William James

2 7.1

An American philosopher and psychologist who helped start pragmatism and modern psychology

proper noun
/ˈwɪljəm dʒeɪmz/

: William James

William James played a central role in developing the philosophy of pragmatism.

Examples

Many modern psychologists credit William James with helping to establish psychology as a scientific discipline.
Harvard University was where William James spent much of his academic career.
I admire William James!
Did William James really say that?
William James is often regarded as the father of modern psychology due to his influential ideas.
The theories of William James have significantly shaped contemporary thought in psychology.
In his writings, William James emphasized the practical application of philosophical concepts.

Surface Forms

William James main

Morphology

William + James

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical individual; knowing the constituent given names 'William' and 'James' does not allow a learner to infer the referent or his profession. Proper names are arbitrary referents and therefore opaque—B1 learners who only know the words would not deduce that this is a U.S. philosopher and psychologist.

Etymology

William James was an American thinker and teacher at Harvard who tested ideas by how they work in real life. He helped start 'pragmatism', the idea that ideas must work like tools, and he helped create 'modern psychology' by making the study of the mind more careful and practical.