The Tension Between Phenomenology and Existentialism in Varieties

The one work that provides the greatest challenge for James scholars who hope to clearly define James’s overall philosophy is that of Varieties. In this chapter, I explore the complex nature of this work. Although James’s lectures initially announce that James will be developing a “science of religions,” its focus is much broader. Varieties, for all of its other philosophical difficulties, most clearly represent James’s vital philosophy of positivistic Existentialism. James is famous for having been both a sort of Existentialist as well as a proto-phenomenologist. Here I argue that while a palpable tension exists between these two perspectives throughout the work, his positivistic Existentialism remains dominant. Also, it is difficult not to read his critical presentation of Saint Teresa, his characterization of “the Latin races” as “healthy minded,” his lack of interest in the history of religions—along with his explicit rejection of “the ‘all is vanity’ state of mind” as implicit criticisms of Santayana.