The Unity of William James's Thought (Vanderbilt Library of American Philosophy)

Wesley Cooper opposes the traditional view of William James?s philosophy which dismissed it as fragmented or merely popular, arguing instead that there is a systematic philosophy to be found in James's writings. His doctrine of pure experience is the binding thread that links his earlier psychological theorizing to his later epistemological, religious, and pragmatic concerns. No philosopher's writing is more charming that James's. Few philosophers have been subjected to such intense psychological speculation as James. Fewer still have had so many non-philosophical stages to their careers. For all of these reasons, professional philosophers are wary of his philosophy, which is typically dismissed as fragmented or merely popular. Wesley Cooper opposes this traditional view, arguing instead that there is a systematic philosophy to be found in James's writings. His doctrine of pure experience is the binding thread that links his earlier psychological theorizing to his later epistemological, religious, and pragmatic concerns.To make this case as compelling as possible, Cooper provides a two-level approach to James's philosophical system: the metaphysical level of pure experience and the empirical level of science and everyday life. Making sense of James is partly a matter of seeing that, on a given occasion, he is writing at one level or the other. Introduction : James's Philosophical System -- Consciousness I : The Two-levels View -- Consciousness Ii : Mental Causation -- Consciousness Iii : Mind Dust -- The Self : Its Freedom And Unity -- God : Imminent Purpose -- The Mystical : Its Role In The Two-levels View -- Pragmatism I : Pragmatism And Radical Empiricism -- Pragmatism Ii : Meaning -- Pragmatism Iii : Belief -- Pragmatism Iv : Rationality And Truth -- Ethics I : Morality Made Flesh -- Ethics Ii : Jamesian Moral Constructivism. Wesley Cooper. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 263-266) And Index. Opposing the traditional view of James as fragmented or populist, Cooper explores the metaphysical levels of pure experience and that of science and everyday life in his writings in order to argue that there is a systematic philosophy to be found in James's work. Argues that there is a systematic philosophy in William James's writtings.