Abstract

Jim Campbell's new book Experiencing William James: Belief in a Pluralistic World is one of the best philosophical examinations of all areas of William James' work through a close sympathetic attention to the James texts themselves. Campbell writes well and demonstrates a deep familiarity with James' corpus. Moreover, Campbell has a good command of the writings of James' interlocutors and venerable commentators. I recommend keeping a bookmark on the endnotes. They constitute an entire bonus text, reminding me of James' own approach in Varieties of Religious Experience. They serve as a stage for diverse voices to state reactions and raise questions about the topics Campbell explores.To be sure, there are a...