James, William

Cultural  

1. An American philosopher and psychologist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was one of the first theorists to suggest that humans, like other animals, possess instincts. He also opposed then-dominant views by arguing that human identity is grounded not in metaphysics but in behavior.

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Novelist Henry James was William James's brother.

Example Sentences

Born in Pascagoula, Miss., on Christmas Day 1946, James William Buffett had wanderlust in his blood.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2023

St-Pierre said she won the free trip in a contest on Instagram and had never previously heard of the organizer, who identified himself on social media as James William Awad.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2022

James William Loewen was born Feb. 6, 1942, in Decatur, Ill. His father was a doctor, and his mother was a teacher and librarian.

From Washington Post • Aug. 20, 2021

In the early 20th Century US peace campaigner James William van Kirk designed a flag showing rainbow stripes connected to a globe.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2016

James, William, on enjoyment of life, 5; on religion of healthy-mindedness, 114.Jews, effects of indoor living withstood by, 147.

From How to Live Rules for Healthful Living Based on Modern Science by Fisher, Irving