Download or read book William James on the Courage to Believe written by Robert J. O'Connell and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2018-09-18 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: William James’ celebrated lecture on “The Will to Believe” has kindled spirited controversy since the day it was delivered. In this lively reappraisal of that controversy, Father O’Connell contributes some fresh contentions: that James’ argument should be viewed against his indebtedness to Pascal and Renouvier; that it works primarily to validate our “over-beliefs” ; and most surprising perhaps, that James envisages our “passional nature” as intervening, not after, but before and throughout, our intellectual weighing of the evidence for belief.