William James Quotes


We must frankly confess, then, using our empirical common sense and ordinary practical prejudices, that in the world that actually is, the virtues of sympathy, charity, and non-resistance may be, and often have been, manifested in excess. ... You will agree to this in general, for in spite of the Gospel, in spite of Quakerism, in spite of Tolstoi, you believe in fighting fire with fire, in shooting down usurpers, locking up thieves, and freezing out vagabonds and swindlers.


Citations

James, William. The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. Longmans, Green, and Co., 1902, p. 356.

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William James
William James
  • Born: January 11, 1842
  • Died: August 26, 1910
  • Nationality: American
  • Profession: Philosopher

William James was an American philosopher, historian, and psychologist, and the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States. James is considered to be a leading thinker of the late nineteenth century, one of the most influential philosophers of the United States, and the "Father of American psychology".