Student Resources History and Biographies William James Biography and Impact on Psychology The Father of American Psychology By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." Learn about our editorial process Updated on October 30, 2023 Fact checked Verywell Mind content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Emily Swaim Fact checked by Emily Swaim Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell. Learn about our editorial process Print Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Early Life Timeline of Events Career Theories Influence Trending Videos Close this video player William James was a psychologist and philosopher who had a significant influence on the development of psychology in the United States. Among his many accomplishments, he was the first to teach a psychology course in the U.S. and is often called the father of American psychology. James was also known for contributing to functionalism, one of the earliest schools of thought in psychology. His book The Principles of Psychology is considered one of the most classic and influential texts in psychology's history. At a Glance William James was one of the most prominent thinkers in psychology, and is often called the father of American psychology. He is best known for: Functionalism James Lange theory of emotion Pragmatism "The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook," William James once wrote. Learn more about his life, career, ideas, and contributions to psychology in this brief biography. William James' Early Life William James was born into an affluent family. His father was deeply interested in philosophy and theology and strove to provide his children with an enriched education. The James children traveled to Europe frequently, attended the best possible schools, and were immersed in culture and art, which apparently paid off—William James went on to become one of the most important figures in psychology, and two of his siblings became prominent figures as well. One of his brothers was the novelist Henry James, who published several acclaimed works, including The Portrait of a Lady and The Ambassadors. Their sister, Alice James, was a noted diarist. Early in school, William James expressed an interest in becoming a painter. While Henry James Sr. was known as an unusually permissive and liberal father, he wanted William to study science or philosophy. Only after William persisted in his interest did Henry permit his son to formally study painting. After studying painting with the famed artist William Morris Hunt for over a year, James abandoned his dream of being a painter and enrolled at Harvard to study chemistry. While two of James' brothers enlisted to serve in the American Civil War, William and Henry did not due to health problems. Timeline of Events Born January 11, 1842 in New York City 1869 - Received MD from Harvard 1875 - Began teaching psychology at Harvard 1882 - Death of William's father, Henry James Sr. 1890 - Published The Principles of Psychology 1892 - Turned lab over to Hugo Munsterberg 1897 - Published Will to Believe and Other Essays 1907 - Published Pragmatism and officially resigned from Harvard Died August 26, 1910, at the age of 68 William James' Career in Psychology As the family money began to dwindle, William realized he would need to support himself and switched to Harvard Medical School. Unhappy with medicine as well, he left on an expedition with naturalist Louis Agassiz, although the experience was not a happy one. "I was, body and soul, in a more indescribably hopeless, homeless, and friendless state than I ever want to be in again," he later wrote. His Growing Interest in Psychology Developing health problems and severe depression, James spent the next two years in France and Germany. This period played an important role in shifting his interest in psychology and philosophy. After graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1869, James continued to sink into depression. Following a period of inactivity, the president of Harvard offered James a position as an instructor of comparative physiology in 1872. Three years later, James began teaching psychology courses. Career as a Psychology Teacher While he famously commented that "the first lecture on psychology I ever heard being the first I ever gave," James went on to teach at Harvard until 1907. In addition to his other important contributions, James helped shape the course of psychology by teaching the many students that passed through his classroom. Writing and Experimental Work James also founded one of the first psychology laboratories in the United States. His classic textbook The Principles of Psychology (1890) was widely acclaimed, but some were critical of James' personal, literary tone. "It is literature," psychologist Wilhelm Wundt famously commented, "it is beautiful, but it is not psychology." Two years later, James published a condensed version of the work titled Psychology: The Briefer Course. The two books were widely used by students of psychology and were known to most as "the James" and "the Jimmy" respectively. James Williams' Theories of Psychology James' theoretical contributions to psychology include the following: Functionalism James opposed the structuralist focus on introspection and breaking down mental events to the smallest elements. Instead, James focused on the wholeness of an event, taking into the impact of the environment on behavior. He believed that introspection could be used to better understand the stream of consciousness that people experience. James-Lange Theory of Emotion The James-Lange theory of emotion proposes that an event triggers a physiological reaction, which we then interpret. According to this theory, emotions are caused by our interpretations of these physiological reactions. Both James and the Danish physiologist Carl Lange independently proposed the theory, which is why it is named after both theorists. Pragmatism James wrote extensively on the concept of pragmatism. According to pragmatism, the truth of an idea can never be proven. James proposed we instead focus on what he called the "cash value," or usefulness, of an idea. William James' Influence on Psychology In addition to his enormous influence, many of James' students went on to have prosperous and influential careers in psychology. Some of James' students included Mary Whiton Calkins, Edward Thorndike, and G. Stanley Hall. He is also remembered for many of his notable publications, including "The Principles of Psychology" (1980) and "Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking" (1907). He is considered one of the founders of modern scientific psychology, and his influence was also felt in clinical psychology and educational psychology. What This Means For You William James played a vital role in the foundations of psychology as a modern science. While psychologists today take a more eclectic approach than the early schools of thought, James' emphasis on practical uses for psychology continues to be felt today in applied and clinical fields. His work on introspection and consciousness also contributed to our understanding of how subjective experiences can shape human thought and behavior. 12 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Snarey J, Coleman AE. James, William. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds. Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer US; 2011:841-844. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1552 James W. The Principles of Psychology. New York: Henry Holt and Co.; 1890:369. Richardson RD, James W. William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism ; a Biography. 1. Mariner books ed. Houghton Mifflin; 2007. Croce PJ. Young William James Thinking. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2018. James W. The Letters of William James. Vol 1. James H, ed. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press; 1920. Schultz DP, Schultz SE. A History of Modern Psychology. 10th ed. Cengage Learning; 2011. Harvard University Press Catalogue. Psychology: The Briefer Course. Brioschi MR. How novelty arises from fields of experience: A comparison between W. James and A.N. Whitehead. Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2013. doi:10.4000/ejpap.595 Coleman AE, Snarey J. James-Lange Theory of Emotion. In: Goldstein S, Naglieri JA, eds., Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Boston, MA: Springer; 2011. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9 White H. William James’s pragmatism. Eur J Pragmatism Am Phil [Online]. 2010. doi:10.4000/ejpap.941 Croce PJ. Reaching beyond Uncle William: a century of William James in theory and in life. Hist Psychol. 2010;13(4):351-377. doi:10.1037/a0021106 Leary DE. William James and British thought: Then and now. BJPsych Bull. 2020;44(2):53-56. doi:10.1192/bjb.2019.56 Additional Reading Harvard University Department of Psychology. William James. Hergenhahn, BR, Henley, T. An Introduction to the History of Psychology. Wadsworth Cengage Learning; 2013. Hoffman AG. WRITING SIBLINGS: Alice James and her brothers. Psychoanalytic Review. 2015;102(1). By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit