
| 248 | |
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Common terms and phrases
absolute idealism actual analysis argument basic Briefer Course chapter character characterized claim compounding of consciousness conception conceptual logic concrete Consciousness Exist critical crucial datum descriptive direct acquaintance discussion dualistic dynamic empirical ence epistemological Essays in Radical external fact factual thesis feeling field theory function fundamental Gifford Lectures Hibbert Lectures Hilary Putnam human Ibid idealist ideas interest interpretation intimacy involves issue James writes James's view Knowing of Things knowledge Letters of William Manuscript Lectures Meaning of Truth mental metaphysical methodological mind monistic mystical natural science nonetheless notes notion object over-belief panpsychist particular perspective phenomenological philo philosophy pluralism pluralistic panpsychism Pluralistic Universe Pragmatism Principles of Psychology problem psychical pure experience question radical empiricism rationality reading reality religion religious experience Richard Avenarius Rorty sense special sciences spiritual judgments spiritualistic subjective theism theology thesis of pure thesis of radical thought tion understanding Weltanschauung William James World of Pure world-view