William James

"Consciousness... does not appear to itself chopped up in bits. Such words as 'chain' or 'train' do not describe it fitly as it presents itself in the first instance. It is nothing jointed; it flows. A 'river' or a 'stream' are the metaphors by which it is most naturally described. In talking of it hereafter, let us call it the stream of thought, of consciousness, or of subjective life. Source of the expression 'stream of consciousness'."

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Source: The Principles of Psychology vol. 1, ch. 9 (1890).

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William James

William James

Philosopher, Psychologist

William James was a pioneering American philosopher and psychologist, known for his work on pragmatism and the psychology of belief.

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