The classic discussion between William Kingdon Clifford (The Ethics of Belief) and William James (The Will to Believe), with added explanatory footnotes, and further commentary by A.J. Burger (An Examination of "The Will to Believe"). Never before have these essays appeared together in their complete and unabridged forms, with added footnotes, in an inexpensive edition. The recent essay by A.J. Burger, published for the first time, provides a thorough and unflinching examination of James' The Will to Believe. "People have long been interested in the circumstances under which it is appropriate to believe. Often, the source of this interest is the desire to believe something for which one has insufficient evidence. Extensive excerpts ... are often reprinted in anthologies. This is sufficient proof of the enduring interest in this subject, and of the importance of these particular essays." -from the Preface