Topic > Views on Truth: James and Roosevelt

The argument made by William James in “On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings” is that the blindness in which we are all compromised concerning the feelings of creatures and people different from ourselves. That others are absorbed in their own secrets to care about others. James's diagnosis of "blindness" is that humans are indifferent to the people around them because they prioritize only themselves. James says that we are practical beings and that everyone is expected to feel important in their tasks and that is why it is so easy to judge others. James uses stories from other authors to explain his thinking. In Robert Louis Stevenson's story, we see that he is a reflection of happiness and where it comes from. This story highlights how many different people find joy in many different things. In Walt Whitman's “Crossing Brooklyn Bridge” we see that although there are differences in how we experience happiness, there are also some similarities. This similarity is death, and this is why James points out that we only live once and should enjoy it. Once we are aware of the danger of this blindness, we should not turn a blind eye to them. We cannot see how others see the world and we should always keep that in mind before judging others. Our worldview is based on our values ​​and everyone has different values ​​and we must respect them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayIn Theodore Roosevelt's "Strenuous Life" he argued that strenuous effort and overcoming life's difficulties were ideals that should be embraced by the American people which would lead to a better nation. Roosevelt thought primarily about the nation rather than the people and how people can make the nation better overall. I think James would agree with Roosevelt to some extent on this matter. Roosevelt says that Americans should embrace this ideology and I think James would really disagree. People should have their own ideas and values. We shouldn't impose anything on them and that's what James says too, everyone has a different view of the world and we need to be open minded to these views. This is also how James would criticize Roosevelt's ideology that one should not try to change the values ​​and ideas of others. James did not necessarily want people to think for themselves, but rather to put themselves in other people's shoes before judging them for their different values. I think when it comes to who's right, I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. I think everyone should have the ability to express their values ​​and ideals without it being forced on them. From James' position, everyone ignores the opinions of others and this is something we need to change and this is where Roosevelt comes in, where he argues that everyone must think alike for the nation to grow. If I had to choose, I would probably say that Roosevelt was right. I think he is right because he thinks about the greater good and what is best for the future of the nation. He wants all Americans to work together to make America a greater nation and wants them to share the same positive ideology. Both shared a similar ideology and wanted everyone to speak to Roosevelt, including the nation in the picture.