Question

Carson has been arrested and charged with DUI. Once sober, he is full of regret for his actions as he sits in a holding cell waiting to post bail. According to William James, which of the following statements can be logically reasoned from Carson's experience?
A. If Carson believes in a world of possibilities, then Carson's regrets are illogical because they exist only after the fact.
B. If Carson believes in a universe of actualities, then Carson's regrets form a pervasive pessimism.
C. Carson would be incapable of having regrets in a universe that is made up solely of actualities.
D. Although Carson believes in a universe of possibilities, he doesn't believe in human freedom.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. If Carson believes in a universe of actualities, then Carson's regrets form a pervasive pessimism.

Explanation:

The above is demonstrated in James Williams Cognitivity of feelings in his The Varieties of Religious Experience. ([1902] 1985). In his Varieties of Religious Experience, James Williams contrasts between perspectives to life and labelled two groups based on their perspectives as the "healthy-minded" ones and the " sick souls". According to him, the healthy minded individuals were individuals who remained optimistic in the face of all troubles of life, seeing it as natural and unproblematic while the sick souls were ones who saw life as full of problems. The sick soul group viewed life as meaningless and therefore he considered them pervasive pessimists who recognized with the harsh realities of life