Varieties of Religious Experience, a Study in Human Nature

Project Gutenberg's The Varieties of Religious Experience, by William JamesThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online atwww.gutenberg.netTitle: The Varieties of Religious ExperienceAuthor: William JamesPosting Date: August 3, 2008 [EBook #621] Release Date: August, 1996Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE ***Produced by Charles Keller.THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCEA Study in Human NatureBY WILLIAM JAMES To E.P.G. IN FILIAL GRATITUDE AND LOVECONTENTSLECTURE IRELIGION AND NEUROLOGYIntroduction: the course is not anthropological, but deals with personal documents— Questions of fact and questions ofvalue— In point of fact, the religious are often neurotic— Criticism of medical materialism, which condemns religion onthat account— Theory that religion has a sexual origin refuted— All states of mind are neurally conditioned— Theirsignificance must be tested not by their origin but by the value of their fruits— Three criteria of value; origin useless as acriterion— Advantages of the psychopathic temperament when a superior intellect goes with it—especially for thereligious life.LECTURE IICIRCUMSCRIPTION OF THE TOPICFutility of simple definitions of religion— No one specific "religious sentiment"— ...