The Divided Self of William James [Hardcover]

Richard M. Gale (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0521642698 | ISBN-13: 978-0521642699 0

This book offers a powerful new interpretation of the philosophy of William James. It focuses on the multiple directions in which James' philosophy moves and the inevitable contradictions that arise as a result. Richard Gale shows how relativistic tendencies can be reconciled with James' account of mystical experience. Such is the range of James' philosophy that this stimulating new interpretation will find readers among those interested in the history of modern philosophy and especially in pragmatism, as well as in the history of ideas, religion, and American studies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Original in focus and style, Gale's book will certainly be hailed as one of the most stimulating studies of James to have appeared in years. And it will attract a wide readership not only for the benefit of scholars and seminar students but for all those 'out there' beyond the campus border, who for one reason or another read James and about him and his works." Gerald Myers, author of William James: His Life and Thought

"Well written and carefully argued, this book is a necessary resource for those working on William James." Choice

"Richard Gale's new work is a book of subtlety and acumen, and represents an important step in James's coming of age in the annals of analytic philosophy. Gale very successfully brings James's reconstructed views to bear on the current analytic philosophical literature in metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy of religion, but his primary focus remains always on the enriched understanding and development of James's philosophy itself....I found The Divided Self of William James to be a rigorous, subtle, and inusually fruitful book, which should provide the basis for much future scholarship. It breaks new ground on fundamental points, and offers a feast of ideas for anyone interested in James's philosophy." Transactions of the Charles S. Pierce Society

"...this work takes its place as a significant and fresh contribution to the technical literature on William James." Isis

"Books on William James quickly succed on another nowadays, but the best and most durable to appear is Richard Gale's The Divided Self of William James. What makes this book execptional is its intimate grasp of Jame's thought and of the thinker behind it." Philosophy and Phenomenological

Book Description

This book offers a powerful new interpretation of the philosophy of William James. It focuses on the multiple directions in which James's philosophy moves and the inevitable contradictions that arise as a result. Richard Gale shows how relativistic tendencies can be reconciled with James's account of mystical experience. Such is the range of James's philosophy that this stimulating new interpretation will find readers amongst those interested in the history of modern philosophy and especially in pragmatism, as well as in the history of ideas, religion, and American studies.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521642698
• ISBN-13: 978-0521642699
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,846,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)