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William James propounded his theories of pragmatism in this book. He emphasized "radical empiricism" and the concept that the meaning of any idea - philosophical, political, social, or otherwise - only has validity in terms of its experiential and practical consequences. He wished to test competing systems of thought in the "marketplace of actual experience" to determine whether adopting a particular philosophical theory or way of looking at the world makes an actual difference in individual conduct or in how people perceive and react to the varieties of experience.

William James (1842 - 1910) was a psychologist and a philosopher of note. For James, pragmatism meant an emphasis on radical empiricism and the concept that the meaning of any idea is valid only in terms of its experiential and practical consequences. He tests competing systems of thought in the marketplace of actual experience to determine their validity. The intent is to see whether a particular philosophical theory or way of looking at the world makes an actual difference in individual conduct.

American psychologist William James (1842-1910) was also a philosopher of considerable repute and borrowed the theory of pragmatism first put forward by Charles Peirce to help form his own interpretation of the philosophy. Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking is based on the notion that the meaning of any idea is valid only if it works both experientially and practically. The book consists of a series of eight lectures, delivered at the Lowell Institute in Boston in November and December of 1906, and at Columbia University in January 1907.

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