William James and Phenomenology: A Study of "The Principles of Psychology"

This book is the published version of Wilshire's dissertation at New York University. It locates James in the phenomenological tradition revived by Franz Brentano, and it shows how James influenced Edmund Husserl. James's phenomenology was very probably influenced by Charles Peirce's, but it is also quite original. Wilshire discloses how James's stated intention to pursue a dualistic and "scientific" division of mental states from physical ones breaks down, and prepares the way for his later metaphysics of radical empiricism and for his probing interpretations of religious experiences. It also clears the path for detecting deep affinities to Indigenous world-views.