Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life's Ideals

by William James

Book Overview

Still-vital lectures on teaching deal with psychology and the teaching art, the stream of consciousness, the child as a behaving organism, education and behavior, and more. The three addresses to students are "The Gospel of Relaxation," "On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings," and "What Makes a Life Significant?" Preface. 2 black-and-white illustrations.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486419649
• ISBN13: 9780486419640
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.4" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

William James Speaks to Teachers and Students

Beginning in 1891, William James gave frequent lectures to teachers in which he explained the psychology he had developed in his "Principles of Psychology" and offered suggestions on applying the science of psychology to the art of education. Similarly, beginning in 1895, James delivered a series of lectures to college students -- generally at schools for women -- on education and its purposes. In 1899, James gathered both sets of lectures together and published them as "Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life's Ideals." The book was read widely and became financially successful for James. In his illuminating recent biography of James, "William James in the Maelstrom of American Modernism", Robert Richardson describes the "Talks" as a whole as "written in what we may call William James's third style." He explains: "The third style is his plainest, clearest, most public style. It is at once vivid, personal, comprehensible, and without a shred of condescension. It is best exemplified in 'Talks to Teachers'. The longer James worked over a subject, the simpler and shorter and more direct he made it". (p. 360) The two sets of lectures are complementary with the first set explaining to teachers how psychology could be of use in the educational process while the second set explains to the students the value of the educational opportunities presented to them. The "Talks to Teachers" begins with what many people at the time saw as a mechanistic psychology rooted in physiology and developed in light of Darwin's theory of evolution. In many places, James encourages teachers to see a pupil in part as "a subtle little piece of of machinery." An effective means of education endeavors to work with rather than against the nervous system. In successive short chapters, James discusses his fundamental theory of the "stream of consciousness" and applies it to learned behavior through exploration of reactions, habits, association, attention and memory. The lectures are lucid and clear and show both flexibility and wisdom in considering the process of education. James's focus throughout is on education as an activity fitting the student for the conduct of life in a wide variety of situations rather than as means of learning intellectual abstractions. James stresses the importance of the body and of physical activity in the learning process. His psychology begins with science and mechanism but it does not end there. I would like to point out two of what I found to be among the insightful observations of the "Talks to Teachers." First, in the chapter on "Memory", James points out that the psychological abilities of the mind must be taken together in an individual and that a person need not be "cast down" by deficiencies in any single element. James stresses passion and desire as critical in overcoming any mechanical difficulties. He writes: "You can be an artist without visual images, a reader without eyes, a mass of eruditi

Teaching teachers and students how to make education in life more meaningful

This work is divided into two parts. The first is Talks to Teachers and the second Talks to Students. The talks to teachers are more technical, but they too are in clear, understandable prose. The Talks to Teachers open with a chapter on 'Psychology and the Art of Teaching'. There are also chapters on 'The Stream of Consciousness' ' The Child as a Behaving Organism' ' Education and Behavior' 'The Necessity of Reactions' ' Native Reactions and Acquired Reactions' 'What the Native Reactions are' 'The Laws of Habit' ' The Association of Ideas' ' Interest' 'Attention' 'Memory' ' The Acquistion of Ideas' 'Aperception' 'The Will'. The Talks to Students consists in three essays, 'The Gospel of Relaxation' 'On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings' 'What Makes a Life Significant'. In the first and most scientifically important section I especially took pleasure in the essay on 'Habit' James shows how our habits lead us to action in ways we do not know. And he shows how by putting on auto- pilot of habits many activities we free our minds for new creative efforts in everyday life. Perhaps the most well - known essay is 'On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings' where James teaches the inherent difficulty we have in understanding others perspectives and needs. Always the pluralist, the fox who sees many things, James strongly advocates our greater openness to others, our tolerance for their perspectives and actions as long as they do not damage ours. " Now the blindness of human beings is the blindness which we all are afflicted in regard to the feelings of creatures and people different from ourselves." He asks of us a generosity in understanding. He illustrates his thesis by many quotations from literary works, including Tolstoy , whose 'War and Peace' he calls the greatest of all novels, and 'Crossing Brooklyn Ferry' of Whitman. The final essay is "What Makes a Life Significant" He opens this essay by telling of an incident from his own personal experience in which he spent an enjoyable week at Chattaqua a kind of paradise of reasonable successful rational secure American life. He later reflects however on what he felt missing in it. And this leads him to thoughts about the heroic struggle of life and why our lives seem to need some element of danger and adventure ." But what our human emotions seem to require is the sight of the struggle going on.The moment the fruits are being merely eaten, things become ignorble. Sweat and effort, human nature strained to the uttermost and on the rack, yet getting through alive, and then turning its back on success to pursue another more rare and arduous still- this is the sort of thing the presence of which inspires us, and the reality of which seems to be the function of all the higher forms of literature and fine art to bring home to us and suggest." For James the meaning of life is bound up with our action in the heroism of the everyday life struggle. "It is the 'exercise of courage patience and kindness' whic

wonderful companion for a healthy happy approach to life

My father always had this book at arm's reach.It was a pocket version.I can still see the tip of its well worn appearance comfortably peeking out of his tweed coat side pocket.Even as a kid it really peaked my curiosity,as at that point I had never read a book,'a real book',just the hardy brothers,and all that kid stuff we all recall as children.It appeared to be one of his best friends,and that in itself fascinated me.I considered my father even when I was very young to be a friend,in my mind,'father'was just a moniker.I never mentioned it to him for years.I finally mustered up the courage to ask what this book was.He said "guides to living".Yes "this little book" is my best advisor and tutor."It has comforted me on many an occasion"Years later when I adopted an avid love for books,I read these wonderful essays.I go back time and time again,seeking advise from it's pages for a variety of reasons.These essays by William James originally published in 1917 remain as fresh and applicable to modern life as if they were written last year.James,the father of Psychology pours his heart out to you in these essays.My favourites are THE GOSPEL OF RELAXATION- THE ENERGIES OF MAN-ON A CERTAIN BLINDNES IN HUMAN BEINGS-HABIT an THE WILL.This book always travels with me.I hope you have a chance to read it sometime.Here is a little taste.This is an excerpt from THE WILL "Our strength and our intellegence,our wealth,and even our good luck,are things which warm our heart,and make us feel ourselves a match for life. But deeper than all such things,and able to suffice onto without them is the sense of the amount of effort we can put forth..."

Amazingly Insightful

Although the century old language is a bit difficult to read initially, once you get rolling, it isn't difficult. The neatest thing is how amazingly applicable James' observations are in today's society. The book is fun and interesting to read. I learned a great deal.