Pulitzer Prize Biography Winner
The Thought and Character of William James
by Ralph Barton Perry
Summary
Perry examines the life and ideas of the philosopher and psychologist William James, drawing on a vast trove of letters and unpublished papers. Rather than a simple life story, the book interweaves biography with the development of pragmatism and James's restless intellectual journey. As James's former student and colleague, Perry brings rare closeness to the analysis of his subject's mind.
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Historical Context & Significance
Perry was a Harvard philosopher and a former student of William James, which gave him access to private correspondence used throughout the two volume work.