1001Philosophers

William James Quotes on Knowledge

William James was a 19th and early 20th-century American philosopher and psychologist, one of the founders of pragmatism and a central figure in the early development of modern psychology. This page collects quotes attributed to William James on the topic of knowledge, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to William James:

    “The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.”

  • Attributed to William James:

    “Pragmatism asks its usual question. Grant an idea or belief to be true, what concrete difference will its being true make in anyone's actual life?”

  • Attributed to William James:

    “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”

  • Attributed to William James:

    “Truth is what works.”