Editing William James (section)

== Writings ==
William James wrote voluminously throughout his life. A non-exhaustive bibliography of his writings, compiled by [[John J. McDermott (philosopher)|John McDermott]], is 47 pages long.<ref>John J. McDermott, ''The Writings of William James: A Comprehensive Edition'', University of Chicago Press, 1977 revised edition, {{ISBN|0-226-39188-4}}, pp. 812–858.</ref>

He gained widespread recognition with his monumental ''[[The Principles of Psychology]]'' (1890), totaling twelve hundred pages in two volumes, which took twelve years to complete.  ''Psychology: The Briefer Course'', was an 1892 abridgement designed as a less rigorous introduction to the field. These works criticized both the English [[associationist]] school and the [[Hegel]]ianism of his day as competing dogmatisms of little explanatory value, and sought to re-conceive the human mind as inherently purposive and selective.

[[President Jimmy Carter's Moral Equivalent of War Speech]], on April 17, 1977, equating the United States' [[1970s energy crisis]], oil crisis, and the changes and sacrifices Carter's proposed plans would require with the "moral equivalent of war", may have borrowed its title and much of its theme from James's classic essay "The Moral Equivalent of War" derived from his last speech, delivered at Stanford University in 1906, and published in 1910, in which "James considered one of the classic problems of politics: how to sustain political unity and civic virtue in the absence of war or a credible threat", and which "sounds a rallying cry for service in the interests of the individual and the nation".<ref>[http://www.constitution.org/wj/meow_intro.htm William James' The Moral Equivalent of War Introduction by John Roland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216220326/https://www.constitution.org/wj/meow_intro.htm |date=December 16, 2019 }}. Constitution.org. Retrieved on August 28, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.constitution.org/wj/meow.htm William James' The Moral Equivalent of War&nbsp;– 1906] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526203149/https://www.constitution.org/wj/meow.htm |date=May 26, 2020 }}. Constitution.org. Retrieved on August 28, 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=Harrison Ross Steeves |author2=Frank Humphrey Ristine |year=1913 |title=Representative essays in modern thought: a basis for composition |publisher=American Book Company |pages=[https://archive.org/details/representativee01steegoog/page/n537 519]– |url=https://archive.org/details/representativee01steegoog |via=[[Internet Archive]] |access-date=August 28, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=The Moral Equivalent of War |journal=McClure's Magazine |date=August 1910 |pages=463–468 |last1=James |first1=William }}</ref>

In simple terms, his philosophy and writings can be understood as an emphasis on "fruits over roots," a reflection of his pragmatist tendency to focus on the practical consequences of ideas rather than become mired in unproductive metaphysical arguments or fruitless attempts to ground truth in abstract ways. Ever the empiricist, James believes we are better off evaluating the fruitfulness of ideas by testing them in the common ground of lived experience.<ref>Howard, Jeffrey (June 24, 2020). "The Power of One Idea,"[https://erraticus.co/2020/06/24/john-kaag-sick-souls-healthy-minds-william-james-pragmatism/] ''Erraticus''. Retrieved March 8, 2023.</ref>

James was remembered as one of America's representative thinkers, psychologist, and philosopher. William James was also an influential writer on religion, psychical research, and self-help.