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A little known letter written by him, however, may help to settle the argument - or at least provoke further controversy about his views.
Due to be auctioned this week in London after being in a private collection for more than 50 years, the document leaves no doubt that the theoretical physicist was no supporter of religious beliefs, which he regarded as "childish superstitions".
Einstein penned the letter on January 3 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind who had sent him a copy of his book Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt. The letter went on public sale a year later and has remained in private hands ever since.
In the letter, he states: "The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."
JasonRox said:People will say "why do we care about what Einstein thinks?" then turn around with friends and start talking about last night's TV show or sport matchup or whatever it may be.
It's just a conversation/discussion.
Anyways, back on topic. I think that's very interesting. Might very well explain why he didn't want to be president of Isreal.
BobG said:Actually, the question, "why would expertise in physics make someone a good national leader?" might be a little more relevant than his religious (or non-religious) views when it comes to being President of Israel.
One doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with the other. One of history's most important mathematicians and astronomers, Pierre LaPlace, provided such inspirational leadership as France's Minister of the Interior that he only lasted 6 weeks in the job. Napolean dismissed him with the comment, "he carried the spirit of the infinitely small into the management of affairs".
Being able to recognize your own limits of expertise can be a very positive trait in a person.
BobG said:Actually, the question, "why would expertise in physics make someone a good national leader?" might be a little more relevant than his religious (or non-religious) views when it comes to being President of Israel.
He would have had a problem with the nationalism and the "god's chosen people" aspects of the Israeli state, though. He was a citizen of the world, not of a race, religion, or nationalistic identity. Yes he was a famous Jew, but he did not believe being Jewish made anybody special or better than other humans. That quality alone might have made him a better president than many others, though it would have alienated the Zionists.f95toli said:Anyway, the point is that there is no reason why Einstein couldn't have been a good president; he was after all by far the most famous Jew of his time.
JasonRox said:Anyways, back on topic. I think that's very interesting. Might very well explain why he didn't want to be president of Isreal.
JasonRox said:But, don't you think it would be odd if Einstein ran a country that was created somewhat by "child superstitions"?
mattmns said:And we care about his views on religion because...?
Einstein's letter, which was written to philosopher Eric Gutkind in 1954, reveals his personal views on religion and its relationship to science. In the letter, Einstein expresses his belief that religion is a "childish superstition" and that he does not believe in a personal God.
While Einstein did not believe in a personal God or subscribe to any particular religious beliefs, he also did not identify as an atheist. He described himself as an agnostic, stating that he did not believe it was possible to prove or disprove the existence of a higher power.
Einstein's views on religion did not significantly impact his scientific work. He believed that science and religion were separate and distinct areas of human understanding and that they should not be conflated. He also believed that science could help to deepen our understanding of the universe, but that it could not answer questions about the existence of a higher power.
Einstein's views on religion remained consistent throughout his life. In addition to his letter to Gutkind, he also wrote about his views on religion in other letters and essays. While he did have a deep respect for the moral and ethical teachings of some religions, his fundamental beliefs about the existence of a personal God did not change.
Einstein's letter continues to be a source of debate and discussion in the ongoing dialogue about the relationship between religion and science. Some view his rejection of religion as evidence that science and religion are fundamentally incompatible, while others see it as an example of the importance of critical thinking and questioning traditional beliefs. Regardless of one's interpretation, Einstein's letter remains a thought-provoking and influential piece in the conversation about the role of religion in our understanding of the world.