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Work #1040 · Late posthumous

Essays in Radical Empiricism

William James
1904-08 essays; collected posthumously 1912 · English
Philosophical essay collection · American pragmatism / radical empiricism

Radical empiricism — experience as foundation of metaphysics, with relations as much given as things related

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute Essays in Radical Empiricism (Late posthumous)
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Substantival
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Non-Deterministic
Time · Traversability Linear
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Relational
Space · Curvature Flat
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Local
Matter · Extent Infinite
Matter · Ontological Status Relational
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Local
Observer · Time Instance Single
Observer · Space Instance Single
Observer · Knowledge Extent Partial
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Partial
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Both
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency None
Observer · Moral Authority Experience
Observer · Theological Method
Energy · Extent Infinite
Energy · Ontological Status Relational
Energy · Conservation Variable
Energy · Dispersibility Irreversible
Information · Ontological Status Relational
Information · Cosmic Conservation Variable
Information · Personal Conservation Conserved
Information · Granularity Continuous

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

Essays in Radical Empiricism

Continuous time of experience as stream; unfinished temporal becoming.

Space

Essays in Radical Empiricism

Relational space — field of overlapping relations.

Matter

Essays in Radical Empiricism

"Pure experience" stuff as underlying neutral category.

Observer

Essays in Radical Empiricism

Experiencing subject embedded in experiential flow.

Energy

Essays in Radical Empiricism

Dynamic energies of experience itself.

Information

Essays in Radical Empiricism

Relations as immediately given as the things related.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

Essays in Radical Empiricism

"Pure experience" doctrine variously read — neutral monism (Russell), phenomenology, early functionalism. Relation to James's Pragmatism (1907) is a central problem of James interpretation.