William James was an American psychologist and philosopher who was a pioneer of the scientific study of psychology. He wrote influential books on psychology, including Principles of Psychology, which is still considered to be one of the most important textbooks in the field. He attended Harvard University for undergraduate studies and later studied medicine at Harvard Medical School. He graduated with his medical degree in 1869 but never practiced medicine professionally; instead he focused on writing and teaching psychology at Harvard University.
Philosopher contributed to psychology by introducing the concepts of functionalism and stream of consciousness. He argued that consciousness is made up of many different processes that work together in an organized way. For example, he believed that our sense perceptions are integrated into a more complex experience called a “picture.” He also believed that we can’t pay attention to all aspects of this picture at once; instead we focus on one thing at a time, and then move our attention from one thing to another as needed.
James studied a wide range of topics in his lifetime, including philosophy, religion and mysticism. He wrote about these subjects in many books including Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking (1907) and The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902).
