August 1967

American life and thought -some- drawn regarding God’s existence. thing for which he has been praised In his Pragmatism published in and damned, depending on the 1907, James returned to the inpoint of view. In its worst sense, vestigation of theism. This work, to pragmatism has created the stereo- be properly understood, must be type of the typical American as a read as the biography of a scientific William James time-server who wishes to get a job man in search of God. In the late done by the most efficient means nineteenth century, America had and possible; whose norm of truth is what works; whose rule of value is reached a critical period in its intellectual development. The new what furthers his own aims. In the scientific age had burst upon Ameri- Alcoholics Anonymous minds of many, pragmatism is scarcely distinguishable from naturcans with startling suddenness, and those with vision could see that alism or irreligion, and both have they stood on the threshold of the by Robert S. Roth, S.J. become synonyms for “American- greatest period of progress the ism.” world had ever known. To deal adequately with all the Cheering though those prospects Father Roth is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Fordham misconceptions in this picture would were, there were some thinkers who University in New York City. He is the author o f “Religious require an extended study. What is feared that the coming of the scien- Philosophy of William James” (Thought, June, 1966) of primary concern is that William tific age would mean the end of re- James proposed pragmatism pre- ligion and belief in God. Of these, cisely as a means of enabling William James was one. He poncontemporary man to find God. dered deeply the question of how Varieties of Religious Experience, one could be a man of science and T HE place of God in AA is, of course, widely known. I was quite surprised and intrigued, how- He read the book from cover to cover and was deeply impressed by James’ “great wisdom.” It helped published in 1902, was actually intended as a preliminary step in this still remain a religious man. It was in attempting to answer this quesever, to learn recently that the em- Bill to reach the turning point in direction. In it, James undertook to tion that he developed his philosophasis given to God is due in large his career and finally to completely examine various types of religious phy, which has since become known measure to the direct influence of arrest his progressive illness of alco- experience in order to see if they as pragmatism. In the spirit of the William James, the father of Amer- holism. In subsequent years, the could give evidence for a belief in scientific age, he proposed pragmaican psychology and one of our influence of James came to be felt the existence of God. So absorbed tism as an empirical method of armost important philosophers. It also in the formulation of AA’s did he become in describing and riving at truth, but in his own mind seems that when Bill W., a co- basic ideas. cataloging experiences that the psy- he was convinced that if it was .founder of AA, was still trying to One could well wonder what this chologist in him completely over- properly used it would lead to a fight his way back to sobriety, he “great wisdom” was that has been shadowed the religious philosopher, belief in the existence of God. This happened upon a copy of James’ so influential in the development of and the work became a long- was a preoccupation with James for Varieties of Religious Experience. Alcoholics Anonymous, especially though rich – source book for all many years – briefly expressed in in its fundamental dependence on kinds of religious experience. It was Varieties of Religious Experience, This ortlcle is reprinted wlth permission from God. It was James, we know, who only in a hurried chapter or two at and sharply delineated in Pragma- America, the Notlonol Cotholic Weekly Revhw, 106 W . 56th St., N . Y.. N. Y . made pragmatism a byword in the end that he got around to ask- tism. ing what conclusions could be For James, the most convincing

‘evidence of God’s existence “lies world would be irrational. In the lems of mankind. With his flair for took seriously James’ observation primarily in inner personal experi- light of this conviction, he could not the dramatic, he pictured God as that truly transforming spiritual exence,” and its starting point is the believe that man was to be frus- walking through the world, suffering periences are nearly always founded sense of emptiness and frustration. trated when it was a question of the with those in pain and weeping with on calamity and collapse. Following As a young man, he had experi- deep anguish and longing he ex- those who were reduced to tears. through on this lesson learned from enced very poor health for about perienced in his search for a final It is small wonder, then, that an Varieties o f Religious Experience, five or six years, and this caused completion to all his hopes and alcoholic, face to face with despair, Bill W. writes: him frequent periods of depression aspirations. found kinship with James as he read “Complete hopelessness and deand discouragement. About thc Here we find a far different James in Varieties o f Religious Experience flation at depth were almost always same time, he seems to have gone from the one presented by critics of the account of human suffering. Sor- required to make the recipient of through a spiritual crisis, which pragmatism. He was an American row, disappointment, failure, physi- spiritual experiences ready. The sigmanifested itself in a lack of mo- who, even while he upheld the in- cal pain, all led James to the nificance of all this burst upon me. . tivation and purpose. Slowly he be- tegrity of the scientist in weighing conclusion that “natural goods Deflation at depth -yes, that was gan to realize that he needed a and judging every last bit of evi- perish; riches take wings; fame is a it. Exactly what had happened to unifying philosophy of life. dence, was religious to the very core breath; love is a cheat; youth and me.” All this was brought to a focus in of his being. Though remaining a health and pleasure vanish.” For For Bill W. and others like him, 1 I the sense of incompleteness that scientist, this man could stand be- James, human existence, even at its alcoholism was the starting point on James found in the depths of his fore the world as one who knew best, is left with an irremediable the way to God and to sobriety. being as he looked at the world human suffering and anguish; as sense of precariousness; it is a Their affliction was not so much the around him. In his scientific work, one whose spirit was open to the “bell with a crack.” cause of their turn to God as its he was in search of a solution to the call from the divine. James believed Perhaps more than most others, occasion. For the possibility that the mysteries of nature. As a man of in a God who was “cosmic and Bill W. felt the frustration and divine existed had occured to them science, he was convinced that the tragic,” a God in contact with the anguish consequent upon human before, but now they felt they could answers were there, otherwise the needs and the deeply human prob- weakness and misery. Hence he no longer postpone or evade the

question. Bill states: “We had to again his personal and family ob- an essential condition for member- show once again that belief in a face fearlessly the proposition that ligations. More than that, it will ship. It was finally agreed that the Higher Power is essential to the proeither God is everything or else He mean assuming a special responsi- members could choose a “power gram. Represented in the audience is nothing. God either is, or He isn’t. bility for his fellow man, for an greater than ourselves,” even if AA were a variety of experiences, many What was our choice to be?” important part of the AA program itself was this “Higher Power.” of which were probably never en- Faced with this issue, alcoholics is Step Twelve, which is “to carry Most alcoholics, however, come visioned and certainly not discussed such as these come to the convic- this message to alcoholics.” Each to believe in and depend on a by William James in his account of ‘ tion that the world is not a cipher, member becomes an apostle in the Higher Power, which they call God, religious experience. Yet James aimlessly rushing nowhere; that hu- original meaning of the word: one even though each one is free to would have felt at home there, for man existence at its roots is not sent to others on a mission of salva- decide for himself what God will he would have understood and apmeaningless or absurd. They echo tion. mean to him. In almost every case, preciated those experiences as well James’ statement that sadness lies at In this sense, the acceptance of full recovery from alcoholism has as the problems they raised. He the heart of every philosophy that God is, for an alcoholic, only the depended on this all-important faith. would certainly have recognized as tries to exclude God. If human life beginning. And yet it is everything, God “as we understand Him” has his own, the solution of the probis to have any meaning at all, they for it is God who integrates every become the cornerstone of the lems, for it finds expression in his can only conceive it as completed by aspect of his life -his joys and whole movement. Usually the alco- belief that “where God is, tragedy is a God who has in His hands the sorrows, hopes and ambitions – holic comes to believe in a personal only provisional and partial, and direction of the universe and the fi- and gives them meaning and direc- God who is deeply concerned with shipwreck and dissolution are not nal destiny of mankind. tion. And this is authentically the needs and the aspirations of the absolutely final things.” For an alcoholic, the move Jamesian. In the words of Ralph men. Both William James and Alcotoward God is not an escape from Barton Perry, James’ faith is both At the Thirtieth Anniversary cel- holics Anonymous are convinced responsibility, a concession to weak- a “comforting faith” and a “fighting ebration in Toronto in 1965, a that this fact is due not to God ness, an excuse for laziness. faith.” The first rises out of weak- panel discussed the question of alone, but also to what God can do According to Bill: ness and gives refuge and security. “God as we understand Him,” to through us. “We can laugh at those who The second springs from strength think spirituality the way of weak- and enables the religious man to ness. Paradoxically, it is the way of fight on with courage, hope and joy strength. The verdict of the ages is even in the face of danger and unthat faith means courage. And men certainty. of faith have courage. They trust This is the way such an alcoholic their God. We never apologize for seeks to solve the burden of misery God. Instead we let Him demon- and sorrow that his addiction brings. strate, through us, what He can do.” He proposes it not as the way, but The moment the alcoholic turns as a way to God. In fact, AA does to God, he engages in the life-and- not even require its members to death-struggle back to sobriety, accept theism if they do not wish to which will mean daily sacrifice and do so. This point had to be careself-denial. It will bring a change fully hammered out in the early not only in his whole way of think- stages of the AA program. There ing but also in many aspects of his were some who objected to making daily life. He will have to take up the acceptance of a personal God