The Nature of Religious Experience in the Philosophy of William James

Abstract

William James (1842-1910) was both a psychologist and philosopher who has attained international reputation as America’s most original thinker. He aroused a public interest in philosophy in general, and pragmatism in particular. James rejected intellectualizing and theorizing about religion in favor of an empirical approach and his task became that of articulating the way in which experience may justify religious beliefs. He was a pluralist in love with variety and with his own religious experience.

James’s interest in religion was in personal terms. The meaning and importance of his religious writings can properly be understood only in the light of his belief that the most fruitful approach to religion is an empirical one. His pragmatic justification for religious belief has often been challenged, on both ontological and moral grounds. Critics argue that James’s accounts of religious truth and its justification are perniciously subjective. Nevertheless, once James’s conceptions of religious truth and justification are understood in their full measure of depth, this charge can be seen as misplaced. In this article, I explore James’s philosophy of religion in a way that enables his views to be understood and critiqued.