The Relevance of William James' Radical Empiricism to the Anthropology of Consciousness

William James's lesser-known methodology, radical empiricism, demands that all scientific ideas be grounded in direct experience and that no experience be excluded from scientific inquiry. This paper outlines James's thoughts on radical empiricism, evaluates its strengths and problems in light of contemporary science, and offers a biogenetic structural elaboration of his concepts of relations and pure experience. This elaboration counters Jacques Derrida's post-structuralist critique. The relevance of James's views to the anthropology of consciousness is explored, emphasizing the necessity—anticipated by James—of merging phenomenology with structuralism.

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Abstract

William James is usually associated with the philosophy of pragmatism and with his interest in religious experiences. But James also developed a methodology which has received far less attention. James called this methodology "radical empiricism," an approach that requires that (1) all of the ideas and theories in science be grounded in direct experience, and (2) no experience be excluded from scientific purview. This paper describes James' thoughts about radical empiricism, and discusses some of the strengths of, and problems with his view in light of more contemporary science. A biogenetic structural elaboration of James' notion of relations and pure experience is offered, and is used to counter the so called post‐structuralist critique of Jacques Derrida. The relevance of James' views to the anthropology of consciousness is explored, with emphasis upon the necessity ‐‐ anticipated by James ‐‐ of merging a phenomenology with structuralism