Ideas of William James, by Theme
[American, 1842 - 1910, Born in New York. Brother of the novelist Henry James. Died at Chocorua.]
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1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 1. Nature of Wisdom
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22659
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It is wisdom to believe what you desire, because belief is needed to achieve it
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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 1. Philosophy
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22657
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All good philosophers start from a dumb conviction about which truths can be revealed
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1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 3. Metaphysical Systems
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22647
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A complete system is just a classification of the whole world's ingredients
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2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 5. Objectivity
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22648
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A single explanation must have a single point of view
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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 3. Non-Contradiction
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22642
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Man has an intense natural interest in the consistency of his own thinking
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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 6. Ockham's Razor
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22644
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Our greatest pleasure is the economy of reducing chaotic facts to one single fact
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3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 2. Defining Truth
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6710
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You can only define a statement that something is 'true' by referring to its functional possibilities
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3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 9. Rejecting Truth
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18986
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Truth is just a name for verification-processes
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3. Truth / C. Correspondence Truth / 3. Correspondence Truth critique
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18983
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In many cases there is no obvious way in which ideas can agree with their object
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3. Truth / D. Coherence Truth / 1. Coherence Truth
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18972
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Ideas are true in so far as they co-ordinate our experiences
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18973
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New opinions count as 'true' if they are assimilated to an individual's current beliefs
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3. Truth / E. Pragmatic Truth / 1. Pragmatic Truth
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18984
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True ideas are those we can assimilate, validate, corroborate and verify (and false otherwise)
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22305
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If the hypothesis of God is widely successful, it is true
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 8. Facts / c. Facts and truths
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22641
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Realities just are, and beliefs are true of them
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7. Existence / E. Categories / 2. Categorisation
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22649
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Classification can only ever be for a particular purpose
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9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 6. Nihilism about Objects
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18987
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A 'thing' is simply carved out of reality for human purposes
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9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 2. Substance / e. Substance critique
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18981
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'Substance' is just a word for groupings and structures in experience
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11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 5. Aiming at Truth
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18974
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Truth is a species of good, being whatever proves itself good in the way of belief
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12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 3. Pragmatism
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18989
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Pragmatism accepts any hypothesis which has useful consequences
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13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 5. Coherentism / b. Pro-coherentism
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22640
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We find satisfaction in consistency of all of our beliefs, perceptions and mental connections
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14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 1. Observation
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22655
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Scientific genius extracts more than other people from the same evidence
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14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 6. Falsification
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22658
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Experimenters assume the theory is true, and stick to it as long as result don't disappoint
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14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 2. Aim of Science
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18971
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Theories are practical tools for progress, not answers to enigmas
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14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 3. Instrumentalism
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18982
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Pragmatism says all theories are instrumental - that is, mental modes of adaptation to reality
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18985
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True thoughts are just valuable instruments of action
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14. Science / C. Induction / 3. Limits of Induction
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22654
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We can't know if the laws of nature are stable, but we must postulate it or assume it
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14. Science / C. Induction / 6. Bayes's Theorem
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22656
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Trying to assess probabilities by mere calculation is absurd and impossible
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / j. Explanations by reduction
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22646
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We have a passion for knowing the parts of something, rather than the whole
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15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 1. Mind / b. Purpose of mind
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22652
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The mind has evolved entirely for practical interests, seen in our reflex actions
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15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 7. Animal Minds
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22651
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Dogs' curiosity only concerns what will happen next
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15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / e. Cause of consciousness
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9286
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Consciousness is not a stuff, but is explained by the relations between experiences
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17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 3. Eliminativism
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9285
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'Consciousness' is a nonentity, a mere echo of the disappearing 'soul'
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18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / a. Nature of emotions
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23981
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Rage is inconceivable without bodily responses; so there are no disembodied emotions
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18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 5. Rationality / a. Rationality
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22650
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How can the ground of rationality be itself rational?
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18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 5. Rationality / b. Human rationality
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22643
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It seems that we feel rational when we detect no irrationality
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18. Thought / D. Concepts / 3. Ontology of Concepts / b. Concepts as abilities
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18975
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We return to experience with concepts, where they show us differences
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22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / d. Biological ethics
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22660
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Evolution suggests prevailing or survival as a new criterion of right and wrong
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23. Ethics / E. Utilitarianism / 4. Unfairness
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6570
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Imagine millions made happy on condition that one person suffers endless lonely torture
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26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / d. Selecting the cause
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22645
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Understanding by means of causes is useless if they are not reduced to a minimum number
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28. God / A. Divine Nature / 3. Divine Perfections
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18980
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If there is a 'greatest knower', it doesn't follow that they know absolutely everything
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28. God / A. Divine Nature / 4. Divine Contradictions
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18978
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It is hard to grasp a cosmic mind which produces such a mixture of goods and evils
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28. God / B. Proving God / 1. Proof of God
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18991
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If the God hypothesis works well, then it is true
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28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / c. Teleological Proof critique
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18977
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The wonderful design of a woodpecker looks diabolical to its victims
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18979
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Things with parts always have some structure, so they always appear to be designed
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28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / d. Religious Experience
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18976
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Private experience is the main evidence for God
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29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / a. Christianity
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22653
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Early Christianity says God recognises the neglected weak and tender impulses
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29. Religion / C. Spiritual Disciplines / 3. Buddhism
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18990
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Nirvana means safety from sense experience, and hindus and buddhists are just afraid of life
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