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On Peace
'Einstein was not only the ablest man of science of his generation, he was also a wise man, which is something different. If statesmen had listened to him, the course of human events would have been less disastrous than it has been.
This verdict, from the Preface by Bertrand Russell, sums up the importance of this first collection of Albert Einstein's writing on war, peace, and the atom bomb. In this volume, thanks to the Estate of Albert Einstein's writings on war, peace, and the atom bomb. In this volume, thanks to the Estate of Albert Einstein, the complete story is told of how one of the greatest minds of modern times worked from 1914 to 1955 on the problem of peace. It is a fascinating record of a man's courage, his sincerity, and his concern for those who survive him.
This book is also a history of the peace movement in modern times. Here are letters to and from some of the most famous men of his generation, including between Einstein and Freud on aggression and war, and to President Roosevelt reporting the theoretical possibility of nuclear fission. It is the living record of more than 40 years of Einstein's intriguing struggle to mobilize forces all over the world for the abolition of war and the creation of a supranational organization to solve conflicts among nations.
This verdict, from the Preface by Bertrand Russell, sums up the importance of this first collection of Albert Einstein's writing on war, peace, and the atom bomb. In this volume, thanks to the Estate of Albert Einstein's writings on war, peace, and the atom bomb. In this volume, thanks to the Estate of Albert Einstein, the complete story is told of how one of the greatest minds of modern times worked from 1914 to 1955 on the problem of peace. It is a fascinating record of a man's courage, his sincerity, and his concern for those who survive him.
This book is also a history of the peace movement in modern times. Here are letters to and from some of the most famous men of his generation, including between Einstein and Freud on aggression and war, and to President Roosevelt reporting the theoretical possibility of nuclear fission. It is the living record of more than 40 years of Einstein's intriguing struggle to mobilize forces all over the world for the abolition of war and the creation of a supranational organization to solve conflicts among nations.
704 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1967
13 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
About the author
Albert Einstein
907 books9,661 followersSpecial and general theories of relativity of German-born American theoretical physicist Albert Einstein revolutionized modern thought on the nature of space and time and formed a base for the exploitation of atomic energy; he won a Nobel Prize of 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
His paper of 1905 formed the basis of electronics. His first paper, also published in 1905, changed the world.
He completed his Philosophiae Doctor at the University of Zurich before 1909.
Einstein, a pacifist during World War I, stayed a firm proponent of social justice and responsibility.
Einstein thought that Newtonion mechanics no longer enough reconciled the laws of classical mechanics with those of the electromagnetic field. This thought led to the development. He recognized, however, that he ably also extended the principle to gravitational fields and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916 published a paper. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light, which laid the foundation of the photon.
Best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, dubbed "the world's most famous equation," he received "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory.
He visited the United States when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and went not back to Germany. On the eve of World War II, he endorsed a letter, alerting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president, to the potential development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" and recommending that the United States begin similar research. This recommendation eventually led to the Manhattan project. Einstein supported defending the Allied forces but largely denounced the idea of using the newly discovered nuclear fission as a weapon. Later, with Bertrand Russell–Einstein manifesto highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons.
After the rise of the Nazi party, Einstein made Princeton his permanent home as a citizen of United States in 1940. He chaired the emergency committee of atomic scientists, which organized to alert the public to the dangers of warfare.
At a symposium, he advised:
("Science, Philosophy and Religion, A Symposium," published by the Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion in their Relation to the Democratic Way of Life, Inc., New York, 1941).
In a letter to philosopher Eric Gutkind, dated 3 January 1954, Einstein stated:
(The Guardian, "Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of religion relatively clear," by James Randerson, May 13, 2008)
Great intellectual achievements and originality made the word "Einstein" synonymous with genius.
The institute for advanced study in Princeton, New Jersey, affiliated Einstein until his death in 1955.
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_E...
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobe
His paper of 1905 formed the basis of electronics. His first paper, also published in 1905, changed the world.
He completed his Philosophiae Doctor at the University of Zurich before 1909.
Einstein, a pacifist during World War I, stayed a firm proponent of social justice and responsibility.
Einstein thought that Newtonion mechanics no longer enough reconciled the laws of classical mechanics with those of the electromagnetic field. This thought led to the development. He recognized, however, that he ably also extended the principle to gravitational fields and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916 published a paper. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light, which laid the foundation of the photon.
Best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, dubbed "the world's most famous equation," he received "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory.
He visited the United States when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and went not back to Germany. On the eve of World War II, he endorsed a letter, alerting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president, to the potential development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" and recommending that the United States begin similar research. This recommendation eventually led to the Manhattan project. Einstein supported defending the Allied forces but largely denounced the idea of using the newly discovered nuclear fission as a weapon. Later, with Bertrand Russell–Einstein manifesto highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons.
After the rise of the Nazi party, Einstein made Princeton his permanent home as a citizen of United States in 1940. He chaired the emergency committee of atomic scientists, which organized to alert the public to the dangers of warfare.
At a symposium, he advised:
"In their struggle for the ethical good, teachers of religion must have the stature to give up the doctrine of a personal God, that is, give up that source of fear and hope which in the past placed such vast power in the hands of priests. In their labors they will have to avail themselves of those forces which are capable of cultivating the Good, the True, and the Beautiful in humanity itself. This is, to be sure a more difficult but an incomparably more worthy task... "
("Science, Philosophy and Religion, A Symposium," published by the Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion in their Relation to the Democratic Way of Life, Inc., New York, 1941).
In a letter to philosopher Eric Gutkind, dated 3 January 1954, Einstein stated:
"The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."
(The Guardian, "Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of religion relatively clear," by James Randerson, May 13, 2008)
Great intellectual achievements and originality made the word "Einstein" synonymous with genius.
The institute for advanced study in Princeton, New Jersey, affiliated Einstein until his death in 1955.
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_E...
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobe
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 27, 2014
Letters between Einstein and Freud may have been published in 1933, under the title "Why War?" Light research shows a pamphlet of their correspondence was published in German with limited circulation (around 2,000 copies). At least one of those letters seems to have been reproduced in this title by Otto Nathan and Heinz Norden (New York: Schocken Books, 1960) but I haven't read this whole book. I was not able to readily find these letters in the U.S. Library of Congress but they are in hard-copy at libraries at least as part of editorials like this book.
June 1, 2015
Le pouvoir nu est un recueil de correspondances qu'à entretenu Albert Einstein avec des amis proches et des organismes divers entre 1914 et 1955. Cet oeuvre ne nous dépeint pas le parcours scientifique d'Einstein, mais bien les échanges qu'il a eu sur autant de sujets que sont la première et la seconde guerre mondiale, l'Allemagne nazie, les nations unies, la découverte de la bombe atomique ou encore le début de la guerre froide.
On constate progressivement à quel point Einstein était au cœur des bouleversements du XXème siècle, spectateur dans un sens, mais ne restant jamais de marbre, n’hésitant pas à donner son avis, à s'indigner sur des sujets que tout le monde préfère éviter de peur d'être blâmer, à l'heure où les tensions se font constamment sentir. Parfois affligé par l'aveuglement des populations face à des politiques internationales toujours plus égoïstes et un nationalisme généralisé extrêmement destructif, Einstein était néanmoins doté d'une ouverture d'esprit exceptionnelle et était partisan de la mise en oeuvre d'une organisation supranationale réellement effective, capable de garantir la sécurité pour tous les peuples et éviter les guerres inutiles, menées par des nations assoiffées d'un pouvoir politique toujours plus grand. Fidèle admirateur de Gandhi, c'était un pacifiste inconditionnel. En effet, il a été le porte flambeau de la lute pour le désarmement durant plusieurs dizaines d'années.
Ce livre possède néanmoins un seul bémol, car comme les textes sont rangés par ordre chronologique, ces derniers ce succèdent généralement sur les mêmes sujets, et on a souvent l'impression de relire les mêmes choses, Einstein expliquant souvent sont avis à plusieurs personnes.
Cette oeuvre reste toutefois une parfaite illustration de la position politique d'Einstein, et je le recommanderai à toute personne voulant s’intéresser à la personnalité de ce génie, ainsi qu'à son point de vu sur les problématiques de l'époque.
On constate progressivement à quel point Einstein était au cœur des bouleversements du XXème siècle, spectateur dans un sens, mais ne restant jamais de marbre, n’hésitant pas à donner son avis, à s'indigner sur des sujets que tout le monde préfère éviter de peur d'être blâmer, à l'heure où les tensions se font constamment sentir. Parfois affligé par l'aveuglement des populations face à des politiques internationales toujours plus égoïstes et un nationalisme généralisé extrêmement destructif, Einstein était néanmoins doté d'une ouverture d'esprit exceptionnelle et était partisan de la mise en oeuvre d'une organisation supranationale réellement effective, capable de garantir la sécurité pour tous les peuples et éviter les guerres inutiles, menées par des nations assoiffées d'un pouvoir politique toujours plus grand. Fidèle admirateur de Gandhi, c'était un pacifiste inconditionnel. En effet, il a été le porte flambeau de la lute pour le désarmement durant plusieurs dizaines d'années.
Ce livre possède néanmoins un seul bémol, car comme les textes sont rangés par ordre chronologique, ces derniers ce succèdent généralement sur les mêmes sujets, et on a souvent l'impression de relire les mêmes choses, Einstein expliquant souvent sont avis à plusieurs personnes.
Cette oeuvre reste toutefois une parfaite illustration de la position politique d'Einstein, et je le recommanderai à toute personne voulant s’intéresser à la personnalité de ce génie, ainsi qu'à son point de vu sur les problématiques de l'époque.
July 28, 2016
Not really a pageturner but this book provides interesting insight into the mind of a brilliant man of science in a time when reason was the only way to prevent terrible consequences of war.
December 14, 2016
It's a keeper, look up excerpts, use as quotes, etc. Lots of amazing references one can find at random.
September 13, 2023
In my opinion, Albert Einstein has been and is being studied endlessly in the field of science, which is correct but is an inadequate and one-sided approach, it is important to pay attention to his humanistic and moral values.India most needs the campaign that Albert Einstein launched with Bertrand Russell and other pacifist priests because its Prime Minister Modi is a great fraud.Modi had hatched such a deep conspiracy to enslave the Indian people that 90% of the people have been enslaved by photocopying Hitler's propaganda system and the interesting thing is that the enslaved Indians did not know or realize this.Albert Einstein's experimental thought can be a decisive factor in understanding society, country, world, individual and the human mind, provided we understand Eric Condel's link to Sigmund Freud.As much as Albert Einstein understood Sigmund Freud and wrote letters praising him, every person will have to look within himself and develop the same limitless curiosity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews