James, Sr., Henry Criticism
Henry James, Sr. (1811-1882), an American philosopher and theologian, was a significant yet unconventional figure who influenced religious and social thought in the 19th century. As the father of novelist Henry James, Jr. and psychologist William James, Henry James, Sr. was known for his rejection of organized religion and advocacy for spiritual freedom, challenging the individualism that dominated contemporary thought. His philosophical views were shaped by Emanuel Swedenborg's spiritual writings and Charles Fourier's ideas on human solidarity. James believed in destroying self-righteousness to achieve social and spiritual rebirth, a stance that was contentious during a time when movements like Christian Science and Methodism were gaining ground.
Born in Albany, New York, James grew up under a strict Presbyterian upbringing but developed a distaste for its doctrines. After a personal crisis and exposure to European philosophical thought, including the works of Robert Sandeman and Swedenborg, James forged his distinct path in theology and social theory. Settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he fostered an intellectually stimulating environment for his children, influencing their future achievements.
James penned over a dozen books and numerous essays, focusing on theology, metaphysics, and social reform. Notable works include The Secret of Swedenborg and Society the Redeemed Form of Man, examining human dependency on God and social unity. His writing style, marked by superlatives and humor, was both criticized and lauded for its vigor and eloquence. Despite these strengths, his works were often viewed as obscure, and his reputation waned after his death, overshadowed by his sons' fame.
Critics like Giles Gunn and Ralph Barton Perry have explored James's influence on his sons, while Henry James, Jr. offered personal insights into his father. Interest in his work revived during the 1930s, highlighting his impact on intellectual thought despite the initial neglect by his contemporaries. James's legacy is now seen as pivotal, both for his contributions to philosophy and for shaping a family of prominent intellectuals.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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James on the Nature of Evil
(summary)
In the following review of The Nature of Evil, Clarke examines James's doctrine of evil, finding the author's theories inadequately developed and therefore impossible to comprehend, and concluding that James ultimately fails to solve "the problem of evil."
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A review of The Secret of Swedenborg
(summary)
In the following unsigned review, the critic provides a favorable overview of James's treatise The Secret of Swedenborg. The critic predicts, however, that the work will disturb some readers who might oppose James's belief that humans are creatures of God and that their existence depends entirely on Him.
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A review of The Literary Remains of the Late Henry James
(summary)
In the following unsigned review of The Literary Remains of the Late Henry James, the critic offers a brief assessment of James's philosophy and contends that the volume is valuable not only for its content but also "as a psychological study of a very unique mind."
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Notes of a Son and Brother
(summary)
The second son of Henry James, Sr., Henry James, Jr., was a novelist, short story writer, critic, and essayist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is admired as a lucid and insightful critic and is regarded as one of the greatest novelists of the English language. In the following excerpt from his autobiographical volume Notes of a Son and Brother—published at a time when the elder James's works had largely been forgotten—James, Jr., offers his impressions of his father, portraying him as an absorbing and immensely humane figure.
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Religion versus Morality According to the Elder Henry James
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Perry argues that James, Sr., was an antinomian, or one who believes that under the gospel dispensation of grace the moral law is of no use because faith alone is necessary to salvation.
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The Philosophy
(summary)
In the excerpt below, Warren discusses James's philosophy, examining in particular the relationship between the spiritual and the social.
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Father and Son: Style and Criticism
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In the following excerpt from the first part of his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, Perry assesses James, Sr. 's literary style and his critical methods and theories. The critic also discusses the elder James's influence on his son William, both personally and professionally.
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Father's Ideas
(summary)
In the following excerpt, he contends that Henry James, Jr. 's published reminiscences of his father prove the son's in-depth understanding of his father's philosophy, and that the younger James subsequently employed his father's beliefs in his fiction.
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An introduction to Henry James, Senior: A Selection of His Writings
(summary)
In the following essay, Gunn provides an overview of James's life and philosophy, discussing his theology, his relationship to prevailing nineteenth-century views, and his influences on his sons William and Henry.
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The Bostonians and Henry James Sr.'s Crusade against Feminism and Free Love
(summary)
In the following essay, he argues that Henry James, Jr. wrote his novel The Bostonians (1886) in reaction to his father's involvement with the free love movement and his encounters with the radical press.
- II
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James on the Nature of Evil
(summary)
- Further Reading