Biography
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8. The Metaphysical Club, a Budding Career, and Love
Even during his years of depression, William could be easily animated by philosophical discussion. In particular, William found the banter and argument of his good friend Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (not yet Supreme Court Justice) stimulating and penetrating. He also gained deep insight from his former student-colleague, chemist, mathematician, and philosopher Charles Peirce. The presence of John Fiske, a philosophical historian, and Chauncey Wright, a scientist and philosopher, could also make for an evening of insightful debate. These untrained philosophical men and others formed what they called the "Metaphysical Club," and they spent much of the 1870s debating the virtues of positivism, rationalism, and what came to be called pragmatism.
In 1871, to give himself some monetary and vocational stability, William accept an appointment as instructor in anatomy and physiology, but from the first was not convinced of its staying power. Almost immediately he began to lament his decision to leave art while his philosophical pursuits continued as well. He wrote in his journal about the hope of one day finding an appointment in philosophy, believing physiology and anatomy too confining a discipline. By 1873, his depression was back and, once again, he was off to Europe to find renewed health and to visit his increasingly successful and younger brother Henry (Jr. – the well-known novelist).
William's once close relationship with his brother had become strained and would continue to show signs of jealousy and misunderstanding for the rest of their years. Henry found a home as an expatriate in Europe and discovered his muse in short stories and novels. William, though deeply influence by his many travels abroad, and never quite able to shake wanderlust, was never happy with extended time away from the United States and never came to grips with his own brother's love of Europe. Also, the many letters between William and Henry demonstrate what can only be called William's patronizing attitude towards Henry's writings: always critical and looking for Henry to provide more direct prose and insight – criticism that Henry always suffered kindly. However, the irony is many-fold, for while William was known throughout Europe in his day as the quintessential American philosophical voice, he has been called by some American theorists as the most European of American philosophers. Furthermore, his writings are well known for their liberal use of literary prose rather than logical analysis, a practice that has led to criticism concerning lack of precision and clarity in the face of difficult conceptual matters.
Aside from bringing into strong relief his personal connection to America and only partially reinvigorating his relationship with Henry, the trip proved otherwise unsuccessful at providing William with the answers and resolutions to his depression and despair that he sought. After a year's absence, William returned to teaching in hopes of grounding his wandering spirit. It worked. From 1874 until his retirement, William was never unemployed again. Taking on more responsibility and effort at Harvard proved a cure for his current depression, and his efforts resulted in initiative. By 1875, William was reconstructing his coursework by evolving his lectures in physiology into the first academic discussions in the United States concerning experimental psychology and its philosophical implications.
But those academic and scholarly paths paled in comparison to his fortunate introduction to Alice Howe Gibbens in the spring of 1876. Alice was an intelligent and insightful 26 year old woman grounded by her belief in God, with a pleasant sense of humor and critical wit that kept William on his toes. After two years of courtship they were married and, to the end, the marriage was a partnership. Even in work William and Alice collaborated – William would dictate while Alice transcribed and responded. The marriage also would produce five offspring – Henry (1879-1947), William (1882-1961), Herman (1884-1885), Margaret Mary (1887-1950), and Alexander (1890-1946).
Source: Talisse RB, Hester DM. 2004. Lives in transition: experiencing James. In On James, chap 1. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing. pp. 9-11. [Adapted by permission of the authors.]
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