William James was born on January 11, 1842 in New York. As a child, he traveled broadly with his parents to the cultural centers of Europe. James was educated at Harvard University, receiving a medical degree in 1869. His interests and talents were wide ranging and included art, literature, philosophy, and natural science.
William James is considered one of the most important philosophers and psychologists of the 19'th century. He is perhaps best known for the philosophical movement now known as pragmatism, based in part on psychological and evolutionary concepts. James' best known work is Principles of Psychology, published in 1890.
William James was the brother of novelist Henry James.