James argues that pure experience, rather than mind or matter, forms the basic stuff of reality. He suggests that consciousness and physical objects are different aspects of the same experiential field, effectively dissolving the traditional mind-body dualism that had dominated Western philosophy.

Breaking with both rationalist and empiricist traditions, James contends that we directly experience connections between things, rather than constructing them mentally. This insight suggests that the continuity of experience is as real as discrete objects or sensations.

The essays develop a theory of truth based on practical consequences rather than abstract correspondence, arguing that ideas become true as they successfully guide us through experience and help us navigate reality.