The Letters of William James Volume I Part 12

WM. JAMES.

_To Henry P. Bowditch._

CAMBRIDGE, _Apr. 8, 1871_.

...So the gallant Gauls are shooting each other again! I wish we knew what it all meant. From the apparent generality of the movement in Paris, it seems as if it must be something more dignified than it at first appeared. But can anything great be expected now from a nation between the two factions of which there is such hopeless enmity and mistrust as between the religious and the revolutionary parties in France? No mediation is possible between them. In England, America and Germany, a regular advance is possible, because each man confides in his brothers. However great the superficial differences of opinion, there is at bottom a trust in the power of the deep forces of human nature to work out their salvation, and the minority is contented to bide its time. But in France, nothing of the sort; no one feels secure against what he considers evil, by any guaranty but force; and if his opponents get uppermost, he thinks all is forever lost. How much Catholic education is to answer for this and how much national idiosyncrasy, it is hard to say. But I am inclined to think the latter is a large factor.

The want of true sympathy in the French character, their love of external mechanical order, their satisfaction in police-regulation, their everlasting cry of "traitor," all point to it. But, on the other hand, protestantism would seem to have a good deal to do with the fundamental cohesiveness of society in the countries of Germanic blood.

For what may be called the revolutionary party there has _developed_ through insensible grades of rationalism out of the old orthodox conceptions, religious and social. The process has been a continuous modification of positive belief, and the extremes, even if they had no respect for each other and no desire for mutual accommodation (which I think at bottom they have), would yet be kept from cutting each other's throats by the intermediate links. But in France Belief and Denial are separated by a chasm. The step once made, "ecrasez l'infame" is the only watchword on each side. How any order is possible except by a Caesar to hold the balance, it is hard to see. But I don't want to dose you with my crude speculations. This difference was brought home vividly to me by reading yesterday in the "Revue des Deux Mondes" for last December a splendid little story, "Histoire d'un Sous-Maitre," by Erckmann-Chatrian, and what was uppermost in my mind came out easiest in writing.

I shall be overjoyed to see you in September, but expect to hear from you many a time ere then. I see little medical society, none in fact; but hope to begin again soon. [R. H.] Fitz, I believe, is showing great powers in "Pathology" since his return. And I hear a place in the school is being kept warm for you on your return. Count me for an auditor. I invested yesterday in a ticket for a course of "University"

lectures on "Optical Phenomena and the Eye," by B. Joy Jeffries, to be begun out here tomorrow. It's the first mingling in the business of life which I have done since my return home. Wyman is in Florida till May. He has an obstinate cough and seems anxious about his lungs. I hope he'll be spared, though, many a long year.

Ever yours truly, WM. JAMES.

_To Charles Renouvier._

CAMBRIDGE, _Nov. 2, 1872_.

MONSIEUR,--Je viens d'apprendre par votre "Science de la Morale," que l'ouvrage de M. Lequier, auquel vous faites renvoi dans votre deuxieme Essai de Critique, n'a jamais ete mis en vente. Ceci explique l'insucces avec lequel j'ai pendant longtemps tache de me le procurer par la voie de la librairie.

Serait-ce trop vous demander, s'il vous restait encore des exemplaires, de m'en envoyer un, que je presenterais, apres l'avoir lu, en votre nom, a la bibliotheque Universitaire de cette ville?

Si l'edition est deja epuisee, ne vous mettez pas en peine de me repondre, et que le vif interet que je prends a vos idees serve d'excuse a ma demande. Je ne peux pas laisser echapper cette occasion de vous dire toute l'admiration et la reconnaissance que m'ont inspiree la lecture de vos Essais (sauf le 3me, que je n'ai pas encore lu). Grace a vous, je possede pour la premiere fois une conception intelligible et raisonnable de la Liberte. Je m'y suis range a peu pres. Sur d'autres points de votre philosophie il me reste encore des doutes, mais je puis dire que par elle je commence a renaitre a la vie morale; et croyez, monsieur, que ce n'est pas une pet.i.te chose!

Chez nous, c'est la philosophie de Mill, Bain, et Spencer qui emporte tout a present devant lui. Elle fait d'excellents travaux en psychologie, mais au point de vue pratique elle est deterministe et materialiste, et deja je crois apercevoir en Angleterre les symptomes d'une renaissance de la pensee religieuse. Votre philosophie par son cote phenomeniste semble tres propre a frapper les esprits eleves dans l'ecole empirique anglaise, et je ne doute pas des qu'elle sera un peu mieux connue en Angleterre et dans ce pays, qu'elle n'ait un a.s.sez grand retentiss.e.m.e.nt. Elle parait faire son chemin lentement; mais je suis convaincu que chaque annee nous rapprochera du jour ou elle sera reconnue de tous comme etant la plus forte tentative philosophique que le siecle ait vue naitre en France, et qu'elle comptera toujours comme un des grands jalons dans l'histoire de la speculation. Des que ma sante (depuis quelques annees tres mauvaise) me permet un travail intellectuel un peu serieux, je me propose d'en faire une etude plus approfondie et plus critique, et d'en donner un compte-rendu dans une de nos revues. Si donc, monsieur, il se trouve un exemplaire encore disponible de la "Rech[erche] d'une premiere Verite," j'oserai vous prier de l'envoyer a l'adresse de la libraire ci-incluse, en ecrivant mon nom sur la couverture. M. Galette soldera tous les frais, s'il s'en trouve.

Veuillez encore une fois, cher monsieur, croire aux sentiments d'admiration et de haut respect avec lesquels je suis votre tres obeissant serviteur,

WILLIAM JAMES.

VII

1872-1878

_First Years of Teaching_

IN 1872 President Eliot wished to provide instruction in physiology and hygiene for the Harvard undergraduates, and looked about him for instructors. He had formed an impression of James ten years before which, as he said, "was later to become useful to Harvard University,"

and in the interval he had known him as a Cambridge neighbor and had been aware of the direction his interests had taken. He proposed that James and Dr. Thomas Dwight--a young anatomist who was also to become an eminent teacher--should share in the new undertaking. In August, 1872, the College appointed James "Instructor in Physiology," to conduct three exercises a week "during half of the ensuing academic year." Thus began a service in the University which was to be almost continuously active and engrossing until 1907.

The fact that James began by teaching anatomy and physiology, pa.s.sed thence to psychology, and last to philosophy, has been wrongly cited as if his interest in each successive subject of his college work had been the fruit of his experience in teaching the preceding subject. This inference from the mere sequence of events will appear strange to attentive readers of what has gone before. Indeed, if the fact that James devoted a good share of his time to physiology in the seventies calls for remark at all, it should be noted that his subject, from soon after the beginning, was really physiological psychology, and that--more interesting than anything else in this connection--one may discern a patient surrender to limitations imposed by the state of his health on the one hand, and on the other a sound sense of the value of physiology to psychological investigations and so to philosophy, as both underlying the sequence of events in his teaching. Whatever may have been the succession of his college "courses," psychology and philosophy were never divorced from each other in his thought or in his writings.

Thus it is interesting to find, that at the very moment of his engagement to teach physiology,--at a date intermediate between the appointment and the commencement of the course in fact,--he wrote to his brother, "If I were well enough, now would be my chance to strike at Harvard College, for Peterson has just resigned his sub-professors.h.i.+p of philosophy, and I know of no very formidable opponent. But it's impossible. I keep up a small daily pegging at my physiology, whose duties don't begin till January, and which I shall find easy, I think."

He had needed definite duties and responsibilities and more or less recognized his need; so he undertook to teach a subject which, though congenial and interesting, lay distinctly off the path of his deepest inclination.

The first three fragments that follow refer to his preparation for the plunge into teaching. The course on Comparative Anatomy and Physiology was given by Dwight and James under the general head of Natural History and was an "elective" open to Juniors and Seniors. "As the course was experimental and a part of the new expansion of the Elective System,"

writes President Eliot, "the President and the Faculty were interested in the fact that the new course under these two young instructors attracted 28 Juniors and 25 Seniors."

_To Henry James._

SCARBORO, _Aug. 24, 1872_.

...The appointment to teach physiology is a perfect G.o.d-send to me just now, an external motive to work, which yet does not strain me--a dealing with men instead of my own mind, and a diversion from those introspective studies which had bred a sort of philosophical hypochondria in me of late and which it will certainly do me good to drop for a year....

CAMBRIDGE, _Nov. 24, 1872_.

...I go into the Medical School nearly every morning to hear Bowditch lecture, or paddle round in his laboratory. It is a n.o.ble thing for one's spirits to have some responsible work to do. I enjoy my revived physiological reading greatly, and have in a corporeal sense been better for the past four or five weeks than I have been at all since you left....

CAMBRIDGE, _Feb. 13, 1873_.

...This morning arose, went to Brewer's to get two partridges to garnish our cod-fish dinner. Bought at Richardson's an "Appleton's Journal"

containing part of "Bressant," a novel by Julian Hawthorne, to send Bob Temple. At 10.30 arrived your letter of January 26th, which was a very pleasant continuation of your _Aufenthalt_ in Rome. At 12.30, after reading an hour in Flint's "Physiology," I went to town, paid a bill of Randidge's, looked into the Athenaeum reading-room, got one dozen raw oysters at Higgins's saloon in Court Street, came out again, thermometer having risen to near thawing point, dozed half an hour before the fire, and am now writing this to you.

I am enjoying a two weeks' respite from tuition, the boys being condemned to pa.s.s examinations, in which I luckily take no part at present. I find the work very interesting and stimulating. It presents two problems, the intellectual one--how best to state your matter to them; and the practical one--how to govern them, stir them up, not bore them, yet make them work, etc. I should think it not unpleasant as a permanent thing. The authority is at first rather flattering to one. So far, I seem to have succeeded in interesting them, for they are admirably attentive, and I hear expressions of satisfaction on their part. Whether it will go on next year can't at this hour, for many reasons, be decided. I have done almost absolutely no visiting this winter, and seen hardly anyone or heard anything till last week, when a sort of frenzy took possession of me and I went to a symphony concert and thrice to the theatre. A most lovely English actress, young, innocent, refined, has been playing Juliet, which play I enjoyed most intensely, though it was at the Boston Theatre and her support almost as poor as it could have been. Neilson is she hight. I ne'er heard of her before. A rival American beauty has been playing a stinking thing of Sardou's ("Agnes") at the Globe, which disgusted me with cleverness. Her name is Miss Ethel, and she is a ladylike but depressing phenomenon, all made up of nerves and American insubstantiality. I have read hardly anything of late, some of the immortal Wordsworth's "Excursion" having been the best. I have simply shaken hands with Gray since his engagement, and have only seen Holmes twice this winter. I fear he is at last feeling the effects of his overwork....

CAMBRIDGE, _Apr. 6, 1873_.

...I have been cut out all this winter from the men with whom I used to gossip on generalities, Holmes, Putnam, Peirce, Shaler, John Gray and, last not least, yourself. I rather hanker after it, Bowditch being almost the only man I have seen anything of this winter, and that at his laboratory.... Child and I have struck up quite an intimacy.... T. S.

Perry is my only surviving crony. He dines pretty regular once a week here.... Ever your affectionate

W. J.

The next letter, although not from William James, will help to fill out the picture.