NOTES
THE INFLUENCE OF WILLIAM JAMES UPON SOSEKI NATSUME
1960 Volume 3 Pages 65-73
Details
1960 Volume 3 Pages 65-73
During his stay in London (1900-1902) Soseki was much tormented by his doubts about life and literature. At last he found that these doubts could be dissolved only by taking the self-centered attitude in everything, and determined to make it his guiding principle of life. To build up a convincing theory concerning this attitude he studied very hard.
At that time in Europe and America psychology was the center of interest and attention not only of students but also of general people.
Under the circumstances it is natural that he should have become interested in the rising science. He was much attracted by the psychological philosophy of William James, and adopted the essential part of it in forming his theory.
In 1907 he made public this theory in his lecture “Bungei no Tetsugaku-teki Kiso ”（Philosophical Basis of Literature). It was not the theory alone that this American philosopher gave him. He sympathized also with the philosopher’s view of morality and religion, and there is much in common between the two about them.
The influence of William James upon Soseki was radical.
