num_pages: 223
description: William James’ celebrated lecture on “The Will to Believe” has kindled spirited controversy since the day it was delivered. In this lively reappraisal of that controversy, Father O’Connell contributes some fresh that James’ argument should be viewed against his indebtedness to Pascal and Renouvier; that it works primarily to validate our “over-beliefs” ; and most surprising perhaps, that James envisages our “passional nature” as intervening, not after, but before and throughout, our intellectual weighing of the evidence for belief.William James on the Courage to Believe is available from the publisher on an open-access basis.
language: English
title: William James on the Courage to Believe
titlecomplete: William James on the Courage to Believe (American Philosophy Series)
genres: Philosophy
ratings_count: 5
series: American Philosophy
publisher: Fordham University Press