William James on the Courage to Believe

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. Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1. The Argument Of The Will To Believe -- 2. On Matter And Manner -- 3. James And Pascal -- 4. Is It Wishful Thinking? -- 5. Outcomes And Over-beliefs -- 6. The Precursive Force Of Over-beliefs -- 7. The Strata Of The Passional -- 8. The Metaphors Of Belief -- Epilogue: On Becoming Humanly Wise -- Appendix A: The Will To Believe And James's Deontological Streak -- Appendix B: Faith And Facts In James's Will To Believe -- Appendix C: James's Voluntarism: Readiness, Willingness, Or Will To Believe? -- Index Robert J. O'connell. In English.