The Principles of Psychology.

JAMES, William.

Published by Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1890

Volume 1: 1 blank leaf + 1 leaf with book ads on recto + TP + Dedication page + v-vii = Preface + ix-xii = Contents + [1]-689 + 1 blank leaf; Volume 2: 1 blank leaf + 1 leaf with book ads on verso + TP + iii-vi = Contents + [1]-704 + [1]-8 = ads for The American Science Series + 1 blank leaf, Octavo. First Edition, Second Printing. McDermott 1890-4. The First Edition, Second Printing of William James Psychological Masterwork.EDITION: Harvard speculates that the first printing of Psychology had a print run of 1,000 copies but the great rarity of the first printing (characterized most easily by the hyphenated "Psy-chology" opposite the title page) versus this second printing is legendary and somewhat mystifying if, in fact, that many copies of the first printing were actually made. Clearly errors were caught early in the press run and quickly corrected. (see James, Psychology, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1981, p. 1577.)As called for in Harvard's definitive edition, this second printing has the unhyphenated "Psychology" in the book ads opposite the title page. In addition, it also has two corrections to the errors found in the first printing: "not the sole seat of intellect" rather than "the seat of intellectual power" (Vol. 1, p. 10, l. 9-10) and "object of some absent sensation" rather than "object of some absent object of sensation" (Vol. 2, p. 101, l. 20). THE BOOK: William James was an original thinker in and between the disciplines of physiology, psychology and philosophy. While more widely known as the proponent of "pragmatism" and "radical empiricism", James's psychology is regarded by many as a far more original and substantive achievement. His nuanced rejection of the subject/object split in favor of a more fluid intersection between self and world, completely reoriented subsequent inquiry into the nature of consciousness and perception. This, his twelve-hundred page masterwork, is a rich blend of different academic and scientific disciplines blended with his own personal reflections, giving us such ideas as "the stream of consciousness" and the baby's impression of the world "as one great blooming, buzzing confusion". These two volumes contain the seeds of both pragmatism and phenomenology, and influenced generations of thinkers in Europe and America, including Edmund Husserl, Bertrand Russell, John Dewey, and Ludwig Wittgenstein along with such schools of thought as European phenomenology, Gestalt psychology, humanist psychology and the cognitive sciences.A seminal work in the history of modern thought and a work that is (still) frequently quoted by psychological theorist. Original publisher's dark green bindings with gilt lettering on the spine. The is just the lightest of wear to the edges and the spine tips. The front cover of volume 1 has a darkened ring - looking to be from a glass placed upon the book at one time. There is a contemporary former owner's #7 Winthop). Other than these very minor defects, this is a beautiful, clean, tight and bright copy of this important work by William James. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Seller Inventory # 1181

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Principles of Psychology.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, New York
Publication Date: 1890
Binding: Hardcover
Edition: FIRST EDITION, SECOND PRINTING.