Essays in Humanism [Kindle Edition]

Albert Einstein (Author)

Book 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.

Editorial Reviews

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 which our ancestors have won for us after hard struggles.” —Albert Einstein, “Science and Civilization”

Product Details

• File Size: 687 KB
• Print Length: 182 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1453204636
• Publisher: Philosophical Library/Open Road (March 14, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004Q9U0MY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,758 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #27 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Movements > Humanism

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great scientist's thoughts about world politics and human society October 16, 2011

By Kenneth Bergman

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Einstein: Essays in Humanism (1933-1949)

Albert Einstein was undoubtedly the most famous and revolutionary scientist of the 20th Century, known especially for his special and general theories of relativity, his explanation of the photoelectric effect, his realization that matter could be converted into immense amounts of energy, and his studies in cosmology. But he also had wide-ranging beliefs about politics and social affairs. This book, now available as a Kindle e-book, is a collection of 43 essays and talks that were written for specific occasions. They cover a variety of topics that interested him and in several cases provide useful lessons for our own time.

The first part of the collection, through Essay 20, is concerned with pre- and post-World War II concerns. Einstein, himself a lifelong pacifist, argued for a world government that shared a common pool of armaments and was capable of keeping the peace among fractious national governments. He didn't think that the United Nations, as constituted with a Security Council and permanent-member veto power was going to work in the long run. He recommended a world government where delegates were directly elected by the people on a proportional basis. He recognized the great danger of atomic and nuclear weapons and advocated their strict control by the world government.

In politics, Einstein was a socialist and strongly advocated for such things as a planned economy, free education at all levels, and regulation of capitalist ventures. Today, he would be branded a Marxist, but he disapproved of the Soviet system as being too rigid and corrupt.

He advocated an active role for scientists in society and that science should help to shape government policies. He distrusted the military and spoke of the danger of a military takeover of science in order to use it for war-making purposes. In that, he anticipated Eisenhower's farewell address about the dangers of a military-industrial complex.

The next set of essays are brief descriptions of the scientific achievements of several famous scientists: Newton, Kepler, Marie Curie, Max Planck, and less well-known others. There is also a eulogy to Mahatma Gandi.

The final part of the book is devoted to Jewish issues and Zionism. Although Einstein was not religious in a traditional sense (his beliefs were strongly influenced by Spinoza), he nevertheless supported Zionism, with some misgivings, and was greatly concerned with the future of European Judaism after World War II and the Holocaust. Interestingly, he originally thought that it would be a mistake for Jewish refugees to migrate to Palestine and hoped that the U.S.would see fit to accept them. Then, he was initially opposed to carving out a separate Jewish state in Palestine, but advocated rather naively that Jew and Arab live side by side in peace in a unified Palestine. Later, he modified these views in light of actual developments. He was offered the mostly ceremonial position of President of Israel, but he declined.

Finally, there is an appended biography of Einstein, along with photographs taken at various stages of his life, and a list of acknowledgements.

I found this book to be fascinating to read, both for its historical perspective on problems of his day and for insights into problems that continue into our time. Einstein was a good writer and had a good grasp of English, so I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that he wrote all these essays himself. Occasionally, the writing is somewhat convoluted and not as clear as it could be for a modern reader, but mostly it is quite readable. Those who would like to know how a great scientific mind looked at problems of human society will value this collection of essays.

Footnote, added 6 Sept 2012: Another collection of writings by Einstein, "Out of My Later Years," published about the same time as "Essays in Humanism," contains most but not all of these essays in the four sections titled Public Affairs, Science and Life, Personalities, and My People. "Out of My Later Years" also contains several of Einstein's scientific papers and essays, with some earlier ones translated from German.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read January 7, 2012

By Trent P. McDonald

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I remember as a teen reading a biography of Einstein. I came away with the idea of a person who was clueless in everyday matters and, though I didn't know the term, Asperger's. Reading this collection of writings and speeches I would came to very different conclusion. Einstein cared deeply about people and the world around him. He was very empathetic to the plight of others.

As written in another review, this is divided into broad subject matters. I had to smile at the more political writings since they read like the current Occupiers: the biggest problem with the US is that the majority of the economic power is in the hands of a very small percentage of the people.

I had 2 problems. Since this is a Kindle book I couldn't easily jump back to the bibliography as I started each new essay. I was always curious about the date and circumstance. On a rare occasion it was included in the text, but most of the time I had to guess. The other problem is there was a lot of repetition. The writings came from different sources - he often said pretty much the same thing but aimed at different people.

OK, those are very minor problems. Over all I found the essays fascinating. Einstein was a very good writer and these essays were easy to read yet put a lot of information in their few words. Highly recommended as a way to see a different side of Einstein.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Book May 6, 2004

By J. McAndrew

Format:Hardcover

Einstein's ideas on the social questions of the day were very interesting. He made some very logical deductions about politics, which were refreshing. I plan to re-read this book soon, because I don't think I got the full effect the first time I picked it up. His ideas were a strong mixture of logic and compassion, two powerful qualities, a very positive synergistic effect.

More About the Author

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was born in Germany and became an American citizen in 1940. A world-famous theoretical physicist, he was 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.