Be Not Afraid of Life

In the Words of William James

William James, John Kaag, Jonathan van Belle

$42.95

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Princeton University Press
01 June 2025

Autobiography: general; Western philosophy, from c 1900 -; Phenomenology & Existentialism; Philosophy of mind

A compelling collection of the life-changing writings of William James.

William James

psychologist, philosopher, and spiritual seeker

is one of those rare writers who can speak directly and powerfully to anyone about life's meaning and worth, and whose ideas change not only how people think but how they live. The thinker who helped found the philosophy of pragmatism and inspire Alcoholics Anonymous, James famously asked, 'is life worth living?' Bringing together many of his best and most popular essays, talks, and other writings, this anthology presents James's answer to that and other existential questions, in his own unique manner

caring, humorous, eloquent, incisive, humble, and forever on the trail of the 'ever not quite.'

Here we meet a James perfectly attuned to the concerns of today

one who argues for human freedom, articulates a healthy-minded psychology, urges us to explore the stream of consciousness, presents a new definition of truth based on its practical consequences, and never forecloses the possibility of mystical transcendence. Introduced by John Kaag and Jonathan van Belle, these compelling and accessible selections reveal why James is one of the great guides to the business of living.

'Want to get to know William James, America's most-beloved

and perhaps most widely influential

philosopher? This wonderful collection gives us James at his best

provocative, lyrical, inspirational. Whether you are meeting James in an easy chair, in a classroom, or on a 'ramble,' as James called the mountain hikes he loved, the encounter will leave you richly rewarded.'

James T. Kloppenberg, Harvard University

'A great collection that lets readers experience James's philosophy as epistemological tonic, moral orientation, and spiritual regeneration. The brief introductions to the individual selections are compelling and written in sparkling prose.'

Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, author of The Ideas That Made America

By: William James
Edited by: John Kaag, Jonathan van Belle
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 133mm,
ISBN: 9780691215372
ISBN 10: 0691215375
Pages: 392
Publication Date: 01 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

John Kaag is the Donohue Professor of Ethics and the Arts at UMass Lowell, External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute, and the author of Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life (Princeton), American Philosophy: A Love Story, and Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are. Jonathan van Belle is an independent scholar and former philosophy editor at Outlier.org. Kaag and van Belle are also the authors of Henry at Work: Thoreau on Making a Living (Princeton).