What was the personal crisis that James experienced, and how did he resolve it?
William James represented the state of transition between the United States psychology and the European psychology. He has done his medical degree from the Harvard. After obtaining his medical degree his health got deteriorated suddenly. He became ill because of the severe depression. The reason behind his depression was the experimental implications of the psychology as well as the materialistic physiology. He was very much impressed with these fields.
He was very much clear about the fact that if materialism was correct then it will be applicable on him as well. According to him, whatever happening to him is beyond his control. James accepted the theory of evolution given by the Darwin. This theory caused the problems in the life of the James. According to the Darwin, there is no existence of the freedom and choice in the nature. Survival of the fittest, variation and the natural selection are the forces behind the evolution.
Charles Bernard Renouvier’s essay series named as the ‘free will’ brought the turning point in the life of the James. After reading these essays from the series his perception got changed. This perceptional change improved the beliefs of the James and helped him getting out of the depression. He became very much productive and the James pragmatism came into the picture. He used the pragmatism for solving all his problems.