William James (1842-1910)

William James was the first major figure in development of modern scientific psychology in
America. He has been elected as the president of American Psychology Association twice.
William James primitive years were spent in learning through trips to Europe. He attended
school sporadically. In 1861, he enrolled in the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard
University. He graduated from medical school at Harvard in 1869, though he did not have any
interest in the practicing medicine or any science for that matter. He was overwhelmed and worndown by the implications of sciences; specially, the concept of lifes limitedness to physical
matter moving through space and freedom of choice being an illusion.
He had found salvation in writings of Charles Renovier, a French evolutionary philosopher, who
said My first act of free will shall be to believe in free will (Goodman, 2008, p. 177). This
concept had apparently kept James occupied to continue his studies and later teaching science
without despair, and later became the cornerstone of his philosophical pragmatism. At heart an
artist and philosopher, he could see challenges with a purely scientific approach to understanding
human mind (Goodman, 2008).
In 1873, he started teaching physiology at Harvard, and three years later a class in psychology.
The class explained the relationship between physiology and psychology. To illustrate his
teaching in clinical form, he set up an apparatus in a small room. This room would later become
Harvards laboratory of experimental psychology (Goodman, 2008).
Position on human psychological functioning:
He wrote Principles of Psychology in 1890. He defined psychology as the science of Mental
Life, both of its phenomena and their conditions (Goodman, 2008, p. 178). The phenomena of
mental life included such things as we call feelings, desires, cognitions, reasonings, decisions,
and the like (Goodman, 2008, p. 178). By their conditions he was referring to the
physiological processes that accompany these phenomena, as well as the social, personal, and
environmental circumstances in which they occur (Goodman, 2008, p. 178).
Jamess methods to understand mental life was based on three approaches:
A. Introspection method: careful self-observation, examination, and reflection on the states
of consciousness that characterize ones mental life (Goodman, 2008. P. 179).
B. Experimental methods; even though, he called this method as brass instrument
psychology. This belief most likely came from his own dislike of tedious laboratory work
during his science classes at medical school (Goodman, 2008) and his pragmatic
approach to psychology.
C. Comparative method: this involved learning about mental life by comparing normal
human consciousness with that of bees and ants, savages, infants, madmen, idiots, the
deaf and blind, criminals, and eccentrics (Goodman, 2008, p. 180).

He further discussed consciousness and habits in his book. He believed consciousness was a
function rather than an entity and that it was personal, constantly changing, continuous, selective,
and active. He deducted that both consciousness and habits aided individuals in adapting to a
new environment quickly. Therefore, mental processes and personality traits were subject to the
evolutionary processes and both physical bodies and their evolutionary process must be
considered in the study of human mind (Neilson & Day, 1999).
James also elaborated on emotions. The well-known James-Lange theory of emotions argued that
emotions are felt immediately upon the perception of an emotion-arousing stimulus: our heart
pounding before we feel fearful (Goodman, 2008, p. 182). James further argued that individuals
recognize different emotions because each emotion is associated with a unique pattern of bodily
reaction.
Similarities and differences in theoretical position with those of Freud, Jung, and Adlers:
William James theories had more of a pragmatic and philosophical approach to psychology than
those of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Alder, who were experimental psychologists.
James believed experimental psychology was more of an approach to overworking and boring
the patience (Goodman, 2008). Jamess theories of mental life, conscious, and emotions were
more physiological approach comparing to those of Freud, Jung, and Adlers. Therefore, one can
concur that William Jamess theoretical position was rather different than similar than those of
Freud, Jung, and Adlers.

Reference:
Goodwin, J. C. (2008). A history of modern psychology . (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Nielsen, M. & Day, R. H. (1999). William James and the evolution of consciousness.
Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 19(1), 90-113