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William James (1842-1910)

William James (1842-1910). Artist, Pragmatist, Psychologist. James' main points. How did he become a psychologist? James and freedom What kind of psychology? James and pragmatism Pragmatism leads to functionalism What is consciousness? What is the best way to change habits?

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William James (1842-1910)

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  1. William James (1842-1910) Artist, Pragmatist, Psychologist

  2. James' main points • How did he become a psychologist? • James and freedom • What kind of psychology? • James and pragmatism • Pragmatism leads to functionalism • What is consciousness? • What is the best way to change habits? • What is self-esteem? • How do emotions work?

  3. Wiliam James the Artist • When he was 19, William James wanted to be an artist. He studied under William Morris Hunt • Some sketches by William James

  4. A Time of Crisis • Following his father's desire, James obtained his MD • Then he went to Germany and met Wundt and Helmholtz • He became very depressed because the whole new psychology field seemed to deny freedom

  5. Freedom • James came out of his depression through reading an article on freedom by a philosopher by the name of Renouvier. • Could you persuade someone that s/he is free? What seems like a convincing argument? • What was freedom for James?

  6. Freedom and health • How might a belief in James' concept of freedom make a person healthier?

  7. Hard Mindedness and Psychology A hard-minded psychology is one that looks only at external, measurable phenomena. Examples?

  8. Soft-mindedness and Psychology A "soft-minded" psychology looks at what is behind the phenomena: consciousness, feelings etc. Examples?

  9. James and Psychology Look at James "Principles of Psychology" What does he study? Is he hard-minded or soft-minded?

  10. James' Pragmatism James does not start from a given model of reality. He is willing to explore, using whatever methods work for whatever subject.

  11. Pragmatism and Truth Pragmatism asks its usual question. "Grant an idea or belief to be true," it says, "what concrete difference will its being true make in anyone's actual life? How will the truth be realized? What experiences will be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? What, in short, is the truth's cash-value in experiential terms?" (William James, Pragmatism)

  12. Functionalist rather than Structuralist What is a functionalist?

  13. The Stream of Consciousness • Consciousness, says James, is like a stream. Is he right? How does mental illness fit into this concept?memory phenomena?

  14. James and Habits • According to James, how might you change a bad habit? • Anything surprise you? How would you have approached the matter?

  15. What is the self? • The self is composed of the "me" (empirical self) and the "I" (transcendental self) who does the knowing. • Parts of the empirical self: • the material self (your body, and possessions) • the social self (your friends and relatives) • the spiritual self (your ideas and belief systems)

  16. What is self-esteem? • How does James define self-esteem? • So how might one increase one's self -esteem?

  17. James and emotions • According to James, how do we become depressed? Angry? Frightened? • Do you agree?

  18. The End

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