Harvard University Press The Principles of Psychology: v. 3 (Works of William James): Volume III

The publication in 1890 of William James’s acknowledged masterpiece marked a turning point in the development of psychology as a science in America. The Principles of Psychology also became a source of inspiration in philosophy, literature, and the arts. When John Dewey reviewed it, he predicted that it would rank “as a permanent classic, like Locke’s Essay and Hume’s Treatise.” Its stature undiminished after 91 years, The Principles of Psychology appears now in a new, handsome edition with an authoritative text that corrects the hundreds of errors, some very serious, that have been perpetuated over the years. Prepared according to the modern standards of textual scholarship, this edition incorporates all of the changes James made in the eight printings he supervised, as well as the revisions and new material he added to his own annotated copy. In addition, all footnotes, references, quotations, and translations have been thoroughly checked. The complete text of the Principles, with footnotes, drawings, and James’s own index, appears in Volumes I and II. Volume III includes extensive notes, appendixes, textual apparatus, and a general index. Review The Principles of Psychology is simply a stunning achievement, a triumph of American scholarship... James's versatility, as both writer and thinker, is evident at every point throughout this book. There is nothing out of his range. He provide[s] a lucid, masterful summary of the evidence bearing upon a given topic; [and] consider[s] both the overt and tacit arguments involved in the research... Principles represents the cumulation and synthesis of doctrine and learning; it is hard to imagine anyone else as perfectly positioned to write the definitive text on psychology.-- "Psychology Today" A permanent classic, like Locke's Essay and Hume's Treatise.--John Dewey