The Principles of Psychology

First published in 1890, this is a totalizing study in which James assembled and summarized the work of psychologists from around the world for a review of all knowledge in the field up to that point. In his own work as well as in the work of others, James placed a great emphasis on concrete, practical observation over metaphysical speculation. Among the concepts of lasting importance in the field, James contributed a causal theory of emotions which held that our physical reaction to a stimulus and not the stimulus itself is the direct cause of emotional states. He also first introduced his idea of consciousness as a continuous flow of ideas, emotions, and sensations as opposed to the traditional view which held thoughts to be isolated events and unrelated to emotional states. James's theory became popularly known as stream-of-consciousness. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.