Looking glass biography of william james

American philosopher, psychologist, and pragmatist (1842–1910)

This article is about the philosopher and psychologist.

Looking glass biography of william james

For other people with the same name, see William James (disambiguation).

William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist, and the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States.^[1] James is considered to be a leading thinker of the late 19th century, one of the most influential philosophers of the United States, and the "Father of American psychology."^[2][3][4]

Born into a wealthy family, James was the son of the Swedenborgian theologian Henry James Sr.

and the brother of both the prominent novelist Henry James and the diarist Alice James. James trained as a physician and taught anatomy at Harvard, but never practiced medicine. Instead, he pursued his interests in psychology and then philosophy.

He wrote widely on many topics, includin