William James' legacy to Alcoholics Anonymous: an analysis and a critique

When evolving a philosophy and a "modus operandi" the pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous made significant use of William James' Varieties of Religious Experience. Indeed, although AA carefully picked and chose various of James' ideas which seemed particularly relevant, James' imprint is clearly stamped upon AA philosophy and methodology. Here, I will review James' work and explore what specific ideas were particularly relevant to AA's evolution as a self-help movement. The implications of this heritage will be explored.