I remember reading the same lecture about two years ago, and thinking William James sounded like a proto-phenomenologist.
I just don't like the name of the school. I mean, every philosopher thinks they are pragmatic and describing the truth of what's going on.
He or she may produce utter garbage, but I've yet to come across any that wrote, "I mean, I just think these are nice ideas. Who knows if there any good?"
It's like when I see anons on /islam/ get into arguments about their different schools or sects, and one of them invariably goes "the difference is, I/we follow the Qu'ran." As if their opposition doesn't predicate their convictions on the exact same source.