The Significance and Research Methods of Enhancing Studies on William James’s Philosophy

Abstract

William James is one of the first philosophers with significant international influence in the history of American philosophy. James played an extremely important role in the emergence and development of American pragmatism, striving to show cultural self-confidence and pursuing the localization as well as independence of philosophy in the development of America. It is of great importance to further study James’s philosophy in the context of contemporary academics. Academia should value the collection, editing, translation and research of the philosophical classics of James and important literatures, pay attention to the clues of development and academic trends of the important concepts and ideas of James’s pragmatism philosophy, and rethink the status and influence of James’s philosophy in modern Western philosophy, trying to carry out comparative studies between James’s philosophy and traditional Chinese philosophy.

Key words： William James; classical pragmatism; modern Western philosophy