Psychology, Pragmatism, and Daily Life Conversations behind the Italian Translations of James’ Works

Over the years from 1898 to 1909, a quite intense epistolary exchange took place between the American psychologist William James (1842– 1910) and the Italian psychiatrist and psychologist Giulio Cesare Ferrari (1867–1932). The occasion was provided by Ferrari’s intention to publish the first Italian translation of James’ Principles of Psychology, which had appeared in 1890. Started as a dialogue focused primarily on the “so dull a piece of labor” to which Ferrari had willingly subjected himself, the correspondence evolved, over the years, in a more friendly and confidential direction. Reflections on James’ and Ferrari’s work were indeed interspersed with moments of colloquiality about James’ (often poor) state of health, travels, new professional opportunities, and family life. This contribution collects and publishes the totality of James’ letters to Ferrari, currently hosted at Aspi – Archivio Storico della Psicologia Italiana (Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca). The aim is to enable the reader interested in the relationship between the two thinkers, in the events surrounding the translation of James’ works, and in the Italian intellectual (including pragmatist) context, to overview, in a single publication, the entirety of James’ letters.