![]() ![]() ![]() James was a rigorous opponent of the impressive and pretentious rational idealistic system of the German philosopher Hegel. But it would be possible to assert their ultimate meaning, despite incongruities, by religious faith. He did not believe that it would be possible to give rational coherence to the many systems of structures which are manifested in life. It is the force by which he lives." This definition of faith as an affirmation of the meaning of existence is drawn from and not negated by his anti-metaphysical philosophy, his empirical bent. ![]() He defines faith as "the sense of life by virtue of which man does not destroy himself, but lives on. In terms of basic conviction his affirmative attitude rests upon a thoroughly empirical but very valid approach to religious faith. James inherited his life-long interest in religion from his Swedenborgian father. For James combines a positive approach to religion with a non-dogmatic and thoroughly empirical approach to the religious life and various types of religious experience. The combination is not only rare but creative. A popular edition of William James' justly renowned Varieties of Religious Experience is very useful because the attitude and method of the study, which made it a milestone in religious thought when James first delivered the substance of the volume as the famous "Gifford Lectures" at the University of Edinburgh at the turn of the century, represent as rare a combination in our day as sixty years ago. ![]()
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