Radical Empiricism and the Affective Ground of Religion

In “Chapter 4: Radical Empiricism and the Affective Ground of Religion in James,” I argue that radical empiricism serves as a framework connecting three themes often viewed as disparate in James’s work: (1) the representational metaphysics found in theology and philosophy, (2) the affective foundation of our religious experiences, which also relates to James’s Will-to-Believe argument, and (3) the embodiment of these affective relationships in mysticism. This affective foundation initiates the broad spectrum of religious experiences. Furthermore, James does not restrict individual interpretations of religious experiences. Analyzing these through radical empiricism reveals that beliefs function as rules of action, providing structure and context that highlight their embodied, praxis-oriented nature and the relational dynamics they entail.