Albert Einstein - A True Liberal

"Einstein considered himself a pacifist and humanitarian, and in later years, a committed democratic socialist. He once said, "I believe Gandhi's views were the most enlightened of all the political men of our time. We should strive to do things in his spirit: not to use violence for fighting for our cause, but by non-participation of anything you believe is evil." Einstein's views on other issues, including socialism, McCarthyism and racism, were controversial (see Einstein on socialism). In a 1949 article, Albert Einstein described the "predatory phase of human development", exemplified by a chaotic capitalist society, as a source of evil to be overcome. He disapproved of the totalitarian regimes in the Soviet Union and elsewhere, and argued in favor of a democratic socialist system which would combine a planned economy with a deep respect for human rights. Einstein was a co-founder of the liberal German Democratic Party.

Einstein was very much involved in the Civil Rights movement. He was a close friend of Paul Robeson for over 20 years. Einstein was a member of several civil rights groups (including the Princeton chapter of the NAACP) many of which were headed by Paul Robeson. He served as co-chair with Paul Robeson of the American Crusade to end lynching. W.E.B. DuBois was charged frivously as a communist spy during the McCarthy era while he was in his 80s Einstein volunteered as a character witness in the case. The case was dismissed shortly after it was annouced he was to appear in that capacity. Einstein was quoted as saying that "racism is America's greatest disease".

The U.S. FBI kept a 1,427 page file on his activities and recommended that he be barred from immigrating to the United States under the Alien Exclusion Act, alleging that Einstein "believes in, advises, advocates, or teaches a doctrine which, in a legal sense, as held by the courts in other cases, 'would allow anarchy to stalk in unmolested' and result in 'government in name only'", among other charges. They also alleged that Einstein "was a member, sponsor, or affiliated with thirty-four communist fronts between 1937-1954" and "also served as honorary chairman for three communist organizations." It should be noted that many of the documents in the file were submitted to the FBI, mainly by civilian political groups, and not actually written by FBI officials.

Einstein opposed tyrannical forms of government, and for this reason (and his Jewish background), opposed the Nazi regime and fled Germany shortly after it came to power. At the same time, Einstein's anarchist nephew Carl Einstein, who shared many of his views was fighting the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Einstein initially favored construction of the atomic bomb, in order to ensure that Hitler did not do so first, and even sent a letter <14> to President Roosevelt (dated August 2, 1939, before World War II broke out, and probably written by Leó Szilárd) encouraging him to initiate a program to create a nuclear weapon. Roosevelt responded to this by setting up a committee for the investigation of using uranium as a weapon, which in a few years was superseded by the Manhattan Project. After the war, though, Einstein lobbied for nuclear disarmament and a world government: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein

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"We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive."

http://home.att.net/~Resurgence/Einstein.htm

pnorman

Fred Jerome and Rodger Taylor is turning out to be quite the good read. Einstein's freindship with DuBois, Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson. The book starts out by stating how every biography or historical treatment of Einstein has ignored his stands on racial matters or his work with the Civil Rights Congress. He also co-chaired an anti-lynching campaign. Einstein grows ever greater in my eyes and he already loomed large! :)

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."

That prejudices part in particular gets people of all stripes. Alas it is for them all easier to hold to their prejudices, than to let go and admit that perhaps things are not as they thought or wished them to be.

Course this one "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." is also useful to keep in mind. Just because you've got a different line of thinking, if it's the same kind of thinking, you'll get nowhere. Indeed this would entail the sum of political thought. Political thought is political thought. Thought on government and good governance is another thing, and it cares little for politics.

Bear in mind that the wonderful things you learn in your schools are the work of many generations, produced by enthusiastic effort and infinite labor in every country of the world. All this is put into your hands as your inheritance in order that you may receive it, honor it, add to it, and one day faithfully hand it on to your children. Thus do we mortals achieve immortality in the permanent things which we create in common.

If you always keep that in mind you will find a meaning in life and work and acquire the right attitude toward other nations and ages.


I make sure that this Einstein quote is on the wall of my classroom. What a profoundly wise human being he was.

Peace.:patriot:

"Two things are infinite - The universe and human stupidity, and I'm not yet completely sure about the universe." - A. Einstein
He did strive all of his life to understand the millions of complexities of all humanity for the benefit of the same!
It is shameful to the extreme that no one is able to go on from where he was, and use his theories today for "unending energy", and stop all need for power and monetary grabs!

No true liberal writes a letter to his wife that states:

"(A) You will see to it: (1) that my clothes and linen are kept in order; (2) that I am served three regular meals a day in my room; (3) that my bedroom and study are always kept in good order and that my desk is not touched by anyone other than me.

(B) You will renounce all personal relationships with me, except when these are required to keep up social appearances. In particular, you will not request: (1) that I sit with you at home; (2) that I go out with you or travel with you.

(C) You will promise explicitly to observe the following point in any contact with me: (1) You will expect no affection from me and you will not reproach me for this; (2) You must answer me at once when I speak to you; (3) You must leave my bedroom or study at once without protesting when I ask you to go; (4) You will promise not to denigrate me in the eyes of the children, either by word or deed"

London Daily Telegraph, October 30, 1996; Einstein's Daughter, p. 77.

And as an FYI, a few months after receiving this letter she moved to Zurich with the children and never returned.

Reference: "Einstein in Berlin". He wanted a formal arrangement/contract around how it would work. Einstein was not big on his personal family and that is truly deplorable. He was much more interested in the observations and working of human systems interaction and its complexities along with understanding the universe.

For everything you have lost, you have found something else... Einstein sacrificed his personal obligations and gave the world an understanding of itself. Tis not mine to state its value, just understanding that Einstein is not perfect and would be the last to make that claim.

a full understanding of the stock set of 20th century "heroes" on the pantheon: Einstein, Gandhi, MLK, JFK, etc, etc. These were men with serious failings who wounded people who actually had to live with them, no matter what else they did. Much like the rest of us.

that however much we love the book a skeptic will point out its flaw. It make our love no less strong but tempers our knowledge. Madam Curie, Eleanor Roosevelt or Oprah Winfrey would have their flaws known as well. It is an ongoing challenging quest to learn from the best of humanity while experiencing the worst, for all of us. In that we keep learning how much value a life has in retrospect.

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...as one of his greatest mistakes, in later years.

You know, I would have loved to see Einstein and MLK Jr. meet. That would have been a barrier-shattering meeting of the minds.