The Will to Believe is a collection of essays and talks by William James. I disagree with James frequently -- although there is a fair amount I agreed with too. That said, he made me think. James' reasoning is thorough enough that it takes real effort to justify your own disagreement. This effort is healthy.

If I had to sum up my criticisms of James' general reasoning, I would say that: (1) He lacks many of the insights from the relatively recent studies showing the connection between psychology, neurology, and well being (e.g., when he assumes that certainly spiritual traits have no use if they do not point to the supernatural). (2) He never considers the reality that complex systems can emerge from simple systems (e.g., morality should not be able to arise from the interactions of individuals who are not themselves morally authoritative. (3) Like many philosopher types, he tends to confuse individuals and populations, especially when it comes to probabilities (e.g., we can not predict whether or not this individual will be great, therefore, we can say nothing about what produces genius).

He also indulges in the occasional false dichotomy.

Overall though, it was a very good read, and it helped me clarify may ideas that had been floating aimlessly in my mind. ( )

no idea, must read it again

12/10/21