William James

William James is remembered as one of America’s strongest philosophers. He was born on January. 11^th, 1842 in New York City and his father played a major role in his philosophical views. Williams’s father, Henry James Sr. believed in high education and because of this, sent William and his other siblings to Europe for their schooling (‘William James Biography’, n.d.). After high school William pursued his degree at Harvard University in Medicine and eventually would graduate with his M.D. In the end however, he would never practice medicine. With his degree he would eventually teach at Harvard, first in psychology and then philosophy.

           

William James

William James brought many different noted ideas into philosophy. His major contribution however, would be what he added to Charles Peirce’s pragmatism. “Classical pragmatism is committed to the thought that philosophy must be relevant to ordinary life” (Aikin and Talisse, 2011, p.1). James’ interest in pragmatism arose because he felt that it could help him answer in-depth questions on free will, the nature of truth and the existence of God. Through his search, James came to believe that in order for us to believe in what we profess to believe in, or to see good or bad in life, we must put the outcome into action by our very own thoughts and actions. Through studying more on pragmatism, James has left us with three challenges.  The first is that whatever we want to see in life happens by our own desires. Secondly, we must focus on what is good for everyone, for through that, we will see the largest amount of good. The last challenge is that even if someone else’s desires or beliefs do not agree with our own, we must respect them because then, we will see the good for everyone (Aikin and Talisse, p.7-9). In conclusion, William James believed that our inner objectives truly shape our individual lives and the lives of those around us.

In the Christian world, this is a major challenge both negatively and positively. When it comes to William and his pragmatic view, it is said that he was always in a place of seeking out the existence of God. “The facts in such matters are inconclusive, and neutral intellectual positions does not address the importance to us of whether God exists, or if we have free will, or whether there are objective values” (Zack, 2010, p.314). He believed it was by free will that we have the choice to act upon and live out what we believe in.  With this thought, it makes it difficult for a Christian to defend their faith because it is easy for someone to argue that our faith is solely made up in our mind. Another negative role it may play towards Christianity is that it gives us all the control. 



One major part of Christianity is living a life of surrender to the Lord’s will. James’ theories do agree with the idea of the Lord giving us free will. However, to be found by the Lord and used by Him is, in the end, the Lord’s choice. He is the one who makes himself and his will known to us. Ultimately, James teaches us as Christians to be intentional in our study of the word, the Lord and the world around us, so that we can have good arguments prepared to defend the faith we believe in. Even though James’ argument may not be the most supportive towards Christian belief, it does challenge you as a Christian to go further in your faith. It also reminds us all of the fact that how you live your daily life reflects your inner thoughts.

NewYork City, the home of William James