New Delhi, May 22 -- William James, born in New York City in 1842, became one of America's most influential philosophers and psychologists. He studied medicine at Harvard, later taught physiology, psychology and philosophy there, and helped shape both pragmatism and functional psychology. His major works include The Principles of Psychology, The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy, The Varieties of Religious Experience and Pragmatism. Britannica describes him as a leader of pragmatism and a founder of functionalism in psychology.

"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact."- William James

The quote comes from James's 1895 address "Is Life Worth Living?", later ...