ABSTRACT
William James argues pragmatically that by ‘rejecting certain portions’ of this entropic world it is possible to establish a manageable personal environment which serves the individual’s requirements. The other strain of writing which runs through Principles and James’ later work is his strong connection with romanticism, which furnishes him with a different notion of will as a descriptive term. The conceptual differences between Emerson and James help to clarify the different moods of the several thinkers and push James closer to the European romantics. James’ writing on sublime experiences proves richer for a consideration of romantic science than the early romantics and the mind-curists, primarily because of his emphasis on the body. In a footnote to his concluding lecture, he discusses the possibilities of romantic science in bridging the chasm between ‘scientist facts and religious facts’.
