Abstract

On faith are there several expositions, among which is William James’s Will-to-Believe doctrine. Paying attention to the affirmations for and against his view, the essay explains James’s viewpoint, presenting a re-reading of his doctrine. The author concentrates on things such as the function of affective-emotional dimensions in faith, human’s concerns as the criterion for judgment, real faith, relativism, worldly attitude in James’s analysis. And finally, it concludes that James’s viewpoint is defensible on the whole.