"Maybe"

The William James Hall stands out amongst the buildings that surround it. Standing tall at 215 feet and holding 15 stories, it houses the Behavioral Science Department at Harvard University. It was named after the father of modern psychology and philosophy, William James, who taught one of Harvard's first psychology courses in 1875 and continued to teach at the University until he retired in 1907. His home on 95 Irving Street is a stone's throw from the top of the William James Hall, "Elysium", he called it.

William James, by every sense of the word, was brilliant, but he couldn't see any of it. He was many things; a poet, biologist, artist, mystic- many things at once, but he failed to feel fulfilled by it. This may have been his problem, as Kaag describes him as, “a man on a rack,” being pulled in many directions all at once, and therefore finding himself unable to move at all. “Philosophically stuck.” Are people’s lives determined before they can even live them? How do your actions matter if this is true? If our lives are predestined to end tragically, our steps counted before we even lift our feet; at our first taste of the air, how do our lives have any meaning? Without the ability of free will, without being able to act on our own accord, how are we more than just cogs in an ever-spinning machine in the universe? (SSHM 2-3)

"Is life worth living?" Is a question that many, many people struggle with, and have struggled with for much of humanity's time. A sense of meaningless, a feeling that he may lack control over his own life, was the root of the problem that drove the brilliant, “man on a rack” William James to the brink of suicide himself. James sketched a self-portrait in red crayon in a notebook, a man hunched in a chair with his head hanging down: HERE I AND SORROW SIT or, if you look closely, HERE I AM. He came to call those with similar indications, the people whose existence is "...little more than a series of zigzags" and whose "spirit wars with their flesh" the "sick souled." (SSMH 3) 

        

                                              
                                                        HERE I AM AND SORROW SIT

What else to turn to if not philosophy? James's philosophy was built towards saving lives, especially his life. He knew he was having problems- his own doctor, in a sense; philosophy was more than a mental game for James. It was a way to help you live your life- a philosophy of healthy-mindedness. James’s philosophy was a sort of pragmatism, that is, truth should be judged based on how it impacts life; the consequences that it has. However, when life seems meaningless to you, that holds very little weight, and James knew this. He crafted a philosophy to combat this.

This philosophy is what saves lives, or at least helps you keep pushing for living a better, more vibrant life. People crave meaning in their lives, an existential crisis that is one “Why?” question away. (Why am I here? Why is anything here? It spirals quickly to What is the meaning of life, does my life have any meaning?) James wrote about this. He wrote about existential meaning, one that is defined by both affluence and depression. James endorses icons that say that a life of fame is a life that should be cut short prematurely; “Be not afraid of life,” he said to such a life of culture, “Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will create that fact.” This sort of philosophy is what saves lives. Believe that your life is worth living, and it will become so. If you have faith that your life is worth continuing, then so it will be, based on your belief. (SSHM 5)

February 6, 2014, a 29-year-old Harvard Alumni, Steven Rose jumped from the roof of the William James Hall. This event helped inspire John Kaag to write Sick Souls, Healthy Minds. Kaag wanted to help people through William James’ philosophy. From “What had happened?” to “Why did it happen?” Kaag admitted that until this had happened, he wanted to experience the freedom and privilege of being a Harvard Freshman- but this, he argued, would be insensitive and selfish, by both Steven Rose and William James. “There is no such thing as an unqualified good,” Kaag said, appearances can not tell you everything. Privilege can be a burden, and freedom is accompanied by anxiety. Even if you’re born with a metaphorical silver spoon in your mouth- maybe that spoon has held poison, maybe it’s too cold on your tongue. It always depends on who is leading that life. (SSHM 7-8)

So, is life worth living? James argued that there was one answer: "Maybe." Maybe life is worth living. "it depends on the liver." Maybe your life has just been unlivable, just far too unbearable to persevere. Maybe Steven Rose was one of these people. But maybe not. Maybe you could still make something of it. Maybe there is still time to give your life meaning and add value before your time is up. This is the philosophy that Kaag is passing on to help people battle their terminal condition of life. Finding a way to truly live in life, a way to make your life meaningful to you. (SSHM 9-10)

Using philosophy to help yourself live is something that I think can be very helpful for everyone, even if they don’t consider themselves to be “philosophical”. James’ philosophy in particular is quite helpful, exposing you to the fact that there are possibilities in life, “Maybe” there is more for you. Just keep trying, keep persevering towards giving your life value. “Believe that life is worth living and you will create that fact.” Not everyone is going to pick up a book and read it though- a depressed person may scoff at the title “How William James Can Save Your Life.” But this doesn’t mean it isn’t helpful. Maybe it can catch you before you’re in too deep. Or you can stumble upon it and use its teachings to help someone else. 

Regardless, I think William James can save lives, even with such a simple philosophy of “Maybe.” It’s a runaround answer, the possibility of yes, yes life is worth continuing is always there, and that may just be the reassurance someone needs. 

Could philosophy help save lives, or at least, could philosophy help people become unafraid of living? 

Do you think “Maybe” is the right answer to existential questions?