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Essays in Humanism

by Albert Einstein

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 56 ratings · 6 reviews

ebook, 122 pages

Published March 14th 2011 by Philosophical Library/Open Road

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May 12, 2013 Leon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review

“What is the situation? The development of technology and of the implements of war has brought about something akin to a shrinking of our planet. Economic interlinking has made the destinies of nations interdependent to a degree far greater than in previous years.” —Albert Einstein, “Towards a World Government”

“If we want to resist the powers which threaten to suppress intellectual and individual freedom we must keep clearly before us what is at stake, and what we owe to that freedom wh

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“If we want to resist the powers which threaten to suppress intellectual and individual freedom we must keep clearly before us what is at stake, and what we owe to that freedom which our ancestors have won for us after hard struggles.” —Albert Einstein, “Science and Civilization”

Product Description

An inspiring collection of the great thinker’s views on a rapidly changing world Nuclear proliferation, Zionism, and the global economy are just a few of the insightful and surprisingly prescient topics scientist Albert Einstein discusses in this volume of collected essays from between 1931 and 1950. Written with a clear voice and a thoughtful perspective on the effects of science, economics, and politics in daily life, Einstein’s writings provide an intriguing view inside the mind of a genius addressing the philosophical challenges presented during the turbulence of the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the dawn of the Cold War. This authorized Philosophical Library ebook features rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “What is the situation? The development of technology and of the implements of war has brought about something akin to a shrinking of our planet. Economic interlinking has made the destinies of nations interdependent to a degree far greater than in previous years.” —Albert Einstein, “Towards a World Government” “If we want to resist the powers which threaten to suppress intellectual and individual freedom we must keep clearly before us what is at stake, and what we owe to that freedom which our ancestors have won for us after hard struggles.” —Albert Einstein, “Science and Civilization” Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was born in Germany and became an American citizen in 1940. A world-famous theoretical physicist, he as awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics and is renowned for his Theory of Relativity. In addition to his scientific work, Einstein was an influential humanist who spoke widely about politics, ethics, and social causes. After leaving Europe, Einstein taught at Princeton University. His theories were instrumental in shaping the atomic age.

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Jan 06, 2013 Ger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Albert Einstein was no doubt a brilliant man. But that doesn't mean he was wise about everything. For example:

Having viewed the brutality of war he was anxious that it be prevented. He recommended a supranational military force that would keep the peace and once agreed upon the "guarantee against war of world-wide dimensions can be assured" But the problem with trying to suppress man's desire for power with a super organization is that the super organization is comprised of MEN WHO WILL WANT POW...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Joshua rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won't claim to agree with many of the ideas that Einstein sets forth in this small collection of essays, but I will say that they were well laid-out and certainly provided fodder for deeper reflection. I think that everyone knows who Einstein is but like me, have spent little time getting to know Einstein. The internet is rife with supposed quotes from Einstein leaving people to wonder what Einstein actually said and thought. If this is you then I suppose this book will begin to help you resol...more I won't claim to agree with many of the ideas that Einstein sets forth in this small collection of essays, but I will say that they were well laid-out and certainly provided fodder for deeper reflection. I think that everyone knows who Einstein is but like me, have spent little time getting to know Einstein. The internet is rife with supposed quotes from Einstein leaving people to wonder what Einstein actually said and thought. If this is you then I suppose this book will begin to help you resolve those questions as you get to know Einstein's political and moral convictions in a very clear and concise manner. Some of his thoughts were things I would have expected to read based on the little bit that I knew about him while others left me a little surprised and amused. Again, the arguments are well-laid out but they are not bulletproof and there are a few things he said which I felt expressed a naivety concerning human nature. Nevertheless, in the context of his own time and place in history they made sense. This is certainly a piece that reflects the era it was written in, yet many of the messages are relevant for the modern world.

Einstein was first and foremost a socialist and I am curious now to know how much of a backlash he felt about this in an era of the "McCarthy Kangaroo Trials." To my knowledge this did not have any serious repercussions even though I am not sure how he avoided it during the Cold War period. He thinks that socialism is the answer to economic disparity and believes that it is a step towards genuine progress. There is a marked difference in his generation vs. ours because many in our time reject the notion of progress while Einstein thought that it was attainable. Einstein thinks that human have contradictory elements to their nature that makes them self-centered while also socially dependent. He felt that it was the workers who created the goods and services and that these very people feel that they have been robbed by the capitalist who ultimately steals it and exploits for his own benefit. In addition to economic issues Einstein discusses the relationship between races in America and the benefits and woes that scientific development has upon society at large. While he understand that technology has the power transform society it also has a dark side that could result in catastrophic proportions.

A majority of the work has Einstein discussing the pertinence of a supranational organization that will ultimately trump the authority of individual nations. He does briefly acknowledge the danger of such a power but dismisses it because he feels that individual nations and the threat of war pose a much greater danger than a supranational group that overseas the governments of the world. Again, Einstein is living in the era of time where Russia and America are engaged in serious hostility. He urges America to be willing to move toward this existence citing that Russia will follow their lead once it is clear that America is not seeking to harm Russia but to live in world peace. There is an exchange written in this book between a Russian scientist and Einstein. The Russian resisted Einstein idea of a supranational organization citing that this would be a way that America seek to impose capitalism on the world at large. Einstein of course, was sympathetic to this because he himself did not believe in capitalism. However, he stands firmly for America and seems to have a favorable opinion of the nation that took him in and made him one of her own.

Einstein's greatest concern was the issue of the bomb and it becomes very clear that he feels that he has a sense of responsibility to insure that the bomb is not used. The creation of bomb he saw as necessary because he understood that this could have been developed and used by Germany during WWII, but he laments that it exists in the present and is essentially being used to create tensions as well as distrust throughout the world. This was one of the central reasons that he thought that a supranational organization needed to exist. Einstein thought that patriotism was very harmful and was something to government could use to advance their own agendas. Essentially, Einstein sees a world without class, social, or national distinctions. That does not mean that he thinks that there should be one language or culture yet he never actually explains how that it suppose to work. Culture itself is something that would need to be more homogeneous in order to relieve any and all tensions and this does not even account for tensions caused by religious interests. This is one of the reasons I suggested that there was some naivety on his part. He fails to take into account the force and power that culture plays upon individual groups and society at-large. His greatest fear is that the bomb will be used to eradicate some sector or all of humanity and perhaps he did not consider that the bomb is its own restrainer. That is, the threat of the bomb has been enough to deter it from being used through the cold war and into the modern period.

Einstein addresses a number of other less important issues that prove to shine a light on the soul of Einstein and give us a window into his thought life. Some of the articles are addresses about Scientists and friends who made a significant impact in his life and in the world. He discusses their research and sometimes expresses personal feelings or thoughts about the individual. As far as I could tell, each individual was someone who was already deceased at the time of the essay, and only some of them were people that Einstein actually knew. He also talks about the importance of the role played by Zionism in the Jewish community. He praised it as a powerful force in keeping the community together and keeping the Jewish people alive. He supported a return to the homeland but he did not necessarily support a Jewish nation and thought that if Jews did the right thing they would do their best to work together and co-exist peacefully with the Arabs who lived in Palestine. He saw the creation of the Jewish state as something that was detrimental and a step backwards in the development of humanity. This had to do less with the Jews and more to do with the fact that Einstein thought that the way to insure peace was to promote the idea of a global community and he saw individual nations as a deterrent to that process.

Overall, this book was well-worth reading. Many of the conclusions that Einstein reached were ideas that did not resonate with me. I am not a socialist, I do NOT believe in supranational organizations, I do believe in individual nations and the creation of the Jewish state in Palestine. However, I am not afraid to read an opposing opinion and give it some consideration. I think that Einstein had noble intentions and was looking at things from the angle of one who participated in the creation of the world's most dangerous invention. He lived in a different time, a different place, and had seen humanity at its best and its worst. I think we can all share Einstein's apprehension about the bomb and should recognize how important it is for nations to cooperate and make the world a safer place. Even now, our eyes have turned toward North Korea as they test their own nuclear power capabilities and we see the horrible possibilities that the bomb could release upon the future. Einstein had some good points that have to be taken into consideration. Again, this is a refreshing book with an interesting view point and agree or not one thing is certain: Einstein cannot be easily dismissed.(less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Josi Rebar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Political and social views remind me of Gene Roddenberry's.

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Oct 29, 2012 Kelly Wortham Wick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great,beware of racial opinions!!!

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Dec 30, 2012 Pat May rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Way over my head. This is a book I had to read for a short time and then sit back and think for a while. Encourages examination of personal worldviews.

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About Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist. He is best known for his theory of relativity and specifically mass-energy equivalence, E = mc2. Einstein received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect."

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Books by Albert Einstein

Relativity: The Special and the General Theory

The Evolution of Physics: From Early Concepts to Relativity and Quanta

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Quotes from Essays in Humanism

“A large part of our attitude toward things is conditioned by opinions and emotions which we unconsciously absorb as children from our environment. In other words, it is tradition—besides inherited aptitudes and qualities—which makes us what we are. We but rarely reflect how relatively small as compared with the powerfu...
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“It is only men who are free, who create the inventions and intellectual works which to us moderns make life worth while.” — 4 people liked it

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