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Commens
Digital Companion to C. S. Peirce
‘Experience’ (pub. 06.02.13-18:07). Quote in M. Bergman & S. Paavola (Eds.), The Commens Dictionary: Peirce's Terms in His Own Words. New Edition. Retrieved from http://www.commens.org/dictionary/entry/quote-letters-william-james-3.
Term: 
Experience
Quote: 

The phaneron, as I now call it, the sum total all of the contents of human consciousness, which I believe is about what you (borrowing the term of Avenarius) call pure experience, - but I do not admit the point of view of Avenarius to be correct or to be consonant to any pragmatism, nor to yours, in particular, and therefore I do not like that phrase. For me experience is what life has forced upon us, - a vague idea no doubt. But my phaneron is not limited to what is forced upon us; it also embraces all that we most capriciously conjure up, not objects only but all modes of contents of cognitional consciousness.

Source: 
Peirce, C. S. (1897-1909). Letters to William James. L [R] 224.
References: 
NEM 3:834
Date of Quote: 
1905
URL: 

http://www.commens.org/dictionary/entry/quote-letters-william-james-3