William James and "The Sentiment of Rationality"

John Wright #12

   "This feeling of sufficiency of the present moment, of its absoluteness,- this absence of all need to explain it, account for it, or justify it,- is what I call the Sentiment of Rationality."- William James

    

    At the age of 40, James had his essay entitled "The Sentiment of Rationality" published in the Princeton Review in 1882. In roughly fifteen sentences, he gives the reader the his answer to what that means. Even so, he uses another 110 paragraphs explaining what makes his take on rationality different from other previous philosophers, and explains in detail the flaws in their own logic and emotion. He addresses two common beliefs in philosophy that he describes as "sister passions", these being the passion for simplicity and the passion for distinguishing. He points out how viewing either as an absolute answer to rationality is flawed and argues that true rationality must be a balance between these two passions. 

    He discredits the ideas of the pre-socratics and theologians that everything is one thing. Such as Thales belief that everything is water, and many religious thinkers vowing that everything is God. With five words he states that, "Absolute existence is absolute mystery". Here we see why he argues against simplicity. It relays no true understanding of the world, and leaves so many questions and holes that are too easily filled with an unfulfilling answer. James then goes on to show his comedic prowess by delivering a clever quip about how this very idea of simplifying objects and meaning to one answer is why so few people care for philosophy

    What about the sister passion of distinguishing, or clarity? Well James also cleverly dismantles this idea that to truly understand the world things must be broken down into their basic parts and analyzed with a microscope and a fine toothed comb. He uses the example of how a Beethoven string quartet could be described as a "scraping of horses' tails on cats' bowels". He addresses that describing the music in this way is an adequate description, however, it no longer describes the music in a way that makes rational sense. 

    In James's view, absolute ideas do no lead to rational conclusions. Dogmatic theories may clear up some aspects of our world while clouding or overcomplicating others. This is why he advocates for a balance between the two passions that arrange our personal philosophies. 

  

  While at first glance it may seem like James completely disregards the use of religion in the quest for rationality, this is not so. Many philosophers, before, after, and during his time, dismiss the value of religion and claim that atheism was the more logical path. He addresses that as humans we have an inherent need to believe in something, or to have faith. "The truths cannot become true till our faith has made them so." Faith is what allows us to continue on and not give up on ourselves, it is what gives us the willingness to act. In James own way, his faith in free will is what allowed him to start living his life to the fullest. This faith allowed him the control of his life that he so desperately needed. Moreover, without faith in something, the only logical philosophy is meaningless Nihilism. 

                      

    James perfectly sums up his own ideas by saying that "No philosophy will permanently be deemed rational by all men". In James's view, the best philosophy is the one that works best for someone and allows them to live a life that improves ones life and allows them to live a more full and happier life. He closes his essay with saying that "The ultimate philosophy, we may therefore conclude, must not be too strait-laced in form, must not in all its parts divide heresy from orthodoxy by too sharp a line."