JAMES, WILLAAlt (1842—). An American psychologist and philosopher. son of Itenry James. the theologian, and brother of Henry James, the novelist. He was born in New York City. •lanuary l, 1842; was edueated in private schools and by tutors in New York and Europe; studied at the Lawrence Scientific School. and obtained the SIM. degree from Harvard in 1870. He has received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Princeton, and that of Ph. et Litt.D. from Padua. In 1872 he began to teach at Harvard as instructor, and afterwards became professor. At first his subjects were anatomy and physi ology, then philosophy, later psychology, and then again philosophy. Ile was appointed to a full professorship in 1881. Besides numerous articles in medical and seientifie journals, lVil liant James has written: Principles of Psychol NlY (1590) : Psyehology, Briefer Course (1S92); The Will to Belie re, and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy (1897) ; Human Immortality: Two Supposed Objections to the Bortrine ( 189S) ; Talks to Teachers on Psychology. and to Stu
dents on Some of Life's Ideals (1899) ; The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902). lie also edited the Literary ilemains of Henry James (1685). He was chosen Clifford lecturer on ma ma) religion. University of Edinburgh (1899 1901). James's writings are eharaeterized by a fresh and entertaining style, and by lurid ex position of abstruse themes. A. a psyehologist be has exercised a potent influence in Europe as well as America. His work is especially signifi cant in the field of analytical psyehology. m which dames has had few equals; several im portant theories in this field pass under his name. In philosophy his work has been con fined to studies in metaphysical analysis notable for keenness and originality, but deficient as a systematic presentation from a consistent point of view. The trend of his thought is strongly idealistic, though his idealism is empirical as op posed to the absolute idealism of the Cermans.