William James And The Moral Life

"This book offers a compelling new interpretation of James' moral philosophy: an "ethics of responsible self-fashioning." James' performative writing style articulates this conception by showing how moral inquiry serves both social and personal transformation. James the social moral philosopher seeks to create an inclusive moral order through expansion of sympathetic concern among those committed to different ideals. James the existential moral philosopher defends the right to adopt hope-grounding metaphysical beliefs which encourage strenuous moral action in the face of evil and suffering. The power of James' ethics is demonstrated by its application to current discussions about the status of marginalized nonhuman animals and that of the cognitively disabled. William James and the Moral Life is of interest to a wide variety of ethicists and has special appeal to scholars and advanced students in moral philosophy, social philosophy, pragmatism, and American philosophy"--

This edited volume demonstrates that a virtue-centered approach to the ethical life is a consistent feature of William James’s moral reasoning from the 1880s until his death in 1910. Little else, however, seems constant within James’s writings on moral philosophy and the ethical life, and this lack of constancy is what keeps James’s work of interest more than a century later.

This book offers a compelling new interpretation of James’ moral philosophy: an "ethics of responsible self-fashioning." James’ performative writing style articulates this conception by showing how moral inquiry serves both social and personal transformation. James the social moral philosopher seeks to create an inclusive moral order through expansion of sympathetic concern among those committed to different ideals. James the existential moral philosopher defends the right to adopt hope-grounding metaphysical beliefs which encourage strenuous moral action in the face of evil and suffering. The power of James’ ethics is demonstrated by its application to current discussions about the status of marginalized nonhuman animals and that of the cognitively disabled. William James and the Moral Life is of interest to a wide variety of ethicists and has special appeal to scholars and advanced students in moral philosophy, social philosophy, pragmatism, and American philosophy.

A new interpretation of James's ethical and religious thought focusing on the prominent role these views played in his philosophy.

This edited volume demonstrates that a virtue-centered approach to the ethical life is a consistent feature of William James's moral reasoning from the 1880s until his death. Yet, little else remains constant within his writings on these subjects, and this inconstancy furthers interest in his work over a century later.

James yearned to weave science and religion into a popular philosophy useful for the everyday life of everyday people of faith. He saw that many were defenseless in an increasingly agnostic, even atheistic culture. "Thousands of innocent magazine readers lie paralyzed and terrified in the network of shallow negations which the leaders of opinion have thrown over their souls," he wrote in 1882. To which he added, "If I, . . . like the mouse in the fable, have gnawed a few of the strings of the sophistical net that has been binding down [the human heart's] lion strength, I shall be more than rewarded for my pains." Were he to return, he would still be unhappy with the leaders of opinion but also with the responses of those who seek refuge in fundamentalist reliance on religious scriptures or who claim that religion is independent of modern 'scientific' discoveries. Building on William James on Common Sense and William James on the Stream of Consciousness, this third and final volume will show how James in 2009 might weave ancient truths and modern discoveries into a philosophy that would even more completely reward him for his pains.

From one of nineteenth-century America’s leading philosophical thinkers, William James, this fascinating short essay is an engaging read exploring the reasons for war, and methods and resources to prevent conflict. The Moral Equivalent of War was written as part of an initiative to stir interest in international peace among US residents. First published in 1910, the Executive Committee of the Association for International Conciliation used this treatise to encourage civilians to support the movement promoting international peace. In this short essay, William James discusses the reasons for war in general and explores the various ways in which we can prevent it.