This lecture discusses the 19th-20th century philosopher and psychologist, William James, and focuses on his essay, "The Will To Believe". Specifically it discusses the relationship between certitude or certainty and truth. James distinguishes two different orientations towards these, which he calls empiricism and absolutism. Absolutism holds that we can attain some absolute certainty, and that we can know with certainty that we know the truth. Empiricism about philosophy notes that there is no criterion for truth about which there has been a consensus.
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