Pragmatism - A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking by William James.. William James (January 11, 1842 - August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist who was also trained as a physician. The first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States, James was one of the leading thinkers of the late nineteenth century and is believed by many to be one of the most influential philosophers the United States has ever produced, while others have labelled him the "Father of American psychology." Along with Charles Sanders Peirce and John Dewey, he is considered to be one...