ABSTRACT
One of the most repeated Kierkegaard quotations, in a variety of slightly different forms, is “life is lived forward but understood backward.”1 One of the first references to the quotation in English was in a lecture in October 1904 delivered by the Dane Harald Høffding (1843-1941). Høffding had been invited by William James (18421910) to deliver a lecture to his students addressing an upcoming discussion dealing with James’ views on pragmatism, radical empiricism, and pluralism. Høffding mentions Kierkegaard by name and refers to a version of the quotation above. James was captivated by the quotation and from that point on used it in the explication of his own views. This article examines this quotation as it relates to James’ understanding of experience and radical empiricism. The article is divided into three sections: (1) a brief overview of William James’ life; (2) a description of James’ references to Kierkegaard and the history of how he became aware of the Dane; and (3) an account of how the quotation, often repeated by James, provides an insight into James’ larger body of thought as well as the relationship between James and Kierkegaard.
