Born in New York City in the year 1842, William James was the Father of American Psychology.William James made numerous contributions in the fields of psychology and philosophy and hence, his name continues to come up in learned circles to date. His books are still circulated amongst enthusiasts of psychology and are often included in courses.It is assumed that William James’ interest in psychology grew after his depressive spells while he was studying medicine at Harvard Medical School. Tormented by sickness and loneliness, James took many years to acquire his degree but was appointed as a physiology instructor at the university shortly after. He later went on to teach psychology and philosophy and the rest is history.It is rather interesting to note that the man who is widely recognized as such an important figure in psychology had no intentions of pursuing any such study and wanted to be a painter! Keep reading for more such facts.If you enjoy reading this article, why not also check out William Faulkner facts and Willa Cather facts here at Kidadl!Fun Facts About William JamesWilliam James is known as one of the most notable people in American psychology.William James is in fact known as the Father of American Psychology due to his many contributions in the field. The modern psychology course that we see in schools and universities today uses many of his observations and philosophies. At the same time, he is also remembered in association with his brother, Henry James, who was a renowned novelist of the 19th century. He was born in a very intellectual family in New York City, in the United States of America. His father, Henry James Sr., believed that his children must receive the best possible education and hence, pushed them towards studying very sincerely. William James received most of his schooling in America and Europe.One of the fun facts about William James is that he initially had no plans of studying human nature or psychology. He wanted to be a professional painter and went against the wishes of Henry James Sr. in order to receive professional training from William Morris Hunt. Hunt was a very skilled painter but failed to keep William James interested in his passion for painting. James then started his academic career at Harvard University and started to study chemistry. This, too, was too unimpressive for him and he couldn’t continue with the course. He later started going to Harvard Medical School. He did acquire a degree but his time at the Harvard Medical School was quite troublesome.Facts About William James’ EducationWilliam James, before becoming a professor at Harvard University, was a student at the Lawrence Scientific School and briefly studied chemistry.When he grew weary of the course, he chose to study medicine and did end up acquiring a degree between many spells of depression and illnesses. He received his degree in medicine in the year 1869 and it was only then that he turned towards a career in psychology. Although he had not taken any psychology courses or heard any lectures in the field, he still managed to emerge as an influential and notable figure.It was in the year 1872 that he was appointed as a physiology instructor at Harvard University and this is when his prolonged career in academics began in full swing. During the many years that he spent as an integral part of the university, he also became a professor of psychology and philosophy. His father’s life-long dream of William James pursuing philosophy was realized in one way or another.Facts About William James’ AccomplishmentsWilliam James’s book, ‘Principles of Psychology,’ continues to be one of the most monumental works in the field, although some people have criticized it for being more literary and having to do less with human psychology. James also used his other book, ‘Psychology: The Briefer Course,’ in order to teach psychology at his Harvard school. Students are known to have lovingly named these books as the ‘James’ and the ‘Jimmy’.In addition to ‘Principles of Psychology’ and ‘Psychology: The Briefer Course,’ William James also made contributions in the field of philosophy. The popular philosophy of pragmatism was one of James’ favorites. He wrote extensively on the topic, and his observations in the field are very well received. The James-Lange theory of emotion in psychology is also one that is noteworthy. It talks about topics from human psychology and how emotions are caused to how a human being deciphers physiological stimuli. James’ views on functionalism and how the environment also plays a huge role in behavior are also considered noteworthy to date. The conversations on free will still continue to rage in learned communities, and William James also made his contributions to the philosophy in his own way.In addition to these academic accomplishments, William James is also known to have taught some very notable alumni of Harvard University. Such names would include G. Stanley Hall, Mary Whiton Calkins, and Edward Thorndike.According to William James, psychology was the conscience of the mental life. He was not a behaviorist, but a functionalist. His studies of consciousness were aimed at understanding how it helped in human survival.Facts About William James’ FamilyWilliam James was born in New York City and led a very prosperous early life. His father had elaborate ideas about his children and the kind of education that they should receive. We can hardly say that Henry James Sr. had wrong principles regarding his children’s education since they all turned out to be noteworthy people in their own fields.During his early life, William James and his siblings had many luxuries, including being able to travel to Europe quite frequently. William James and his siblings received schooling from Europe and America. Later on, William James decided to briefly pursue his passion for painting but dropped out of his training in order to study science. William James received his degree in medicine from Harvard University in the year 1869 and then began his extensive tenure as a professor of the university.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 71 William James facts: read more about the American philosopher then why not take a look at Aristotle facts, or William Gilbert facts.
Born in New York City in the year 1842, William James was the Father of American Psychology.
