第1章

ThisbookwouldneverhavebeenwrittenhadInotbeenhonoredwithanappointmentasGiffordLectureronNaturalReligionattheUniversityofEdinburgh。IncastingaboutmeforsubjectsofthetwocoursesoftenlectureseachforwhichIthusbecameresponsible，itseemedtomethatthefirstcoursemightwellbeadescriptiveoneon“Man’sReligiousAppetites。”andthesecondametaphysicaloneon“TheirSatisfactionthroughPhilosophy。”

ButtheunexpectedgrowthofthepsychologicalmatterasIcametowriteitouthasresultedinthesecondsubjectbeingpostponedentirely，andthedescriptionofman’sreligiousconstitutionnowfillsthetwentylectures。InLectureXXIhavesuggestedratherthanstatedmyownphilosophicconclusions，andthereaderwhodesiresimmediatelytoknowthemshouldturntopages501-509，andtothe“Postscript“ofthebook。Ihopetobeableatsomelaterdaytoexpresstheminmoreexplicitform。

Inmybeliefthatalargeacquaintancewithparticularsoftenmakesuswiserthanthepossessionofabstractformulas，howeverdeep，Ihaveloadedthelectureswithconcreteexamples，andI

havechosentheseamongtheextremerexpressionsofthereligioustemperament。TosomereadersImayconsequentlyseem，beforetheygetbeyondthemiddleofthebook，toofferacaricatureofthesubject。Suchconvulsionsofpiety，theywillsay，arenotsane。If，however，theywillhavethepatiencetoreadtotheend，Ibelievethatthisunfavorableimpressionwilldisappear；

forItherecombinethereligiousimpulseswithotherprinciplesofcommonsensewhichserveascorrectivesofexaggeration，andallowtheindividualreadertodrawasmoderateconclusionsashewill。

MythanksforhelpinwritingtheselecturesareduetoEdwinD。

Starbuck，ofStanfordUniversity，whomadeovertomehislargecollectionofmanuscriptmaterial；toHenryW。Rankin，ofEastNorthfield，afriendunseenbutproved，towhomIowepreciousinformation；toTheodoreFlournoy，ofGeneva，toCanningSchillerofOxford，andtomycolleagueBenjaminRand，fordocuments；tomycolleagueDickinsonS。Miller，andtomyfriends，ThomasWrenWard，ofNewYork，andWincentyLutoslawski，lateofCracow，forimportantsuggestionsandadvice。Finally，toconversationswiththelamentedThomasDavidsonandtotheuseofhisbooks，atGlenmore，aboveKeeneValley，IowemoreobligationsthanIcanwellexpress。

HarvardUniversity，March，1902。

TheVarietiesofReligiousExperiencebyWilliamJamesAStudyinHumanNatureTo

ItiswithnosmallamountoftrepidationthatItakemyplacebehindthisdesk，andfacethislearnedaudience。TousAmericans，theexperienceofreceivinginstructionfromthelivingvoice，aswellasfromthebooks，ofEuropeanscholars，isveryfamiliar。AtmyownUniversityofHarvard，notawinterpasseswithoutitsharvest，largeorsmall，oflecturesfromScottish，English，French，orGermanrepresentativesofthescienceorliteratureoftheirrespectivecountrieswhomwehaveeitherinducedtocrosstheoceantoaddressus，orcapturedonthewingastheywerevisitingourland。ItseemsthenaturalthingforustolistenwhilsttheEuropeanstalk。Thecontraryhabit，oftalkingwhilsttheEuropeanslisten，wehavenotyetacquired；andinhimwhofirstmakestheadventureitbegetsacertainsenseofapologybeingdueforsopresumptuousanact。

ParticularlymustthisbethecaseonasoilassacredtotheAmericanimaginationasthatofEdinburgh。Thegloriesofthephilosophicchairofthisuniversityweredeeplyimpressedonmyimaginationinboyhood。ProfessorFraser’sEssaysinPhilosophy，thenjustpublished，wasthefirstphilosophicbookIeverlookedinto，andIwellremembertheawestruckfeelingIreceivedfromtheaccountofSirWilliamHamilton’sclassroomthereincontained。Hamilton’sownlectureswerethefirstphilosophicwritingsIeverforcedmyselftostudy，andafterthatIwasimmersedinDugaldStewartandThomasBrown。Suchjuvenileemotionsofreverencenevergetoutgrown；andIconfessthattofindmyhumbleselfpromotedfrommynativewildernesstobeactuallyforthetimeanofficialhere，andtransmutedintoacolleagueoftheseillustriousnames，carrieswithitasenseofdreamlandquiteasmuchasofreality。

ButsinceIhavereceivedthehonorofthisappointmentIhavefeltthatitwouldneverdotodecline。Theacademiccareeralsohasitsheroicobligations，soIstandherewithoutfurtherdeprecatorywords。Letmesayonlythis，thatnowthatthecurrent，hereandatAberdeen，hasbeguntorunfromwesttoeast，Ihopeitmaycontinuetodoso。Astheyearsgoby，I

hopethatmanyofmycountrymenmaybeaskedtolectureintheScottishuniversities，changingplaceswithScotsmenlecturingintheUnitedStates；Ihopethatourpeoplemaybecomeinallthesehighermattersevenasonepeople；andthatthepeculiarphilosophictemperament，aswellasthepeculiarpoliticaltemperament，thatgoeswithourEnglishspeechmaymoreandmorepervadeandinfluencetheworld。

AsregardsthemannerinwhichIshallhavetoadministerthislectureship，Iamneitheratheologian，norascholarlearnedinthehistoryofreligions，norananthropologist。PsychologyistheonlybranchoflearninginwhichIamparticularlyversed。

Tothepsychologistthereligiouspropensitiesofmanmustbeatleastasinterestingasanyotherofthefactspertainingtohismentalconstitution。Itwouldseem，therefore，that，asapsychologist，thenaturalthingformewouldbetoinviteyoutoadescriptivesurveyofthosereligiouspropensities。

Iftheinquirybepsychological，notreligiousinstitutions，butratherreligiousfeelingsandreligiousimpulsesmustbeitssubject，andImustconfinemyselftothosemoredevelopedsubjectivephenomenarecordedinliteratureproducedbyarticulateandfullyself-consciousmen，inworksofpietyandautobiography。Interestingastheoriginsandearlystagesofasubjectalwaysare，yetwhenoneseeksearnestlyforitsfullsignificance，onemustalwayslooktoitsmorecompletelyevolvedandperfectforms。Itfollowsfromthisthatthedocumentsthatwillmostconcernuswillbethoseofthemenwhoweremostaccomplishedinthereligiouslifeandbestabletogiveanintelligibleaccountoftheirideasandmotives。Thesemen，ofcourse，areeithercomparativelymodernwriters，orelsesuchearlieronesashavebecomereligiousclassics。Thedocumentshumainswhichweshallfindmostinstructiveneednotthenbesoughtforinthehauntsofspecialerudition——theyliealongthebeatenhighway；andthiscircumstance，whichflowssonaturallyfromthecharacterofourproblem，suitsadmirablyalsoyourlecturer’slackofspecialtheologicallearning。Imaytakemycitations，mysentencesandparagraphsofpersonalconfession，frombooksthatmostofyouatsometimewillhavehadalreadyinyourhands，andyetthiswillbenodetrimenttothevalueofmyconclusions。Itistruethatsomemoreadventurousreaderandinvestigator，lecturinghereinfuture，mayunearthfromtheshelvesoflibrariesdocumentsthatwillmakeamoredelectableandcuriousentertainmenttolistentothanmine。YetIdoubtwhetherhewillnecessarily，byhiscontrolofsomuchmoreout-of-the-waymaterial，getmuchclosertotheessenceofthematterinhand。

Thequestion，Whatarethereligiouspropensities？andthequestion，Whatistheirphilosophicsignificance？aretwoentirelydifferentordersofquestionfromthelogicalpointofview；and，asafailuretorecognizethisfactdistinctlymaybreedconfusion，IwishtoinsistuponthepointalittlebeforeweenterintothedocumentsandmaterialstowhichIhavereferred。

Inrecentbooksonlogic，distinctionismadebetweentwoordersofinquiryconcerninganything。First，whatisthenatureofit？

howdiditcomeabout？whatisitsconstitution，origin，andhistory？Andsecond，Whatisitsimportance，meaning，orsignificance，nowthatitisoncehere？Theanswertotheonequestionisgiveninanexistentialjudgmentorproposition。Theanswertotheotherisapropositionofvalue，whattheGermanscallaWerthurtheil，orwhatwemay，ifwelike，denominateaspiritualjudgment。Neitherjudgmentcanbededucedimmediatelyfromtheother。Theyproceedfromdiverseintellectualpreoccupations，andthemindcombinesthemonlybymakingthemfirstseparately，andthenaddingthemtogether。

Inthematterofreligionsitisparticularlyeasytodistinguishthetwoordersofquestion。Everyreligiousphenomenonhasitshistoryanditsderivationfromnaturalantecedents。WhatisnowadayscalledthehighercriticismoftheBibleisonlyastudyoftheBiblefromthisexistentialpointofview，neglectedtoomuchbytheearlierchurch。Underjustwhatbiographicconditionsdidthesacredwritersbringforththeirvariouscontributionstotheholyvolume？Andwhathadtheyexactlyintheirseveralindividualminds，whentheydeliveredtheirutterances？Thesearemanifestlyquestionsofhistoricalfact，andonedoesnotseehowtheanswertothemcandecideoffhandthestillfurtherquestion：ofwhatuseshouldsuchavolume，withitsmannerofcomingintoexistencesodefined，betousasaguidetolifeandarevelation？Toanswerthisotherquestionwemusthavealreadyinourmindsomesortofageneraltheoryastowhatthepeculiaritiesinathingshouldbewhichgiveitvalueforpurposesofrevelation；andthistheoryitselfwouldbewhatIjustcalledaspiritualjudgment。Combiningitwithourexistentialjudgment，wemightindeeddeduceanotherspiritualjudgmentastotheBible’sworth。Thusifourtheoryofrevelation-valueweretoaffirmthatanybook，topossessit，musthavebeencomposedautomaticallyornotbythefreecapriceofthewriter，orthatitmustexhibitnoscientificandhistoricerrorsandexpressnolocalorpersonalpassions，theBiblewouldprobablyfareillatourhands。Butif，ontheotherhand，ourtheoryshouldallowthatabookmaywellbearevelationinspiteoferrorsandpassionsanddeliberatehumancomposition，ifonlyitbeatruerecordoftheinnerexperiencesofgreat-souledpersonswrestlingwiththecrisesoftheirfate，thentheverdictwouldbemuchmorefavorable。Youseethattheexistentialfactsbythemselvesareinsufficientfordeterminingthevalue；andthebestadeptsofthehighercriticismaccordinglyneverconfoundtheexistentialwiththespiritualproblem。Withthesameconclusionsoffactbeforethem，sometakeoneview，andsomeanother，oftheBible’svalueasarevelation，accordingastheirspiritualjudgmentastothefoundationofvaluesdiffers。

Imakethesegeneralremarksaboutthetwosortsofjudgment，becausetherearemanyreligiouspersons——someofyounowpresent，possibly，areamongthem——whodonotyetmakeaworkinguseofthedistinction，andwhomaythereforefeelfirstalittlestartledatthepurelyexistentialpointofviewfromwhichinthefollowinglecturesthephenomenaofreligiousexperiencemustbeconsidered。WhenIhandlethembiologicallyandpsychologicallyasiftheyweremerecuriousfactsofindividualhistory，someofyoumaythinkitadegradationofsosublimeasubject，andmayevensuspectme，untilmypurposegetsmorefullyexpressed，ofdeliberatelyseekingtodiscreditthereligioussideoflife。

Sucharesultisofcourseabsolutelyalientomyintention；andsincesuchaprejudiceonyourpartwouldseriouslyobstructthedueeffectofmuchofwhatIhavetorelate，Iwilldevoteafewmorewordstothepoint。

Therecanbenodoubtthatasamatteroffactareligiouslife，exclusivelypursued，doestendtomakethepersonexceptionalandeccentric。Ispeaknotnowofyourordinaryreligiousbeliever，whofollowstheconventionalobservancesofhiscountry，whetheritbeBuddhist，Christian，orMohammedan。Hisreligionhasbeenmadeforhimbyothers，communicatedtohimbytradition，determinedtofixedformsbyimitation，andretainedbyhabit。

Itwouldprofituslittletostudythissecond-handreligiouslife。Wemustmakesearchratherfortheoriginalexperienceswhichwerethepattern-setterstoallthismassofsuggestedfeelingandimitatedconduct。Theseexperienceswecanonlyfindinindividualsforwhomreligionexistsnotasadullhabit，butasanacutefeverrather。Butsuchindividualsare“geniuses“inthereligiousline；andlikemanyothergeniuseswhohavebroughtforthfruitseffectiveenoughforcommemorationinthepagesofbiography，suchreligiousgeniuseshaveoftenshownsymptomsofnervousinstability。Evenmoreperhapsthanotherkindsofgenius，religiousleadershavebeensubjecttoabnormalpsychicalvisitations。Invariablytheyhavebeencreaturesofexaltedemotionalsensibility。Oftentheyhaveledadiscordantinnerlife，andhadmelancholyduringapartoftheircareer。Theyhaveknownnomeasure，beenliabletoobsessionsandfixedideas；

andfrequentlytheyhavefallenintotrances，heardvoices，seenvisions，andpresentedallsortsofpeculiaritieswhichareordinarilyclassedaspathological。Often，moreover，thesepathologicalfeaturesintheircareerhavehelpedtogivethemtheirreligiousauthorityandinfluence。

Ifyouaskforaconcreteexample，therecanbenobetteronethanisfurnishedbythepersonofGeorgeFox。TheQuakerreligionwhichhefoundedissomethingwhichitisimpossibletooverpraise。Inadayofshams，itwasareligionofveracityrootedinspiritualinwardness，andareturntosomethingmoreliketheoriginalgospeltruththanmenhadeverknowninEngland。SofarasourChristiansectstodayareevolvingintoliberality，theyaresimplyrevertinginessencetothepositionwhichFoxandtheearlyQuakerssolongagoassumed。Noonecanpretendforamomentthatinpointofspiritualsagacityandcapacity，Fox’smindwasunsound。Everyonewhoconfrontedhimpersonally，fromOliverCromwelldowntocountymagistratesandjailers，seemstohaveacknowledgedhissuperiorpower。Yetfromthepointofviewofhisnervousconstitution，Foxwasapsychopathordetraqueofthedeepestdye。HisJournalaboundsinentriesofthissort：——

“AsIwaswalkingwithseveralfriends，Iliftedupmyheadandsawthreesteeple-housespires，andtheystruckatmylife。I

askedthemwhatplacethatwas？Theysaid，Lichfield。

ImmediatelythewordoftheLordcametome，thatImustgothither。Beingcometothehouseweweregoingto，Iwishedthefriendstowalkintothehouse，sayingnothingtothemofwhitherIwastogo。AssoonastheyweregoneIsteptaway，andwentbymyeyeoverhedgeandditchtillIcamewithinamileofLichfieldwhere，inagreatfield，shepherdswerekeepingtheirsheep。ThenwasIcommandedbytheLordtopulloffmyshoes。I

stoodstill，foritwaswinter：butthewordoftheLordwaslikeafireinme。SoIputoffmyshoesandleftthemwiththeshepherds；andthepoorshepherdstrembled，andwereastonished。