in the context of teaching the philosophy of religion, i have been re-reading william james, and realizing again how extremely admirable and fundamental a thinker and writer he is: extremely clear, extremely smart, extremely reasonable, but extremely bold. one example: the lecture is life worth living?, which is partly a pre-capitulation of the fundamental defense of religious faith "the will to believe." (that and pieces of varieties of religious experience are on my syllabus, and are standard texts for such a course.)  but you know, how many contempoary philosophers would have a straight go at the question of whether one should, or should not, commit suicide? how many could actually fairly, squarely face the whole darkness, the whole of our suffering and death and so on, and then still find a real way to affirm life anyway? and even if there are some thinkers who would do such a thing, how many would do it as clearly, as straightforwardly, and as truly? well, my brief answer is 'none.' i don't actually accept james's particular answer in terms of religious faith in a supernatural plane or context of existence, but the whole is utterly admirable, indeed, i want to have a crack at the topic myself, and might hit you with that one day.