William James

William James (1842-1910), an American philosopher and psychologist, played a pivotal role in establishing the philosophical school of pragmatism and is considered one of the founders of modern psychology. In 1890, he published "The Principles of Psychology," a seminal work that laid the foundation for the study of psychology in the United States. James also delivered the influential series of lectures compiled in "The Varieties of Religious Experience" (1902), where he examined the psychological underpinnings of religious phenomena. In addition to his groundbreaking work in psychology, James contributed significantly to the philosophy of pragmatism with his 1907 publication "Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking." He was a professor at Harvard University, where he taught for over three decades.