Close Readings

Conversations in Philosophy: 'The Will to Believe' by William James


Listen Later

Most of what we believe we believe on faith, even those beliefs we hold to be based on scientific fact. This assertion lies at the heart of William James’s essay ‘The Will to Believe’, originally delivered as a lecture and intended not so much as a defence of religion as an attack on anti-religion. James’s target was the ‘rugged and manly school of science’ and the kind of atheism ‘that goes around thumping its chest offering its biceps to be felt’. In this episode Jonathan Rée and James Wood look at the intellectual environment William James was working in, and against, in the second half of the 19th century, and its parallels in the ‘new atheism’ of today. They also discuss the extraordinary upbringing William (and his novelist brother Henry) received and the advice he offered to anyone contemplating suicide in his essay ‘Is life worth living?’


Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen to the full episode, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe:


Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://lrb.me/applecrcip

In other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/closereadingscip


Read more in the LRB:


Helen Thaventhiran: William James's Prescriptions

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v46/n20/helen-thaventhiran/no-dose-for-it-at-the-chemist


Michael Wood: William James and modernism

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v29/n18/michael-wood/understanding-forwards


Richard Poirier: Williams James's pragmatism

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v06/n19/richard-poirier/copying-the-coyote

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Close ReadingsBy London Review of Books

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

55 ratings


More shows like Close Readings

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,412 Listeners

The Penguin Podcast by Penguin Books UK

The Penguin Podcast

148 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

296 Listeners

The New Yorker: Fiction by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: Fiction

3,322 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

602 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

293 Listeners

Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry by David Naimon, Tin House Books

Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry

445 Listeners

London Review Bookshop Podcast by London Review Bookshop

London Review Bookshop Podcast

128 Listeners

The New Yorker: Poetry by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: Poetry

497 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

186 Listeners

The Shakespeare and Company Interview by Shakespeare and Company

The Shakespeare and Company Interview

90 Listeners

The History of Literature by Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate

The History of Literature

1,100 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

581 Listeners

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

2,111 Listeners

Past Present Future by David Runciman

Past Present Future

321 Listeners

The Belgrano Diary by The London Review of Books

The Belgrano Diary

65 Listeners

Medieval Beginnings by London Review of Books

Medieval Beginnings

0 Listeners

Political Poems by London Review of Books

Political Poems

2 Listeners

Among the Ancients by Anthony Wilks

Among the Ancients

2 Listeners

On Satire by London Review of Books

On Satire

5 Listeners

Human Conditions by London Review of Books

Human Conditions

3 Listeners

Among the Ancients II by Anthony Wilks

Among the Ancients II

1 Listeners

Medieval LOLs by London Review of Books

Medieval LOLs

3 Listeners

Modern-ish Poets: Series 2 by Anthony Wilks

Modern-ish Poets: Series 2

5 Listeners