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William James was an American psychologist and philosopher born January 11, 1842. James came from a family of intellectual brilliance as his sister was the diarist Alice James, his brother the novelist Henry James, and his father Henry James, Sr. was a well-connected theologian. Additionally, James's godfather was Ralph Waldo Emerson. Growing up, James suffered from multiple physical ailments including that of the back, eyes, skin, and stomach. Additionally he dealt with bouts of depression and contemplation of suicide. In June 1869 James finally achieved his medical degree from Harvard University after several interruptions due to his ailments and a short-lived expedition up the Amazon River. Although a certified medical doctor, James never practiced any sort of medicine. During one of his breaks from medical school, James traveled to Germany for a cure to his “soul sickness.†It was in Germany that James realized his true interests were in the fields of philosophy and psychology. It was in 1872 after much philosophical searching that James considered himself cured.
Influences and Teachings
James spent the extent of his academic career as a professor of Harvard University varying between physiology, psychology, anatomy, and philosophy until his retirement in 1907. James was the first professor to teach a course in psychology at an American University in 1875. With the influence of James's teachings and writings including the notable Principles of Psychology, psychology courses, journals, and societies began to spread throughout the country. With his research on the human memory, James disproved the 2,000 year old belief that memorizing any material would improve the memory. Through his self-experiment, he proved this to be untrue. James's chief influences on the field of psychology include his theories on functionalism, the self, stream of thought, free will, the unconscious, and emotion. Even after his retirement, James continued to lecture and publish new theories.
Theories
Ones of James's most renowned theories involved the complexity of the stream of conscious thought. He theorized that consciousness is not merely a thing but a process or a flow of thoughts. James saw the consciousness as an infinite parade of emotions, images, sensations, and ideas that appear without a person's awareness and then pass away. It is a continuous stream of experiences and the consciousness's most important function is selecting to which experiences to pay attention. However these streams are not random or chaotic, there is a connected manner of order. The last though is connected to the thought before by some common rationale. There is an overlap between present, past, and future experiences. The current experience is connected to the last few experiences by a fringe that is continuously trailing off. Just at the beginning of the next experiences are starting to show up in the consciousness. With this theory, James saw thinking as an automated and evolutionary process that does not require any independent “thinker.â€
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Why did William James question the study of consciousness?
William James questioned the study of consciousness because he believed it was a complex and subjective experience that was difficult to measure and study scientifically. He thought that trying to objectively study consciousness may not capture its true essence and could lead to oversimplification of this intricate phenomenon.
William James added to Bergson's theories of how we experience time by developing the?
concept of the "stream of consciousness," which describes our subjective experience of time as a continuous flow of thoughts and perceptions. James emphasized the interconnectedness of past, present, and future in shaping our understanding of time and reality.
Who was responsible for the stream of consciousness?
The stream of consciousness style of writing is often attributed to authors such as James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, who used it to depict the inner thoughts and feelings of characters in a more fluid and uninterrupted way. These authors were key figures in the development and popularization of this narrative technique in modernist literature.
Which of these styles of writing involves recording thoughts and feelings as they occur?
Journaling or stream of consciousness writing involves recording thoughts and feelings as they occur in a continuous flow without worrying about grammar or structure.
Which psychologist wrote an influential article questioning whether consciousness even existed?
The psychologist Daniel Dennett wrote an influential article titled "Quining Qualia" where he questioned the existence of consciousness as commonly understood, arguing for a physicalist account of the mind.
William James argued that consciousness is analogous to a?
stream
Which American psychologist described consciousness as being like a river or stream?
William James-1892
William James coined the term to describe how people experience Bergson's duration sense of time?
William James coined the term stream of consciousness.
Which of these literary techniques associated with Modernism was influenced by Henri Bergson's and William James's theories of how you experience time?
Stream-of-consciousness narration
James Joyce's novel Ulysses is the most famous example of what?
the "stream of consciousness" technique.
Which writer was known to use stream-of-consciousness in her work?
Gertrude Stein
What literary techniques and tendencies associated with Modernism was influenced by Henri Bergson and William James theories of how you experience time?
Stream-of consciousness narration is the literary technique associated with Modernism and incluenced by Henri Bergson and William James theories.
What do you call writing that follows the thoughts or feelings of the writer?
Personal EssayMemoir, personal essay, or persuasive piecean op-ed or opinion piece.
What was the Literary technique used to present characters thoughts and feelings used by James Joyce?
stream of consciousness.
Why did William James question the value of studying consciousness?
William James questioned the value of studying consciousness because he believed that consciousness was too fluid and dynamic to be effectively analyzed in isolation. He argued that it is better understood as a continuous stream of thoughts and experiences rather than as discrete elements. Additionally, James emphasized the practical implications of psychology, suggesting that focusing solely on consciousness might detract from understanding behavior and the broader context of human experience. This pragmatic approach encouraged a more holistic view of psychology, prioritizing real-world applications over abstract analysis.
William James added to Bergson's theories of how we experience time by developing the theory?
William James developed the stream of consciousnesstheory.
Why did some early twentieth-century writers embrace stream of consciousness?
Early twentieth-century writers embraced stream of consciousness as a way to explore the complexities of human thought and experience. This narrative technique allowed them to depict characters' inner lives more authentically, capturing the fluid and often chaotic nature of consciousness. Influenced by advancements in psychology, particularly the works of Freud and William James, writers sought to reflect the fragmented reality of modern life, breaking away from traditional linear storytelling. Ultimately, stream of consciousness offered a means to convey deeper emotional truths and the intricacies of perception.
