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The Energies of Men
The energies of men. 52 Pages.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1907
About the author
William James
343 books1,416 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist who was also trained as a physician. The first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States, James was one of the leading thinkers of the late nineteenth century and is believed by many to be one of the most influential philosophers the United States has ever produced, while others have labelled him the "Father of American psychology". Along with Charles Sanders Peirce and John Dewey, he is considered to be one of the greatest figures associated with the philosophical school known as pragmatism, and is also cited as one of the founders of the functional psychology. He also developed the philosophical perspective known as radical empiricism. James' work has influenced intellectuals such as Émile Durkheim, W. E. B. Du Bois, Edmund Husserl, Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Hilary Putnam, and Richard Rorty.
Born into a wealthy family, James was the son of the Swedenborgian theologian Henry James Sr and the brother of both the prominent novelist Henry James, and the diarist Alice James. James wrote widely on many topics, including epistemology, education, metaphysics, psychology, religion, and mysticism. Among his most influential books are Principles of Psychology, which was a groundbreaking text in the field of psychology, Essays in Radical Empiricism, an important text in philosophy, and The Varieties of Religious Experience, which investigated different forms of religious experience.
William James was born at the Astor House in New York City. He was the son of Henry James Sr., a noted and independently wealthy Swedenborgian theologian well acquainted with the literary and intellectual elites of his day. The intellectual brilliance of the James family milieu and the remarkable epistolary talents of several of its members have made them a subject of continuing interest to historians, biographers, and critics.
James interacted with a wide array of writers and scholars throughout his life, including his godfather Ralph Waldo Emerson, his godson William James Sidis, as well as Charles Sanders Peirce, Bertrand Russell, Josiah Royce, Ernst Mach, John Dewey, Macedonio Fernández, Walter Lippmann, Mark Twain, Horatio Alger, Jr., Henri Bergson and Sigmund Freud.
William James received an eclectic trans-Atlantic education, developing fluency in both German and French. Education in the James household encouraged cosmopolitanism. The family made two trips to Europe while William James was still a child, setting a pattern that resulted in thirteen more European journeys during his life. His early artistic bent led to an apprenticeship in the studio of William Morris Hunt in Newport, Rhode Island, but he switched in 1861 to scientific studies at the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University.
In his early adulthood, James suffered from a variety of physical ailments, including those of the eyes, back, stomach, and skin. He was also tone deaf. He was subject to a variety of psychological symptoms which were diagnosed at the time as neurasthenia, and which included periods of depression during which he contemplated suicide for months on end. Two younger brothers, Garth Wilkinson (Wilky) and Robertson (Bob), fought in the Civil War. The other three siblings (William, Henry, and Alice James) all suffered from periods of invalidism.
He took up medical studies at Harvard Medical School in 1864. He took a break in the spring of 1865 to join naturalist Louis Agassiz on a scientific expedition up the Amazon River, but aborted his trip after eight months, as he suffered bouts of severe seasickness and mild smallpox. His studies were interrupted once again due to illness in April 1867. He traveled to Germany in search of a cure and remained there until November 1868; at that time he was 26 years old. During this period, he
William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist who was also trained as a physician. The first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States, James was one of the leading thinkers of the late nineteenth century and is believed by many to be one of the most influential philosophers the United States has ever produced, while others have labelled him the "Father of American psychology". Along with Charles Sanders Peirce and John Dewey, he is considered to be one of the greatest figures associated with the philosophical school known as pragmatism, and is also cited as one of the founders of the functional psychology. He also developed the philosophical perspective known as radical empiricism. James' work has influenced intellectuals such as Émile Durkheim, W. E. B. Du Bois, Edmund Husserl, Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Hilary Putnam, and Richard Rorty.
Born into a wealthy family, James was the son of the Swedenborgian theologian Henry James Sr and the brother of both the prominent novelist Henry James, and the diarist Alice James. James wrote widely on many topics, including epistemology, education, metaphysics, psychology, religion, and mysticism. Among his most influential books are Principles of Psychology, which was a groundbreaking text in the field of psychology, Essays in Radical Empiricism, an important text in philosophy, and The Varieties of Religious Experience, which investigated different forms of religious experience.
William James was born at the Astor House in New York City. He was the son of Henry James Sr., a noted and independently wealthy Swedenborgian theologian well acquainted with the literary and intellectual elites of his day. The intellectual brilliance of the James family milieu and the remarkable epistolary talents of several of its members have made them a subject of continuing interest to historians, biographers, and critics.
James interacted with a wide array of writers and scholars throughout his life, including his godfather Ralph Waldo Emerson, his godson William James Sidis, as well as Charles Sanders Peirce, Bertrand Russell, Josiah Royce, Ernst Mach, John Dewey, Macedonio Fernández, Walter Lippmann, Mark Twain, Horatio Alger, Jr., Henri Bergson and Sigmund Freud.
William James received an eclectic trans-Atlantic education, developing fluency in both German and French. Education in the James household encouraged cosmopolitanism. The family made two trips to Europe while William James was still a child, setting a pattern that resulted in thirteen more European journeys during his life. His early artistic bent led to an apprenticeship in the studio of William Morris Hunt in Newport, Rhode Island, but he switched in 1861 to scientific studies at the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University.
In his early adulthood, James suffered from a variety of physical ailments, including those of the eyes, back, stomach, and skin. He was also tone deaf. He was subject to a variety of psychological symptoms which were diagnosed at the time as neurasthenia, and which included periods of depression during which he contemplated suicide for months on end. Two younger brothers, Garth Wilkinson (Wilky) and Robertson (Bob), fought in the Civil War. The other three siblings (William, Henry, and Alice James) all suffered from periods of invalidism.
He took up medical studies at Harvard Medical School in 1864. He took a break in the spring of 1865 to join naturalist Louis Agassiz on a scientific expedition up the Amazon River, but aborted his trip after eight months, as he suffered bouts of severe seasickness and mild smallpox. His studies were interrupted once again due to illness in April 1867. He traveled to Germany in search of a cure and remained there until November 1868; at that time he was 26 years old. During this period, he
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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October 25, 2018Writing is higher than walking,
Thinking is higher than writing,
Deciding is higher than thinking,
Deciding "no" higher than deciding "yes."
Awesome book.
Thinking is higher than writing,
Deciding is higher than thinking,
Deciding "no" higher than deciding "yes."
Awesome book.
June 5, 2020
A hidden gem- one of my most treasured philosophies. Absolutely-- everyone must read this book. Our world needs this message.
December 27, 2020
William argues for man's inherent ability to endure almost everything, to endure the endurable. We are surrounded by examples, personal or broadcasted by the grim news, of how fickle Fortune is, how quickly she withholds, how quick she bestows. It was really refreshing reading a short, articulate paper on man's unbelievable resiliency against tragic states of existences, so tragic that if one just thinks of them feels the weight of this horrible sentence.
William makes the case that man, if willing, if patient, can get through and adapt.
I'll probably read it again shortly.
William makes the case that man, if willing, if patient, can get through and adapt.
I'll probably read it again shortly.
May 19, 2023
Unlocking the reservoir of unused personal energies.
William James, acknowledges the untapped energy in need of a system to manifest in our lives. Tap without external stimulation. Tap by virtue of our own will, dreams and determination. Makes me appreciative of my practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. A great read. Insight into the exceptional potential and power of humanity.
William James, acknowledges the untapped energy in need of a system to manifest in our lives. Tap without external stimulation. Tap by virtue of our own will, dreams and determination. Makes me appreciative of my practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. A great read. Insight into the exceptional potential and power of humanity.
March 4, 2024
A friend recommended me this. It's a pretty quick read which was written more than 100 years ago. It also gives a brief glimpse into the psychology of 100 years ago.
It tries to tell that humans are capable of achieving much more than what they think. It introduces a concept of "second wind" which is what you witness after you go past the fatigue stage.
It tries to tell that humans are capable of achieving much more than what they think. It introduces a concept of "second wind" which is what you witness after you go past the fatigue stage.
December 28, 2017
Bien que ce soit écrit par un scientifique, la date de l'écriture et le sujet abordé me laisse critique de la rigueur scientifique de ce texte, il est néanmoins clair et concis concernant le sujet et donc mérite d’être relu.
March 5, 2024
i will change my review to 5 stars the day i’m convinced of James’s mental-second-wind argument either by personal exposure or incontrovertible evidence in someone else (difficult to distinguish the exact kind of second wind he talks about from the many kinds of “pushing yourself”)
September 14, 2022
Good for a short fly. Bit outdated but quite accurate intuitions.
August 7, 2026
One start off simply because I wish it was longer and more drawn out. Good stuff.
October 7, 2020
Likely based upon dated Science but the idea is good to help recognize and realize the importance of personal energy.
March 29, 2013
One of William James' most insightful and, alas, underrated essays.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews