Virtue theory, natural law, deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism: these are the basic moral theories taught in âEthics,â âHistory of Philosophy,â and âIntroduction to Philosophyâ courses throughout the United States. When the American philosopher William James (1842 â 1910) find his way into these conversations, there is uncertainty about where his thinking fits. While utilitarianism has become the default position for teaching Jamesâs pragmatism and radical empiricism, this default position fails to address and explain Jamesâs multiple criticisms of John Stuart Millâs formulaic approach to questions concerning the moral life. Through close readings of Jamesâs writings, the chapters in William James, Moral Philosophy, and the Ethical Life catalogue the ways in whichJames wants to avoid the following: (a) the hierarchies of Christian natural law theory, (b) the moral calculus of Millâs utilitarianism, (c) the absolutism and principle-ism of Immanuel Kantâs deontology, and (d) the staticity of the virtues found in Aristotleâs moral theory. Elaborating upon and clarifying Jamesâs differences from these dominant moral theories is a crucial feature of this collection. This collection, is not, however, intended to be wholly negative â that is, only describing to readers what Jamesâs moral theory is not. It seeks to articulate the positive features of Jamesâs ethics and moral reasoning: what does it mean to an ethical life, and how should we theorize about morality?
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