The Principles of Psychology
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1890
- Form
- Psychology
- Language
- English
- Length
- Epic · 1400 ppover 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Principles of PsychologyHarvard University Press, 1983The complete critical text in one volume; the two-volume Dover reprint is the cheaper alternative.
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James's two-volume foundation of American psychology, twelve years in the writing. It treats the brain and habit, the stream of thought, the consciousness of self, attention, memory, perception, reasoning, instinct, emotion and will, mixing physiology, introspection and literature. Its most famous chapters argue that consciousness is a continuous stream rather than a chain of ideas, that we feel sorry because we cry rather than the reverse, and that habit is the enormous flywheel of society.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Principles of Psychology are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
