How brave all these living things are

William James writes to his son

A coyote at Yosemite National Park (Photo: Getty)

For many years, philosopher and psychologist William James had yearned to visit Yosemite. In 1898, at the age of fifty-six, he finally made the journey, spending two months amidst its awe-inspiring landscapes and natural wonders before delivering a series of lectures at UC Berkeley. While in Yosemite, he …