"Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of a lifelong attempt to acquire it.

" -Albert Einstein

"Studying, and striving for truth and beauty in general, is a sphere in which we are allowed to be
children throughout life." -Albert Einstein
"Music does not influence research work, but both are nourished by the same sort of longing, and
they complement each other in the satisfaction they offer." -Albert Einstein
" very rarely think in words at all. A thought comes, and may try to express it in words
afterwards." -Albert Einstein
"To obtain an assured favorable response from people, it is better to offer them something for
their stomachs instead of their brains." -Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Quotes
Youth
A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.
"My Future Plans" an essay written at age 17 for school exam (18 September 1896) The
Collected Papers of Albert Einstein Vol. 1 (1987) Doc.22.
1900s
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.
Letter to Jost Winteler (1901), quoted in The Private Lives of Albert Einstein by Roger
Highfield and Paul Carter (1993), p. 79. Einstein had been annoyed that Paul Drude, editor of
Annalen der Physik, had dismissed out of hand some criticisms Einstein made of Drude's
electron theory of metals.
Dear Habicht, / Such a solemn air of silence has descended between us that almost feel as if
am committing a sacrilege when break it now with some inconsequential babble... / What are
you up to, you frozen whale, you smoked, dried, canned piece of soul...?
Opening of a letter to his friend Conrad Habicht in which he describes his four revolutionary
"Annus Mirabilis" papers. (May 1905).
E = mc
The equivalence of matter and energy was originally expressed by the equation m = L/c,
which easily translates into the far more well known E = mc in Does the nertia of a Body Depend
Upon ts Energy Content? published in the Annalen der Physik (27 September 1905) : "f a body
gives off the energy L in the form of radiation, its mass diminishes by L/c."
n a later statement explaining the ideas expressed by this equation, Einstein summarized:
"t followed from the special theory of relativity that mass and energy are both but different
manifestations of the same thing a somewhat unfamiliar conception for the average mind.
Furthermore, the equation E = mc, in which energy is put equal to mass, multiplied by the square
of the velocity of light, showed that very small amounts of mass may be converted into a very
large amount of energy and vice versa. The mass and energy were in fact equivalent, according
to the formula mentioned before. This was demonstrated by Cockcroft and Walton in 1932,
experimentally."
Atomic Physics (1948) by the J. Arthur Rank Organisation, Ltd. (mp3 audio file of
Einstein's voice).
The mass of a body is a measure of its energy content.
"st die Trgheit eines Krpers von seinem Energieinhalt abhngig?" ("Does the inertia of a
body depend upon its energy content?"), Annalen der Physik 18, 639-641 (1905). Quoted in
Concepts of Mass in Classical and Modern Physics by Max Jammer (1961), p. 177.
We shall therefore assume the complete physical equivalence of a gravitational field and a
corresponding acceleration of the reference system.
Statement of the equivalence principle in Yearbook of Radioactivity and Electronics (1907).
1910s
f my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France
will declare that am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that
am a German and Germany will declare that am a Jew.
Nature shows us only the tail of the lion. But there is no doubt in my mind that the lion belongs
with it even if he cannot reveal himself to the eye all at once because of his huge dimension.
Letter to H. Zangger (10 March 1914), quoted in The Curious History of Relativity by Jean
Eisenstaedt (2006), p. 126.
Variant: "Nature shows us only the tail of the lion. But do not doubt that the lion belongs to it
even though he cannot at once reveal himself because of his enormous size." As quoted by
Abraham Pais in Subtle is the Lord:The Science and Life of Albert Einstein (1982), p. 235. SBN
0-192-80672-6
n living through this "great epoch," it is difficult to reconcile oneself to the fact that one belongs
to that mad, degenerate species that boasts of its free will. How wish that somewhere there
existed an island for those who are wise and of good will! n such a place even should be an
ardent patriot!
Letter to Paul Ehrenfest, early December 1914. Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Vol 8,
Doc. 39. Quoted in The New Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice (2005), p. 3.
How does it happen that a properly endowed natural scientist comes to concern himself with
epistemology? s there not some more valuable work to be done in his specialty? That's what
hear many of my colleagues ask, and sense it from many more. But cannot share this
sentiment. When think about the ablest students whom have encountered in my teaching
that is, those who distinguish themselves by their independence of judgment and not just their
quick-wittedness can affirm that they had a vigorous interest in epistemology. They happily
began discussions about the goals and methods of science, and they showed unequivocally,
through tenacious defense of their views, that the subject seemed important to them.
Concepts that have proven useful in ordering things easily achieve such authority over us that
we forget their earthly origins and accept them as unalterable givens. [Begriffe, welche sich bei
der Ordnung der Dinge als ntzlich erwiesen haben, erlangen ber uns leicht eine solche
Autoritt, dass wir ihres irdischen Ursprungs vergessen und sie als unabnderliche
Gegebenheiten hinnehmen.] Thus they might come to be stamped as "necessities of thought," "a
priori givens," etc. The path of scientific progress is often made impassable for a long time by
such errors. [Der Weg des wissenschaftlichen Fortschritts wird durch solche rrtmer oft fr
lngere Zeit ungangbar gemacht.] Therefore it is by no means an idle game if we become
practiced in analysing long-held commonplace concepts and showing the circumstances on
which their justification and usefulness depend, and how they have grown up, individually, out of
the givens of experience. Thus their excessive authority will be broken. They will be removed if
they cannot be properly legitimated, corrected if their correlation with given things be far too
superfluous, or replaced if a new system can be established that we prefer for whatever reason.
p. 101
Obituary for physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach (Nachruf auf Ernst Mach), Physikalische
Zeitschrift 17 (1916).
Our entire much-praised technological progress, and civilization generally, could be compared
to an axe in the hand of a pathological criminal.
Letter to H. Zangger (1917). Quoted in A Sense of the Mysterious: Science and the Human
Spirit by Alan Lightman (2005), p. 110, and in Albert Einstein: A Biography by Albrecht Flsing
(1997), p. 399.
Sometimes paraphrased as "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a
pathological criminal."
am by heritage a Jew, by citizenship a Swiss, and by makeup a human being, and only a
human being, without any special attachment to any state or national entity whatsoever.
Letter to Alfred Kneser (7 June 1918); Doc. 560 in The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein
Vol. 8.
have also considered many scientific plans during my pushing you around in your pram!
Letter to his son Hans Albert Einstein (June 1918).
Make a lot of walks to get healthy and don't read that much but save yourself some until you're
grown up.
Letter to his son Eduard Einstein (June 1918).
Dear mother! Today a joyful notice. H. A. Lorentz has telegraphed me that the English
expeditions have really proven the deflection of light at the sun.
Postcard to his mother Pauline Einstein (1919).
By an application of the theory of relativity to the taste of readers, today in Germany am called
a German man of science, and in England am represented as a Swiss Jew. f come to be
represented as a bte noire, the descriptions will be reversed, and shall become a Swiss Jew for
the Germans and a German man of science for the English!
"Einstein On His Theory", The Times (London), 28 November 1919, quoted in Herman
Bernstein: Celebrities of Our Time. New York 1924. p. 267 (archive.org). Einstein's original
German text in The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein. Volume 7. Doc. 25 p. 210, and at
germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org after Albert Einstein, Mein Weltbild. Amsterdam: Querido Verlag,
1934, pp. 220-28. Manuscript at alberteinstein.info.
Variant: f my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German
and France will declare that am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France
will say that am a German and Germany will declare that am a Jew. (Address to the French
Philosophical Society at the Sorbonne (6 April 1922); French press clipping (7 April 1922)
[Einstein Archive 36-378] and Berliner Tageblatt (8 April 1922) [Einstein Archive 79-535])
Variant translation: f my theory of relativity is proven correct, Germany will claim me as a
German and France will say am a man of the world. f it's proven wrong, France will say am a
German and Germany will say am a Jew.
Variant: f relativity is proved right the Germans will call me a German, the Swiss will call me
a Swiss citizen, and the French will call me a great scientist. f relativity is proved wrong the
French will call me a Swiss, the Swiss will call me a German and the Germans will call me a Jew.
1920s
How much do love that noble man
More than could tell with words.
Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.
The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the "old one." , at
any rate, am convinced that He does not throw dice.
Whether you can observe a thing or not depends on the theory which you use. t is the theory
which decides what can be observed.
How much do love that noble man
More than could tell with words
fear though he'll remain alone
With a holy halo of his own.
Poem by Einstein on Spinoza (1920), as quoted in Einstein and Religion by Max Jammer,
Princeton UP 1999, p. 43; original German manuscript "Zu Spinozas Ethik" Einstein Archives
31-18.00
We may assume the existence of an aether; only we must give up ascribing a definite state of
motion to it, i.e. we must by abstraction take from it the last mechanical characteristic which
Lorentz had still left it. . But this ether may not be thought of as endowed with the quality
characteristic of ponderable inedia, as consisting of parts which may be tracked through time.
The idea of motion may not be applied to it.
On the irrelevance of the luminiferous aether hypothesis to physical measurements, in an
address at the University of Leiden (5 May 1920).
am neither a German citizen, nor do believe in anything that can be described as a "Jewish
faith." But am a Jew and glad to belong to the Jewish people, though do not regard it in any
way as chosen.
Letter to Central Association of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith, 3 [5] April 1920, as
quoted in Alice Calaprice, The Ultimate Quotable Einstein (2010), p. 195; citing sraelitisches
Wochenblatt, 42 September 1920, The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Vol. 7, Doc. 37, and
Vol. 9, Doc 368.
Raffiniert ist der Herrgott, aber boshaft ist er nicht.
Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.
Remark made during Einstein's first visit to Princeton University. (April 1921)] as quoted in
Einstein (1973) by R.W. Clark, Ch. 14. "God is slick, but he ain't mean" is a variant translation of
this (1946) Unsourced variant: "God is subtle but he is not malicious."
When asked what he meant by this he replied. "Nature hides her secret because of her
essential loftiness, but not by means of ruse." (Die Natur verbirgt ihr Geheimnis durch die
Erhabenheit ihres Wesens, aber nicht durch List.) As quoted in Subtle is the Lord The Science
and the Life of Albert Einstein (1982) by Abraham Pais einsteinandreligion.com
Originally said to Princeton University mathematics professor Oscar Veblen, May 1921,
while Einstein was in Princeton for a series of lectures, upon hearing that an experimental result
by Dayton C. Miller of Cleveland, if true, would contradict his theory of gravitation. But the claimed
discrepancy was quite small and required special circumstances (hence Einsteins's remark). The
result turned out to be false. Some say by this remark Einstein meant that Nature hides her
secrets by being subtle, while others say he meant that nature is mischievous but not bent on
trickery. [The Yale Book of Quotations, ed. Fred R. Shapiro, 2006]
Variant translation: God may be sophisticated, but he's not malicious.
As quoted in Cherished llusions (2005) by Sarah Stern, p. 109
have second thoughts. Maybe God is malicious.
Said to Vladimir Bargmann, as quoted in Einstein in America (1985) by Jamie Sayen ,
indicating that God leads people to believe they understand things that they actually are far from
understanding; also in The Yale Book of Quotations (2006), ed. Fred R. Shapiro.
When a man after long years of searching chances on a thought which discloses something of
the beauty of this mysterious universe, he should not therefore be personally celebrated. He is
already sufficiently paid by his experience of seeking and finding. n science, moreover, the work
of the individual is so bound up with that of his scientific predecessors and contemporaries that it
appears almost as an impersonal product of his generation.
From the story "The Progress of Science" in The Scientific Monthly edited by J. McKeen
Cattell (June 1921), Vol. X, No. 6. The story says that the comments were made at the annual
meeting of the National Academy of Sciences at the National Museum in Washington on April 25,
26, and 27. Einstein's comments appear on p. 579, though the story may be paraphrasing rather
than directly quoting since it says "n reply Professor Einstein in substance said" the quote above.
[ do not] carry such information in my mind since it is readily available in books. ...The value of
a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think.
n response to not knowing the speed of sound as included in the Edison Test: New York
Times (18 May 1921); Einstein: His Life and Times (1947) Philipp Frank, p. 185; Einstein, A Life
(1996) by Denis Brian, p. 129; "Einstein Due Today" (February 2005) edited by Jzsef lly,
Manuscript 25-32 of the Einstein Paper Project; all previous sources as per Einstein His Life and
Universe (2007) by Walter saacson, p. 299
Unsourced variants: " never commit to memory anything that can easily be looked up in a
book" and "Never memorize what you can look up in books." (The second version is found in
"Recording the Experience" (10 June 2004) at The Library of Congress, but no citation to
Einstein's writings is given).
was sitting in a chair in the patent office at Bern when all of sudden a thought occurred to me:
f a person falls freely he will not feel his own weight. was startled. This simple thought made a
deep impression on me. t impelled me toward a theory of gravitation.
Einstein in his Kyoto address (14 December 1922), talking about the events of "probably the
2nd or 3rd weeks" of October 1907, quoted in Why Did Einstein Put So Much Emphasis on the
Equivalence Principle? by Dr. Robert J. Heaston in Equivalence Principle April 2008 (15th NPA
Conference) who cites A. Einstein. "How Constructed the Theory of Relativity, Translated by
Masahiro Morikawa from the text recorded in Japanese by Jun shiwara, Association of Asia
Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS) Bulletin, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 17-19 (April 2005).
May they not forget to keep pure the great heritage that puts them ahead of the West: the
artistic configuration of life, the simplicity and modesty of personal needs, and the purity and
serenity of the Japanese soul.
Comment made after a six-week trip to Japan in November-December 1922, published in
Kaizo 5, no. 1 (January 1923), 339. Einstein Archive 36-477.1. Appears in The New Quotable
Einstein by Alice Calaprice (2005), p. 269.
Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real
thing. The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the "old one."
, at any rate, am convinced that He does not throw dice.
Letter to Max Born (4 December 1926); The Born-Einstein Letters (translated by rene Born)
(Walker and Company, New York, 1971) SBN 0-8027-0326-7.
Einstein himself used variants of this quote at other times. For example, in a 1943
conversation with William Hermanns recorded in Hermanns' book Einstein and the Poet, Einstein
said: "As have said so many times, God doesn't play dice with the world." (p. 58).
Whether you can observe a thing or not depends on the theory which you use. t is the theory
which decides what can be observed.
Objecting to the placing of observables at the heart of the new quantum mechanics, during
Heisenberg's 1926 lecture at Berlin; related by Heisenberg, quoted in Unification of Fundamental
Forces (1990) by Abdus Salam SBN 0521371406
Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all
the discernible concatenations, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable.
Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion. To that extent
am, in point of fact, religious.
p. 157 London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson
Response to atheist Alfred Kerr in the winter of 1927, who after deriding ideas of God and
religion at a dinner party in the home of the publisher Samuel Fischer, had queried him " hear
that you are supposed to be deeply religious" as quoted in The Diary of a Cosmopolitan (1971) by
H. G. Kessler.
ch glaube an Spinozas Gott, der sich in der gesetzlichen Harmonie des Seienden offenbart,
nicht an einen Gott, der sich mit Schicksalen und Handlungen der Menschen abgibt.
Translation: believe in Spinoza's God, Who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the
world, not in a God Who concerns Himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.
24 April 1929 in response to the telegrammed question of New York's Rabbi Herbert S.
Goldstein: "Do you believe in God? Stop. Answer paid 50 words." Einstein replied in only 27
(German) words. The New York Times 25 April 1929
Similarly, in a letter to Maurice Solovine, he wrote: " can understand your aversion to the
use of the term 'religion' to describe an emotional and psychological attitude which shows itself
most clearly in Spinoza... have not found a better expression than 'religious' for the trust in the
rational nature of reality that is, at least to a certain extent, accessible to human reason."
As quoted in Einstein : Science and Religion by Arnold V. Lesikar.
f A is success in life, then A = x + y + z. Work is x, play is y and z is keeping your mouth shut.
Said to Samuel J Woolf, Berlin, Summer 1929. Cited with additional notes in The Ultimate
Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice and Freeman Dyson, Princeton UP (2010) p 230.
1930s
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.
believe that whatever we do or live for has its causality; it is good, however, that we cannot see
through to it.
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.
Letter to his son Eduard (5 February 1930), as quoted in Walter saacson, Einstein: His Life
and Universe (2007), p. 367.
believe that whatever we do or live for has its causality; it is good, however, that we cannot
see through to it.
nterview with Rabindranath Tagore (14 April 1930), published in The Religion of Man (1930)
by Rabindranath Tagore, p. 222, and in The Tagore Reader (1971) edited by Amiya Chakravarty
The really good music, whether of the East or of the West, cannot be analyzed.
nterview with Rabindranath Tagore (14 April 1930), published in The Religion of Man (1930)
by Rabindranath Tagore, p. 222, and in The Tagore Reader (1971) edited by Amiya Chakravarty
To punish me for my contempt of authority, Fate has made me an authority myself.
Aphorism for a friend (18 September 1930) [Einstein Archive 36-598]; as quoted in Albert
Einstein: Creator and Rebel (1988) by Banesh Hoffman.
never think of the future. t comes soon enough.
Attributed in The Encarta Book of Quotations to an interview on the Belgenland (December
1930), which was the ship on which he arrived in New York that month. According to The Ultimate
Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice (2010), p. 18, the quote also appears as "Aphorism, 1945-
1946" in the Einstein Archives 36-570. Calaprice speculates that "perhaps it was recalled later
and inserted into the archives under the later date." According to a snippet on Google Books, the
phrase '" never think of the future," he said. "t comes soon enough."' appears in The Literary
Digest: Volume 107 on p. 29, in an article titled "We May Not 'Get' Relativity, But We Like
Einstein" from 27 December 1930. The snippet also discusses the "welcome to Professor
Einstein on the Belgenland" in New York.
Peace cannot be kept by force. t can only be achieved by understanding. You cannot
subjugate a nation forcibly unless you wipe out every man, woman, and child. Unless you wish to
use such drastic measures, you must find a way of settling your disputes without resort to arms.
From a speech to the New History Society (14 December 1930), reprinted in "Militant
Pacifism" in Cosmic Religion (1931). Also found in The New Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice,
p. 158.
t is my view that a vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human
temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.
From a letter to Harmann Huth, 27 December 1930. Supposedly published in German
magazine Vegetarische Warte, which existed from 1882 to 1935. Einstein Archive 46-756. Quoted
in The New Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice (2005), p. 281.
Der Glaube an eine vom wahrnehmenden Subjekt unabhngige Auenwelt liegt aller
Naturwissenschaft zugrunde.
First sentence of "Maxwells Einfluss auf die Entwicklung der Auffassung des Physikalisch-
Realen". Manuscript at the Hebrew University Jerusalem alberteinstein.info
The belief in an external world independent of the perceiving subject is the basis of all
natural science.
From "Maxwell's nfluence on the Evolution of the dea of Physical Reality," 1931. Available
in Einstein Archives: 65-382.
The scientific organization and comprehensive exposition in accessible form of the Talmud has
a twofold importance for us Jews. t is important in the first place that the high cultural values of
the Talmud should not be lost to modern minds among the Jewish people nor to science, but
should operate further as a living force. n the second place, The Talmud must be made an open
book to the world, in order to cut the ground from under certain malevolent attacks, of anti-Semitic
origin, which borrow countenance from the obscurity and inaccessibility of certain passages in the
Talmud.
To support this cultural work would thus mean an important achievement for the Jewish people.
From a letter by Albert Einstein to Professor Chaim Tchernowitz (31 December 1930) of the
Jewish nstitute of Religion in New York (Hebrew Union College). Jewish Telegraphic Agency
(Jewish Daily Bulletin).
am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war
unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.
nterview with George Sylvester Viereck (January 1931)
Why does this magnificent applied science which saves work and makes life easier bring us so
little happiness? The simple answer runs: Because we have not yet learned to make sensible use
of it. n war it serves that we may poison and mutilate each other. n peace it has made our lives
hurried and uncertain. nstead of freeing us in great measure from spiritually exhausting labor, it
has made men into slaves of machinery, who for the most part complete their monotonous long
day's work with disgust and must continually tremble for their poor rations. ... t is not enough that
you should understand about applied science in order that your work may increase man's
blessings. Concern for the man himself and his fate must always form the chief interest of all
technical endeavours; concern for the great unsolved problems of the organization of labor and
the distribution of goods in order that the creations of our mind shall be a blessing and not a curse
to mankind. Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations.
Quote from a speech to students at the California nstitute of Technology, in "Einstein Sees
Lack in Applying Science", The New York Times (16 February 1931).
Today, in twelve countries, young men are resisting conscription and refusing military service.
They are the pioneers of a warless world.
Letter to the international conference of war resisters in Lyons, France. Quoted in The
Christian century, Volume 48 (1931), p. 1085 (the context is mentioned here), and later in Einstein
on Peace (1968), p. 142.
believe in intuition and inspiration. . At times feel certain am right while not knowing the
reason. When the eclipse of 1919 confirmed my intuition, was not in the least surprised. n fact
would have been astonished had it turned out otherwise. magination is more important than
knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating
progress, giving birth to evolution. t is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.
Cosmic Religion : With Other Opinions and Aphorisms (1931) by Albert Einstein, p. 97; also
in Transformation : Arts, Communication, Environment (1950) by Harry Holtzman, p. 138. This
may be an edited version of some nearly identical quotes from the 1929 Viereck interview below.
Everyone sits in the prison of his own ideas; he must burst it open, and that in his youth, and
so try to test his ideas on reality.
Miscellaneous, Cosmic Religion, p. 104 (1931).
see a clock, but cannot envision the clockmaker. The human mind is unable to conceive of
the four dimensions, so how can it conceive of a God, before whom a thousand years and a
thousand dimensions are as one ?
From Cosmic religion: with other opinions and aphorisms (1931), Albert Einstein, pub.
Covici-Friede. Quoted in The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press; 2nd
edition (May 30, 2000); Page 208, SBN 0691070210.
For any one who is pervaded with the sense of causal law in all that happens, who accepts in
real earnest the assumption of causality, the idea of a Being who interferes with the sequence of
events in the world is absolutely impossible. Neither the religion of fear nor the social-moral
religion can have any hold on him.
As quoted in Has Science Discovered God? : A Symposium of Modern Scientific Opinion
(1931) by Edward Howe Cotton, p. 101.
As an eminent pioneer in the realm of high frequency currents... congratulate you on the great
successes of your life's work.
Einstein's letter to Nikola Tesla for Tesla's 75th birthday (1931).
Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.
n answer to a question asked by the editors of Youth, a journal of Young srael of
Williamsburg, NY. Quoted in the New York Times, June 20, 1932, pg. 17.
Unsourced variant: Only a life in the service of others is worth living.
Our experience hitherto justifies us in trusting that nature is the realization of the simplest that
is mathematically conceivable. am convinced that purely mathematical construction enables us
to find those concepts and those lawlike connections between them that provide the key to the
understanding of natural phenomena. Useful mathematical concepts may well be suggested by
experience, but in no way can they be derived from it. Experience naturally remains the sole
criterion of the usefulness of a mathematical construction for physics. But the actual creative
principle lies in mathematics. Thus, in a certain sense, take it to be true that pure thought can
grasp the real, as the ancients had dreamed.
from On the Method of Theoretical Physics, p. 183. The Herbert Spencer Lecture, delivered
at Oxford (10 June 1933). Quoted in Einstein's Philosophy of Science
t can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic
elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate
representation of a single datum of experience.
"On the Method of Theoretical Physics" The Herbert Spencer Lecture, delivered at Oxford
(10 June 1933); also published in Philosophy of Science, Vol. 1, No. 2 (April 1934), pp. 163-169.,
p. 165. [thanks to Dr. Techie @ www.wordorigins.org and JSTOR]
There is a quote attributed to Einstein that may have arisen as a paraphrase of the above
quote, commonly given as "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler. or
"Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler. See this article from the Quote nvestigator
for a discussion of where these later variants may have arisen.
This may seem very similar to Occam's razor which advocates the simplest solution.
However, it is normally taken to be a warning against too much simplicity. Dubbed 'Einstein's
razor', it is used when an appeal to Occam's razor results in an over-simplified explanation that
leads to a false conclusion.
The earliest known appearance of Einstein's razor is an essay by Roger Sessions in the
New York Times (8 January 1950)[1], where Sessions appears to be paraphrasing Einstein: "
also remember a remark of Albert Einstein, which certainly applies to music. He said, in effect,
that everything should be as simple as it can be, but not simpler.
Another early appearance, from Time magazine (14 December 1962)[2]: "We try to keep in
mind a saying attributed to Einsteinthat everything must be made as simple as possible, but not
one bit simpler.
"Nobody can deny that to-day this foundation of a worthy existence is in considerable danger.
Forces are at work which are attempting to destroy the European inheritance of freedom,
tolerance, and human dignity. The danger is characterised as Hitlerism, Militarism, and
Communism which, while indicating different conditions, all lead to the subjugation and
enslavement of the individual by the State, and bring tolerance and personal liberty to an end ... f
we want to resist the powers which threaten to suppress intellectual and individual freedom, we
must keep clearly before us what is at stake. Without such freedom there would have been no
Shakespeare, no Goethe, no Faraday, no Pasteur, no Lister. There would be no comfortable
houses for the people, no railways, no wireless, no protection against epidemics, no cheap
books, no culture, no enjoyment of art for all. Only men who are free can create the works which
make life worth living."
The Value of the Free Man, A lecture delivered before "The Friends of Europe" (London);
transcribed in World Digest, April 1934.
There is not the slightest indication that [nuclear energy] will ever be obtainable. t would mean
that the atom would have to be shattered at will.
"Atom Energy Hope is Spiked By Einstein / Efforts at Loosing Vast Force is Called Fruitless,"
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (29 December 1934) t was following the breakthroughs by Enrico Fermi
and others did the use of nuclear power become plausible.
never failed in mathematics. Before was fifteen had mastered differential and integral
calculus.
Response to being shown a "Ripley's Believe t or Not!" column with the headline "Greatest
Living Mathematician Failed in Mathematics" in 1935. Quoted in Einstein: His Life and Universe
by Walter saacson (2007), p. 16.
All of science is nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking.
"Physics and Reality" in the Journal of the Franklin nstitute Vol. 221, ssue 3 (March 1936)
Variant translation: "The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday
thinking." As it appears in the "Physics and Reality" section of the book "Out of My Later Years"
by Albert Einstein (1950).
t has often been said, and certainly not without justification, that the man of science is a poor
philosopher. Why then should it not be the right thing for the physicist to let the philosopher do the
philosophizing? Such might indeed be the right thing to do at a time when the physicist believes
he has at his disposal a rigid system of fundamental laws which are so well established that
waves of doubt can't reach them; but it cannot be right at a time when the very foundations of
physics itself have become problematic as they are now. At a time like the present, when
experience forces us to seek a newer and more solid foundation, the physicist cannot simply
surrender to the philosopher the critical contemplation of theoretical foundations; for he himself
knows best and feels more surely where the shoe pinches. n looking for an new foundation, he
must try to make clear in his own mind just how far the concepts which he uses are justified, and
are necessities.
"Physics and Reality" in the Journal of the Franklin nstitute Vol. 221, ssue 3 (March 1936),
Pages 349-382
All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree...
One may say "the eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility."
From the article "Physics and Reality" (1936), reprinted in Out of My Later Years (1956). The
quotation marks may just indicate that he wants to present this as a new aphorism, but it could
possibly indicate that he is paraphrasing or quoting someone else perhaps mmanuel Kant,
since in the next sentence he says "t is one of the great realizations of mmanuel Kant that the
setting up of a real external world would be senseless without this comprehensibility."
Other variants:
The eternally incomprehensible thing about the world is its comprehensibility.
n the endnotes to Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter saacson, note 46 on p. 628
says that "Gerald Holton says that this is more properly translated" as the variant above, citing
Holton's essay "What Precisely is Thinking?" on p. 161 of Einstein: A Centenary Volume edited by
Anthony Philip French.
The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.
This version was given in Einstein: A Biography (1954) by Antonina Vallentin, p. 24, and
widely quoted afterwards. Vallentin cites "Physics and Reality" in Journal of the Franklin nstitute
(March 1936), and is possibly giving a variant translation as with Holton.
The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible.
As quoted in Speaking of Science (2000) by Michael Fripp
The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility ... The fact that it is comprehensible
is a miracle.
As quoted in Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter saacson, p. 462. n the original
essay "The fact that it is comprehensible is a miracle" appears at the end of the paragraph that
follows the paragraph in which "The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility" appears.
All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed
toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the
individual towards freedom. t is no mere chance that our older universities developed from
clerical schools. Both churches and universities insofar as they live up to their true function
serve the ennoblement of the individual. They seek to fulfill this great task by spreading moral and
cultural understanding, renouncing the use of brute force.
The essential unity of ecclesiastical and secular institutions was lost during the 19th century, to
the point of senseless hostility. Yet there was never any doubt as to the striving for culture. No
one doubted the sacredness of the goal. t was the approach that was disputed.
"Moral Decay" (1937); Later published in Out of My Later Years (1950).
By the way, there are increasing signs that the Russian trials are not faked, but that there is a
plot among those who look upon Stalin as a stupid reactionary who has betrayed the ideas of the
revolution. Though we find it difficult to imagine this kind of internal thing, those who know Russia
best are all more or less of the same opinion. was firmly convinced to begin with that it was a
case of a dictator's despotic acts, based on lies and deception, but this was a delusion.
Letter to Max Born (no date, 1937 or 1938); The Born-Einstein Letters (translated by rene
Born) (Walker and Company, New York, 1971) SBN 0-8027-0326-7. Born commented: "The
Russian trials were Stalin's purges, with which he attempted to consolidate his power. Like most
people in the West, believed these show trials to be the arbitrary acts of a cruel dictator. Einstein
was apparently of a different opinion: he believed that when threatened by Hitler the Russians
had no choice but to destroy as many of their enemies within their own camp as possible. find it
hard to reconcile this point of view with Einstein's gentle, humanitarian disposition."
consider it important, indeed urgently necessary, for intellectual workers to get together, both
to protect their own economic status and, also, generally speaking, to secure their influence in the
political field.
n a comment explaining why he joined the American Federation of Teachers local number
552 as a charter member (1938).
Physical concepts are free creations of the human mind, and are not, however it may seem,
uniquely determined by the external world. n our endeavor to understand reality we are
somewhat like a man trying to understand the mechanism of a closed watch. He sees the face
and the moving hands, even hears its ticking, but he has no way of opening the case. f he is
ingenious he may form some picture of a mechanism which could be responsible for all the things
he observes, but he may never be quite sure his picture is the only one which could explain his
observations. He will never be able to compare his picture with the real mechanism and he
cannot even imagine the possibility or the meaning of such a comparison. But he certainly
believes that, as his knowledge increases, his picture of reality will become simpler and simpler
and will explain a wider and wider range of his sensuous impressions. He may also believe in the
existence of the ideal limit of knowledge and that it is approached by the human mind. He may
call this ideal limit the objective truth.
The Evolution of Physics (1938) (co-written with Leopold nfeld)
Fundamental ideas play the most essential role in forming a physical theory. Books on physics
are full of complicated mathematical formulae. But thought and ideas, not formulae, are the
beginning of every physical theory. The ideas must later take the mathematical form of a
quantitative theory, to make possible the comparison with experiment.
The Evolution of Physics (1938) (co-written with Leopold nfeld)
The moral decline we are compelled to witness and the suffering it engenders are so
oppressive that one cannot ignore them even for a moment. No matter how deeply one immerses
oneself in work, a haunting feeling of inescapable tragedy persists. Still, there are moments when
one feels free from one's own identification with human limitations and inadequacies. At such
moments, one imagines that one stands on some spot of a small planet, gazing in amazement at
the cold yet profoundly moving beauty of the eternal, the unfathomable: life and death flow into
one, and there is neither evolution nor destiny; only being.
Letter to Queen Mother Elisabeth of Belgium (9 January 1939), asking for her help in getting
an elderly cousin of his out of Germany and into Belgium. Quoted in Einstein on Peace edited by
Otto Nathan and Heinz Norden (1960), p. 282.
The standard bearers have grown weak in the defense of their priceless heritage, and the
powers of darkness have been strengthened thereby. Weakness of attitude becomes weakness
of character; it becomes lack of power to act with courage proportionate to danger. All this must
lead to the destruction of our intellectual life unless the danger summons up strong personalities
able to fill the lukewarm and discouraged with new strength and resolution.
Speech made in honor of Thomas Mann in January 1939, when Mann was given the
Einstein Prize given by the Jewish Forum. Quoted in Einstein Lived Here by Abraham Pais
(1994), p. 214.
Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in
flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.
Statement on the occasion of Gandhi's 70th birthday (1939) Einstein archive 32-601,
published in Out of My Later Years (1950).
Variant: Generations to come, it may be, will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in
flesh and blood walked upon this earth.
Some recent work by E. Fermi and L. Szilard, which has been communicated to me in
manuscript, leads me to expect that the element uranium may be turned into a new and important
source of energy in the immediate future. Certain aspects of the situation seem to call for
watchfulness and, if necessary, quick action on the part of the Administration...
This new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs, and it is conceivable
though much less certainthat extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be
constructed. A single bomb of this type, carried by boat or exploded in a port, might very well
destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs
might very well prove to be too heavy for transportation by air.
Letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt (August 2, 1939, delivered October 11, 1939);
reported in Einstein on Peace, ed. Otto Nathan and Heinz Norden (1960, reprinted 1981), pp.
29495.
1940s
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds...
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre
mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices
and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.
Letter to Morris Raphael Cohen, professor emeritus of philosophy at the College of the City
of New York, defending the appointment of Bertrand Russell to a teaching position (19 March
1940).
Variant: 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 and fulfills the duty to express the results of his
thoughts in clear form.
Perfection of means and confusion of goals seemin my opinionto characterize our age.
"The Common Language of Science", a broadcast for Science, Conference, London, 28
September 1941. Published in Advancement of Science, London, Vol. 2, No. 5. Reprinted in
deas and Opinions (1954), the quote appearing on this page.
People like you and , though mortal of course like everyone else, do not grow old no matter
how long we live...[We] never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into
which we were born.
n a letter to Otto Juliusburger, September 29, 1942. Available in Einstein Archives 38-238.
Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. can assure you mine are still greater.
Letter to high school student Barbara Lee Wilson (7 January 1943), Einstein Archives 42-
606.
Why is it nobody understands me and everybody likes me?
As quoted in New York Times article "The Einstein Theory of Living; At 65 he leads the
simplest of lives and grapples with the most complex thoughts." (12 March 1944)
Variants:
Why is it that nobody understands me, yet everybody likes me?
As quoted in The Dark Side of Shakespeare : An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat,
Spymaster, & Epic Hero (2003) by W. Ron Hess
Everyone likes me, yet nobody understands me.
As quoted in "The culture of Einstein" at MSNBC (18 March 2005)
think that it is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his
convictions in political affairs.
From the article "Our Goal Unity, but Germans Are Unfit" in Free World 8 (October 1944), no.
4, 370-371. A summary of the context is given in Einstein on Politics by David E. Rowe and
Robert J. Schulmann (2005), p. 334.
fully agree with you about the significance and educational value of methodology as well as
history and philosophy of science. So many people today and even professional scientists
seem to me like someone who has seen thousands of trees but has never seen a forest. A
knowledge of the historic and philosophical background gives that kind of independence from
prejudices of his generation from which most scientists are suffering. This independence created
by philosophical insight is in my opinion the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or
specialist and a real seeker after truth.
Letter to Robert A. Thorton, Physics Professor at University of Puerto Rico (7 December
1944) [EA-674, Einstein Archive, Hebrew University, Jerusalem]. Thorton had written to Einstein
on persuading colleagues of the importance of philosophy of science to scientists (empiricists)
and science.
The words or the language, as they are written or spoken, do not seem to play any role in my
mechanism of thought. The psychical entities which seem to serve as elements in thoughts are
certain signs and more or less clear images which can be "voluntarily" reproduced and combined.
There is, of course, a certain connection between those elements and relevant logical concepts. t
is also clear that the desire to arrive finally at logically connected concepts is the emotional basis
of this rather vague play with the above-mentioned elements. . . . The above-mentioned elements
are, in my case, of visual and some muscular type. Conventional words or other signs have to be
sought for laboriously only in a secondary stage, when the mentioned associative play is
sufficiently established and can be reproduced at will.
Answer to a survey written by the French mathematician Jaques Hadamard, from
Hadamard's An Essay on the Psychology of nvention in the Mathematical Field (1945). Reprinted
in deas and Opinions (1954). His full set of answers to the questions can be read on p. 3 here.
received your letter of June 10th. have never talked to a Jesuit priest in my life and am
astonished by the audacity to tell such lies about me. From the viewpoint of a Jesuit priest am,
of course, and have always been an atheist.
Letter to Guy H. Raner Jr. (2 July 1945), responding to a rumor that a Jesuit priest had
caused Einstein to convert to Christianity, quoted in an article by Michael R. Gilmore in Skeptic
magazine, Vol. 5, No. 2 (1997).
There is separation of colored people from white people in the United States. That separation
is not a disease of colored people. t is a disease of white people. do not intend to be quiet about
it.
From a speech given on May 3, 1946 at Lincoln University, where he was receiving an
honorary degree, as reported in the 11 May 1946 edition of the Baltimore Afro-American.
Our world faces a crisis as yet unperceived by those possessing power to make great
decisions for good or evil. The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our
modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.
From the article "Atomic Education Urged by Einstein", The New York Times (25 May 1946).
The article reported on a telegram sent out by Einstein to "several hundred prominent
Americans", asking for contributions to a nationwide campaign by the Emergency Committee of
Atomic Scientists to "to let the people know that a new type of thinking is essential" in the age of
atomic weapons.
According to "A Brief History of the Bulletin from the former homepage of the Bulletin of the
Atomic Scientists, 'n May 1946, Einstein, one of the Bulletin's godfathers, wrote in an early
Bulletin fund-raising letter: "The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our
modes of thinking, and thus we drift toward unparalleled catastrophe."'
Variant: "Our world is faced with a crisis which has never before been envisaged in its whole
existence; it gives the power to make far-reaching decisions on good and evil. The release of
atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking, and thus we are being driven
unarmed towards a catastrophe. ... the solution of this problem lies in the heart of humankind."
This version appears in Albert Einstein: A Documentary Biography by Carl Seelig, the
English translation by Mervyn Savill (1956), p. 223. t may be that the difference in wording here
owes to the fact that Seelig translated Einstein's English telegram into German, and then Mervyn
Savill translated it back into English without realizing the version in Seelig's book was itself a
translation from English. f this is the case, it is unclear where the phrase "the solution of this
problem lies in the heart of humankind" came from, as it does not seem to correspond to anything
in the original telegram. t may be a variant of some comment that appeared in his later interview
with Michael Amrine (which was printed in the New York Times Magazine on 23 June 1946, and is
also reproduced on this page) where he expanded on the message of the telegraph; for example,
it may be a retranslated version of his comment "Science has brought forth this danger, but the
real problem is in the minds and hearts of men."
t is easier to denature plutonium than it is to denature the evil spirit of man.
The Real Problem s in the Hearts of Men, The New York Times Magazine (June 23, 1946).
A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels.
From "Atomic Education Urged by Einstein", New York Times (25 May 1946), and later
quoted in the article "The Real Problem is in the Hearts of Man" by Michael Amrine, from the New
York Times Magazine (23 June 1946). A slightly modified version of the 23 June article was
reprinted in Einstein on Peace by Otto Nathan and Heinz Norden (1960), and it was also
reprinted in Einstein on Politics by David E. Rowe and Robert Schulmann (2007), p. 383.
n The New Quotable Einstein (2005), editor Alice Calaprice suggests that two quotes
attributed to Einstein which she could not find sources for, "The significant problems we face
cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them" and "The world
we have created today as a result of our thinking thus far has problems which cannot be solved
by thinking the way we thought when we created them," may both be paraphrases of the 1946
quote above. A similar unsourced variant is "The world we have created is a product of our
thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking."
n the 23 June article Einstein expanded somewhat on the original quote from the 25 May
article:
Many persons have inquired concerning a recent message of mine that "a new type of
thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move to higher levels."
Often in evolutionary processes a species must adapt to new conditions in order to
survive. Today the atomic bomb has altered profoundly the nature of the world as we knew it, and
the human race consequently finds itself in a new habitat to which it must adapt its thinking.
n the light of new knowledge, a world authority and an eventual world state are not just
desirable in the name of brotherhood, they are necessary for survival. n previous ages a nation's
life and culture could be protected to some extent by the growth of armies in national competition.
Today we must abandon competition and secure cooperation. This must be the central fact in all
our considerations of international affairs; otherwise we face certain disaster. Past thinking and
methods did not prevent world wars. Future thinking must prevent wars.
The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. t has merely made more urgent
the necessary solving of an existing one. One could say it has affected us quantitatively, not
qualitatively.
From "Einstein on the Atomic Bomb," part 1, an interview by Raymond Swing in Atlantic
Monthly (November 1945). Quoted in The New Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice, p. 168. Also
appears in deas and Opinions in the section "Atomic War or Peace".
As long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power, war is inevitable.
From "Einstein on the Atomic Bomb," part 1, an interview by Raymond Swing in Atlantic
Monthly (November 1945).
The position in which we are now is a very strange one which in general political life never
happened. Namely, the thing that refer to is this: To have security against atomic bombs and
against the other biological weapons, we have to prevent war, for if we cannot prevent war every
nation will use every means that is at their disposal; and in spite of all promises they make, they
will do it. At the same time, so long as war is not prevented, all the governments of the nations
have to prepare for war, and if you have to prepare for war, then you are in a state where you
cannot abolish war.
This is really the cornerstone of our situation. Now, believe what we should try to bring about
is the general conviction that the first thing you have to abolish is war at all costs, and every other
point of view must be of secondary importance.
Address to the symposium "The Social Task of the Scientist in the Atomic Era" at the nstitute
for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey (17 November 1946).
You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war. The very prevention of war requires
more faith, courage and resolution than are needed to prepare for war. We must all do our share,
that we may be equal to the task of peace.
Message sent to Congressman Robert Hale of Portland, Maine (4 December 1946), to be
used at a world government meeting in Portland on 11 December. Quoted in Einstein on Peace
edited by Otto Nathan and Heinz Norden (1960), p. 397.
Er ist eine Skala der Proportionen, die das Schlechte schwierig und das Gute leicht macht.
t is a scale of proportions which makes the bad difficult and the good easy.
On the Modulor. Letter sent to Le Corbusier (1946); quoted in Modulor (1953)
Had known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb, would not have
lifted a finger.
Had known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb, would not
have lifted a finger.
Discussing the letter he sent Roosevelt raising the possibility of atomic weapons. from
"Atom: Einstein, the Man Who Started t All," Newsweek Magazine (10 March 1947).
When examine myself and my methods of thought come to the conclusion that the gift of
fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.
Cited as conversation between Einstein and Jnos Plesch in Jnos : The Story of a Doctor
(1947), by Jnos Plesch, translated by Edward FitzGerald
agree with your remark about loving your enemy as far as actions are concerned. But for me
the cognitive basis is the trust in an unrestricted causality. " cannot hate him, because he must
do what he does." That means for me more Spinoza than the prophets.
On the Christian maxim "Love thy enemy", in a letter to Michele Besso (6 January 1948)
just want to explain what mean when say that we should try to hold on to physical reality.
We are ... all aware of the situation regarding what will turn out to be the basic foundational
concepts in physics: the point-mass or the particle is surely not among them; the field, in the
Faraday-Maxwell sense, might be, but not with certainty. But that which we conceive as existing
("real") should somehow be localized in time and space. That is, the real in one part of space, A,
should (in theory) somehow "exist" independently of that which is thought of as real in another
part of space, B. f a physical system stretches over A and B, then what is present in B should
somehow have an existence independent of what is present in A. What is actually present in B
should thus not depend the type of measurement carried out in the part of space A; it should also
be independent of whether or not a measurement is made in A.
f one adheres to this program, then one can hardly view the quantum-theoretical description
as a complete representation of the physically real. f one attempts, nevertheless, so to view it,
then one must assume that the physically real in B undergoes a sudden change because of a
measurement in A. My physical instincts bristle at that suggestion.
However, if one renounces the assumption that what is present in different parts of space has
an independent, real existence, then don't see at all what physics is supposed to be describing.
For what is thought to be a "system" is after all, just conventional, and do not see how one is
supposed to divide up the world objectively so that one can make statements about parts.
"What must be an essential feature of any future fundamental physics?" Letter to Max Born
(March 1948); published in Albert Einstein-Hedwig und Max Born (1969) "Briefwechsel 1916-55",
and in Potentiality, Entanglement and Passion-at-a-Distance: Quantum Mechanical Studies for
Abner Shimony, Volume Two edited by Robert Cohen, Michael Horn, and John Stachel (1997), p.
121.
Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.
As quoted by Virgil Henshaw in Albert Einstein : Philosopher Scientist (1949) edited by Paul
A. Schilpp
Since the mathematicians have invaded the theory of relativity, do not understand it myself
anymore.
As quoted in the essay "To Albert Einstein's Seventieth Birthday" by Arnold Sommerfeld, in
Albert Einstein : Philosopher-Scientist (1949) edited by Paul A. Schilpp (p. 102). The essay,
originally published as "Zum Siebzigsten Geburtstag Albert Einsteins" in Deutsche Beitrge (Eine
Zweimonatsschrift) Vol , No 2, 1949, was translated specifically for the book by Schilpp.
do not know how the Third World War will be fought, but can tell you what they will use in the
Fourth rocks!
As quoted in an interview with Alfred Werner, published in Liberal Judaism 16 (April-May
1949), 12. Einstein Archive 30-1104, as sourced in The New Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice
(2005), p. 173.
Differing versions of such a statement are attributed to conversations as early as 1948 (e.g.
The Rotarian, 72 (6), June 1948, p. 9: " don't know. But can tell you what they'll use in the
fourth. They'll use rocks!"). Another variant (' do not know with what weapons World War will
be fought, but World War V will be fought with sticks and stones') is attributed to an unidentified
letter to Harry S. Truman in "The culture of Einstein" by Alex Johnson, MSNBC (18 April 2005).
However, prior to 1948 very similar quotes were attributed in various articles to an unnamed army
lieutenant, as discussed at Quote nvestigator : "The Futuristic Weapons of WW3 Are Unknown,
But WW4 Will Be Fought With Stones and Spears". The earliest found was from "Quote and
Unquote: Raising 'Alarmist' Cry Brings a Winchell Reply by Walter Winchell, in the Wisconsin
State Journal (23 September 1946), p. 6, Col. 3. n this article Winchell wrote:
Joe Laitin reports that reporters at Bikini were questioning an army lieutenant about what
weapons would be used in the next war.
" dunno, he said, "but in the war after the next war, sure as Hell, they'll be using spears!
t seems plausible, therefore, that Einstein may have been quoting or paraphrasing an
expression which he had heard or read elsewhere.
A new idea comes suddenly and in a rather intuitive way. But intuition is nothing but the
outcome of earlier intellectual experience.
Letter to Dr. H. L. Gordon (May 3, 1949 - AEA 58-217) as quoted in Einstein: His Life and
Universe (2007) by Walter saacson SBN 9780743264730
have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one. You may
call me an agnostic, but do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose
fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination
received in youth. prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual
understanding of nature and of our own being.
Letter to Guy H. Raner Jr. (28 September 1949), from article by Michael R. Gilmore in
Skeptic magazine, Vol. 5, No. 2 (1997).
The reciprocal relationship of epistemology and science is of noteworthy kind. They are
dependent on each other. Epistemology without contact with science becomes an empty scheme.
Science without epistemology is insofar as it is thinkable at all primitive and muddled.
However, no sooner has the epistemologist, who is seeking a clear system, fought his way
through to such a system, than he is inclined to interpret the thought-content of science in the
sense of his system and to reject whatever does not fit into his system. The scientist, however,
cannot afford to carry his striving for epistemological systematic that far. He accepts gratefully the
epistemological conceptual analysis; but the external conditions, which are set for him by the
facts of experience, do not permit him to let himself be too much restricted in the construction of
his conceptual world by the adherence to an epistemological system. He therefore must appear
to the systematic epistemologist as a type of unscrupulous opportunist: he appears as realist
insofar as he seeks to describe a world independent of the acts of perception; as idealist insofar
as he looks upon the concepts and theories as free inventions of the human spirit (not logically
derivable from what is empirically given); as positivist insofar as he considers his concepts and
theories justified only to the extent to which they furnish a logical representation of relations
among sensory experiences. He may even appear as Platonist or Pythagorean insofar as he
considers the viewpoint of logical simplicity as an indispensible and effective tool of his research.
Contribution in Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist, p. A. Schilpp, ed. (The Library of Living
Philosophers, Evanston, L (1949), p. 684). Quoted in Einstein's Philosophy of Science.
1950s
Striving for peace and preparing for war are incompatible with each other, and in our time more
so than ever.
From a 16 June 1950 U.N. radio interview, the transcript of which appears in the section
"The Pursuit of Peace" in his book deas and Opinions (1954).
Taken on the whole, would believe that Gandhi's views were the most enlightened of all the
political men in our time. We should strive to do things in his spirit... not to use violence in fighting
for our cause, but by non-participation in what we believe is evil.
United Nations radio interview recorded in Einstein's study, Princeton, New Jersey (1950).
A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "Universe", a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest a kind
of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to
our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free
ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures
and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving
for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
Letter of 1950, as quoted in The New York Times (29 March 1972) and The New York Post
(28 November 1972). However, The New Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice (Princeton
University Press, 2005: SBN 0691120749), p. 206, has a different and presumably more
accurate version of this letter, which she dates to February 12, 1950 and describes as "a letter to
a distraught father who had lost his young son and had asked Einstein for some comforting
words":
A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "Universe," a part limited in time and
space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separate from the resta
kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the
one issue of true religion. Not to nourish it but to try to overcome it is the way to reach the
attainable measure of peace of mind.
Letter transcript and photograph
believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all
human affairs.
Statement upon joining the Montreal Pipe Smokers Club. (1950).
believe, indeed, that overemphasis on the purely intellectual attitude, often directed solely to
the practical and factual, in our education, has led directly to the impairment of ethical values.
am not thinking so much of the dangers with which technical progress has directly confronted
mankind, as of the stifling of mutual human considerations by a "matter-of-fact" habit of thought
which has come to lie like a killing frost upon human relations. ... The frightful dilemma of the
political world situation has much to do with this sin of omission on the part of our civilization.
Without "ethical culture," there is no salvation for humanity.
"The Need for Ethical Culture" celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Ethical Culture
Society, founded by Felix Adler (5 January 1951) (the full remarks can be found in deas and
Opinions by Albert Einstein and Carl Seelig).
One thing have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is
primitive and childlikeand yet it is the most precious thing we have.
Letter to Hans Muehsam (9 July 1951), Einstein Archives 38-408, quoted in The Ultimate
Quotable Einstein (2010) by Alice Calaprice, p. 404
have no special talents. am only passionately curious.
Letter to Carl Seelig (11 March 1952), Einstein Archives 39-013.
A truly rational theory would allow us to deduce the elementary particles (electron,etc.) and not
be forced to state them a priori.
Letter to Michele Besso (10 September 1952), Letter n190, Correspondance, 1903-1955,
by Pierre Speziali, Michele Angelo Besso, published by Hermann, 1972.
t is not enough to teach a man a specialty. Through it he may become a kind of useful
machine but not a harmoniously developed personality. t is essential that the student acquire an
understanding of and a lively feeling for values. He must acquire a vivid sense of the beautiful
and of the morally good. Otherwise hewith his specialized knowledgemore closely resembles
a well-trained dog than a harmoniously developed person. He must learn to understand the
motives of human beings, their illusions, and their sufferings in order to acquire a proper
relationship to individual fellow-men and to the community. These precious things are conveyed
to the younger generation through personal contact with those who teach, notor at least not in
the mainthrough textbooks. t is this that primarily constitutes and preserves culture. This is
what have in mind when recommend the "humanities" as important, not just dry specialized
knowledge in the fields of history and philosophy.
"Education for ndependent Thought" in The New York Times, 5 October 1952. Reprinted in
deas and Opinions (1954).
think that only daring speculation can lead us further and not accumulation of facts.
Letter to Michele Besso (8 October 1952). According to Scientifically speaking: a dictionary
of quotations, Volume 1 (2002), p. 154, the letter is reprinted on p. 487 of Correspondance 1903-
1955 (1972) by Michele Besso.
What lead me more or less directly to the special theory of relativity was the conviction that the
electromotive force acting on a body in motion in a magnetic field was nothing else but an electric
field.
Letter to the Michelson Commemorative Meeting of the Cleveland Physics Society (1952),
as quoted by R.S.Shankland, Am J Phys 32, 16 (1964), p35, republished in A P French, Special
Relativity, SBN 0177710756.
The strange thing about growing old is that the intimate identification with the here and now is
slowly lost; one feels transposed into infinity, more or less alone, no longer in hope or fear, only
observing.
Letter to Queen Mother Elisabeth of Belgium (12 January 1953), Einstein Archive 32-405.
Quoted in Albert Einstein: Creator and Rebel by Banesh Hoffman (1973), p. 261, and also
partially quoted (with a reference to the exact date of the letter) in Einstein: His Life and Universe
by Walter saacson (2007), p. 536.
What particularly admire in him is the firm stand he has taken, not only against the oppressors
of his countrymen, but also against those opportunists who are always ready to compromise with
the Devil. He perceives very clearly that the world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or
encourage evil than from those who actually commit it.
Einstein's tribute to Pablo Casals (30 March 1953), in Conversations with Casals (1957),
page 11, by Josep Maria Corredor, translated from Conversations avec Pablo Casals : souvenirs
et opinions d'un musicien (1955).
Variant: The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of
those who look on and do nothing.
Variant: The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them
without doing anything.
Development of Western Science is based on two great achievements, the invention of the
formal logical system (in Euclidean geometry) by the Greek philosophers, and the discovery of
the possibility to find out causal relationships by systematic experiment (Renaissance). n my
opinion one has not to be astonished that the Chinese sages have not made these steps. The
astonishing thing is that these discoveries were made at all.
Letter to J.S. Switzer (23 April 1953), quoted in The Scientific Revolution: a Hstoriographical
nquiry By H. Floris Cohen (1994), p. 234, and also partly quoted in The Ultimate Quotable
Einstein edited by Alice Calaprice (2010), p. 405.
t gives me great pleasure, indeed, to see the stubbornness of an incorrigible nonconformist
warmly acclaimed.
Appears in deas and Opinions in the section "Address on Receiving Lord & Taylor Award" (4
May 1953).
To think with fear of the end of one's life is pretty general with human beings. t is one of the
means nature uses to conserve the life of the species. Approached rationally that fear is the most
unjustified of all fears, for there is no risk of any accidents to one who is dead or not yet born. n
short, the fear is stupid but it cannot be helped.
Letter to Eileen Danniheisser (1953), quoted in Albert Einstein: Creator and Rebel by
Banesh Hoffman (1973), p. 261. The exact date, or the name of his correspondent, is not given in
the snippet of the book available online, but the quote appears after the letter to the Queen of
Belgium from 12 January 1953, and is prefaced by "Nine months later, in words that recall the
beliefs of an early atomic speculator, the Roman poet Lucretius, Einstein had written to an
inquirer", followed by the quote. The name "Eileen Danniheisser" is given in Time: Volume 144,
where it is mentioned in the snippets here and here that she had written Einstein "about her
obsessive thoughts of death as a child".
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. . For me the Jewish
religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions. And the Jewish people
to whom gladly belong and with whose mentality have a deep affinity have no different quality
for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are no better than other human
groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise
cannot see anything 'chosen' about them.
Gutkind Letter (3 January 1954), "Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of
religion relatively clear". The Guardian. 13 May 2008.
n long intervals have expressed an opinion on public issues whenever they appeared to me
so bad and unfortunate that silence would have made me feel guilty of complicity.
From an address to the Chicago Decalogue Society (20 February 1954), reprinted in a
section titled "Human Rights" in deas and Opinions.
t is my belief that there is only one way to eliminate these evils, namely, the establishment of a
planned economy coupled with an education geared toward social goals. Alongside the
development of individual abilities, the education of the individual aspires to revive an ideal that is
geared toward the service of our fellow man, and that needs to take the place of the glorification
of power and outer success.
"An deal of Service to Our Fellow Man", for the radio series This Believe, 1954(?).
f would be a young man again and had to decide how to make my living, would not try to
become a scientist or scholar or teacher. would rather choose to be a plumber or a peddler in
the hope to find that modest degree of independence still available under present circumstances.
Letter to the editor of The Reporter about the situation of scientists in America (13 October
1954).
The idea of achieving security through national armament is, at the present state of military
technique, a disastrous illusion.
deas and Opinions (1954)
The theory of relativity is a beautiful example of the basic character of the modern development
of theory. That is to say, the hypotheses from which one starts become ever more abstract and
more remote from experience. But in return one comes closer to the preeminent goal of science,
that of encompassing a maximum of empirical contents through logical deduction with a minimum
of hypotheses or axioms. The intellectual path from the axioms to the empirical contents or to the
testable consequences becomes, thereby, ever longer and more subtle. The theoretician is
forced, ever more, to allow himself to be directed by purely mathematical, formal points of view in
the search for theories, because the physical experience of the experimenter is not capable of
leading us up to the regions of the highest abstraction. Tentative deduction takes the place of the
predominantly inductive methods appropriate to the youthful state of science. Such a theoretical
structure must be quite thoroughly elaborated in order for it to lead to consequences that can be
compared with experience. t is certainly the case that here, as well, the empirical fact is the all-
powerful judge. But its judgment can be handed down only on the basis of great and difficult
intellectual effort that first bridges the wide space between the axioms and the testable
consequences. The theorist must accomplish this Herculean task with the clear understanding
that this effort may only be destined to prepare the way for a death sentence for his theory. One
should not reproach the theorist who undertakes such a task by calling him a fantast; instead, one
must allow him his fantasizing, since for him there is no other way to his goal whatsoever. ndeed,
it is no planless fantasizing, but rather a search for the logically simplest possibilities and their
consequences.
deas and Opinions (1954), pp. 238-239. Quoted in Einstein's Philosophy of Science
Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People
like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only
a stubbornly persistent illusion.
Letter to the family of his lifelong friend Michele Besso, after learning of his death (March
1955), as quoted in Science and the Search for God Disturbing the Universe (1979) by Freeman
Dyson Ch. 17 "A Distant Mirror"; also quoted at Einstein's God (NPR)
Sometimes misquoted as "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
Variant: "He has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing.
For us believing physicists, the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubborn
illusion." Quoted in Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter saacson (2008), p. 540.
Variant: "Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That signifies
nothing. For us believing physicists, the distinction between past, present, and future is only a
stubbornly persistent illusion." Quoted in Albert Einstein: The Miracle Mind by Tabatha Yeatts
(2007), p. 116.
Variant: "n quitting this strange world he has once again preceded me by a little. That
doesn't mean anything. For those of us who believe in physics, this separation between past,
present, and future is only an illusion, however tenacious." Quoted in The Structure of Physics by
Carl Friedrich von Weizscker (1985), p. 288.
Variant: "Now he has departed a little ahead of me from this quaint world. This means
nothing. For us faithful physicists, the separation between past, present, and future has only the
meaning of an illusion, though a persistent one." Quoted in Einstein and Religion by Max Jammer
(2002), p. 161.
Variant: "Now he has preceded me by a little bit in his departure from this strange world as
well. This means nothing. For those of us who believe in physics, the distinction between past,
present, and future is only an illusion, however tenacious this illusion may be." Quoted in Einstein:
A Biography by Jrgen Neff (2007), p. 402.
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One
cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the
marvelous structure of reality. t is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this
mystery each day. Never lose a holy curiosity. ... Don't stop to marvel.
Statement to William Miller, as quoted in LFE magazine (2 May 1955) Old Man's Advice to
Youth: "Never Lose a Holy Curiosity" pages 61-64, at page 64.
Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value.
As quoted by LFE magazine (2 May 1955).
During that year in Aarau the question came to me: f one runs after a light wave with [a
velocity equal to the] light velocity, then one would encounter a time-independent wavefield.
However, something like that does not seem to exist! This was the first juvenile thought
experiment which has to do with the special theory of relativity. nvention is not the product of
logical thought, even though the final product is tied to a logical structure.
From his "Autobiographische Skizze" (18 April 1955), original German version here.
Translation from Subtle is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein by Abraham Pais
(1982), p. 131. Pais notes that when he said "during that year", he was referring to some time
between October 1895 and early fall 1896.
Variant: "nnovation is not the product of logical thought, even though the final product is tied
to a logical structure."
Original German version: Whrend dieses Jahres in Aarau kam mir die Frage: Wenn man
einer Lichtwelle mit Lichtgeschwindigkeit nachluft, so wrde man ein zeitunabhngiges
Wellenfeld vor sich haben. So etwas scheint es aber doch nicht zu geben! Dies war das erste
kindliche Gedanken-Experiment, das mit der speziellen Relativittstheorie zu tun hat. Das
Erfinden ist kein Werk des logischen Denkens, wenn auch das Endprodukt an die logische
Gestalt gebunden ist. ("Autobiographische Skizze", p. 10).
The work on satisfactory formulation of technical patents was a true blessing for me. t
compelled me to be many-sided in thought, and also offered important stimulation for thought
about physics. Following a practical profession is a blessing for people of my type. Because the
academic career puts a young person in a sort of compulsory situation to produce scientific
papers in impressive quantity, a temptation to superficiality arises that only strong characters are
able to resist.
From his "Autobiographische Skizze" (18 April 1955), original German version here.
Translation from Einstein from 'B' to 'Z' by John J. Stachel (2001), p. 5.
Variant: "Working on the final formulation of technological patents was a veritable blessing
for me. t enforced many-sided thinking and also provided important stimuli to physical thought.
[Academia] places a young person under a kind of compulsion to produce impressive quantities
of scientific publications a temptation to superficiality." As quoted in "Who Knew?" at
NationalGeographic.com (May 2005).
Original German version: Formulierung technischer Patente ein wahrer Segen fr mich. Sie
zwang zu vielseitigem Denken, bot auch wichtige Anregungen fr das physikalische Denken.
Endlich ist ein praktischer Beruf fr Menschen meiner Art berhaupt ein Segen. Denn die
akademische Laufbahn versetzt einen jungen Menschen in eine Art Zwangslage,
wissenschaftliche Schriften in impressiver Menge zu produzieren eine Verfhrung zur
Oberflchlichkeit, der nur starke Charaktere zu widerstehen vermgen. ("Autobiographische
Skizze", p. 12).
That is simple my friend: because politics is more difficult than physics.
Response to being asked why people could discover atomic power, but not the means to
control it, as quoted in The New York Times (22 April 1955).
Einer, der nur Zeitungen liest und, wenn's hochkommt, Bcher zeitgenssischer Autoren,
kommt mir vor wie ein hochgradig Kurzsichtiger, der es verschmht, Augenglser zu tragen. Er ist
vllig abhngig von den vorurteilen und Moden seiner Zeit, denn er bekommt nichts anderes zu
sehen und zu hren. Und was einer selbstndig denkt ohne Anlehnung an das Denken und
Erleben anderer, ist auch im besten Falle Ziemlich rmlich und monoton.
Translation: Somebody who reads only newspapers and at best books of contemporary
authors appears to me like an extremely near-sighted person who scorns eyeglasses. He is
completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of his times, since he never gets to see or
hear anything else. And what a person thinks on his own, without being stimulated by the
thoughts and experiences of other people, is, similarly, even in the best case rather paltry and
monotonous.
Article in Der Jungkaufmann, April 1952, Einstein Archives 28-972.
Attributed from memory and posthumous publications
Posthumous quotes can be particularly problematic, especially where earlier sources are not
cited at all.
made one great mistake in my lifewhen signed that letter to President Roosevelt
recommending that atom bombs be made; but there was some justificationthe danger that the
Germans would make them!
Written by Linus Pauling in his diary after a conversation with Einstein (16 November 1954).
Quoted in The New Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice (2005), p. 175. Calaprice writes that the
quote was copied directly from Pauling's diary.
Variant: " made one mistake in my lifewhen signed that letter to President Roosevelt
advocating that the bomb should be built. But perhaps can be forgiven for that because we all
felt that there was a high probability that the Germans were working on this problem and that they
might succeed and use the atomic bomb to become the master race." Appears in The Expanded
Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice (2000), p. 185. However, in The New Quotable Einstein
Calaprice writes "The longer version quoted in the previous editions of this book (copied from
secondary sources) is not in the diary."
When examine myself and my methods of thought come to the conclusion that the gift of
fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.
A comment recalled by Jnos Plesch in Jnos, the Story of a Doctor (1947), p. 207. Also
quoted in Einstein: the Life and Times by Ronald W. Clark (1971), p. 118.
Variant: "When examine myself and my methods of thought, come close to the conclusion
that the gift of imagination has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing absolute
knowledge." From The Ultimate Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice (2010), p. 26. This book
attributes it to Einstein and the Humanities (1979) by Dennis Ryan, p. 125, but Calaprice seems
to have copied it wrong, since searching "inside the book" on this book's amazon page using the
word "gift" shows that p. 125 actually gives the same quote as in Jnos, the Story of a Doctor.
God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically.
Attributed to Einstein by his colleague Lopold nfeld in his book Quest: An Autobiography
(1949), p. 279.
speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the
university.
Attributed to Einstein by his colleague Lopold nfeld in his book Quest: An Autobiography
(1949), p. 291.
Yes, we now have to divide up our time like that, between politics and our equations. But to me
our equations are far more important, for politics are only a matter of present concern. A
mathematical equation stands forever.
Earliest source located is the book Brighter than a Thousand Suns: A Personal History of the
Atomic Scientists by Robert Jungk (1958), p. 249, which says that Einstein made the comment
during "a walk with Ernst Straus, a young mathematician acting as his scientific assistant at
Princeton."
Variant: "Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present, but an
equation is something for eternity." From A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking (2005), p.
144.
Earlier, Straus recalled the German version of the quote in Helle Zeit, Dunkle Zeit: n
Memoriam Albert Einstein (1956) edited by Carl Seelig, p. 71. There the quote was given as Ja,
so mu man seine Zeit zwischen der Politik und unseren Gleichungen teilen. Aber unsere
Gleichungen sind mir doch viel wichtiger; denn die Politik ist fr die Gegenwart da, aber solch
eine Gleichung is etwas fr die Ewigkeit.
Was mich eigentlich interessiert, ist, ob Gott die Welt htte anders machen knnen; das heisst,
ob die Forderung der logischen Einfachheit berhaupt eine Freiheit lsst.
Quoted by Ernst G. Straus, who was Einstein's assistant from 1944 to 1948, in Carl Seelig,
Helle ZeitDunkel Zeit (Europa Verlag, Zurich, 1956), p. 72
What am really interested in is knowing whether God could have created the world in a
different way; in other words, whether the requirement of logical simplicity admits a margin of
freedom.
As translated in Max Jammer, Einstein and Religion (Princeton University Press, 1999), p.
124
What 'm really interested in is whether God could have made the world in a different way;
that is, whether the necessity of logical simplicity leaves any freedom at all.
As translated in Gerald Holton, The Scientific magination: Case Studies (Cambridge
University Press, 1978), p. xii.
How it happened that in particular discovered the relativity theory, it seemed to lie in the
following circumstance. The normal adult never bothers his head about space-time problems.
Everything there is to be thought about it, in his opinion, has already been done in early
childhood. , on the contrary, developed so slowly that only began to wonder about space and
time when was already grown up. n consequence probed deeper into the problem than an
ordinary child would have done.
n Carl Seelig's Albert Einstein: A Documentary Biography (1956), Seelig reports that
Einstein said this to James Franck, p. 71.
sometimes ask myself how did it come that was the one to develop the theory of relativity.
The reason, think, is that a normal adult never stops to think about problems of space and time.
But my intellectual development was retarded, as a result of which began to wonder about
space and time only when had already grown up. Naturally, could go deeper into the problem
than a child with normal abilities.
Variant translation which appears in Einstein: The Life and Times by Ronald W. Clark
(1971), p. 27.
You see, when a blind beetle crawls over the surface of a globe he doesn't notice that the track
he has covered is curved. was lucky enough to have spotted it.
Attributed to Einstein in Carl Seelig's Albert Einstein: A Documentary Biography (1956), p.
80. Said to have been a comment he made to his son Eduard when Eduard asked him, at age 9,
"Why are you actually so famous, papa?"
No, this trick won't work. The same trick does not work twice. How on earth are you ever going
to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?
A comment to T. H. Morgan, as recalled by Henry Borsook. Einstein was visiting Cal Tech
where Morgan and Borsook worked, and Morgan explained to Einstein that he was trying to bring
physics and chemistry to bear on the problems of biology, to which Einstein gave this response.
Borsook's recollection was published in Symposium on Structure of Enzymes and Proteins
(1956), p. 284, as part of a piece titled "nformal remarks 'by way of a summary'". Context for this
story is also given in The Molecular Vision of Life by Lily E. Kay (1993), p. 95.
As far as 'm concerned prefer silent vice to ostentatious virtue.
Attributed to Einstein in Albert Einstein: A Documentary Biography by Carl Seeling (1956), p.
114. Einstein is said to have made this remark "when someone in his company grew angry about
a mutual acquaintance's moral decline".
The hardest thing in the world to understand is income taxes.
Attributed by his friend Leo Mattersdorf, who also said that "From the time Professor Einstein
came to this country until his death, prepared his income tax returns and advised him on his tax
problems." n a letter to Time magazine, 22 February 1963. See this post from The Quote
nvestigator for more background.
n the matter of physics, the first lessons should contain nothing but what is experimental and
interesting to see. A pretty experiment is in itself often more valuable than twenty formulae
extracted from our minds.
Conversations with Einstein by Alexander Moszkowski (1971), p. 69. This is just
Moszkowski's English translation of a statement he attributed to Einstein in his 1922 book
Einstein, Einblicke in seine Gedankenwelt, p. 77: "Was die Physik betrifft, fuhr Einstein fort, so
darf fr den ersten Unterricht gar nichts in Frage kommen, als das Experimentelle, anschaulich-
nteressante. Ein hbsches Experiment ist schon an sich oft wertvoller, als zwanzig in der
Gedankenretorte entwickelte Formeln." As Moszkowski makes clear in the original German text,
this "quotation" is a paraphrasing of his conversation with Einstein.
The devil has put a penalty on all things we enjoy in life. Either we suffer in our health, or we
suffer in our soul, or we get fat.
Attributed in Einstein: The Life and Times by Ronald W. Clark (1971), p. 737. The only
source given in the end notes is "personal information". Einstein is said to have made this
comment when a box of candy was being passed around after dinner, and he said that his doctor
wouldn't let him eat it. The book also says that 'A friend asked him why it was the devil and not
God who had imposed the penalty. "What's the difference?" he answered. "One has a plus in
front, the other a minus."'.
love to travel, but hate to arrive.
A comment of Einstein's recalled by John Wheeler in Albert Einstein: His influence on
physics, philosophy and politics edited by Peter C. Aichelburg, Roman Ulrich Sexl, and Peter
Gabriel Bergmann (1979), p. 202.
When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot
stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity.
An explanation of relativity which he gave to his secretary Helen Dukas to convey to non-
scientists and reporters, as quoted in Best Quotes of '54, '55, l56 (1957) by James B. Simpson;
also in Expandable Quotable Einstein (2005) edited by Alice Calaprice
William Hermanns recorded a series of four conversations he had with Einstein and
published them in his book Einstein and the Poet (1983), quoting Einstein saying this variant in a
1948 conversation: "To simplify the concept of relativity, always use the following example: if you
sit with a girl on a garden bench and the moon is shining, then for you the hour will be a minute.
However, if you sit on a hot stove, the minute will be an hour." (p. 87)
n the 1985 book Einstein in America, Jamie Sayen wrote "Einstein devised the following
explanation for her [Helen Dukas] to give when asked to explain relativity: An hour sitting with a
pretty girl on a park bench passes like a minute, but a minute sitting on a hot stove seems like an
hour." (p. 130).
On quantum theory use up more brain grease (rough translation of German idiom) than on
relativity.
Quoted by Otto Stern, a colleague of Einstein in Zurich from 1912 to 1914, in a 1962 oral
history interview with Thomas S. Kuhn
n view of such harmony in the cosmos which , with my limited human mind, am able to
recognise, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what makes me really angry is that
they quote me for support of such views.
Statement to German anti-Nazi diplomat and author Prince Hubertus zu Lowenstein around
1941, as quoted in his book Towards the Further Shore : An Autobiography (1968)
Much later, when was discussing cosmological problems with Einstein, he remarked that the
introduction of the cosmological term was the biggest blunder he ever made in his life.
George Gamow, in his autobiography My World Line: An nformal Autobiography (1970), p.
44. Here the "cosmological term" refers to the cosmological constant in the equations of general
relativity, whose value Einstein initially picked to ensure that his model of the universe would
neither expand nor contract; if he hadn't done this he might have theoretically predicted the
universal expansion that was first observed by Edwin Hubble.
We often discussed his notions on objective reality. recall that during one walk Einstein
suddenly stopped, turned to me and asked whether really believed that the moon exists only
when look at it.
As recalled by his biographer Abraham Pais in Reviews of Modern Physics, 51, 863 (1979):
907. Cited in Boojums All The Way Through by N. David Mermin (1990), p. 81.
Then would have felt sorry for the dear Lord. The theory is correct.
When asked by a student what he would have done if Sir Arthur Eddington's famous 1919
gravitational lensing experiment, which confirmed relativity, had instead disproved it.
As quoted in Reality and Scientific Truth : Discussions with Einstein, von Laue, and Planck
(1980) by lse Rosenthal-Schneider, p. 74
Variant: " would have felt sorry for the dear Lord! The theory is, of course, all right." Quoted
in The Physicist's Conception of Nature by Jagdish Mehra (1979), p. 131. This source attributes it
to a conversation with lse Rosenthal-Schneider, author of the book the previous version is from.
Dimensionless constants in the laws of nature, which from the purely logical point of view can
just as well have different values, should not exist.
German orgiginal: Dimensionslose Konstanten in den Naturgesetzen, die vom rein logischen
Standpunkt aus ebensogut andere Werte haben knnen, drfte es nicht geben.
As quoted in Begegnungen mit Einstein, von Laue, und Planck (1988) by lse Rosenthal-
Schneider, p. 31 , English edition Reality and Scientific Truth : Discussions with Einstein, von
Laue, and Planck (1980) by lse Rosenthal-Schneider
f you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.
As quoted by Ernst Straus in Einstein: A Centenary Volume by A.P. French (1980), p. 32.
Variant: "if you want to be a happy man, you should tie your life to a goal, not to other people
and not to things." A quote from Ernst Straus' memoir of Einstein in Albert Einstein: Historical and
Cultural Perspectives edited by Gerald Holton and Yehuda Elkana (1982), p. 420.
f can't picture it, can't understand it.
Attributed to Einstein by physicist John Archibald Wheeler in John Horgan's article "Profile:
Physicist John A. Wheeler, Questioning the 't from Bit'". Scientific American, pp. 36-37, June
1991. Reprinted here after Wheeler's death.
said before, the most beautiful and most profound religious emotion that we can experience is
the sensation of the mystical. And this mysticality is the power of all true science. f there is any
such concept as a God, it is a subtle spirit, not an image of a man that so many have fixed in their
minds. n essence, my religion consists of a humble admiration for this illimitable superior spirit
that reveals itself in the slight details that we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds.
As quoted in The Private Albert Einstein (1992) by Peter A. Bucky and Allen G. Weakland, p.
86.
The physicists say that am a mathematician, and the mathematicians say that am a
physicist. am a completely isolated man and though everybody knows me, there are very few
people who really know me.
Statement recorded in the diary of his companion Johanna Fantova, quoted at the end of the
New York Times story "From Companion's Lost Diary, A Portrait of Einstein in Old Age" by Dennis
Overbye (24 April 2004).
Even on the most solemn occasions got away without wearing socks and hid that lack of
civilisation in high boots.
Albert Einstein in a letter to his cousin and second wife Elsa, during a visit to the University
of Oxford, in collection donated to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in srael by Einstein's
stepdaughter Margot, as quoted in "Einstein in no-sock shock", New Scientist (15 July 2006)
Principles of Research (1918)
Address at the Physical Society, Berlin, for Max Planck's 60th birthday
n the temple of science are many mansions, and various indeed are they that dwell therein
and the motives that have led them thither. Many take to science out of a joyful sense of superior
intellectual power; science is their own special sport to which they look for vivid experience and
the satisfaction of ambition; many others are to be found in the temple who have offered the
products of their brains on this altar for purely utilitarian purposes. Were an angel of the Lord to
come and drive all the people belonging to these two categories out of the temple, the
assemblage would be seriously depleted, but there would still be some men, of both present and
past times, left inside. Our Planck is one of them, and that is why we love him.
am quite aware that we have just now lightheartedly expelled in imagination many excellent
men who are largely, perhaps chiefly, responsible for the buildings of the temple of science; and
in many cases our angel would find it a pretty ticklish job to decide. But of one thing feel sure: if
the types we have just expelled were the only types there were, the temple would never have
come to be, any more than a forest can grow which consists of nothing but creepers. For these
people any sphere of human activity will do, if it comes to a point; whether they become
engineers, officers, tradesmen, or scientists depends on circumstances.
Now let us have another look at those who have found favor with the angel. Most of them are
somewhat odd, uncommunicative, solitary fellows, really less like each other, in spite of these
common characteristics, than the hosts of the rejected. What has brought them to the temple?
That is a difficult question and no single answer will cover it.
The state of mind which enables a man to do work of this kind is akin to that of the religious
worshiper or the lover; the daily effort comes from no deliberate intention or program, but straight
from the heart.
Man tries to make for himself in the fashion that suits him best a simplified and intelligible
picture of the world; he then tries to some extent to substitute this cosmos of his for the world of
experience, and thus to overcome it. This is what the painter, the poet, the speculative
philosopher, and the natural scientist do, each in his own fashion. Each makes this cosmos and
its construction the pivot of his emotional life, in order to find in this way the peace and security
which he cannot find in the narrow whirlpool of personal experience.
Variant translation: One of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape
from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one's own
ever-shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the
world of objective perception and thought. With this negative motive goes a positive one. Man
seeks to form for himself, in whatever manner is suitable for him, a simplified and lucid image of
the world, and so to overcome the world of experience by striving to replace it to some extent by
this image. This is what the painter does, and the poet, the speculative philosopher, the natural
scientist, each in his own way. nto this image and its formation, he places the center of gravity of
his emotional life, in order to attain the peace and serenity that he cannot find within the narrow
confines of swirling personal experience.
As quoted in The Professor, the nstitute, and DNA (1976) by Rene Dubos; also in The Great
nfluenza (2004) by John M. Barry
The supreme task of the physicist is to arrive at those universal elementary laws from which
the cosmos can be built up by pure deduction. There is no logical path to these laws; only
intuition, resting on sympathetic understanding of experience, can reach them. n this
methodological uncertainty, one might suppose that there were any number of possible systems
of theoretical physics all equally well justified; and this opinion is no doubt correct, theoretically.
But the development of physics has shown that at any given moment, out of all conceivable
constructions, a single one has always proved itself decidedly superior to all the rest.
Variant, from Preface to Max Planck's Where is Science Going? (1933): The supreme task
of the physicist is the discovery of the most general elementary laws from which the world-picture
can be deduced logically. But there is no logical way to the discovery of these elemental laws.
There is only the way of intuition, which is helped by a feeling for the order lying behind the
appearance, and this Einfhlung [literally, empathy or 'feeling one's way in']' is developed by
experience.
Sidelights on Relativity (1922)
Sidelights on Relativity (1922), translation by GB Jeffrey and W Perrett of "ther und
Relativittstheorie" (Aether and Relativity Theory), a talk given on 5 May 1920 at the University of
Leiden, and "Geometrie und Erfahrung" (Geometry and Experience), a lecture given at the
Prussian Academy published in Sitzungsberichte der Preussischen Akademie der
Wissenschaften, 1921 (pt. 1), pp. 123130
How can it be that mathematics, being after all a product of human thought which is
independent of experience, is so admirably appropriate to the objects of reality? s human reason,
then, without experience, merely by taking thought, able to fathom the properties of real things?
One reason why mathematics enjoys special esteem, above all other sciences, is that its laws
are absolutely certain and indisputable, while those of other sciences are to some extent
debatable and in constant danger of being overthrown by newly discovered facts.
nsofern sich die Stze der Mathematik auf die Wirklichkeit beziehen, sind sie nicht sicher, und
insofern sie sicher sind, beziehen sie sich nicht auf die Wirklichkeit.[3][4]
Translation: As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far
as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
Viereck interview (1929)
"What Life Means to Einstein: An nterview by George Sylvester Viereck" The Saturday
Evening Post (26 October 1929), p. 17. A scan of the article is available online here.
The meaning of relativity has been widely misunderstood. Philosophers play with the word, like
a child with a doll. Relativity, as see it, merely denotes that certain physical and mechanical
facts, which have been regarded as positive and permanent, are relative with regard to certain
other facts in the sphere of physics and mechanics. t does not mean that everything in life is
relative and that we have the right to turn the whole world mischievously topsy-turvy.
No man can visualize four dimensions, except mathematically ... think in four dimensions, but
only abstractly. The human mind can picture these dimensions no more than it can envisage
electricity. Nevertheless, they are no less real than electro-magnetism, the force which controls
our universe, within, and by which we have our being.
Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing.
Quoted in The Ultimate Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice (2010), p. 230.
refuse to make money out of my science. My laurel is not for sale like so many bales of
cotton.
f were not a physicist, would probably be a musician. often think in music. live my
daydreams in music. see my life in terms of music. ... cannot tell if would have done any
creative work of importance in music, but do know that get most joy in life out of my violin.
Reading after a certain age diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who
reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking, just as the man
who spends too much time in the theater is tempted to be content with living vicariously instead of
living his own life.
Our time is Gothic in its spirit. Unlike the Renaissance, it is not dominated by a few outstanding
personalities. The twentieth century has established the democracy of the intellect. n the republic
of art and science there are many men who take an equally important part in the intellectual
movements of our age. t is the epoch rather than the individual that is important. There is no one
dominant personality like Galileo or Newton. Even in the nineteenth century there were still a few
giants who outtopped all others. Today the general level is much higher than ever before in the
history of the world, but there are few men whose stature immediately sets them apart from all
others.
n America, more than anywhere else, the individual is lost in the achievements of the many.
America is beginning to be the world leader in scientific investigation. American scholarship is
both patient and inspiring. The Americans show an unselfish devotion to science, which is the
very opposite of the conventional European view of your countrymen. Too many of us look upon
Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is reiterated thoughtlessly by the
Americans themselves. t is not true that the dollar is an American fetish. The American student is
not interested in dollars, not even in success as such, but in his task, the object of the search. t is
his painstaking application to the study of the infinitely little and the infinitely large which accounts
for his success in astronomy.
We are inclined to overemphasize the material influences in history. The Russians especially
make this mistake. ntellectual values and ethnic influences, tradition and emotional factors are
equally important. f this were not the case, Europe would today be a federated state, not a
madhouse of nationalism.
Bolshevism is an extraordinary experiment. t is not impossible that the drift of social evolution
henceforward may be in the direction of communism. The Bolshevist experiment may be worth
trying. But think that Russia errs badly in the execution of her ideal. The Russians make the
mistake of putting party faith above efficiency. They replace efficient men by politicians. Their test
stone of public service is not the accomplishment but devotion to a rigid creed.
am a determinist. As such, do not believe in free will. The Jews believe in free will. They
believe that man shapes his own life. reject that doctrine philosophically. n that respect am not
a Jew.
Quoted in Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter saacson, p. 387.
believe with Schopenhauer: We can do what we wish, but we can only wish what we must.
Practically, am, nevertheless, compelled to act as if freedom of the will existed. f wish to live in
a civilized community, must act as if man is a responsible being. know that philosophically a
murderer is not responsible for his crime; nevertheless, must protect myself from unpleasant
contacts. may consider him guiltless, but prefer not to take tea with him.
My own career was undoubtedly determined, not by my own will but by various factors over
which have no controlprimarily those mysterious glands in which Nature prepares the very
essence of life, our internal secretions.
Whereas materialistic historians and philosophers neglect psychic realities, Freud is inclined to
overstress their importance. am not a psychologist, but it seems to me fairly evident that
physiological factors, especially our endocrines, control our destiny ... am not able to venture a
judgment on so important a phase of modern thought. However, it seems to me that
psychoanalysis is not always salutary. t may not always be helpful to delve into the
subconscious. The machinery of our legs is controlled by a hundred different muscles. Do you
think it would help us to walk if we analyzed our legs and knew exactly which one of the little
muscles must be employed in locomotion and the order in which they work? ... am not prepared
to accept all his [Freud's] conclusions, but consider his work an immensely valuable contribution
to the science of human behavior. think he is even greater as a writer than as a psychologist.
Freud's brilliant style is unsurpassed by anyone since Schopenhauer.
The only progress can see is progress in organization. The ordinary human being does not
live long enough to draw any substantial benefit from his own experience. And no one, it seems,
can benefit by the experiences of others. Being both a father and teacher, know we can teach
our children nothing. We can transmit to them neither our knowledge of life nor of mathematics.
Each must learn its lesson anew.
believe in intuitions and inspirations. sometimes feel that am right. do not know that am.
When two expeditions of scientists, financed by the Royal Academy, went forth to test my theory
of relativity, was convinced that their conclusions would tally with my hypothesis. was not
surprised when the eclipse of May 29, 1919, confirmed my intuitions. would have been surprised
if had been wrong.
am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. magination is more important
than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. magination encircles the world.
As a child, received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. am a Jew, but am
enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene.
Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrasemongers, however artful. No man can dispose of
Christianity with a bon mot.
No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality
pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.
As reported in Einstein A Life (1996) by Denis Brian, when asked about a clipping from a
magazine article reporting his comments on Christianity as taken down by Viereck, Einstein
carefully read the clipping and replied, "That is what believe." .
t is quite possible to be both. look upon myself as a man. Nationalism is an infantile disease.
t is the measles of mankind.
When asked by Viereck if he considered himself to be a German or a Jew. A version with
slightly different wording is quoted in Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter saacson (2007),
p. 386.
We Jews have been too adaptable. We have been too eager to sacrifice our idiosyncrasies for
the sake of social conformity. ... Even in modern civilization, the Jew is most happy if he remains
a Jew.
do not believe in race as such. Race is a fraud. All modern people are the conglomeration of
so many ethnic mixtures that no pure race remains.
do not think that religion is the most important element. We are held together rather by a body
of tradition, handed down from father to son, which the child imbibes with his mother's milk. The
atmosphere of our infancy predetermines our idiosyncrasies and predilections.
n response to a question about whether religion is the tie holding the Jews together.
But to return to the Jewish question. Other groups and nations cultivate their individual
traditions. There is no reason why we should sacrifice ours. Standardization robs life of its spice.
To deprive every ethnic group of its special traditions is to convert the world into a huge Ford
plant. believe in standardizing automobiles. do not believe in standardizing human beings.
Standardization is a great peril which threatens American culture.
am happy because want nothing from anyone. do not care for money. Decorations, titles or
distinctions mean nothing to me. do not crave praise. The only thing that gives me pleasure,
apart from my work, my violin and my sailboat, is the appreciation of my fellow workers.
claim credit for nothing. Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces
over which we have no control. t is determined for the insect as well as for the star. Human
beings, vegetables or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by
an invisible player.
am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. magination is more important than
knowledge. Knowledge is limited. magination encircles the world.
am not an Atheist. do not know if can define myself as a Pantheist. The problem involved is
too vast for our limited minds. May not reply with a parable? The human mind, no matter how
highly trained, cannot grasp the universe. We are in the position of a little child, entering a huge
library whose walls are covered to the ceiling with books in many different tongues. The child
knows that someone must have written those books. t does not know who or how. t does not
understand the languages in which they are written. The child notes a definite plan in the
arrangement of the books, a mysterious order, which it does not comprehend, but only dimly
suspects. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of the human mind, even the greatest and most
cultured, toward God. We see a universe marvelously arranged, obeying certain laws, but we
understand the laws only dimly. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that sways
the constellations. am fascinated by Spinoza's Pantheism. admire even more his contributions
to modern thought. Spinoza is the greatest of modern philosophers, because he is the first
philosopher who deals with the soul and the body as one, not as two separate things.
Did not appear in Saturday Evening Post story, but in Glimpses of the Great (1930) by G. S.
Viereck. There have been disputes on the accuracy of this quotation.
Sometimes misquoted as, " don't think can call myself a pantheist".
Variant, from Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter saacson, p. 386: 'm not an atheist.
The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child
entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have
written these books. t does not know how. t does not understand the languages in which they
are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but
doesn't know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human
being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only
dimly understand these laws.
am fascinated by Spinoza's pantheism, but admire even more his contribution to modern
thought because he is the first philosopher to deal with the soul and body as one, and not two
separate things.
Did not appear in Saturday Evening Post story, but quoted in Einstein: His Life and Universe
by Walter saacson, p. 387, in the section discussing Viereck's interview.
Wisehart interview (1930?)
Every man knows that in his work he does best and accomplishes most when he has attained
a proficiency that enables him to work intuitively. That is, there are things which we come to know
so well that we do not know how we know them. So it seems to me in matters of principle.
Perhaps we live best and do things best when we are not too conscious of how and why we do
them.
do not believe in a God who maliciously or arbitrarily interferes in the personal affairs of
mankind. My religion consists of an humble admiration for the vast power which manifests itself in
that small part of the universe which our poor, weak minds can grasp!.
Much reading after a certain age diverts the mind from its creative pursuits. Any man who
reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking, just as the man
who spends too much time in the theaters is apt to be content with living vicariously instead of
living his own life.
have only two rules which regard as principles of conduct. The first is: Have no rules. The
second is: Be independent of the opinion of others.
M. K. Wisehart, A Close Look at the World's Greatest Thinker, American Magazine, June 1930.
Quotes from the interview appear on pp. 52-53 of The Twelve Powers of Man by Charles Fillmore
Religion and Science (1930)
Originally written for the New York Times Magazine (9 November 1930). A version with altered
wording appeared in deas and Opinions (1954)
Everything that men do or think concerns the satisfaction of the needs they feel or the escape
from pain. This must be kept in mind when we seek to understand spiritual or intellectual
movements and the way in which they develop. For feelings and longings are the motive forces of
all human striving and productivityhowever nobly these latter may display themselves to us.
Wording in deas and Opinions: Everything that the human race has done and thought is
concerned with the satisfaction of deeply felt needs and the assuagement of pain. One has to
keep this constantly in mind if one wishes to understand spiritual movements and their
development. Feeling and longing are the motive force behind all human endeavor and human
creation, in however exalted a guise the latter may present themselves to us.
The longing for guidance, for love and succor, provides the stimulus for the growth of a social
or moral conception of God. This is the God of Providence, who protects, decides, rewards and
punishes. This is the God who, according to man's widening horizon, loves and provides for the
life of the race, or of mankind, or who even loves life itself. He is the comforter in unhappiness
and in unsatisfied longing, the protector of the souls of the dead. This is the social or moral idea
of God.
Wording in deas and Opinions: The desire for guidance, love, and support prompts men to
form the social or moral conception of God. This is the God of Providence, who protects,
disposes, rewards, and punishes; the God who, according to the limits of the believer's outlook,
loves and cherishes the life of the tribe or of the human race, or even of life itself; the comforter in
sorrow and unsatisfied longing; he who preserves the souls of the dead. This is the social or
moral conception of God.
t is easy to follow in the sacred writings of the Jewish people the development of the religion of
fear into the moral religion, which is carried further in the New Testament. The religions of all
civilized peoples, especially those of the Orient, are principally moral religions. An important
advance in the life of a people is the transformation of the religion of fear into the moral religion.
But one must avoid the prejudice that regards the religions of primitive peoples as pure fear
religions and those of the civilized races as pure moral religions. All are mixed forms, though the
moral element predominates in the higher levels of social life.
Wording in deas and Opinions: The Jewish scriptures admirably illustrate the development
from the religion of fear to moral religion, a development continued in the New Testament. The
religions of all civilized peoples, especially the peoples of the Orient, are primarily moral religions.
The development from a religion of fear to moral religion is a great step in peoples' lives. And yet,
that primitive religions are based entirely on fear and the religions of civilized peoples purely on
morality is a prejudice against which we must be on our guard. The truth is that all religions are a
varying blend of both types, with this differentiation: that on the higher levels of social life the
religion of morality predominates.
Common to all these types is the anthropomorphic character of the idea of God. Only
exceptionally gifted individuals or especially noble communities rise essentially above this level;
in these there is found a third level of religious experience, even if it is seldom found in a pure
form. will call it the cosmic religious sense. This is hard to make clear to those who do not
experience it, since it does not involve an anthropomorphic idea of God; the individual feels the
vanity of human desires and aims, and the nobility and marvelous order which are revealed in
nature and in the world of thought. He feels the individual destiny as an imprisonment and seeks
to experience the totality of existence as a unity full of significance. ndications of this cosmic
religious sense can be found even on earlier levels of developmentfor example, in the Psalms
of David and in the Prophets. The cosmic element is much stronger in Buddhism, as, in particular,
Schopenhauer's magnificent essays have shown us. The religious geniuses of all times have
been distinguished by this cosmic religious sense, which recognizes neither dogmas nor God
made in man's image. Consequently there cannot be a church whose chief doctrines are based
on the cosmic religious experience. t comes about, therefore, that we find precisely among the
heretics of all ages men who were inspired by this highest religious experience; often they
appeared to their contemporaries as atheists, but sometimes also as saints. Viewed from this
angle, men like Democritus, Francis of Assisi, and Spinoza are near to one another.
Wording in deas and Opinions: Common to all these types is the anthropomorphic character
of their conception of God. n general, only individuals of exceptional endowments, and
exceptionally high-minded communities, rise to any considerable extent above this level. But
there is a third stage of religious experience which belongs to all of them, even though it is rarely
found in a pure form: shall call it cosmic religious feeling. t is very difficult to elucidate this
feeling to anyone who is entirely without it, especially as there is no anthropomorphic conception
of God corresponding to it. The individual feels the futility of human desires and aims and the
sublimity and marvelous order which reveal themselves both in nature and in the world of
thought. ndividual existence impresses him as a sort of prison and he wants to experience the
universe as a single significant whole. The beginnings of cosmic religious feeling already appear
at an early stage of development, e.g., in many of the Psalms of David and in some of the
Prophets. Buddhism, as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of
Schopenhauer, contains a much stronger element of this. The religious geniuses of all ages have
been distinguished by this kind of religious feeling, which knows no dogma and no God conceived
in man's image; so that there can be no church whose central teachings are based on it. Hence it
is precisely among the heretics of every age that we find men who were filled with this highest
kind of religious feeling and were in many cases regarded by their contemporaries as atheists,
sometimes also as saints. Looked at in this light, men like Democritus, Francis of Assisi, and
Spinoza are closely akin to one another.
How can this cosmic religious experience be communicated from man to man, if it cannot lead
to a definite conception of God or to a theology? t seems to me that the most important function
of art and of science is to arouse and keep alive this feeling in those who are receptive.
Wording in deas and Opinions: How can cosmic religious feeling be communicated from
one person to another, if it can give rise to no definite notion of a God and no theology? n my
view, it is the most important function of art and science to awaken this feeling and keep it alive in
those who are receptive to it.
For any one who is pervaded with the sense of causal law in all that happens, who accepts in
real earnest the assumption of causality, the idea of Being who interferes with the sequence of
events in the world is absolutely impossible. Neither the religion of fear nor the social-moral
religion can have any hold on him. A God who rewards and punishes is for him unthinkable,
because man acts in accordance with an inner and outer necessity, and would, in the eyes of
God, be as little responsible as an inanimate object is for the movements which it makes.
Science, in consequence, has been accused of undermining moralsbut wrongly. The ethical
behavior of man is better based on sympathy, education and social relationships, and requires no
support from religion. Man's plight would, indeed, be sad if he had to be kept in order through fear
of punishment and hope of rewards after death.
Wording in deas and Opinions: The man who is thoroughly convinced of the universal
operation of the law of causation cannot for a moment entertain the idea of a being who interferes
in the course of events provided, of course, that he takes the hypothesis of causality really
seriously. He has no use for the religion of fear and equally little for social or moral religion. A God
who rewards and punishes is inconceivable to him for the simple reason that a man's actions are
determined by necessity, external and internal, so that in God's eyes he cannot be responsible,
any more than an inanimate object is responsible for the motions it undergoes. Science has
therefore been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man's ethical
behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no
religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear
of punishment and hopes of reward after death.
Variant: "t seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which
cannot take seriously. also cannot imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere" has
been cited as a statement that precedes the last three sentences here, but in fact this is a
separate quote from a 1947 letter Einstein wrote to Murray W. Gross, included in the Einstein and
Religion (1999) section below (and in the letter the word used is "anthropomorphic," not
"anthropological").
t is, therefore, quite natural that the churches have always fought against science and have
persecuted its supporters. But, on the other hand, assert that the cosmic religious experience is
the strongest and noblest driving force behind scientific research. No one who does not
appreciate the terrific exertions, and, above all, the devotion without which pioneer creations in
scientific thought cannot come into being, can judge the strength of the feeling out of which alone
such work, turned away as it is from immediate practical life, can grow. What a deep faith in the
rationality of the structure of the world and what a longing to understand even a small glimpse of
the reason revealed in the world there must have been in Kepler and Newton to enable them to
unravel the mechanism of the heavens in long years of lonely work! Any one who only knows
scientific research in its practical applications may easily come to a wrong interpretation of the
state of mind of the men who, surrounded by skeptical contemporaries, have shown the way to
kindred spirits scattered over all countries in all centuries. Only those who have dedicated their
lives to similar ends can have a living conception of the inspiration which gave these men the
power to remain loyal to their purpose in spite of countless failures. t is the cosmic religious
sense which grants this power. A contemporary has rightly said that the only deeply religious
people of our largely materialistic age are the earnest men of research.
Wording in deas and Opinions: t is therefore easy to see why the churches have always
fought science and persecuted its devotees. On the other hand, maintain that the cosmic
religious feeling is the strongest and noblest motive for scientific research. Only those who realize
the immense efforts and, above all, the devotion without which pioneer work in theoretical science
cannot be achieved are able to grasp the strength of the emotion out of which alone such work,
remote as it is from the immediate realities of life, can issue. What a deep conviction of the
rationality of the universe and what a yearning to understand, were it but a feeble reflection of the
mind revealed in this world, Kepler and Newton must have had to enable them to spend years of
solitary labor in disentangling the principles of celestial mechanics! Those whose acquaintance
with scientific research is derived chiefly from its practical results easily develop a completely
false notion of the mentality of the men who, surrounded by a skeptical world, have shown the
way to kindred spirits scattered wide through the world and through the centuries. Only one who
has devoted his life to similar ends can have a vivid realization of what has inspired these men
and given them the strength to remain true to their purpose in spite of countless failures. t is
cosmic religious feeling that gives a man such strength. A contemporary has said, not unjustly,
that in this materialistic age of ours the serious scientific workers are the only profoundly religious
people.
Schopenhauer's saying, that "a man can do as he will, but not will as he will," has been an
inspiration to me since my youth up, and a continual consolation and unfailing well-spring of
patience in the face of the hardships of life...
Mein Weltbild (My World-view) (1931)
My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with
my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities.
"Mein Weltbild" (1931) ["My World-view", or "My View of the World" or "The World As See t"],
translated as the title essay of the book The World As See t (1949). Various translated editions
have been published of this essay; or portions of it, including one titled "What Believe"; another
compilation which includes it is deas and Opinions (1954)
How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he
knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows
from daily life that one exists for other people first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-
being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose
destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day remind myself that
my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that must
exert myself in order to give in the same measure as have received and am still receiving... .
am strongly drawn to the simple life and am often oppressed by the feeling that am
engrossing an unnecessary amount of the labour of my fellow-men. regard class differences as
contrary to justice and, in the last resort, based on force. also consider that plain living is good
for everybody, physically and mentally.
n human freedom in the philosophical sense am definitely a disbeliever. Everybody acts not
only under external compulsion but also in accordance with inner necessity. Schopenhauer's
saying, that "a man can do as he will, but not will as he will," has been an inspiration to me since
my youth up, and a continual consolation and unfailing well-spring of patience in the face of the
hardships of life, my own and others'. This feeling mercifully mitigates the sense of responsibility
which so easily becomes paralyzing, and it prevents us from taking ourselves and other people
too seriously; it conduces to a view of life in which humor, above all, has its due place.
have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves this critical basis call
the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new
courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. Without the sense of
kinship with men of like mind, without the occupation with the objective world, the eternally
unattainable in the field of art and scientific endeavors, life would have seemed empty to me. The
trite objects of human efforts possessions, outward success, luxury have always seemed to
me contemptible.
Variant translation: have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves
such an ethical basis call more proper for a herd of swine. The ideals which have lighted me on
my way and time after time given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Truth,
Goodness, and Beauty. Without the sense of fellowship with men of like mind, of preoccupation
with the objective, the eternally unattainable in the field of art and scientific research, life would
have seemed to me empty. The ordinary objects of human endeavor property, outward
success, luxury have always seemed to me contemptible.
My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly
with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human
communities.
gang my own gait and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my
immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties have never lost an obstinate
sense of detachment, of the need for solitude a feeling which increases with the years.
Variant translation: am truly a 'lone traveler' and have never belonged to my country, my
home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties,
have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude...
My political ideal is democracy. Let every man be respected as an individual and no man
idolized. t is an irony of fate that myself have been the recipient of excessive admiration and
reverence from my fellow-beings, through no fault, and no merit, of my own. The cause of this
may well be the desire, unattainable for many, to understand the few ideas to which have with
my feeble powers attained through ceaseless struggle. am quite aware that for any organization
to reach its goals, one man must do the thinking and directing and generally bear the
responsibility. But the led must not be coerced, they must be able to choose their leader.
An autocratic system of coercion, in my opinion, soon degenerates. For force always attracts
men of low morality, and believe it to be an invariable rule that tyrants of genius are succeeded
by scoundrels. For this reason have always been passionately opposed to systems such as we
see in taly and Russia to-day.
Variant translation: n my opinion, an autocratic system of coercion soon degenerates; force
attracts men of low morality...
The really valuable thing in the pageant of human life seems to me not the State but the
creative, sentient individual, the personality; it alone creates the noble and the sublime, while the
herd as such remains dull in thought and dull in feeling.
This topic brings me to that worst outcrop of the herd nature, the military system, which abhor.
That a man can take pleasure in marching in formation to the strains of a band is enough to make
me despise him. He has only been given his big brain by mistake; a backbone was all he needed.
This plague-spot of civilization ought to be abolished with all possible speed. Heroism by order,
senseless violence, and all the pestilent nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism how
hate them! War seems to me a mean, contemptible thing: would rather be hacked in pieces than
take part in such an abominable business.
Variant translation: He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my
contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would fully
suffice. This disgrace to civilisation should be done away with at once. Heroism at command,
senseless brutality, deplorable love-of-country stance, how violently hate all this, how despicable
and ignoble war is; would rather be torn to shreds than be part of so base an action! t is my
conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.
The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. t is the fundamental emotion
that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer
wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. t was the experience of
mystery even if mixed with fear that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of
something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant
beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge
and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. n this sense, and only this sense, am a deeply
religious man.
Variant translations: The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. t is the
fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who knows it not
and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle.
t was the experience of mystery even if mixed with fear that engendered religion. A
knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the
profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which are only accessible to our reason in their
most elementary forms it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute the truly religious
attitude; in this sense, and in this alone, am a deeply religious man.
The finest emotion of which we are capable is the mystic emotion. Herein lies the germ of all
art and all true science. Anyone to whom this feeling is alien, who is no longer capable of
wonderment and lives in a state of fear is a dead man. To know that what is impenetrable for us
really exists and manifests itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, whose gross
forms alone are intelligible to our poor faculties this knowledge, this feeling ... that is the core
of the true religious sentiment. n this sense, and in this sense alone, rank myself among
profoundly religious men.
As quoted in After Einstein : Proceedings of the Einstein Centennial Celebration (1981) by
Peter Barker and Cecil G. Shugart, p. 179
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. t is the source of all true art
and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and
stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.
As quoted in ntroduction to Philosophy (1935) by George Thomas White Patrick and
Frank Miller Chapman, p. 44
The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mysterious. t is the fundamental
emotion that stands at the cradle of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a
stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out
candle. To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is something that our minds
cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly: this is religiousness. n this
sense, and in this sense only, am a devoutly religious man."
He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes
are closed.
cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes
are modeled after our own a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can
believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such
thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotisms.
As quoted in European Civilization and Politics Since 1815 (1938) by Erik Achorn, p. 723.
amd in his obituary in The New York Times (19 April 1955)
Variant translation: cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures, or
has a will of the type of which we are conscious in ourselves. An individual who should survive his
physical death is also beyond my comprehension, nor do wish it otherwise; such notions are for
the fears or absurd egoism of feeble souls.
As quoted in The Heretic's Handbook of Quotations: Cutting Comments on Burning ssues
(1992) by Charles Bufe, p. 186.
t is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life perpetuating itself through all
eternity, to reflect upon the marvelous structure of the universe which we dimly perceive, and to
try humbly to comprehend an infinitesimal part of the intelligence manifested in nature.
As quoted in ntroduction to Philosophy (1935) by George Thomas White Patrick and Frank
Miller Chapman, p. 44
Variant translations:
am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the
marvelous structure of existence as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny
portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature.
Enough for me the mystery of the eternity of life, and the inkling of the marvellous structure
of reality, together with the single-hearted endeavor to comprehend a portion, be it never so tiny,
of the reason that manifests itself in nature.
My Credo (1932)
Speech to the German League of Human Rights, Berlin (Autumn 1932); as published in
Einstein: A Life in Science (1994) by Michael White and John Gribbin This repeats or revises
some statements and ideas of Mein Weltbild (1931). (Full text online)
Our situation on this earth seems strange. Every one of us appears here involuntarily and
uninvited for a short stay, without knowing the whys and the wherefore. n our daily lives we only
feel that man is here for the sake of others, for those whom we love and for many other beings
whose fate is connected with our own. am often worried at the thought that my life is based to
such a large extent on the work of my fellow human beings and am aware of my great
indebtedness to them.
do not believe in freedom of the will. Schopenhauer's words: "Man can do what he wants, but
he cannot will what he wills accompany me in all situations throughout my life and reconcile me
with the actions of others even if they are rather painful to me. This awareness of the lack of
freedom of will preserves me from taking too seriously myself and my fellow men as acting and
deciding individuals and from losing my temper.
My passion for social justice has often brought me into conflict with people, as did my aversion
to any obligation and dependence do not regard as absolutely necessary. always have a high
regard for the individual and have an insuperable distaste for violence and clubmanship.
All these motives made me into a passionate pacifist and anti-militarist. am against any
nationalism, even in the guise of mere patriotism. Privileges based on position and property have
always seemed to me unjust and pernicious, as did any exaggerated personality cult.
am an adherent of the ideal of democracy, although well know the weaknesses of the
democratic form of government. Social equality and economic protection of the individual
appeared to me always as the important communal aims of the state.
Although am a typical loner in daily life, my consciousness of belonging to the invisible
community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has preserved me from feeling
isolated.
The most beautiful and deepest experience a man can have is the sense of the mysterious. t
is the underlying principle of religion as well as all serious endeavor in art and science. He who
never had this experience seems to me, if not dead, then at least blind. To sense that behind
anything that can be experienced there is a something that our mind cannot grasp and whose
beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly and as a feeble reflection, this is religiousness.
n this sense am religious. To me it suffices to wonder at these secrets and to attempt humbly
to grasp with my mind a mere image of the lofty structure of all that there is.
Obituary for Emmy Noether (1935)
Emmy Noether, letter to the Editor of The New York Times, published May 5, 1935 Full text
online
The efforts of most human-beings are consumed in the struggle for their daily bread, but most
of those who are, either through fortune or some special gift, relieved of this struggle are largely
absorbed in further improving their worldly lot. Beneath the effort directed toward the
accumulation of worldly goods lies all too frequently the illusion that this is the most substantial
and desirable end to be achieved; but there is, fortunately, a minority composed of those who
recognize early in their lives that the most beautiful and satisfying experiences open to
humankind are not derived from the outside, but are bound up with the development of the
individual's own feeling, thinking and acting. The genuine artists, investigators and thinkers have
always been persons of this kind. However inconspicuously the life of these individuals runs its
course, none the less the fruits of their endeavors are the most valuable contributions which one
generation can make to its successors.
n the judgment of the most competent living mathematicians, Frulein Noether was the most
significant creative mathematical genius thus far produced since the higher education of women
began.
Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas. One seeks the most general ideas
of operation which will bring together in simple, logical and unified form the largest possible circle
of formal relationships. n this effort toward logical beauty spiritual formulas are discovered
necessary for the deeper penetration into the laws of nature.
Science and Religion (1941)
Science, Philosophy and Religion, A Symposium, published by the Conference on Science,
Philosophy and Religion in Their Relation to the Democratic Way of Life, nc., New York (1941);
later published in Out of My Later Years (1950) Full text online
A religious person is devout in the sense that he has no doubt of the significance and loftiness of
those superpersonal objects and goals which neither require nor are capable of rational
foundation. They exist with the same necessity and matter-of-factness as he himself.
t would not be difficult to come to an agreement as to what we understand by science. Science
is the century-old endeavor to bring together by means of systematic thought the perceptible
phenomena of this world into as thoroughgoing an association as possible. To put it boldly, it is
the attempt at the posterior reconstruction of existence by the process of conceptualization. But
when asking myself what religion is cannot think of the answer so easily. And even after finding
an answer which may satisfy me at this particular moment, still remain convinced that can
never under any circumstances bring together, even to a slight extent, the thoughts of all those
who have given this question serious consideration.
A person who is religiously enlightened appears to me to be one who has, to the best of his
ability, liberated himself from the fetters of his selfish desires and is preoccupied with thoughts,
feelings, and aspirations to which he clings because of their superpersonal value. t seems to me
that what is important is the force of this superpersonal content and the depth of the conviction
concerning its overpowering meaningfulness, regardless of whether any attempt is made to unite
this content with a divine Being, for otherwise it would not be possible to count Buddha and
Spinoza as religious personalities. Accordingly, a religious person is devout in the sense that he
has no doubt of the significance and loftiness of those superpersonal objects and goals which
neither require nor are capable of rational foundation. They exist with the same necessity and
matter-of-factness as he himself. n this sense religion is the age-old endeavor of mankind to
become clearly and completely conscious of these values and goals and constantly to strengthen
and extend their effect. f one conceives of religion and science according to these definitions
then a conflict between them appears impossible. For science can only ascertain what is, but not
what should be, and outside of its domain value judgments of all kinds remain necessary.
A conflict arises when a religious community insists on the absolute truthfulness of all
statements recorded in the Bible. This means an intervention on the part of religion into the
sphere of science; this is where the struggle of the Church against the doctrines of Galileo and
Darwin belongs. On the other hand, representatives of science have often made an attempt to
arrive at fundamental judgments with respect to values and ends on the basis of scientific
method, and in this way have set themselves in opposition to religion. These conflicts have all
sprung from fatal errors.
Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.
Even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each
other, nevertheless there exist between the two strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies.
Though religion may be that which determines the goal, it has, nevertheless, learned from
science, in the broadest sense, what means will contribute to the attainment of the goals it has
set up. But science can only be created by those who are thoroughly imbued with the aspiration
toward truth and understanding. This source of feeling, however, springs from the sphere of
religion. To this there also belongs the faith in the possibility that the regulations valid for the world
of existence are rational, that is, comprehensible to reason. cannot conceive of a genuine
scientist without that profound faith. The situation may be expressed by an image: science
without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.
Though have asserted above that in truth a legitimate conflict between religion and science
cannot exist, must nevertheless qualify this assertion once again on an essential point, with
reference to the actual content of historical religions. This qualification has to do with the concept
of God. During the youthful period of mankind's spiritual evolution human fantasy created gods in
man's own image, who, by the operations of their will were supposed to determine, or at any rate
to influence, the phenomenal world. Man sought to alter the disposition of these gods in his own
favor by means of magic and prayer. The idea of God in the religions taught at present is a
sublimation of that old concept of the gods. ts anthropomorphic character is shown, for instance,
by the fact that men appeal to the Divine Being in prayers and plead for the fulfillment of their
wishes.
A doctrine which is able to maintain itself not in clear light but only in the dark, will of necessity
lose its effect on mankind, with incalculable harm to human progress.
Nobody, certainly, will deny that the idea of the existence of an omnipotent, just, and
omnibeneficent personal God is able to accord man solace, help, and guidance; also, by virtue of
its simplicity it is accessible to the most undeveloped mind. But, on the other hand, there are
decisive weaknesses attached to this idea in itself, which have been painfully felt since the
beginning of history. That is, if this being is omnipotent, then every occurrence, including every
human action, every human thought, and every human feeling and aspiration is also His work;
how is it possible to think of holding men responsible for their deeds and thoughts before such an
almighty Being? n giving out punishment and rewards He would to a certain extent be passing
judgment on Himself. How can this be combined with the goodness and righteousness ascribed
to Him?
The main source of the present-day conflicts between the spheres of religion and of science
lies in this concept of a personal God.
Science not only purifies the religious impulse of the dross of its anthropomorphism but also
contributes to a religious spiritualization of our understanding of life.
When the number of factors coming into play in a phenomenological complex is too large,
scientific method in most cases fails us. One need only think of the weather, in which case
prediction even for a few days ahead is impossible. Nevertheless no one doubts that we are
confronted with a causal connection whose causal components are in the main known to us.
Occurrences in this domain are beyond the reach of exact prediction because of the variety of
factors in operation, not because of any lack of order in nature.
The more a man is imbued with the ordered regularity of all events the firmer becomes his
conviction that there is no room left by the side of this ordered regularity for causes of a different
nature. For him neither the rule of human nor the rule of divine will exists as an independent
cause of natural events. To be sure, the doctrine of a personal God interfering with natural events
could never be refuted, in the real sense, by science, for this doctrine can always take refuge in
those domains in which scientific knowledge has not yet been able to set foot.
But am persuaded that such behavior on the part of the representatives of religion would not
only be unworthy but also fatal. For a doctrine which is able to maintain itself not in clear light but
only in the dark, will of necessity lose its effect on mankind, with incalculable harm to human
progress. n 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. n 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.
f it is one of the goals of religion to liberate mankind as far as possible from the bondage of
egocentric cravings, desires, and fears, scientific reasoning can aid religion in yet another sense.
Although it is true that it is the goal of science to discover rules which permit the association and
foretelling of facts, this is not its only aim. t also seeks to reduce the connections discovered to
the smallest possible number of mutually independent conceptual elements.
t is in this striving after the rational unification of the manifold that it encounters its greatest
successes, even though it is precisely this attempt which causes it to run the greatest risk of
falling a prey to illusions. But whoever has undergone the intense experience of successful
advances made in this domain is moved by profound reverence for the rationality made manifest
in existence. By way of the understanding he achieves a far-reaching emancipation from the
shackles of personal hopes and desires, and thereby attains that humble attitude of mind toward
the grandeur of reason incarnate in existence, and which, in its profoundest depths, is
inaccessible to man.
This attitude, however, appears to me to be religious, in the highest sense of the word. And so
it seems to me that science not only purifies the religious impulse of the dross of its
anthropomorphism but also contributes to a religious spiritualization of our understanding of life.
The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that
the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind
faith, but through striving after rational knowledge.
Today we must abandon competition and secure cooperation. This must be the central fact in all
our considerations of international affairs; otherwise we face certain disaster.
Only Then Shall We Find Courage (1946)
New York Times Magazine (23 June 1946)
Many persons have inquired concerning a recent message of mine that "a new type of thinking
is essential if mankind is to survive and move to higher levels."
Often in evolutionary processes a species must adapt to new conditions in order to survive.
Today the atomic bomb has altered profoundly the nature of the world as we know it, and the
human race consequently finds itself in a new habitat to which it must adapt its thinking.
n light of new knowledge.an eventual world state is not just desirable in the name of
brotherhood, it is necessary for survival... Today we must abandon competition and secure
cooperation. This must be the central fact in all our considerations of international affairs;
otherwise we face certain disaster. Past thinking and methods did not prevent world wars. Future
thinking must prevent wars.
As the issues are greater than men ever sought to realize before, the recriminations will be
fiercer and pride more desperately hurt. t may help to recall that many recognized before the
bomb ever fell that the time had already come when we must learn to live in One World.
The stakes are immense, the task colossal, the time is short. But we may hope we must
hope that man's own creation, man's own genius, will not destroy him. Scholars, indeed all
men, must move forward in the faith of that philosopher who held that there is no problem the
human reason can propound which the human reason cannot reason out.
Religion and Science: rreconcilable? (1948)
The Christian Register (June 1948); republished in deas and Opinions (1954) Full text online
Does there truly exist an insuperable contradiction between religion and science? Can religion
be superseded by science? The answers to these questions have, for centuries, given rise to
considerable dispute and, indeed, bitter fighting. Yet, in my own mind there can be no doubt that
in both cases a dispassionate consideration can only lead to a negative answer. What
complicates the solution, however, is the fact that while most people readily agree on what is
meant by "science," they are likely to differ on the meaning of "religion."
Religion is concerned with man's attitude toward nature at large, with the establishing of ideals for
the individual and communal life, and with mutual human relationship.
Science, in the immediate, produces knowledge and, indirectly, means of action. t leads to
methodical action if definite goals are set up in advance. For the function of setting up goals and
passing statements of value transcends its domain. While it is true that science, to the extent of
its grasp of causative connections, may reach important conclusions as to the compatibility and
incompatibility of goals and evaluations, the independent and fundamental definitions regarding
goals and values remain beyond science's reach.
As regards religion, on the other hand, one is generally agreed that it deals with goals and
evaluations and, in general, with the emotional foundation of human thinking and acting, as far as
these are not predetermined by the inalterable hereditary disposition of the human species.
Religion is concerned with man's attitude toward nature at large, with the establishing of ideals for
the individual and communal life, and with mutual human relationship. These ideals religion
attempts to attain by exerting an educational influence on tradition and through the development
and promulgation of certain easily accessible thoughts and narratives (epics and myths) which
are apt to influence evaluation and action along the lines of the accepted ideals.
t is this mythical, or rather this symbolic, content of the religious traditions which is likely to
come into conflict with science. This occurs whenever this religious stock of ideas contains
dogmatically fixed statements on subjects which belong in the domain of science. Thus, it is of
vital importance for the preservation of true religion that such conflicts be avoided when they arise
from subjects which, in fact, are not really essential for the pursuance of the religious aims.
The moral attitudes of a people that is supported by religion need always aim at preserving and
promoting the sanity and vitality of the community and its individuals, since otherwise this
community is bound to perish. A people that were to honor falsehood, defamation, fraud, and
murder would be unable, indeed, to subsist for very long.
The great moral teachers of humanity were, in a way, artistic geniuses in the art of living.
While religion prescribes brotherly love in the relations among the individuals and groups, the
actual spectacle more resembles a battlefield than an orchestra. Everywhere, in economic as well
as in political life, the guiding principle is one of ruthless striving for success at the expense of
one's fellow men. This competitive spirit prevails even in school and, destroying all feelings of
human fraternity and cooperation, conceives of achievement not as derived from the love for
productive and thoughtful work, but as springing from personal ambition and fear of rejection.
There are pessimists who hold that such a state of affairs is necessarily inherent in human
nature; it is those who propound such views that are the enemies of true religion, for they imply
thereby that religious teachings are Utopian ideals and unsuited to afford guidance in human
affairs. The study of the social patterns in certain so-called primitive cultures, however, seems to
have made it sufficiently evident that such a defeatist view is wholly unwarranted.
While it is true that scientific results are entirely independent from religious or moral
considerations, those individuals to whom we owe the great creative achievements of science
were all of them imbued with the truly religious conviction that this universe of ours is something
perfect and susceptible to the rational striving for knowledge. f this conviction had not been a
strongly emotional one and if those searching for knowledge had not been inspired by Spinoza's
Amor Dei ntellectualis, they would hardly have been capable of that untiring devotion which
alone enables man to attain his greatest achievements.
"Autobiographical Notes" (1949)
Published in Albert Einstein : Philosopher-Scientist (1949) edited by Paul A. Schilpp. Reprinted
in A Stubbornly Persistent llusion: The Essential Scientific Works of Albert Einstein (2009) edited
by Stephen Hawking, p. 339.
Even when was a fairly precocious young man the nothingness of the hopes and strivings
which chases most men restlessly through life came to my consciousness with considerable
vitality. Moreover, soon discovered the cruelty of that chase, which in those years was much
more carefully covered up by hypocrisy and glittering words than is the case today. By the mere
existence of his stomach everyone was condemned to participate in that chase. Moreover, it was
possible to satisfy the stomach by such participation, but not man in so far as he is a thinking and
feeling being. As the first way out there was religion, which is implanted into every child by way of
the traditional education-machine. Thus camedespite the fact that was the son of entirely
irreligious (Jewish) parentsto a deep religiosity, which, however, found an abrupt ending at the
age of 12. Through the reading of popular scientific books soon reached the conviction that
much in the stories of the Bible could not be true. The consequence was a positively fanatic [orgy
of] freethinking coupled with the impression that youth is intentionally being deceived by the state
through lies; it was a crushing impression. Suspicion against every kind of authority grew out of
this experience, a skeptical attitude towards the convictions which were alive in any specific
social environmentan attitude which has never again left me, even though later on, because of
a better insight into the causal connections, it lost some of its original poignancy.
t is quite clear to me that the religious paradise of youth, which was thus lost, was a first
attempt to free myself from the chains of the "merely-personal," from an existence which is
dominated by wishes, hopes and primitive feelings. Out yonder there was this huge world, which
exists independently of us human beings and which stands before us like a great, eternal riddle,
at least partially accessible to our inspection and thinking. The contemplation of this world
beckoned like a liberation, and soon noticed that many a man whom had learned to esteem
and to admire had found inner freedom and security in devoted occupation with it. The mental
grasp of this extrapersonal world within the frame of the given possibilites swam as highest aim
half consciously and half unconsciously before my mind's eye. Similarly motivated men of the
present and of the past, as well as the insights which they had achieved, were the friends which
could not be lost. The road to this paradise was not as comfortable and alluring as the road to the
religious paradise; but it has proved itself as trustworthy, and have never regretted having
chosen it.
For me it is not dubious that our thinking goes on for the most part without use of signs (words)
and beyond that to a considerable degree unconsciously. For how, otherwise, should it happen
that sometimes we "wonder" quite spontaneously about some experience? This "wondering"
seems to occur when an experience comes into conflict with a world of concepts which is already
sufficiently fixed in us. Whenever such a conflict is experienced hard and intensively it reacts
back upon our thought world in a decisive way. The development of this thought world is in a
certain sense a continuous flight from "wonder."
A wonder of such nature experienced as a child of 4 or 5 years, when my father showed me a
compass. That this needle behaved in such a determined way did not at all fit into the nature of
events, which could find a place in the unconscious world of concepts (effect connected with
direct "touch"). can still rememberor at least believe can rememberthat this experience
made a deep and lasting impression upon me. Something deeply hidden had to be behind things.
What man sees before him from infancy causes no reaction of this kind; he is not surprised over
the falling of bodies, concerning wind and rain, nor concerning the moon or about the fact that the
moon does not fall down, nor concerning the differences between living and non-living matter.
At the age of 12 experienced a second wonder of a totally different nature: in a little book
dealing with Euclidean plane geometry, which came into my hands at the beginning of a
schoolyear. Here were assertions, as for example the intersection of the three altitudes of a
triangle in one point, whichthough by no means evidentcould nevertheless be proved with
such certainty that any doubt appeared to be out of the question. This lucidity and certainty made
an indescribable impression upon me. That the axioms had to be accepted unproved did not
disturb me. n any case it was quite sufficient for me if could peg proofs upon propositions the
validity of which did not seem to me to be dubious.
[O]ne had to cram all this stuff into one's mind for examinations, whether one liked it or not.
This coercion had such a deterring effect [upon me] that, after had passed the final examination,
found the consideration of any scientific problems distasteful to me for an entire year.
t is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet
entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation,
stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wreck and ruin without fail. t is a very
grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of
coercion and a sense of duty.
A theory is the more impressive the greater the simplicity of its premises is, the more different
kinds of things it relates, and the more extended is its area of applicability. Therefore the deep
impression which classical thermodynamics made upon me. t is the only physical theory of
universal content concerning which am convinced that, within the framework of the applicability
of its basic concepts, it will never be overthrown (for the special attention of those who are
skeptics on principle).
Reflections of this type made it clear to me as long ago as shortly after 1900, i.e., shortly after
Planck's trailblazing work, that neither mechanics nor electrodynamics could (except in limiting
cases) claim exact validity. By and by despaired of the possibility of discovering the true laws by
means of constructive efforts based on known facts. The longer and the more despairingly tried,
the more came to the conviction that only the discovery of a universal formal principle could lead
us to assured results. . . . How, then, could such a universal principle be found? After ten years of
reflection such a principle resulted from a paradox upon which had already hit at the age of
sixteen: f pursue a beam of light with the velocity c (velocity of light in a vacuum), should
observe such a beam as a spatially oscillatory electromagnetic field at rest. However, there
seems to be no such thing, whether on the bases of experience or according to Maxwell's
equations. From the very beginning it appeared to me intuitively clear that, judged from the stand-
point of such an observer, everything would have to happen according to the same laws as for an
observer who, relative to the earth, was at rest.
The World As See t (1949)
For the title essay in this work see Mein Weltbild (1931) above.
The man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely
unfortunate but almost disqualified for life.
The Meaning of Life
What is the meaning of human life, or of organic life altogether? To answer this question at all
implies a religion. s there any sense then, you ask, in putting it? answer, the man who regards
his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unfortunate but almost
disqualified for life.
Good and Evil
The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in
which he has attained to liberation from the self.
Society and Personality
When we survey our lives and endeavors we soon observe that almost the whole of our
actions and desires are bound up with the existence of other human beings. We see that our
whole nature resembles that of the social animals. We eat food that others have grown, wear
clothes that others have made, live in houses that others have built. The greater part of our
knowledge and beliefs has been communicated to us by other people through the medium of a
language which others have created. Without language our mental capacities would be poor
indeed, comparable to those of the higher animals; we have, therefore, to admit that we owe our
principal advantage over the beasts to the fact of living in human society. The individual, if left
alone from birth would remain primitive and beast-like in his thoughts and feelings to a degree
that we can hardly conceive. The individual is what he is and has the significance that he has not
so much in virtue of his individuality, but rather as a member of a great human society, which
directs his material and spiritual existence from the cradle to the grave.
The example of great and pure characters is the only thing that can produce fine ideas and noble
deeds.
A man's value to the community depends primarily on how far his feelings, thoughts, and
actions are directed towards promoting the good of his fellows. We call him good or bad
according to how he stands in this matter. t looks at first sight as if our estimate of a man
depended entirely on his social qualities.
And yet such an attitude would be wrong. t is clear that all the valuable things, material,
spiritual, and moral, which we receive from society can be traced back through countless
generations to certain creative individuals. The use of fire, the cultivation of edible plants, the
steam engine each was discovered by one man.
Only the individual can think, and thereby create new values for society nay, even set up
new moral standards to which the life of the community conforms. Without creative,
independently thinking and judging personalities the upward development of society is as
unthinkable as the development of the individual personality without the nourishing soil of the
community.
The health of society thus depends quite as much on the independence of the individuals
composing it as on their close political cohesion.
Of Wealth
am absolutely convinced that no wealth in the world can help humanity forward, even in the
hands of the most devoted worker in this cause. The example of great and pure characters is the
only thing that can produce fine ideas and noble deeds. Money only appeals to selfishness and
always tempts its owners irresistibly to abuse it.
Can anyone imagine Moses, Jesus, or Gandhi armed with the money-bags of Carnegie?
Religion in Science
You will hardly find one among the profounder sort of scientific minds without a peculiar
religious feeling of his own. But it is different from the religion of the naive man. For the latter God
is a being from whose care one hopes to benefit and whose punishment one fears; a sublimation
of a feeling similar to that of a child for its father, a being to whom one stands to some extent in a
personal relation, however deeply it may be tinged with awe. But the scientist is possessed by the
sense of universal causation. The future, to him, is every whit as necessary and determined as
the past. There is nothing divine about morality, it is a purely human affair. His religious feeling
takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an
intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of
human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection. This feeling is the guiding principle of his life
and work, in so far as he succeeds in keeping himself from the shackles of selfish desire. t is
beyond question closely akin to that which has possessed the religious geniuses of all ages.
Greeting to G. Bernard Shaw
There are few enough people with sufficient independence to see the weaknesses and follies
of their contemporaries and remain themselves untouched by them. And these isolated few
usually soon lose their zeal for putting things to rights when they have come face to face with
human obduracy. Only to a tiny minority is it given to fascinate their generation by subtle humour
and grace and to hold the mirror up to it by the impersonal agency of art. To-day salute with
sincere emotion the supreme master of this method, who has delighted and educated us all.
Some Notes on my American mpressions
first published as "My First mpression of the U.S.A." (1921).
The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law...
The cult of individual personalities is always, in my view, unjustified. To be sure, nature
distributes her gifts variously among her children. But there are plenty of the well-endowed ones
too, thank God, and am firmly convinced that most of them live quiet, unregarded lives. t strikes
me as unfair, and even in bad taste, to select a few of them for boundless admiration, attributing
superhuman powers of mind and character to them. This has been my fate, and the contrast
between the popular estimate of my powers and achievements and the reality is simply
grotesque. The consciousness of this extraordinary state of affairs would be unbearable but for
one great consoling thought: it is a welcome symptom in an age which is commonly denounced
as materialistic, that it makes heroes of men whose ambitions lie wholly in the intellectual and
moral sphere. This proves that knowledge and justice are ranked above wealth and power by a
large section of the human race. My experience teaches me that this idealistic outlook is
particularly prevalent in America, which is usually decried as a particularly materialistic country.
The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law.
For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than
passing laws which cannot be enforced. t is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime
in the United States is closely connected with this.
The United States is the most powerful technically advanced country in the world to-day. ts
influence on the shaping of international relations is absolutely incalculable. But America is a
large country and its people have so far not shown much interest in great international problems,
among which the problem of disarmament occupies first place today. This must be changed, if
only in the essential interests of the Americans. The last war has shown that there are no longer
any barriers between the continents and that the destinies of all countries are closely interwoven.
The people of this country must realize that they have a great responsibility in the sphere of
international politics. The part of passive spectator is unworthy of this country and is bound in the
end to lead to disaster all round.
Letter to a Friend of Peace
Small is the number of them that see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts
Production and Work
Bureaucracy is the death of all sound work.
f one purges the Judaism of the Prophets and Christianity as Jesus Christ taught it of all
subsequent additions, especially those of the priests, one is left with a teaching which is capable
of curing all the social ills of humanity.
Christianity and Judaism
f one purges the Judaism of the Prophets and Christianity as Jesus Christ taught it of all
subsequent additions, especially those of the priests, one is left with a teaching which is capable
of curing all the social ills of humanity.
t is the duty of every man of good will to strive steadfastly in his own little world to make this
teaching of pure humanity a living force, so far as he can. f he makes an honest attempt in this
direction without being crushed and trampled under foot by his contemporaries, he may consider
himself and the community to which he belongs lucky.
Unconfirmed:
The following quotes have been cited as being from The World As See t but are not in later
abridged editions of the original 1949 book and thus these citations are not yet confirmed.
May the conscience and the common sense of the peoples be awakened, so that we may
reach a new stage in the life of nations, where people will look back on war as an
incomprehensible aberration of their forefathers!
The state is made for man, not man for the state. And in this respect science resembles the
state.
Why Socialism? (1949)
Monthly Review [5] New York (May 1949)
Modern anthropology has taught us, through comparative investigation of so-called primitive
cultures, that the social behavior of human beings may differ greatly, depending upon prevailing
cultural patterns and the types of organisation which predominate in society. t is on this that
those who are striving to improve the lot of man may ground their hopes: human beings are not
condemned, because of their biological constitution, to annihilate each other or to be at the mercy
of a cruel, self-inflicted fate.
The owner of the means of production is in a position to purchase the labor power of the
worker. By using the means of production, the worker produces new goods which become the
property of the capitalist. The essential point about this process is the relation between what the
worker produces and what he is paid, both measured in terms of real value. n so far as the labor
contract is free what the worker receives is determined not by the real value of the goods he
produces, but by his minimum needs and by the capitalists' requirements for labor power in
relation to the number of workers competing for jobs. t is important to understand that even in
theory the payment of the worker is not determined by the value of his product.
have now reached the point where may indicate briefly what to me constitutes the essence
of the crisis of our time. t concerns the relationship of the individual to society. The individual has
become more conscious than ever of his dependence upon society. But he does not experience
this dependence as a positive asset, as an organic tie, as a protective force, but rather as a threat
to his natural rights, or even to his economic existence. Moreover, his position in society is such
that the egotistical drives of his make-up are constantly being accentuated, while his social
drives, which are by nature weaker, progressively deteriorate. All human beings, whatever their
position in society, are suffering from this process of deterioration. Unknowingly prisoners of their
own egotism, they feel insecure, lonely, and deprived of the naive, simple, and unsophisticated
enjoyment of life. Man can find meaning in life, short and perilous as it is, only through devoting
himself to society.
The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source
of the evil. We see before us a huge community of producers the members of which are
unceasingly striving to deprive each other of the fruits of their collective labor not by force, but
on the whole in faithful compliance with legally established rules.
am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the
establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be
oriented toward social goals.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember that a planned economy is not yet socialism. A
planned economy as such may be accompanied by the complete enslavement of the individual.
The achievement of socialism requires the solution of some extremely difficult socio-political
problems: how is it possible, in view of the far-reaching centralisation of political and economic
power, to prevent bureaucracy from becoming all-powerful and overweening? How can the rights
of the individual be protected and therewith a democratic counterweight to the power of
bureaucracy be assured?
Clarity about the aims and problems of socialism is of greatest significance in our age of
transition. Since, under present circumstances, free and unhindered discussion of these problems
has come under a powerful taboo, consider the foundation of this magazine to be an important
public service.
Referring to the Monthly Review, in which the essay was published.
On the Generalized Theory of Gravitation (1950)
Scientific American (April 1950)
This is the reason why all attempts to obtain a deeper knowledge of the foundations of physics
seem doomed to me unless the basic concepts are in accordance with general relativity from the
beginning. This situation makes it difficult to use our empirical knowledge, however
comprehensive, in looking for the fundamental concepts and relations of physics, and it forces us
to apply free speculation to a much greater extent than is presently assumed by most physicists.
do not see any reason to assume that the heuristic significance of the principle of general
relativity is restricted to gravitation and that the rest of physics can be dealt with separately on the
basis of special relativity, with the hope that later on the whole may be fitted consistently into a
general relativistic scheme. do not think that such an attitude, although historically
understandable, can be objectively justified. The comparative smallness of what we know today
as gravitational effects is not a conclusive reason for ignoring the principle of general relativity in
theoretical investigations of a fundamental character. n other words, do not believe that it is
justifiable to ask: What would physics look like without gravitation?
Out of My Later Years (1950)
A collection of Einstein's essays which cover a period of 1934 to 1950.
What is significant in one's own existence one is hardly aware, and it certainly should not
bother the other fellow. What does a fish know about the water in which he swims all his life?
"Self-Portrait" (1936), p. 5.
This freedom of communication is indispensable for the development and extension of
scientific knowledge, a consideration of much practical import. n the first instance it must be
guaranteed by law. But laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression; in order that every man
may present his views without penalty there must be a spirit of tolerance in the entire population.
Such an ideal of external liberty can never be fully attained but must be sought unremittingly if
scientific thought, and philosophical and creative thinking in general, are to be advanced as far as
possible.
"On Freedom" (1940), p. 13
live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.
"Self-Portrait" (1936), p. 5.
The very fact that the totality of our sense experience is such that by means of thinking
(operations with concepts, and the creation and use of definite functional relations between them,
and the coordination of sense experience to these concepts) it can be put in order, this fact is one
which leaves us in awe, but which we shall never understand. One may say "the eternal mystery
of the world is its comprehensibility." . . . n speaking here concerning "comprehensibility," the
expression is used in its most modest sense. t implies: the production of some sort of order
among sense impressions, this order being produced by the creation of general concepts,
relations between these concepts, and by relations between the concepts and sense experience,
these relations being determined in any possible manner. t is in this sense that the world of our
sense experience is comprehensible. The fact that it is comprehensible is a miracle.
"Physics and Reality" (1936), p. 61.
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in
freedom.
"Morals and Emotions" (1938), p. 19.
ntelligence makes clear to us the interrelation of means and ends. But mere thinking cannot
give us a sense of the ultimate and fundamental ends. To make clear these fundamental ends
and valuations, and to set them fast in the emotional life of the individual, seems to me precisely
the most important function which religion has to perform in the social life of man.
"Science and Religion" (1939-1941), p. 22.
The highest principles for our aspirations and judgments are given to us in the Jewish-Christian
religious tradition. t is a very high goal which, with our weak powers, we can reach only very
inadequately, but which gives a sure foundation to our aspirations and valuations.
"Science and Religion" (1939-1941), p. 23.
For scientific endeavor is a natural whole the parts of which mutually support one another in a
way which, to be sure, no one can anticipate.
"On Freedom" (1940), p. 12.
And certainly we should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful
muscles, but no personality. t cannot lead, it can only serve; and it is not fastidious in its choice of
a leader. This characteristic is reflected in the qualities of its priests, the intellectuals. The intellect
has a sharp eye for methods and tools, but is blind to ends and values. So it is no wonder that
this fatal blindness is handed on from old to young and today involves a whole generation.
"The Goal of Human Existence" (1943).
Everyone is aware of the difficult and menacing situation in which human society -- shrunk into
one community with a common fate finds itself, but only a few act accordingly. Most people go
on living their every-day life: half frightened, half indifferent, they behold the ghostly tragi-comedy
which is being performed on the international stage before the eyes and ears of the world. But on
that stage, on which the actors under the floodlights play their ordained parts, our fate of
tomorrow, life or death of the nations, is being decided.
"The Menace of Mass Destruction" (1947).
One strength of the communist system of the East is that it has some of the character of a
religion and inspires the emotions of a religion. Unless the concept of peace based on law
gathers behind it the force and zeal of a religion, it can hardly hope to succeed.
"Atomic War or Peace" part (1947).
Ethical axioms are founded and tested not very differently from the axioms of science. Truth is
what stands the test of experience.
"The Laws of Science and the Laws of Ethics" (1950).
Essay to Leo Baeck (1953)
Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the
laughter of the gods.
Statements by Einstein from Essays Presented to Leo Baeck on the Occasion of His Eightieth
Birthday (1954), p. 26; Baeck's birthday was 23 May 1953; Einstein Archives 28-962. Some
quotes are from The New Quotable Einstein (2005) edited by Alice Calaprice, pp. 120-121, others
from deas and Opinions by Albert Einstein (1954), where they appear in the section "Aphorisms
for Leo Baeck."
Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by
the laughter of the gods.
The New Quotable Einstein.
n order to be a perfect member of a flock of sheep, one has to be, foremost, a sheep.
The New Quotable Einstein
variant translation from deas and Opinions: "n order to form an immaculate member of a
flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep."
Hail to the man who went through life always helping others, knowing no fear, and to whom
aggressiveness and resentment are alien. Such is the stuff of which the great moral leaders are
made.
The New Quotable Einstein
variant translation from deas and Opinions: " salute the man who is going through life
always helpful, knowing no fear, and to whom aggressiveness and resentment are alien. Such is
the stuff of which the great moral leaders are made who proffer consolation to mankind in their
self-created miseries."
The attempt to combine wisdom and power has only rarely been successful, and then only for
a short while.
The New Quotable Einstein.
Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions that differ from the prejudices
of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.
The New Quotable Einstein.
Man usually avoids attributing cleverness to somebody elseunless it is an enemy.
deas and Opinions.
The majority of the stupid is invincible and guaranteed for all time. The terror of their tyranny,
however, is alleviated by their lack of consistency.
deas and Opinions.
The contrasts and contradictions that can permanently live peacefully side by side in a skull
make all the systems of political optimists and pessimists illusory.
deas and Opinions.
Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.
deas and Opinions
Albert Einstein: The Human Side (1979)
Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffmann, Albert Einstein, The Human Side: New Glimpses From
His Archives (1979)
Politics is a pendulum whose swings between anarchy and tyranny are fueled by perpetually
rejuvenated illusions.
The mystical trend of our time, which shows itself particularly in the rampant growth of the so-
called Theosophy and Spiritualism, is for me no more than a symptom of weakness and
confusion.
Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from
love and devotion towards men and towards objective things.
n the past it never occurred to me that every casual remark of mine would be snatched up and
recorded. Otherwise would have crept further into my shell.
p. 22 - Letter to Carl Seelig (25 October 1953).
Never before have lived through a storm like the one this night. ... The sea has a look of
indescribable grandeur, especially when the sun falls on it. One feels as if one is dissolved and
merged into Nature. Even more than usual, one feels the insignificance of the individual, and it
makes one happy.
p. 23 - Entry in a travel diary (10 December 1931) discussing a storm at sea.
Measured objectively, what a man can wrest from Truth by passionate striving is utterly
infinitesimal. But the striving frees us from the bonds of the self and makes us comrades of those
who are the best and the greatest.
p. 24 - A note Einstein wrote underneath an etching of himself (made by Hermann Struck)
which he sent to a friend, Dr. Hans Mhsam. According to the book, "the date is 1920 or perhaps
earlier."
There has been an earth for a little more than a billion years. As for the question of the end of it
advise: Wait and see!
p. 34 - 19 Jun 51.
Where the world ceases to be the scene of our personal hopes and wishes, where we face it
as free beings admiring, asking, observing, there we enter the realm of Art and Science. f what is
seen and experienced is portrayed in the language of logic, we are engaged in science. f it is
communicated through forms whose connections are not accessible to the conscious mind but
are recognized intuitively as meaningful, then we are engaged in art. Common to both is love and
devotion to that which transcends personal concerns and volition.
p. 37 - 27 January 1921.
Body and soul are not two different things, but only two different ways of perceiving the same
thing. Similarly, physics and psychology are only different attempts to link our experiences
together by way of systematic thought.
aphorism (1937), p. 38.
Politics is a pendulum whose swings between anarchy and tyranny are fueled by perennially
rejuvenated illusions.
aphorism (1937), p. 38
do not believe in immortality of the individual, and consider ethics to be an exclusively
human concern with no superhuman authority behind it.
p. 39 - reply to a letter sent to him on 17 July 1953 (it is not known if the reply was sent).
have never imputed to Nature a purpose or a goal, or anything that could be understood as
anthropomorphic. What see in Nature is a magnificent structure that we can comprehend only
very imperfectly, and that must fill a thinking person with a feeling of "humility." This is a genuinely
religious feeling that has nothing to do with mysticism.
p. 39 - draft of a German reply to a letter sent to him in 1954 or 1955 (also not known if this
reply was sent).
The mystical trend of our time, which shows itself particularly in the rampant growth of the so-
called Theosophy and Spiritualism, is for me no more than a symptom of weakness and
confusion. Since our inner experiences consist of reproductions and combinations of sensory
impressions, the concept of a soul without a body seem to me to be empty and devoid of
meaning.
p. 40 - 5 Feb 1921.
t was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being
systematically repeated. do not believe in a personal God and have never denied this but have
expressed it clearly. f something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded
admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.
p. 43 - Letter to an atheist (24 March 1954).
Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.
p. 44 - From the same 24 March 1954 letter as above.
Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from
love and devotion towards men and towards objective things.
p. 46 - 30 July 47 - letter.
Something there is that can refresh and revivify older people: joy in the activities of the younger
generationa joy, to be sure, that is clouded by dark forebodings in these unsettled times. And
yet, as always, the springtime sun brings forth new life, and we may rejoice because of this new
life and contribute to its unfolding; and Mozart remains as beautiful and tender as he always was
and always will be. There is, after all, something eternal that lies beyond reach of the hand of fate
and of all human delusions. And such eternals lie closer to an older person than to a younger one
oscillating between fear and hope. For us, there remains the privilege of experiencing beauty and
truth in their purest forms.
p. 51 - Letter to Queen Mother Elizabeth of Belgium (20 March, likely 1936). Written to her
when she was depressed over the recent death of her husband and daughter-in-law.
Falling in love is not at all the most stupid thing that people do but gravitation cannot be held
responsible for it.
Falling in love is not at all the most stupid thing that people do but gravitation cannot be held
responsible for it.
p. 56 - Jotted (in German) on the margins of a letter to him (1933).
Unsourced variants: Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. / You can't blame
gravity for falling in love.
Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it.
p. 57 - Letter to California student E. Holzapfel (March 1951) Einstein Archive 59-1013.
n my opinion, condemning the Zionist movement as "nationalistic" is unjustified. Consider the
path by which Herzl came to his mission. nitially he had been completely cosmopolitan. But
during the Dreyfus trial in Paris he suddenly realized with great clarity how precarious was the
situation of the Jews in the western world. And courageously he drew the conclusion that we are
discriminated against or murdered not because we are Germans, Frenchmen, Americans, etc. of
the "Jewish faith" but simply because we are Jews. Thus already our precarious situation forces
us to stand together irrespective of our citizenship.
Zionism gave the German Jews no great protection against annihilation. But it did give the
survivors the inner strength to endure the debacle with dignity and without losing their healthy self
respect. Keep in mind that perhaps a similar fate could be lying in wait for your children.
pp. 63-64 - c. 1946.
Anonymity is no excuse for stupidity.
pp. 54 - c. 1948.
My religiosity consists in a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals itself in
the little that we, with our weak and transitory understanding, can comprehend of reality. Morality
is of the highest importance but for us, not for God.
p. 66 of the 1981 edition.
t seems hard to sneak a look at God's cards. But that He plays dice and uses "telepathic"
methods... is something that cannot believe for a single moment.
p. 68 - letter to Cornel Lanczos, 21 Mar 1942
Human knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life. Humanity
has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above the
discoverers of objective truth.
Our time is distinguished by wonderful achievements in the fields of scientific understanding
and the technical application of those insights. Who would not be cheered by this? But let us not
forget that human knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life.
Humanity has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above
the discoverers of objective truth. What humanity owes to personalities like Buddha, Moses, and
Jesus ranks for me higher than all the achievements of the enquiring and constructive mind.
What these blessed men have given us we must guard and try to keep alive with all our
strength if humanity is not to lose its dignity, the security of its existence, and its joy in living.
p. 70 - Written statement (September 1937).
When the expected course of everyday life is interrupted, we are like shipwrecked people on a
miserable plank in the open sea, having forgotten where they came from and not knowing whither
they are drifting...
For the most part we humans live with the false impression of security and a feeling of being at
home in a seemingly trustworthy physical and human environment. But when the expected
course of everyday life is interrupted, we are like shipwrecked people on a miserable plank in the
open sea, having forgotten where they came from and not knowing whither they are drifting. But
once we fully accept this, life becomes easier and there is no longer any disappointment.
p. 72 - Letter (26 April 1945).
Study and in general the pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are
permitted to remain children all our lives.
p. 83 - letter to Adrianna Enriques, Oct 1921.
The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner
balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty
and dignity to life. To make this a living force and bring it to clear consciousness is perhaps the
foremost task of education. The foundation of morality should not be made dependent on myth
nor tied to any authority lest doubt about the myth or about the legitimacy of the authority imperil
the foundation of sound judgment and action.
p. 95 - Letter to the minister of a church in Brooklyn (20 November 1950). The minister had
earlier written Einstein asking if he would send him a signed version of a quote about the Catholic
church attributed to Einstein in Time magazine (see the "Misattributed" section below), and
Einstein had written back to say the quote was not correct, but that he was "gladly willing to write
something else which would suit your purpose". According to the book, the minister replied
"saying he was glad the statement had not been correct since he too had reservations about the
historical role of the Church at large", and said that "he would leave the decision to Einstein as to
the topic of the statement", to which Einstein replied with the statement above.
f the believers of the present-day religions would earnestly try to think and act in the spirit of
the founders of these religions then no hostility on the basis of religion would exist among the
followers of the different faiths. Even the conflicts and the realm of religion would be exposed as
insignificant.
p. 96 - 27 Jan 47 - statement to Christian conference.
Philosophy is like a mother who gave birth to and endowed all the other sciences. Therefore,
one should not scorn her in her nakedness and poverty, but should hope, rather, that part of her
Don Quixote ideal will live on in her children so that they do not sink into philistinism.
p. 106 - 28 Sep 32.
am the one to whom you wrote in care of the Belgian Academy... Read no newspapers, try to
find a few friends who think as you do, read the wonderful writers of earlier times, Kant, Goethe,
Lessing, and the classics of other lands, and enjoy the natural beauties of Munich's surroundings.
Make believe all the time that you are living, so to speak, on Mars among alien creatures and blot
out any deeper interest in the actions of those creatures. Make friends with a few animals. Then
you will become a cheerful man once more and nothing will be able to trouble you.
Bear in mind that those who are finer and nobler are always alone and necessarily so
and that because of this they can enjoy the purity of their own atmosphere.
shake your hand in heartfelt comradeship, E.
p. 115 - Response to a letter from an unemployed professional musician (5 April 1933).
The editors precede this passage thus, "Early in 1933, Einstein received a letter from a
professional musician who presumably lived in Munich. The musician was evidently troubled and
despondent, and out of a job, yet at the same time, he must have been something of a kindred
spirit. His letter is lost, all that survives being Einstein's reply....Note the careful anonymity of the
first sentence the recipient would be safer that way:" Albert Einstein: The Human Side
concludes with this passage, followed by the original passages in German.
Albert Einstein: A guide for the perplexed (1979)
Kenneth Brecher, "Albert Einstein: 14 March, 1879 18 April, 1955 A guide for the perplexed",
Nature 278 (15 March 1979), pp. 215218, doi:10.1038/278215a0. The article is described as "A
brief collection of direct and indirect quotations by or about Albert Einstein."
The most important tool of the theoretical physicist is his wastebasket.
Told by P. Morrison.
Physics is essentially an intuitive and concrete science. Mathematics is only a means for
expressing the laws that govern phenomena.
From Lettre Maurice Solvine, by A. Einstein (Gauthier-Villars: Paris 1956).
Who would have thought around 1900 that in fifty years time we would know so much more
and understand so much less.
From Albert Einstein and the Cosmic World Order, by C. Lanczos (Wiley, New York, 1956).
Einstein and the Poet (1983)
William Hermanns, Einstein and the Poet: n Search of the Cosmic Man (1983). From a series
of meetings Hermanns had with Einstein in 1930, 1943, 1948, and 1954, during which he took
notes on what Einstein said (though it's unclear if he recorded the exact phrasing or filled in words
from memory). Another person present at the 1954 conversation offered his own slightly different
transcription of Einstein's comments, which was published in the article "Death of a Genius" from
the 2 May, 1955 issue of Life Magazine. "Einstein and the Poet" is viewable on Google Books
here.
First conversation (1930):
School failed me, and failed the school. t bored me. The teachers behaved like Feldwebel
(sergeants). wanted to learn what wanted to know, but they wanted me to learn for the exam.
What hated most was the competitive system there, and especially sports. Because of this,
wasn't worth anything, and several times they suggested leave. This was a Catholic School in
Munich. felt that my thirst for knowledge was being strangled by my teachers; grades were their
only measurement. How can a teacher understand youth with such a system? . . . from the age of
twelve began to suspect authority and distrust teachers. learned mostly at home, first from my
uncle and then from a student who came to eat with us once a week. He would give me books on
physics and astronomy. The more read, the more puzzled was by the order of the universe and
the disorder of the human mind, by the scientists who didn't agree on the how, the when, or the
why of creation. Then one day this student brought me Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. Reading
Kant, began to suspect everything was taught. no longer believed in the known God of the
Bible, but rather in the mysterious God expressed in nature.
p. 8.
The basic laws of the universe are simple, but because our senses are limited, we can't grasp
them. There is a pattern in creation.
p. 10.
But we have higher mathematics, haven't we? This gives me freedom from my senses. The
language of mathematics is even more inborn and universal than the language of music; a
mathematical formula is crystal clear and independent of all sense organs. therefore built a
mathematical laboratory, set myself in it as if were sitting in a car, and moved along with a beam
of light.
p. 11.
Since others have explained my theory, can no longer understand it myself.
p. 13.
Science is never finished because the human mind only uses a small portion of its capacity,
and man's exploration of his world is also limited. f we look at this tree outside whose roots
search beneath the pavement for water, or a flower which sends its sweet smell to the pollinating
bees, or even our own selves and the inner forces that drive us to act, we can see that we all
dance to a mysterious tune, and the piper who plays this melody from an inscrutable distance
whatever name we give himCreative Force, or Godescapes all book knowledge.
p. 14.
Many people think that the progress of the human race is based on experiences of an
empirical, critical nature, but say that true knowledge is to be had only through a philosophy of
deduction. For it is intuition that improves the world, not just following a trodden path of thought.
ntuition makes us look at unrelated facts and then think about them until they can all be brought
under one law. To look for related facts means holding onto what one has instead of searching for
new facts. ntuition is the father of new knowledge, while empiricism is nothing but an
accumulation of old knowledge. ntuition, not intellect, is the 'open sesame' of yourself.
p. 16.
What do you think of Spinoza? For me he is the ideal example of the cosmic man. He worked
as an obscure diamond cutter, disdaining fame and a place at the table of the great. He tells us
the importance of understanding our emotions and suggests what causes them. Man will never
be free until he is able to direct his emotions to think clearly. Only then can he control his
environment and preserve his energy for creative work.
p. 26.
What a betrayal of man's dignity. He uses the highest gift, his mind, only ten percent, and his
emotions and instincts ninety percent.
p. 31
Spoken on hearing German marchers singing war songs. On p. 474 of Alice Calaprice's The
Ultimate Quotable Einstein, she lists "we only use 10 percent of our brain" as a quote
"misattributed to Einstein", perhaps this is the source of the misquote? Einstein seems to be
speaking metaphorically here, not endorsing the myth that science has shown 90 percent of the
neurons in our brain lie dormant. And the myth dates back to before this interview, for example
the book Mind Myths: Exploring Popular Assumptions About the Mind and Brain, edited by Sergio
Della Salla, has a chapter by Barry L. Beyerstein titled "Whence Cometh the Myth that We Only
Use 10% of our Brains?" which shows on p. 11 an advertisement from the 1929 World Almanac
containing the line "There is NO LMT to what the human brain can accomplish. Scientists and
psychologists tell us we use only about TEN PER CENT of our brain power."
Second conversation (1943):
Matter is real to my senses, but they aren't trustworthy. f Galileo or Copernicus had accepted
what they saw, they would never have discovered the movement of the earth and planets.
p. 59.
Electromagnetic fields are not of the mind... Creation may be spiritual in origin, but that doesn't
mean that everything created is spiritual. How can explain such things to you? Let us accept the
world is a mystery. Nature is neither solely material nor entirely spiritual. Man, too, is more than
flesh and blood; otherwise, no religions would have been possible. Behind each cause is still
another cause; the end or the beginning of all causes has yet to be found. Yet, only one thing
must be remembered: there is no effect without a cause, and there is no lawlessness in creation".
p. 59.
f hadn't an absolute faith in the harmony of creation, wouldn't have tried for thirty years to
express it in a mathematical formula. t is only man's consciousness of what he does with his
mind that elevates him above the animals, and enables him to become aware of himself and his
relationship to the universe.
p. 61.
believe that have cosmic religious feelings. never could grasp how one could satisfy these
feelings by praying to limited objects. The tree outside is life, a statue is dead. The whole of
nature is life, and life, as observe it, rejects a God resembling man. like to experience the
universe as one harmonious whole. Every cell has life. Matter, too, has life; it is energy solidified.
Our bodies are like prisons, and look forward to be free, but don't speculate on what will
happen to me. live here now, and my responsibility is in this world now. . . . deal with natural
laws. This is my work here on earth.
p. 64.
The world needs new moral impulses which, 'm afraid, won't come from the churches, heavily
compromised as they have been throughout the centuries. Perhaps those impulses must come
from scientists in the tradition of Galileo, Kepler and Newton. n spite of failures and persecutions,
these men devoted their lives to proving that the universe is a single entity, in which, believe, a
humanized God has no place. The genuine scientist is not moved by praise or blame, nor does
he preach. He unveils the universe and people come eagerly, without being pushed, to behold a
new revelation: the order, the harmony, the magnificence of creation! And as man becomes
conscious of the stupendous laws that govern the universe in perfect harmony, he begins to
realize how small he is. He sees the pettiness of human existence, with its ambitions and
intrigues, its ' am better than thou' creed. This is the beginning of cosmic religion within him;
fellowship and human service become his moral code. And without such moral foundations, we
are hopelessly doomed.
p. 66
Third conversation (1948):
The God Spinoza revered is my God, too: meet Him everyday in the harmonious laws which
govern the universe. My religion is cosmic, and my God is too universal to concern himself with
the intentions of every human being. do not accept a religion of fear; My God will not hold me
responsible for the actions that necessity imposes. My God speaks to me through laws
p. 89.
believe in one thingthat only a life lived for others is a life worth living.
p. 91.
f we want to improve the world we cannot do it with scientific knowledge but with ideals.
Confucius, Buddha, Jesus and Gandhi have done more for humanity than science has done. We
must begin with the heart of manwith his conscienceand the values of conscience can only
be manifested by selfless service to mankind. n this respect, feel that the Churches have much
guilt. She has always allied herself with those who rule, who have political power, and more often
than not, at the expense of peace and humanity as a whole.
p. 92.
Religion and science go together. As 've said before, science without religion is lame and
religion without science is blind. They are interdependent and have a common goalthe search
for truth. Hence it is absurd for religion to proscribe Galileo or Darwin or other scientists. And it is
equally absurd when scientists say that there is no God. The real scientist has faith, which does
not mean that he must subscribe to a creed. Without religion there is no charity. The soul given to
each of us is moved by the same living spirit that moves the universe.
p. 94.
believe that we don't need to worry about what happens after this life, as long as we do our
duty hereto love and to serve.
p. 94.
have faith in the universe, for it is rational. Law underlies each happening. And have faith in
my purpose here on earth. have faith in my intuition, the language of my conscience, but have
no faith in speculation about Heaven and Hell. 'm concerned with this timehere and now.
p. 94.
Philosophy is empty if it isn't based on science. Science discovers, philosophy interprets.
p. 98.
And the traditional religions worry me. Their long history proves that they have not understood
the meaning of the commandment: Thou shalt not kill. f we want to save this world from
unimaginable destruction we should concentrate not on the faraway God, but on the heart of the
individual. We live now in an international anarchy in which a Third World War with nuclear
weapons lies before our door. We must make the individual man aware of his conscience so that
he understands what it means that only a few will survive the next war.
p. 98.
happened to have nothing to do with the actual research and development of the bomb. My
letter to President Roosevelt was nothing but a letter of introduction for Dr. Szilard who wanted to
create adequate contact between scientists and Washington regarding the Manhattan project.
had only handled the problem of nuclear defense when it was reported to me that the Germans
were working on such an atomic bomb and, in fact, had uranium mines in Czechoslovakia in their
control. felt it was imperative for the United States to proceed in the development of the bomb,
before Hitler used it to destroy London. also felt that we had to show Germany the power of
America, for power is the only language barbarians understand. And when later learned that the
bomb had been created and was to be used against Japan, did all in my power to avert
President Truman from this plan, since publicly dropping it on an empty island would have been
sufficient to convince Japan or any nation to sue for peace.
p. 100.
ndeed, it is not intellect, but intuition which advances humanity. ntuition tells man his purpose
in this life.
p. 103.
do not need any promise of eternity to be happy. My eternity is now. have only one interest:
to fulfill my purpose here where am. This purpose is not given me by my parents or my
surroundings. t is induced by some unknown factors. These factors make me a part of eternity.
p. 103.
cannot conceive of anything after my physical deathperhaps it will end it all. The knowledge
that am now on this earth and a mysterious part of eternity is enough for me. My death will be an
easy one, too, for since early youth have always detached myself from family, friends, and
surroundings. And should live on, have no fear of the next life. Whatever good did helped to
free me from myself. What a miserable creature man would be if he were good not for the sake of
being good, but because religion told him that he would get a reward after this life, and that if he
weren't good he'd be punished.
p. 104.
My God may not be your idea of God, but one thing know of my God he makes me a
humanitarian. am a proud Jew because we gave the world the Bible and the story of Joseph.
p. 106.
America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but am afraid for her future; there are hard times
ahead for the American people, troubles will be coming from within and without. America cannot
smile away their Negro problem nor Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There are cosmic laws.
p. 108.
[in response to a question about what was meant by his "cosmic religion"] t is not a religion
that teaches that man is made in the image of Godthat is anthropomorphic. Man has infinite
dimensions and finds God in his conscience. This religion has no dogma other than teaching man
that the universe is rational and that his highest destiny is to ponder it and co-create with its laws.
There are only two limiting factors: first, that what seems impenetrable to us is as important as
what is cut and dried; and, second, that our faculties are dull and can only comprehend wisdom
and serene beauty in crude forms, but the heart of man through intuition leads us to greater
understanding of ourselves and the universe. My religion is based on Moses: Love God and love
your neighbor as yourself. And for me God is the First Cause. David and the prophets knew that
there could be no love without justice or justice without love. don't need any other religious
trappings.
p. 108.
believe the main task of the spirit is to free man from his ego.
p. 109.
But then, after all, we are all alike, for we are all derived from the monkey.
p. 110.
f had foreseen Hiroshima and Nagasaki, would have torn up my formula in 1905.
p. 112.
America, however, uses Russia now as a pretext to arm and create more terrible nuclear
bombs. f were young, would leave the United States. want to live where scholarship is free
and unattached to the military machine. want to live where spiritual values are not suppressed
by the State. Nothing has real value which is not done out of love for one's fellowman. Poor
Americathe Apocalyptic rider is coming.
p. 113
Fourth conversation (1954):
Wait a minute! am not a mystic. Trying to find out the laws of nature has nothing to do with
mysticism, though in the face of creation feel very humble. t is as if a spirit is manifest infinitely
superior to man's spirit. Through my pursuit in science have known cosmic religious feelings.
But don't care to be called a mystic.
p. 117.
[asked whether he had communist sympathies] have never admired any system that
encourages a herd nature in man by suppressing his free will to choose for himself. . . . said that
Marx sacrificed himself for the ideal of social justice, but didn't say that his theories are right. As
for Lenin, don't believe he liked me. How can be called a communist when have fought so
long for freedom of thought, of expression, freedom from the military boot, and freedom from
automation?
p. 131.
About God, cannot accept any concept based on the authority of the Church. As long as can
remember, have resented mass indoctrination. do not believe in the fear of life, in the fear of
death, in blind faith. cannot prove to you that there is no personal God, but if were to speak of
him, would be a liar. do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes
evil. My God created laws that take care of that. His universe is not ruled by wishful thinking, but
by immutable laws.
p. 132
Variant transcription from "Death of a Genius" in Life Magazine: " cannot accept any
concept of God based on the fear of life or the fear of death, or blind faith. cannot prove to you
that there is no personal God, but if were to speak of him would be a liar."
You must warn people not to make the intellect their God. The intellect knows methods but it
seldom knows values, and they come from feeling. f one doesn't play a part in the creative
whole, he is not worth being called human. He has betrayed his true purpose.
p. 135.
Certainly there are things worth believing. believe in the brotherhood of man and in personal
originality. But if you asked me to prove what believe, couldn't. You can spend your whole life
trying to prove what you believe; you may hunt for reasons, but it will all be in vain. Yet our beliefs
are like our existence; they are facts. f you don't yet know what to believe in, then try to learn
what you feel and desire.
p. 136
Variant transcription from "Death of a Genius" in Life Magazine: "Certainly there are things
worth believing. believe in the brotherhood of man and the uniqueness of the individual. But if
you ask me to prove what believe, can't. You know them to be true but you could spend a
whole lifetime without being able to prove them. The mind can proceed only so far upon what it
knows and can prove. There comes a point where the mind takes a leapcall it intuition or what
you willand comes out upon a higher plane of knowledge, but can never prove how it got there.
All great discoveries have involved such a leap."
Unsourced variant: "The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a
leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, and the solution comes to you and you do
not know how or why. All great discoveries are made in this way." The earliest published version
of this variant appears to be The Human Side of Scientists by Ralph Edward Oesper (1975), p.
58, but no source is provided, and the similarity to the "Life Magazine" quote above suggests it's
likely a misquote.
t's not as simple as that. Knowledge is necessary, too. An intuitive child couldn't accomplish
anything without some knowledge. There will come a point in everyone's life, however, where only
intuition can make the leap ahead, without ever knowing precisely how. One can never know why,
but one must accept intuition as a fact.
p. 137
n response to statement "You once told me that progress is made only by intuition, and not
by the accumulation of knowledge."
Variant transcription from "Death of a Genius" in Life Magazine: "t is not quite so simple.
Knowledge is necessary too. A child with great intuition could not grow up to become something
worthwhile in life without some knowledge. However there comes a point in everyone's life where
only intuition can make the leap ahead, without knowing precisely how.":
Don't think about why you question, simply don't stop questioning. Don't worry about what you
can't answer, and don't try to explain what you can't know. Curiosity is its own reason. Aren't you
in awe when you contemplate the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure behind
reality? And this is the miracle of the human mindto use its constructions, concepts, and
formulas as tools to explain what man sees, feels and touches. Try to comprehend a little more
each day. Have holy curiosity.
p. 138
Variant transcription from "Death of a Genius" in Life Magazine: "Then do not stop to think
about the reasons for what you are doing, about why you are questioning. The important thing is
not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reasons for existence. One cannot help but be in
awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. t
is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day. Never lose a holy
curiosity."
First you must have faith in an eternal world independent of you; then you must have faith in
your ability to perceive it, and finally you must try to explain it by means of concepts or
mathematical constructions. But don't always accept traditional concepts without reexamining
them. Even overthrow my relativity theory, if you find a better one. . . . You must believe that the
world was created as a unified whole which is comprehensible to man. Of course, it's going to
take an infinitely long time to investigate this unified creation. But to me that is the highest and
most sacred dutyunifying physics. Simplicity is the criterion of the universe.
p. 139.
Be a loner. That gives you time to wonder, to search for the truth. Have holy curiosity. Make
your life worth living.
p. 142.
Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value. Look around at how people want to
get more out of life than they put in. A man of value will give more than he receives. Be creative,
but make sure that what you create is not a curse for mankind.
p. 143
Variant transcription from "Death of a Genius" in Life Magazine: "Try not to become a man of
success but rather try to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who
gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives."
Einstein's God (1997)
Einstein's God Albert Einstein's Quest as a Scientist and as a Jew to Replace a Forsaken
God (1997) by Robert N. Goldman SBN 1568219830
The bigotry of the nonbeliever is for me nearly as funny as the bigotry of the believer.
have always believed that Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God the small group scattered all
through time of intellectually and ethically valuable people.
A man who is convinced of the truth of his religion is indeed never tolerant. At the least, he is to
feel pity for the adherent of another religion but usually it does not stop there. The faithful
adherent of a religion will try first of all to convince those that believe in another religion and
usually he goes on to hatred if he is not successful. However, hatred then leads to persecution
when the might of the majority is behind it.
n the case of a Christian clergyman, the tragic-comical is found in this: that the Christian
religion demands love from the faithful, even love for the enemy. This demand, because it is
indeed superhuman, he is unable to fulfill. Thus intolerance and hatred ring through the oily words
of the clergyman. The love, which on the Christian side is the basis for the conciliatory attempt
towards Judaism is the same as the love of a child for a cake. That means that it contains the
hope that the object of the love will be eaten up...
Letter to Rabbi Solomon Goldman of Chicago's Anshe Emet Congregation, p. 51.
f would follow your advice and Jesus could perceive it, he, as a Jewish teacher, surely would
not approve of such behavior.
Reply to a Roman Catholic student urging him to pray to Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and
convert to Christianity.
p. 88.
The fact that man produces a concept "" besides the totality of his mental and emotional
experiences or perceptions does not prove that there must be any specific existence behind such
a concept. We are succumbing to illusions produced by our self-created language, without
reaching a better understanding of anything. Most of so-called philosophy is due to this kind of
fallacy.
p. 89.
One has a feeling that one has a kind of home in this timeless community of human beings that
strive for truth. . have always believed that Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God the small
group scattered all through time of intellectually and ethically valuable people.
p. 98.
To take those fools in clerical garb seriously is to show them too much honor.
Comment on the Union of Orthodox Rabbis after expelling a rabbi because of his disbelief in
God as a personal entity.
Einstein and Religion (1999)
Einstein and Religion: Physics and Theology (1999) by Max Jammer SBN 069110297X
"PROFESSOR Smith has kindly submitted his book to me before publication. After reading it
thoroughly and with intense interest am glad to comply with his request to give him my
impression. The work is a broadly conceived attempt to portray man's fear-induced animistic and
mythic ideas with all their far-flung transformations and interrelations. t relates the impact of
these phantasmagorias on human destiny and the causal relationships by which they have
become crystallized into organized religion. This is a biologist speaking, whose scientific training
has disciplined him in a grim objectivity rarely found in the pure historian. This objectivity has not,
however, hindered him from emphasizing the boundless suffering which, in its end results, this
mythic thought has brought upon man. Professor Smith envisages as a redeeming force, training
in objective observation of all that is available for immediate perception and in the interpretation of
facts without preconceived ideas. n his view, only if every individual strives for truth can humanity
attain a happier future; the atavisms in each of us that stand in the way of a friendlier destiny can
only thus be rendered ineffective. His historical picture closes with the end of the nineteenth
century, and with good reason. By that time it seemed that the influence of these mythic,
authoritatively anchored forces which can be denoted as religious, had been reduced to a
tolerable level in spite of all the persisting inertia and hypocrisy. Even then, a new branch of
mythic thought had already grown strong, one not religious in nature but no less perilous to
mankind -- exaggerated nationalism. Half a century has shown that this new adversary is so
strong that it places in question man's very survival. t is too early for the present-day historian to
write about this problem, but it is to be hoped that one will survive who can undertake the task at
a later date." ALBERT ENSTEN, Foreword of the book "Man and his Gods", book written by
Homer W. Smith
We followers of Spinoza see our God in the wonderful order and lawfulness of all that exists
and in its soul ("Beseeltheit") as it reveals itself in man and animal. t is a different question
whether belief in a personal God should be contested. Freud endorsed this view in his latest
publication. myself would never engage in such a task. For such a belief seems to me preferable
to the lack of any transcendental outlook of life, and wonder whether one can ever successfully
render to the majority of mankind a more sublime means in order to satisfy its metaphysical
needs.
p. 51
From a letter to Eduard Bsching (25 October 1929) after Bsching sent Einstein a copy of
his book Es gibt keinen Gott [There s no God]. Einstein responded that the book only dealt with
the concept of a personal God.
Speaking of the spirit that informs modern scientific investigations, am of the opinion that all
the finer speculations in the realm of science spring from a deep religious feeling, and that without
such a feeling they would not be fruitful. also believe that, this kind of religiousness, which
makes itself felt today in scientific investigations, is the only creative religious activity of our time.
The art of today can hardly be looked upon at all as expressive of our religious instincts.
p. 68-69
From a 1930 interview with J. Murphy and J. W. N. Sullivan.
Scientific research is based on the assumption that all events, including the actions of
mankind, are determined by the laws of nature. Therefore, a research scientist will hardly be
inclined to believe that events could be influenced by a prayer, that is, by a wish addressed to a
supernatural Being. However, we have to admit that our actual knowledge of these laws is only
an incomplete piece of work (unvollkommenes Stckwerk), so that ultimately the belief in the
existence of fundamental all-embracing laws also rests on a sort of faith. All the same, this faith
has been largely justified by the success of science. On the other hand, however, every one who
is seriously engaged in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that the laws of nature manifest
the existence of a spirit vastly superior to that of men, and one in the face of which we with our
modest powers must feel humble. The pursuit of science leads therefore to a religious feeling of a
special kind, which differs essentially from the religiosity of more naive people.
p. 92-93
24 January 1936 letter in response to a sixth-grader (Phyllis Wright) asking whether
scientists pray, and if so, what they pray for.
was barked at by numerous dogs who are earning their food guarding ignorance and
superstition for the benefit of those who profit from it. Then there are the fanatical atheists whose
intolerance is of the same kind as the intolerance of the religious fanatics and comes from the
same source. They are like slaves who are still feeling the weight of their chains which they have
thrown off after hard struggle. They are creatures whoin their grudge against the traditional
"opium for the people"cannot bear the music of the spheres. The Wonder of nature does not
become smaller because one cannot measure it by the standards of human moral and human
aims.
p. 97
From a 7 August 1941 letter discussing responses to his essay "Science and Religion"
(1941).
have found no better expression than "religious" for confidence in the rational nature of reality
as it is accessible to human reason. Wherever this feeling is absent, science degenerates into
uninspired empiricism. ... cannot accept your opinion concerning science and ethics or the
determination of aims. What we call science has the sole purpose of determining what is. The
determining of what ought to be is unrelated to it and cannot be accomplished methodically.
Science can only arrange ethical propositions logically and furnish the means for the realization of
ethical aims, but the determination of aims is beyond its scope. At least that is the way see it.
p. 120-121
From a letter to his friend Maurice Solovine, 1 January 1951.
The idea of a personal God is quite alien to me and seems even naive. However, am also not
a "Freethinker" in the usual sense of the word because find that this is in the main an attitude
nourished exclusively by an opposition against naive superstition. My feeling is insofar religious
as am imbued with the consciousness of the insufficiency of the human mind to understand
deeply the harmony of the Universe which we try to formulate as "laws of nature." t is this
consciousness and humility miss in the Free-thinker mentality.
p. 121-122
From a letter to Beatrice F. in response to a question about whether he was a "free thinker",
17 December 1952.
want to know how God created this world. 'm not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the
spectrum of this or that element. want to know His thoughts, the rest are details.
p. 123
E. Salaman, "A Talk with Einstein," The Listener 54 (1955): 370-371.
t seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropomorphic concept which cannot
take seriously. feel also not able to imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere. My
views are near to those of Spinoza: admiration for the beauty of and belief in the logical simplicity
of the order and harmony which we can grasp humbly and only imperfectly. believe that we have
to content ourselves with our imperfect knowledge and understanding and treat values and moral
obligations as a purely human problemthe most important of all human problems.
p. 138-139
From a letter to Murray W. Gross, 26 April 1947
Disputed
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as
though everything is.
As quoted in Journal of France and Germany (19421944) by Gilbert Fowler White, in
excerpt published in Living with Nature's Extremes: The Life of Gilbert Fowler White (2006) by
Robert E. Hinshaw, p. 62. From the context it seems that White did not specify whether he had
heard Einstein himself say this or whether he was repeating a quote that had been passed along
by someone else, so without a primary source the validity of this quote should be considered
questionable, especially given that elsewhere Einstein defined a "miracle" as a type of event he
did not believe was possibleEinstein on Religion by Max Jammer (1999) quotes on p. 89 from a
1931 conversation Einstein had with David Reichinstein, where Reichinstein brought up
philosopher Arthur Liebert's argument that the indeterminism of quantum mechanics might allow
for the possibility of miracles, and Einstein replied that Liebert's argument dealt "with a domain in
which lawful rationality [determinism] does not exist. A 'miracle,' however, is an exception from
lawfulness; hence, there where lawfulness does not exist, also its exception, i.e., a miracle,
cannot exist." ("Dort, wo eine Gesetzmssigkeit nicht vorhanden ist, kann auch ihre Ausnahme,
d.h. ein Wunder, nicht existieren." D. Reichenstein, Die Religion der Gebildeten (1941), p. 21)
Variant: There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The
other is as though everything is a miracle.
As quoted in From Yale to Jail: The Life Story of a Moral Dissenter (1993) by David T.
Dellinger, p. 418.
t is high time the ideal of success should be replaced with the ideal of service.
No known source; it appears to be a paraphrase of the last sentence of Einstein's "An deal
of Service to Our Fellow Man". Earliest known attribution is in the Washingon Afro-American,
AFRO Magazine Section, Sept 21, 1954, p. 2.
The human mind is not capable of grasping the Universe. We are like a little child entering a
huge library. The walls are covered to the ceilings with books in many different tongues. The child
knows that someone must have written these books. t does not know who or how. t does not
understand the languages in which they are written. But the child notes a definite plan in the
arrangement of the books - a mysterious order which it does not comprehend, but only dimly
suspects.
Attributed without source to Einstein in Mieczyslaw Taube, Evolution of Matter and Energy
on a Cosmic and Planetary Scale (1985), page 1.
n December, 1947, he made the following statement: " came to America because of the great,
great freedom which heard existed in this country. made a mistake in selecting America as a
land of freedom, a mistake cannot repair in the balance of my life."
Attributed in FB Memo, February 13, 1950 (item 61-4099-25 in Einstein's FB fileviewable
online as p. 72 of "Albert Einstein Part 1 of 14" here, as well as p. 72 of the pdf file which can be
downloaded here). There is no other information in the FB's released files as to what source
attributed this statement to Einstein, and the files are full of falsehoods, including the accusation
that Einstein was secretly pro-communist.
Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down by the mind before you
reach eighteen.
As quoted in Mathematics, Queen and Servant of the Sciences (1952) by Eric Temple Bell,
p. 42. Bell did not indicate if he heard the quote from Einstein himself though, and it appeared
earlier in Harper's Magazine: Volume 196 containing issues from 1948, on p. 473, so possibly
Bell was just repeating a phrase he had read in this or some other earlier source. The Ultimate
Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice lists this as "probably not by Einstein", so its accuracy is
questionable.
Unsourced variant: Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.
Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe.
Variant: "Compound interest is man's greatest invention."
This Snopes article concluded that its status was uncertain, while this post from The Quote
nvestigator concludes it is most likely a false attribution, since variants of the quote date back to
at least 1916, with the early variants not being attributed to Einstein.
Fairy tales and more fairy tales. [in response to a mother who wanted her son to become a
scientist and asked Einstein what reading material to give him]
Found in Montana Libraries: Volumes 8-14 (1954), p. cxxx. The story is given as follows: "n
the current New Mexico Library Bulletin, Elizabeth Margulis tells a story of a woman who was a
personal friend of the late dean of scientists, Dr. Albert Einstein. Motivated partly by her
admiration for him, she held hopes that her son might become a scientist. One day she asked Dr.
Einstein's advice about the kind of reading that would best prepare the child for this career. To her
surprise, the scientist recommended 'Fairy tales and more fairy tales.' The mother protested that
she was really serious about this and she wanted a serious answer; but Dr. Einstein persisted,
adding that creative imagination is the essential element in the intellectual equipment of the true
scientist, and that fairy tales are the childhood stimulus to this quality." However, it is unclear from
this description whether Margulis heard this story personally from the woman who had
supposedly had this discussion with Einstein, and the relevant issue of the New Mexico Library
Bulletin does not appear to be online.
Variant: "First, give him fairy tales; second, give him fairy tales, and third, give him fairy
tales!" Found in The Wilson Library Bulletin, Vol 37 from 1962, which says on p. 678 that this
quote was reported by "Doris Gates, writer and children's librarian".
Variant: "Fairy tales ... More fairy tales ... Even more fairy tales". Found in Breaking the
Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales by Jack Zipes (1979), p. 1.
Variant: "f you want your children to be brilliant, tell them fairy tales. f you want them to be
very brilliant, tell them even more fairy tales." Found in Chocolate for a Woman's Heart & Soul by
Kay Allenbaugh (1998), p. 57. This version can be found in Usenet posts from before 1998, like
this one from 1995.
Variant: "f you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. f you want them to
be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales." Found in Mad, Bad and Dangerous?: The
Scientist and the Cinema by Christopher Frayling (2005), p. 6.
Variant: "f you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. f you want them to
be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." Found in Super joy English, Volume 8 by
(2006), p. 87.
The really valuable thing is intuition.
Although similar to many of Einsteins !omments about the importan!e of
intuition an" imagination, no sour!es for this !an be foun" prior to The #sy!hology of
$ons!iousness by %obert Evan &rnstein ('(7)), p. 68, *here there is no mention of
*here the +uote *as originally ma"e. A number of early sour!es from the '(80s an"
'((0s attribute it to The ,ntuitive E"ge by #hilip -ol"berg ('(8)), *hi!h also provi"es
no original sour!e.
T*o things are in.nite/ the universe an" the human stupi"ity.
As "is!usse" in this entry from The 0uote ,nvestigator, the earliest publishe"
attribution of a similar +uote to Einstein seems to have been in -estalt therapist
1re"eri!2 3. #erls '(6( boo2 -estalt Theory 4erbatim, *here he *rote on p. ))/ 5As
Albert Einstein on!e sai" to me/ T*o things are in.nite/ the universe an" human
stupi"ity. 6ut *hat is mu!h more *i"esprea" than the a!tual stupi"ity is the playing
stupi", turning o7 your ear, not listening, not seeing.5 #erls also o7ere" another
variant in his '(72 boo2 ,n an" &ut the -arbage #ail, *here he mentione" a meeting
*ith Einstein an" on p. 82 +uote" him saying/ 5T*o things are in.nite, the universe
an" human stupi"ity, an" , am not yet !ompletely sure about the universe.5
9o*ever, #erls ha" given yet another variant of this +uote in an earlier boo2, Ego,
9unger, an" Aggression/ a %evision of 1reu":s Theory an" ;etho" (originally
publishe" '(<2, although the 0uote ,nvestigator only !he!2e" that the +uote
appeare" in the '(<7 e"ition), *here he attribute" it not to Einstein but to a 5great
astronomer5, *riting/ 5As mo"ern times promote hasty eating to a large e=tent, it is
not surprising to learn that a great astronomer sai"/ T*o things are in.nite, as far as
*e 2no* > the universe an" human stupi"ity. To?"ay *e 2no* that this statement is
not +uite !orre!t. Einstein has prove" that the universe is limite".5 3o, the later
attributions in '(6( an" '(72 may have been a !ase of faulty memory, or of
intentionally trying to in!rease the authority of the +uote by attributing it to Einstein.
The +uote itself may be a variant of a similar +uote attribute" even earlier to the
philosopher Ernest %enan, foun" for e=ample in The #ubli!/ 4olume '8 from '('8,
*hi!h says on p. ''26/ 59e +uotes the saying of %enan/ it isnt the stars that give him
an i"ea of in.nity@ it is mans stupi"ity.5 (&ther e=amples of similar attributions to
%enan !an be foun" on this -oogle 6oo2s sear!h.) %enan *as 1ren!h so this is
presumably inten"e" as a translation, but "i7erent sour!es give "i7erent versions of
the suppose" original 1ren!h +uote, su!h as 5Aa bBtise humaine est la seule !hose
+ui "onne une i"Ce "e lin.ni5 (foun" for e=ample in %CDe=ions sur la vie, '8(8?'8(8
by %emy "e -ourmont from '(0), p. '0), along *ith several other early sour!es as
seen in this sear!h) an" 5$e nest pas limmensitC "e la voEte CtoilCe +ui peut "onner
le plus !omplCtement li"Ce "e lin.ni, mais bien la bBtise humaineF5 (foun" in 6roa"
vie*s, 4olume 2 from '(0<, p. <68). 3in!e these variants have not been foun" in
%enans o*n *ritings, they may represent false attributions as *ell. They may also be
variants of an even ol"er saying@ for e=ample, the '880 boo2 Ges vers by -uy "e
;aupassant in!lu"es on p. ( a +uote from a letter ("ate" 1ebruary '(, '880) by
-ustave 1laubert *here 1laubert *rites 5$epen"ant, +ui saitH Aa terre a "es limites,
mais la bBtise humaine est in.nieF5 *hi!h translates to 56ut *ho 2no*sH The earth
has its boun"aries, but human stupi"ity is in.niteF5 3imilarly the '887 boo2 ;elanges
by Iules?#aul Tar"ivel in!lu"es on p. 27) a pie!e sai" to have been *ritten in '880 in
*hi!h he *rites 5AuJour"hui Je sais +uil ny a pas "e limites K la bBtise humaine,
+uelle est in.nie5 *hi!h translates to 5to"ay , 2no* that there is no limit to human
stupi"ity, it is in.nite.5
4ariant/ 5&nly t*o things are in.nite, the universe an" human stupi"ity, an" ,m
not sure about the former.5 Earliest version lo!ate" is in Te!hno!ra!y "igest/ ,ssues
287>)'< from '(88, p. 76. Translate" to -erman as/ 5L*ei Ginge sin" unen"li!h/ "as
Mniversum un" "ie mens!hli!he Gummheit. Aber beim Mniversum bin i!h mir ni!ht
ganN si!her.5 (Earliest version lo!ate" is Arn"t?;i!hael ;eyer, Gie ;a!ht "er OPrNe,
6oo2s on Geman" -mb9, 200<, p. '<.)
;isattribute"
$ontempt prior to investigation is *hat enslaves a min" to ,gnoran!e.
This or similiar statements are more often misattribute" to 9erbert 3pen!er, but
the sour!e of the phrase 5!ontempt prior to investigation5 seems to have been
Qilliam #aley, in A 4ie* of the Evi"en!es of $hristianity ('7(<)/ 5The in."elity of the
-entile *orl", an" that more espe!ially of men of ran2 an" learning in it, is resolve"
into a prin!iple *hi!h, in my Ju"gment, *ill a!!ount for the ineR!a!y of any
argument, or any evi"en!e *hatever, viN. !ontempt prior to e=amination.5
6eing a lover of free"om, *hen the revolution !ame in -ermany, , loo2e" to the
universities to "efen" it, 2no*ing that they ha" al*ays boaste" of their "evotion to
the !ause of truth@ but, no, the universities imme"iately *ere silen!e". Then , loo2e"
to the great e"itors of the ne*spapers *hose Daming e"itorials in "ays gone by ha"
pro!laime" their love of free"om@ but they, li2e the universities, *ere silen!e" in a
fe* short *ee2s. Then , loo2e" to in"ivi"ual *riters *ho, as literary gui"es of
-ermany, ha" *ritten mu!h an" often !on!erning the pla!e of free"om in mo"ern
life@ but they, too, *ere mute.
&nly the !hur!h stoo" s+uarely a!ross the path of 9itlers !ampaign for
suppressing truth. , never ha" any spe!ial interest in the !hur!h before, but no* , feel
a great a7e!tion an" a"miration be!ause the !hur!h alone has ha" the !ourage an"
persisten!e to stan" for intelle!tual truth an" moral free"om. , am for!e" thus to
!onfess that *hat , on!e "espise" , no* praise unreserve"ly.
Attribute" in SThe $onDi!t 6et*een $hur!h An" 3tate ,n The Thir" %ei!hT, by 3.
#ar2es $a"man, Aa $rosse Tribune an" Aea"er?#ress (28 &!tober '()<), vie*able
online on p. ( of the issue here ("ouble?!li!2 the page to Noom). The +uote is
pre!e"e" by S,n this !onne!tion it is *orth +uoting in free translation a statement
ma"e by #rofessor Einstein last year to one of my !olleagues *ho has been
prominently i"enti.e" *ith the #rotestant !hur!h in its !onta!ts *ith -ermany.T
UEmphasis a""e".V Qhile base" on something that Einstein sai", Einstein himself
state" that the +uote *as not an a!!urate re!or" of his *or"s or opinion. After the
+uote appeare" in Time magaNine (2) Ge!ember '(<0), p. )8, a minister in 9arbor
3prings, ;i!higan *rote to Einstein to !he!2 if the +uote *as real. Einstein *rote
ba!2 S,t is true that , ma"e a statement *hi!h !orrespon"s appro=imately *ith the
te=t you +uote". , ma"e this statement "uring the .rst years of the WaNi?%egime X
mu!h earlier than '(<0 X an" my e=pressions *ere a little more mo"erate.T (;ar!h
'(<)) U6V
,n a later letter to %ev. $ornelius -reen*ay of 6roo2lyn, *ho as2e" if Einstein
*oul" *rite out the statement in his o*n han", Einstein *as more vehement in his
repu"iation of the statement ('< Wovember '(80) U7V/
The *or"ing of the statement you have +uote" is not my o*n. 3hortly after
9itler !ame to po*er in -ermany , ha" an oral !onversation *ith a ne*spaper man
about these matters. 3in!e then my remar2s have been elaborate" an" e=aggerate"
nearly beyon" re!ognition. , !annot in goo" !ons!ien!e *rite "o*n the statement you
sent me as my o*n.
The matter is all the more embarrassing to me be!ause ,, li2e yourself, , am
pre"ominantly !riti!al !on!erning the a!tivities, an" espe!ially the politi!al a!tivities,
through history of the oR!ial !lergy. Thus, my former statement, even if re"u!e" to
my a!tual *or"s (*hi!h , "o not remember in "etail) gives a *rong impression of my
general attitu"e.
,n his original statement Einstein *as probably referring to the a!tions of the
Emergen!y $ovenant of #astors organiNe" by ;artin WiemYller, an" the $onfessing
$hur!h *hi!h he an" other prominent !hur!hmen su!h as Oarl 6arth an" Gietri!h
6onhoe7er establishe" in opposition to WaNi poli!ies.
Einstein also ma"e some s!athingly negative !omments about the behavior of
the $hur!h un"er the WaNi regime (an" its behavior to*ar"s Ie*s throughout history)
in a '(<) !onversation *ith Qilliam 9ermanns re!or"e" in 9ermanns boo2 Einstein
an" the #oet ('(8)). &n p. 6) 9ermanns re!or"s him saying 5Wever in history has
violen!e been so *i"esprea" as in WaNi -ermany. The !on!entration !amps ma2e the
a!tions of -hengis Ohan loo2 li2e !hil"s play. 6ut *hat ma2es me shu""er is that the
$hur!h is silent. &ne "oesnt nee" to be a prophet to say, The $atholi! $hur!h *ill
pay for this silen!e. Gr. 9ermanns, you *ill live to see that there is moral la* in the
universe. . . .There are !osmi! la*s, Gr. 9ermanns. They !annot be bribe" by prayers
or in!ense. Qhat an insult to the prin!iples of !reation. 6ut remember, that for -o" a
thousan" years is a "ay. This po*er maneuver of the $hur!h, these $on!or"ats
through the !enturies *ith *orl"ly po*ers . . . the $hur!h has to pay for it. Qe live
no* in a s!ienti.! age an" in a psy!hologi!al age. Zou are a so!iologist, arent youH
Zou 2no* *hat the 9er"enmens!hen (men of her" mentality) !an "o *hen they are
organiNe" an" have a lea"er, espe!ially if he is a spo2esmen for the $hur!h. , "o not
say that the unspea2able !rimes of the $hur!h for 2000 years ha" al*ays the
blessings of the 4ati!an, but it va!!inate" its believers *ith the i"ea/ Qe have the
true -o", an" the Ie*s have !ru!i.e" 9im. The $hur!h so*e" hate instea" of love,
though the Ten $omman"ments state/ Thou shalt not 2ill.5 An" then on p. 6</ 5,m
not a $ommunist but , !an *ell un"erstan" *hy they "estroye" the $hur!h in %ussia.
All the *rongs !ome home, as the proverb says. The $hur!h *ill pay for its "ealings
*ith 9itler, an" -ermany, too.5 An" on p. 68/ 5, "ont li2e to implant in youth the
$hur!hs "o!trine of a personal -o", be!ause that $hur!h has behave" so
inhumanely in the past 2000 years. The fear of punishment ma2es the people mar!h.
$onsi"er the hate the $hur!h manifeste" against the Ie*s an" then against the
;uslims, the $rusa"es *ith their !rimes, the burning sta2es of the ,n+uisition, the
ta!it !onsent of 9itlers a!tions *hile the Ie*s an" the #oles "ug their o*n graves
an" *ere slaughtere". An" 9itler is sai" to have been an alter boyF The truly religious
man has no fear of life an" no fear of "eathXan" !ertainly no blin" faith@ his faith
must be in his !ons!ien!e. . . . , am therefore against all organiNe" religion. Too often
in history, men have follo*e" the !ry of battle rather than the !ry of truth.5 Qhen
9ermanns as2e" him 5,snt it only human to move along the line of least resistan!eH5,
Einstein respon"e" 5Zes. ,t is in"ee" human, as prove" by $ar"inal #a!elli, *ho *as
behin" the $on!or"at *ith 9itler. 3in!e *hen !an one ma2e a pa!t *ith $hrist an"
3atan at the same timeH An" he is no* the #opeF The moment , hear the *or"
religion, my hair stan"s on en". The $hur!h has al*ays sol" itself to those in po*er,
an" agree" to any bargain in return for immunity. ,t *oul" have been .ne if the spirit
of religion ha" gui"e" the $hur!h@ instea", the $hur!h "etermine" the spirit of
religion. $hur!hmen through the ages have fought politi!al an" institutional
!orruption very little, so long as their o*n san!tity an" !hur!h property *ere
preserve".5
6u""hism has the !hara!teristi!s of *hat *oul" be e=pe!te" in a !osmi! religion
for the future/ ,t trans!en"s a personal -o", avoi"s "ogmas an" theology@ it !overs
both the natural an" the spiritual, an" it is base" on a religious sense aspiring from
the e=perien!e of all things, natural an" spiritual, as a meaningful unity.
4ariant/ The religion of the future *ill be a !osmi! religion. ,t shoul" trans!en" a
personal -o" an" avoi" "ogmas an" theology. $overing both the natural an" the
spiritual, it shoul" be base" on a religious sense arising from the e=perien!e of all
things, natural an" spiritual as a meaningful unity. ,f there is any religion that *oul"
!ope *ith mo"ern s!ienti.! nee"s, it *oul" be 6u""hism.
These t*o statements are very similar, *i"ely +uote", an" seem to paraphrase
some i"eas in the essay 5%eligion an" 3!ien!e5 (see belo*), but neither of the t*o
spe!i.! +uotes above been properly sour!e". Wotable Einstein s!holars su!h as Iohn
3ta!hel an" Thomas I. ;!1arlane (author of 6u""ha an" Einstein/ The #arallel
3ayings) 2no* of this statement but have not foun" any sour!e for it. Any information
on any "e.nite original sour!es for these is *el!ome.
This +uote "oes not a!tually appear in Albert Einstein/ The 9uman 3i"e as is
sometimes !laime".
&nly t*o sour!es from before '(70 !an be foun" on -oogle 6oo2s. The .rst is
The Theosophist/ 4olume 86 *hi!h seems to !over the years '(6< an" '(68. The
+uote appears attribute" to Einstein on p. 288, *ith the *or"ing given as 5The
religion of the future *ill be a !osmi! religion. ,t shoul" trans!en" a personal -o" an"
avoi" "ogmas an" theology. $overing both the natural an" the spiritual, it shoul" be
base" on a religious sense arising from the e=perien!e of all things, natural an"
spiritual, as a meaningful unity. 6u""hism ans*ers this "es!ription.5 An i"enti!al
+uote appears on p. 28< of The ;aha 6o"hi/ 4olume 72 publishe" by the ;aha 6o"hi
3o!iety of ,n"ia, *hi!h seems to !ontain issues from throughout '(6<.
A number of phrases in the +uote are similar to phrases in Einsteins 5%eligion
an" 3!ien!e5. $omparing the version of the +uote in The Theosophist to the version
of 5%eligion an" 3!ien!e5 publishe" in '()0, 5a !osmi! religion5 in the .rst resembles
5the !osmi! religious sense5 in the se!on"@ 5trans!en" a personal -o"5 resembles
5"oes not involve an anthropomorphi! i"ea of -o"5@ 5!overing both the natural an"
the spiritual5 resembles 5reveale" in nature an" in the *orl" of thought5@ 5the
e=perien!e of all things, natural an" spiritual, as a meaningful unity5 resembles
5e=perien!e the totality of e=isten!e as a unity full of signi.!an!e5@ an" 56u""hism
ans*ers this "es!ription5 resembles 5The !osmi! element is mu!h stronger in
6u""hism5. These phrases appear in the same or"er in both !ases, an" the ones from
5%eligion an" 3!ien!e5 are all from a single paragraph of the essay.
Evil is the result of *hat happens *hen man "oes not have -o"s love present in
his heart.
Attribute" in emails in '(((, as "ebun2e" at 5;ali!e of Absen!e5 at 3nopes.!om
4ariant/ Evil is the absen!e of -o".
This statement has been attribute" to others before Einstein@ its .rst
attribution to Einstein appears to have been in an email story that began !ir!ulating
in 200<. 3ee the Mrban Aegen"s %eferen!e #ages for more "is!ussion.
,f you are out to "es!ribe the truth, leave elegan!e to the tailor.
Earliest attribution lo!ate" is The Zogi an" the $ommissar by Arthur Ooestler
('(<8), p. v. Ooestler prefa!es it *ith 5;y !omfort is *hat Einstein sai" *hen
somebo"y reproa!he" him *ith the suggestion that his formula of gravitation *as
longer an" more !umbersome than We*tons formula in its elegant simpli!ity5. This is
a!tually a variant of a +uote Einstein attribute" to Au"*ig 6oltNmann@ in the #refa!e
to his %elativityXThe 3pe!ial an" -eneral Theory ('('6), Einstein *rote/ 5, a"here"
s!rupulously to the pre!ept of that brilliant theoreti!al physi!ist A. 6oltNmann,
a!!or"ing to *hom matters of elegan!e ought to be left to the tailor an" to the
!obbler.5 (reprinte" in the 2007 boo2 A 3tubbornly #ersistent ,llusion/ The Essential
3!ienti.! Qor2s of Albert Einstein e"ite" by 3tephen 9a*2ing, p. '28).
T*o things inspire me to a*e/ the starry heavens an" the moral universe *ithin.
,f Einstein sai" this, he *as almost !ertainly +uoting philosopher ,mmanuel
Oants *or"s from the !on!lusion to the $riti+ue of #ra!ti!al %eason ('788),
translate" in #aul -uyers The $ambri"ge $ompanion to Oant (p. ') as/ 5T*o things .ll
the min" *ith ever ne* an" in!reasing a"miration an" a*e, the more often an"
stea"ily *e reDe!t upon them/ the starry heavens above me an" the moral la* *ithin
me.5
The only thing that interferes *ith my learning is my e"u!ation.
This is similar to a +uote attribute" to ;ar2 T*ain/ 5, never let my s!hooling get
in the *ay of my e"u!ation5. The earliest publishe" sour!e lo!ate" attributing the
+uote to Einstein is the '((( boo2 $areer ;anagement for the $reative #erson by
Aee T. 3ilber, p. ')0, *hile the earliest publishe" sour!e lo!ate" for the ;ar2 T*ain
+uote is the '((6 boo2 $hil"ren at %is2 by $. Wiall ;!El*ee, p. <8. 6oth +uotes
appeare" on the internet before that/ the earliest post lo!ate" that attributes the
+uote to Einstein is this one from '' 1ebruary '((<, *hile the earliest lo!ate" that
attributes the variant to ;ar2 T*ain is this one from 28 ;ar!h '(88.
The sear!h for truth is more pre!ious than its possession.
This +uote "oes appear in Einsteins '(<0 essay 5The 1un"aments of #hysi!s5
*hi!h !an be foun" in his boo2 &ut of ;y Aater Zears ('(80), but Einstein "oes not
!laim !re"it for it, instea" !alling it 5Aessings .ne saying5.
Time an" spa!e are mo"es by *hi!h *e thin2 an" not !on"itions in *hi!h *e live.
Earliest sour!e lo!ate" that attributes this to Einstein is the '(78 boo2 The
Wature of 3!ienti.! Gis!overy/ A 3ymposium $ommemorating the 800th Anniversary
of the 6irth of Wi!olaus $operni!us e"ite" by &*en -ingeri!h, p. 888. 6ut long before
that, the '(<< boo2 Einstein/ An ,ntimate 3tu"y of a -reat ;an by Gimitri ;ariano7
an" #alma Qayne !ontains the follo*ing +uote on p. 62/ 56ut Einstein !ame along
an" too2 spa!e an" time out of the realm of stationary things an" put them in the
realm of relativityXgiving the onloo2er "ominion over time an" spa!e, be!ause time
an" spa!e are mo"es by *hi!h *e thin2 an" not !on"itions in *hi!h *e live.5 ,t
appears from the +uote that the authors *ere giving their o*n "es!ription of
Einsteins i"eas, not +uoting him.
Zou "o not really un"erstan" something unless you !an e=plain it to your
gran"mother.
variant/ ,f you !ant e=plain something to a si=?year?ol", you really "ont
un"erstan" it yourself.
variant/ ,f you !ant e=plain it simply, you "ont un"erstan" it *ell enough.
1re+uently attribute" to %i!har" 1eynman
#robably base" on a similar +uote about e=plaining physi!s to a 5barmai"5 by
Ernest %utherfor"
#age <'8 of Einstein/ 9is Aife an" Times ('(72) by %onal" Q. $lar2 says that
Aouis "e 6roglie "i" attribute a similar statement to Einstein/
To "e 6roglie, Einstein reveale" an instin!tive reason for his inability to a!!ept
the purely statisti!al interpretation of *ave me!hani!s. ,t *as a reason *hi!h lin2e"
him *ith %utherfor", *ho use" to state that 5it shoul" be possible to e=plain the la*s
of physi!s to a barmai".5 Einstein, having a .nal "is!ussion *ith "e 6roglie on the
platform of the -are "u Wor" in #aris, *hen!e they ha" travele" from 6russels to
atten" the 1resnel !entenary !elebrations, sai" 5that all physi!al theories, their
mathemati!al e=pressions apart ought to len" themselves to so simple a "es!ription
that even a !hil" !oul" un"erstan" them. 5
The "e 6roglie +uote is from his '(62 boo2 We* #erspe!tives in #hysi!s, p. '8<.
$f. this +uote from Gavi" 9ilberts tal2 ;athemati!al #roblems given in '(00
before the ,nternational $ongress of ;athemati!ians/
5A mathemati!al theory is not to be !onsi"ere" !omplete until you have ma"e it
so !lear that you !an e=plain it to the .rst man *hom you meet on the street.5
$f. this +uote from Ourt 4onneguts novel $ats $ra"le/
Gr. 9oeni22er use" to say that any s!ientist *ho !oul"nt e=plain to an eight?
year?ol" *hat he *as "oing *as a !harlatan.
Zou see, *ire telegraph is a 2in" of a very, very long !at. Zou pull his tail in We*
Zor2 an" his hea" is meo*ing in Aos Angeles. Go you un"erstan" thisH An" ra"io
operates e=a!tly the same *ay/ you sen" signals here, they re!eive them there. The
only "i7eren!e is that there is no !at.
Earliest publishe" version foun" on -oogle 6oo2s *ith this phrasing is in the
'(() boo2 The ,nternet $ompanion/ A 6eginners -ui"e to -lobal Wet*or2ing by
Tra!y A. Aa0uey an" Ieanne $. %yer, p. 28. 9o*ever, the +uote seems to have been
!ir!ulating on the internet earlier than this, appearing for e=ample in this post from
'(87 an" this one from '(88. Wo referen!e has been foun" that !ites a sour!e in
Einsteins original *ritings, an" the +uote appears to be a variation of an ol" Jo2e that
"ates at least as far ba!2 as '866, as "is!usse" in this entry from the 50uote
,nvestigator5 blog. A variant *as tol" by Thomas E"ison, appearing in The Giary an"
3un"ry &bservations of Thomas Alva E"ison ('(<8), p. 2'6/ 5Qhen , *as a little boy,
persistently trying to .n" out ho* the telegraph *or2e" an" *hy, the best
e=planation , ever got *as from an ol" 3!ot!h line repairer *ho sai" that if you ha" a
"og li2e a "a!hshun" long enough to rea!h from E"inburgh to Aon"on, if you pulle"
his tail in E"inburgh he *oul" bar2 in Aon"on. , !oul" un"erstan" that. 6ut it *as har"
to get at *hat it *as that *ent through the "og or over the *ire.5 A variant of
E"isons !omment !an be foun" in the '('0 boo2 E"ison, 9is Aife an" ,nventions,
4olume ' by 1ran2 Ae*is Gyer an" Thomas $ommerfor" ;artin, p. 8).
The *ireless telegraph is not "iR!ult to un"erstan". The or"inary telegraph is
li2e a very long !at. Zou pull the tail in We* Zor2, an" it meo*s in Aos Angles. The
*ireless is the same, only *ithout the !at.
4ariant, earliest 2no*n publishe" version is 9o* to Thin2 Ai2e Einstein by
3!ott Thorpe (2000), p. 6'. Appeare" on the internet before that, as in this ar!hive"
page from '2 &!tober '(((.
The min" that opens to a ne* i"ea, Wever !omes ba!2 to its original siNe.
A!tually sai" by &liver Qen"ell 9olmes, 3r. in his boo2 The Auto!rat of the
6rea2fast Table/ 5Every no* an" then a mans min" is stret!he" by a ne* i"ea or
sensation, an" never shrin2s ba!2 to its former "imensions.5
Gie Astrologie ist eine Qissens!haft fPr si!h. Aber eine *eg*eisen"e. ,!h habe viel
aus ihr gelernt un" vielen WutNen aus ihr Niehen 2Ynnen. Gie physi2alis!hen
Er2enntnisse unterstrei!hen "ie ;a!ht "er 3terne Pber ir"is!hes -es!hi!2. Gie
Astrologie aber unterstrei!ht in ge*issem 3inne *ie"erum "ie physi2alis!hen
Er2enntnisse. Geshalb ist sie eine Art Aebens?eli=ier fPr "ie -esells!haftF
English/ Astrology is a s!ien!e in itself an" !ontains an illuminating bo"y of
2no*le"ge. ,t taught me many things, an" , am greatly in"ebte" to it. -eophysi!al
evi"en!e reveals the po*er of the stars an" the planets in relation to the terrestrial.
,n turn, astrology reinfor!es this po*er to some e=tent. This is *hy astrology is li2e a
life?giving eli=ir to man2in".
-erman +uote attribute" to Einstein in 9uters astrologis!her Oalen"er '(60
UAV
Translate" by Ta" ;ann, uni"enti.e" '(87 *or2
$ontra"i!te" by Genis 9amel, The En" of the Einstein?Astrology?3upporter
9oa=, 32epti!al ,n+uirer, 4ol. )', Wo. 6 (Wov?Ge! 2007), pp. )(?<)
Ali!e $alapri!e, The E=pan"e" 0uotable Einstein/ 5Attribute" to Einstein U[V
An e=!ellent e=ample of a +uotation someone ma"e up an" attribute" to Einstein in
or"er to len" an i"ea !re"ibility.5
A little 2no*le"ge is a "angerous thing. 3o is a lot.
Attribute" to Einstein in various re!ent sour!es, su!h as ;arvin ;ins2ys The
Emotion ;a!hine (2006), p. '76, an" at the start of the 2006 pilot episo"e of the
television series Eure2a. The ol"est publishe" sour!e lo!ate" attributing this to
Einstein is the 200< boo2 3trategi! ,nvestment/ %eal &ptions an" -ames by 9an T. I.
3mit an" Aenos Trigeorgis, p. <2(, an" before that it *as attribute" to him on the
internet, the earliest e=ample foun" being this post from '( ;ay '((8. 6ut long
before that, the same +uote appears in an a"vertisement for En!y!lopae"ia
6ritanni!a that ran in The Atlanti! ;onthy/ 4olume 2'6 from '(68, p. ')(. The a"
mentione" Einstein but "i" not "ire!tly attribute the +uote to him/ 5En!y!lopae"ia
6ritanni!a says/ A little 2no*le"ge is a "angerous thing. 3o is a lot. The more you
2no*, the more you nee" to 2no* X as Albert Einstein, for one, might have tol" you.
-reat 2no*le"ge has a *ay of bringing *ith it great responsibility. The people *ho
put the En!y!lopae"ia 6ritanni!a together feel the same *ay. After all, if most of the
*orl" ha" !ome to !ount on you as the best single sour!e of !omplete, a!!urate, up?
to?"ate information on everything, you" *ant to be pretty sure you 2ne* *hat you
*ere tal2ing about.5
Any intelligent fool !an ma2e things bigger, more !omple=, an" more violent. ,t
ta2es a tou!h of geniusXan" a lot of !ourage to move in the opposite "ire!tion.
A!tually *ritten by E. 1. 3!huma!her in a '(7) essay title" 53mall is 6eautiful5
*hi!h appeare" in The %a"i!al 9umanist/ volume )7, p. 22. Earliest publishe" sour!e
foun" on -oogle 6oo2s attributing this to Einstein is 6;I/ The 6ritish ;e"i!al Iournal,
volume )'(, 2) &!tober '(((, p. ''02. ,t *as attribute" to Einstein on the internet
some*hat before that, for e=ample in this '((7 post.
$omputers are in!re"ibly fast, a!!urate an" stupi"@ humans are in!re"ibly slo*,
ina!!urate an" brilliant@ together they are po*erful beyon" imagination.
The earliest publishe" sour!e lo!ate" on -oogle 6oo2s attributing this to
Einstein is the 2000 boo2 The ,nternet 9an"boo2 for Qriters, %esear!hers, an"
Iournalists by ;ary ;!-uire, p. '<. ,t *as attribute" to him on the internet before
that, as in this post from '((7. 4ariants of the +uote !an be foun" *ell before this
ho*ever, as in the '(8( boo2 Mrban 3urfa!e Qater ;anagement by 3. -. Qalesh,
*hi!h on p. )'8 !ontains the statement (sai" to have been state" anonymously)/
5The !omputer is in!re"ibly fast, a!!urate, an" stupi". ;an is unbelievably slo*,
ina!!urate, an" brilliant. The marriage of the t*o is a !hallenge an" opportunity
beyon" imagination.5 Even earlier, the arti!le 5A #aper ,n"ustry Appli!ation of
3ystems Engineering an" Gire!t Gigital $ontrol5 by 9. G. $outure, Ir. an" ;. A. Oeyes,
*hi!h appears in the '(6( A"van!es in ,nstrumentation/ 4ol 2<, #art <, has a
statement on this page *hi!h uses phrasing similar to the suppose" Einstein +uote in
"es!ribing !omputers an" people/ 5$omputers are in!re"ibly fast, a!!urate, an"
stupi". &n the other han", a *ell traine" operator as !ompare" *ith a !omputer is
in!re"ibly slo*, ina!!urate an" brilliant.5 4ariants *ith slightly "i7erent *or"ing !an
be foun" earlier than '(6(, as in this April '(68 arti!le. The earliest sour!e lo!ate",
an" most li2ely the origin of this saying, is an arti!le title" 5#roblems, Too, 9ave
#roblems5 by Iohn #fei7er, *hi!h appeare" in the &!tober '(6' issue of 1ortune
magaNine. As +uote" here, #fei7ers arti!le !ontaine" the line 5;an is a slo*, sloppy,
an" brilliant thin2er@ !omputers are fast, a!!urate, an" stupi".5
E"u!ation is that *hi!h remains, if one has forgotten everything he learne" in
s!hool.
Einstein "i" *rite this +uote in 5&n E"u!ation5 from '()6, *hi!h appeare" in
&ut of ;y Aater Zears, but it *as not his o*n original +uip, he attribute" it to an
unname" 5*it5.
4ery popular in 1ren!h/ 5Aa !ulture est !e +ui reste lors+ue l:on a tout oubliC5
($ulture is that *hi!h remains, if one has forgotten everything). Attribute" in 1ren!h
to \"ouar" 9erriot ('872?'(87) an", in English, sometimes to &rtega y -asset.
Another 1ren!h variant is 5la !ulture est !e +ui reste lors+uon a oubliC toutes les
!hoses apprises5 ($ulture is that *hi!h remains if one has forgotten everything one
has learne"), *hi!h appears in the '('2 boo2 #ropos $riti+ues by -eorges Guhamel,
p. '<. An" another English variant is 5$ulture is that *hi!h remains *ith a man *hen
he has forgotten all he has learne"5 *hi!h appears in The Aiving Age/ 4olume ))8
from '(2(, p. '8(, *here it is attribute" to 5E"ouar" 9erriot, 1ren!h ;inister of
E"u!ation5. Another English variant is 5E"u!ation is that *hi!h remains behin" *hen
all *e have learne" at s!hool is forgotten5, *hi!h appears in The E"u!ation &utloo2,
vol. 60 p. 8)2 (from an issue "ate" 2 Ge!ember '(07), *here it is attribute" to %alph
Qal"o Emerson.
,f the bee "isappears from the surfa!e of the earth, man *oul" have no more than
four years to live. Wo more bees, no more pollination ... no more menF
A variant X 5#rofessor Einstein, the learne" s!ientist, on!e !al!ulate" that if all
bees "isappeare" o7 the earth, four years later all humans *oul" also have
"isappeare"5 X appears in The ,rish 6ee2eeper, v.'(?20, '(68?66, p7<, !iting Abeilles
et 1leurs (6ees an" 1lo*ers, the house magaNine of Mnion Wationale "e lApi!ulture
1ran]aise) for Iune '(68. 3nopes.!om mentions its use in a bee2eepers protest in
'((< in Europe U8V suggesting invention an" attribution to Einstein for politi!al
reasons.
The most important "e!ision *e !an ma2e is *hether this is a frien"ly or hostile
universe. 1rom that one "e!ision all others spring.
;ultiple variations of this +uote !an be foun", but the earliest one on -oogle
6oo2s *hi!h uses the phrase 5frien"ly or hostile5 an" attributes it to Einstein is The
$omplete ,"iots -ui"e to 3piritual 9ealing by 3usan -regg (2000), p. 8, an" this boo2
gives no sour!e for the +uote.
A variant is foun" in ,rving &yles The We* Ameri!an ;e"i!ine 3ho* ('(7() on p.
'6), *here &yle *rites/ There is a story about Albert Einsteins vie* of human
e=isten!e. As2e" to pose the most vital +uestion fa!ing humanity, he replie", 5,s the
universe frien"lyH5 This variant is repeate" in a number of boo2s from the '(80s an"
(0s, so it probably pre?"ates the 5frien"ly or hostile5 version. An" the i"ea that the
most important +uestion *e !an as2 is 5,s the universe frien"lyH5 "ates ba!2 mu!h
earlier than the attribution to Einstein, for e=ample in Emil $arl Qilms '('2 boo2 The
#roblem of %eligion he in!lu"es the follo*ing footnote on p. ''</ A frien" propose"
to the late 1. Q. 9. ;yers the follo*ing +uestion/ 5Qhat is the thing *hi!h above all
others you *oul" li2e to 2no*H ,f you !oul" as2 the 3phin= one +uestion, an" only
one, *hat *oul" the +uestion beH5 After a moments silen!e ;yers replie"/ 5, thin2 it
*oul" be this/ ,s the universe frien"lyH5.
The "e.nition of insanity is "oing the same thing over an" over an" e=pe!ting
"i7erent results.
4ariously misattribute" to .gures also in!lu"ing 6enJamin 1ran2lin an" ;ar2
T*ain. The earliest 2no*n o!!urren!e, an" probable origin, is from a '(8' te=t from
War!oti!s Anonymous.
The *orl" is a "angerous pla!e to live, not be!ause of the people *ho are evil, but
be!ause of the people *ho "ont "o anything about it.
The earliest publishe" sour!e lo!ate" on -oogle 6oo2s is The 9arper 6oo2 of
0uotations by %obert ,. 1itNhenry ('(()), p. )86.
4ariant/ The *orl" is a "angerous pla!e, not be!ause of those *ho "o evil, but
be!ause of those *ho loo2 on an" "o nothing.
As +uote" in $ons!ious $ourage / Turning Every"ay $hallenges ,nto
&pportunities (200<) by ;aureen 3tearns, p. ((
Though *i"ely attribute" in these forms, they are apparently paraphrase" from
the +uote 5the *orl" is in greater peril from those *ho tolerate or en!ourage evil
than from those *ho a!tually !ommit it5 from $onversations *ith $asals ('(87),
liste" above in the 5'(80s5 se!tion.
Time is natures *ay of 2eeping everything from happening at on!e.
,t seems that this +uote has only begun to be attribute" to Einstein re!ently, the
earliest publishe" sour!e lo!ate" being the 2008 boo2 4isualiNation for Gummies by
6ernar" -ol"en, p. 88. 6efore that it *as often attribute" to the physi!ist Iohn
Qheeler, *ho +uote" the saying in $omple=ity, Entropy, an" the #hysi!s of
,nformation, p. '0. ,n fa!t, this +uip is mu!h ol"er@ the earliest sour!e lo!ate" is %ay
$ummings '(22 s!ien!e .!tion novel The -irl in the -ol"en Atom, available on
#roJe!t -utenberg here (a!!or"ing to 3!ien!e?1i!tion/ The Early Zears by Everett 1.
6leiler, p. '7', the novel *as a !omposite of t*o earlier stories publishe" in '('( an"
'(20). $hapter 4 !ontains the follo*ing paragraph/ The 6ig 6usiness ;an smile".
5Time,5 he sai", 5is *hat 2eeps everything from happening at on!e.5 The ne=t?earliest
sour!e foun" for this +uote is another boo2 by %ay $ummings, The ;an Qho
;astere" Time from '(2(, an" no publishe" e=amples of the +uote from authors
other than $ummings !an be foun" until the '(62 1ilm 1a!ts/ 4olume 8 *here it
appears on p. <8. 3o, it seems li2ely that %ay $ummings is the real originator of this
saying.
Wot everything that !an be !ounte" !ounts, an" not everything that !ounts !an be
!ounte".
1rom Qilliam 6ru!e $amerons ,nformal 3o!iology/ A $asual ,ntro"u!tion to
3o!iologi!al Thin2ing ('(6)), p. '). The !omment is part of a longer paragraph an"
"oes not appear in +uotations in $amerons boo2, an" other sour!es su!h as The
3tu"ents $ompanion to 3o!iology (p. (2) attribute the +uote to $ameron. A number
of re!ent boo2s !laim that Einstein ha" a sign *ith these *or"s in his oR!e in
#rin!eton, but until a reliable histori!al sour!e !an be foun" to support this,
s2epti!ism is *arrante". The earliest sour!e on -oogle 6oo2s that mentions the
+uote in asso!iation *ith Einstein an" #rin!eton is $harles A. -ar.el"s '(86 boo2
#ea2 #erformers/ The We* 9eroes of Ameri!an 6usiness, in *hi!h he *rote on p. '86/
Albert Einstein li2e" to un"ers!ore the mi!ro^ma!ro partnership *ith a remar2
from 3ir -eorge #i!2ering that he !hal2e" on the bla!2boar" in his oR!e at the
,nstitute for A"van!e" 3tu"ies at #rin!eton/ 5Wot everything that !ounts !an be
!ounte", an" not everything that !an be !ounte" !ounts.5
,f only , ha" 2no*n, , shoul" have be!ome a *at!h?ma2er.
A!!or"ing to The 0uote 4eri.er (2006) by %alph Oeyes, Einstein never sai" any
su!h thing. (A!!or"ing to p. 288 of the boo2s 5sour!e notes5 Oeyes !he!2e" We*
3tatesman '6 April '(68, *hi!h is !ommonly !ite" as the sour!e of this +uote. 3ome
other boo2s !laim its from We* 3tatesman '6 April '(88 an" at least one has it as
'(<8, but a -oogle 6oo2s sear!h *ith the "ate range restri!te" to '(00?'((8 sho*s
that all the earliest sour!es give it as '(68. This in!lu"es the earliest sour!e lo!ate",
The #enguin Gi!tionary of ;o"ern 0uotations from '(7', as !an be veri.e" by this
sear!h.) Oeyes notes that Einstein 5"i" use similar *or"s to ma2e a very "i7erent
point5 *hen he *rote, in a '(8< letter to the e"itor at The %eporter magaNine, 5,f ,
*oul" be a young man again an" ha" to "e!i"e ho* to ma2e my living, , *oul" not
try to be!ome a s!ientist or s!holar or tea!her. , *oul" rather !hoose to be a plumber
or a pe""ler in the hope to .n" that mo"est "egree of in"epen"en!e still available
un"er present !ir!umstan!es.5
3imilarly, in Einstein an" the #oet by Qilliam 9ermanns, p. 86, Einstein is +uote"
saying the follo*ing in a '(<8 intervie*/ 5,f , shoul" be born again, , *ill be!ome a
!obbler an" "o my thin2ing in pea!e.5
,f the fa!ts "ont .t the theory, !hange the fa!ts.
The earliest publishe" attribution of this +uote to Einstein foun" on -oogle
6oo2s is the '((' boo2 The Art of $omputer 3ystems #erforman!e Analysis by %aJ
Iain (p. 807), but no sour!e to Einsteins original *ritings is given an" the +uote itself
is ol"er@ for e=ample We* -uar"/ 4olume 8, ,ssue ) from '(6' says on p. )'2
53omeone on!e sai" that if the fa!ts "o not .t the theory, then the fa!ts must be
!hange"5, *hile #ro"u!t engineering/ 4olume 2(, ,ssues (?'2 from '(88 gives the
slight variant on p. ( 5There is an age?ol" a"age, ,f the fa!ts "ont .t the theory,
!hange the theory. 6ut too often its easier to 2eep the theory an" !hange the fa!ts.5
These +uotes are themselves probably variants of an even earlier saying *hi!h use"
the phrasing 5so mu!h the *orse for the fa!ts5, many e=amples of *hi!h !an be seen
in this sear!h@ for e=ample, the '88' Ameri!an Qhig %evie*, 4olumes ')?'< says on
p. <88 59o*ever, ;r. We*hall may possibly have been of that !ausists opinion, *ho,
*hen tol" that the fa!ts of the matter "i" not bear out his hypothesis, sai" 3o mu!h
the *orse for the fa!ts.5 The -erman i"ealist philosopher Iohann -ottlieb 1i!hte !ir!a
'800 "i" say 5,f theory !onDi!ts *ith the fa!ts, so mu!h the *orse for the fa!ts.5 The
9ungarian ;ar=ist -eorg Au2a!s in his 5Ta!ti!s an" Ethi!s5 ('(2)) e!hoe" the same
+uotation.
The intuitive min" is a sa!re" gift an" the rational min" is a faithful servant. Qe
have !reate" a so!iety that honors the servant an" has forgotten the gift.
$ommonly +uote" on the internet, an" also in re!ent boo2s su!h as #lanetary
3urvival ;anual by ;atthe* 3tein (2000), p. 8'.
3teins boo2 is the earliest publishe" sour!e lo!ate" *ith that pre!ise version of
the +uote, but the +uote !an be foun" in earlier Msenet posts su!h as this one from
'((8, an" other publishe" variants of the +uote using the *or"s 5sa!re" gift5 !an be
foun" earlier. A -oogle 6oo2s sear!h *ith the "ate range restri!te" to '(00?'((0
sho*s only a han"ful in the '(80s an" '(70s, an" several of them attribute it to The
;etaphori! ;in" by 6ob 3amples ('(76), *hi!h also seems to be the earliest
publishe" variant. 3amples "oes not provi"e an e=a!t +uote, but *rites on p. 26/
5Albert Einstein !alle" the intuitive or metaphori! min" a sa!re" gift. 9e a""e" that
the rational min" *as a faithful servant. ,t is para"o=i!al that in the !onte=t of
mo"ern life *e have begun to *orship the servant an" "e.le the "ivine.5 ,t seems as
if the last senten!e about *orshipping the servant is Just 3amples o*n !omment
(though in later variants it be!ame part of the suppose" +uote), *hile the earlier
senten!es only paraphrase something that 3amples !laims Einstein to have sai".
Einstein ha" many +uotes about the value of intuition an" imagination, but the
spe!i.! *or" 5gift5 !an be foun" in a !omment remembere" by I_nos #les!h in the
se!tion Attribute" from memory an" posthumous publi!ations, 5Qhen , e=amine
myself an" my metho"s of thought , !ome to the !on!lusion that the gift of fantasy
has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive 2no*le"ge.5 3o, 6ob
3amples might have been paraphrasing that !omment. Ai2e*ise Einstein ha" a
number of +uotes about the intelle!t being se!on"ary to intuition, but the language
of the intelle!t 5serving5 !an be foun" in a +uote from the &ut of ;y Aater Zears
('(80) se!tion, 5An" !ertainly *e shoul" ta2e !are not to ma2e the intelle!t our go"@
it has, of !ourse, po*erful mus!les, but no personality. ,t !annot lea", it !an only
serve@ an" it is not fasti"ious in its !hoi!e of a lea"er.5
Wu!lear po*er is a hell of a *ay to boil *ater.
$ommonly +uote" on the internet, this +uote is a!tually from Oarl -rossman, via
his '(80 boo2 $over Mp/ Qhat Zou are Wot 3uppose" to Ono* About Wu!lear #o*er
(p. '88@ freely available online via its publisher@ see #G1 page '87).
,f a !luttere" "es2 is the sign of a !luttere" min", *hat is the signi.!an!e of a
!lean "es2H
4ariant/ an empty "es2
Attribute" to Gr. Aauren!e I. #eter. Earliest sour!e is 5#eters 0uotations,5 page
))(.
0uotes about Einstein
Arrange" alphabeti!ally by author
, *as parti!ularly *on over by his s*eet "isposition, by his general 2in"ness, by his
simpli!ity, an" by his frien"liness. &!!asionally, gaiety *oul" gain the upper han"
an" he *oul" stri2e a more personal note an" even "is!lose some "etail of his "ay?
to?"ay life. Then again, reverting to his !hara!teristi! moo" of reDe!tion an"
me"itation, he *oul" laun!h into a profoun" an" original "is!ussion of a variety of
s!ienti.! an" other problems. , shall al*ays remember the en!hantment of all those
meetings, from *hi!h , !arrie" a*ay an in"elible impression of Einsteins great
human +ualities.
Aouis "e 6roglie, We* #erspe!tives in #hysi!s, p. '82.
Ai2e many other great s!ientists he "oes not .t the bo=es in *hi!h popular
polemi!ists li2e to pigeonhole him. ... ,t is !lear for e=ample that he ha" respe!t for
the religious values enshrine" *ithin Iu"ai! an" $hristian tra"itions ... but *hat he
un"erstoo" by religion *as something far more subtle than *hat is usually meant by
the *or" in popular "is!ussion.
Iohn 6roo2e, as +uote" in 5$hil"ish superstition/ Einsteins letter ma2es vie* of
religion relatively !lear5 in The -uar"ian (') ;ay 2008)
3ome people have reporte" that Einstein *as +uite a goo" musi!ian, but others
*erent so enthusiasti!. A professional violinist !laime" he 5.""le" li2e a lumberJa!25@
a famous pianist playing *ith him "eman"e", 51or heavens sa2e Albert, !ant you
!ountH5@ an" a musi! !riti! in 6erlin, thin2ing Einstein *as famous for his violin
playing rather than physi!s, Ju"ge" that 5Einsteins playing is e=!ellent, but he "oes
not "eserve *orl" fame@ there are many others Just as goo".5
Ali!e $alapri!e ` Trevor Aips!ombe, Albert Einstein/ A 6iography (2008).
Ai2e 9ilbert, Einstein "i" his great *or2 up to the age of forty *ithout any
re"u!tionist bias. 9is !ro*ning a!hievement, the general relativisti! theory of
gravitation, gre* out of a "eep physi!al un"erstan"ing of natural pro!esses. &nly at
the very en" of his ten?year struggle to un"erstan" gravitation "i" he re"u!e the
out!ome of his un"erstan"ing to a .nite set of .el" e+uations. 6ut li2e 9ilbert, as he
gre* ol"er he !on!entrate" his attention more an" more on the formal properties of
his e+uations, an" he lost interest in the *i"er universe of i"eas out of *hi!h his
e+uations arose. 9is last t*enty years *ere spent in a fruitless sear!h for a set of
e+uations that *oul" unify the *hole of physi!s, *ithout paying attention to the
rapi"ly proliferating e=perimental "is!overies that any uni.e" theory *oul" have to
e=plain. , "o not have to say more about... Einsteins lonely attempt to re"u!e physi!s
to a .nite set of mar2s on paper. 9is attempt faile" as "ismally as 9ilberts attempt to
"o the same thing in mathemati!s.
1reeman Gyson, The 3!ientist As %ebel (2006).
The longitu"e ra!e *as reborn in a t*entieth?!entury version, as optimisti!
inventors "esigne" "evi!es to syn!hroniNe timepie!es all over the *orl". Aiming to
prote!t the fortunes they envisage" reaping, they applie" for patents in 3*itNerlan",
!enter of the !lo!2?ma2ing tra"e. An" many of their "esigns lan"e" on the "es2 of a
philosophi!al physi!ist *ho *as originally more intereste" in thermo"ynami!s than in
timeX#atent &R!er Albert Einstein.
#atri!ia 1ara, 3!ien!e A 1our Thousan" Zear 9istory (200().
Einstein *as a giant. 9is hea" *as in the !lou"s, but his feet *ere on the groun".
Those of us *ho are not so tall have to !hooseF
%i!har" 1eynman, as +uote" in $olle!tive Ele!tro"ynami!s / 0uantum
1oun"ations of Ele!tromagnetism (2002) by $arver A. ;ea", p. =i=.
Mn"er -rossmans gui"en!e, Einstein stu"ie" an" learne" tensor analysis. The t*o
men a!tually publishe" several papers together, but the *or2 at this stage *as still a
2in" of groping in the "ar2Xa min"?tormenting sear!h for the one e+uation out of
hun"re"s that *as the !orre!t one. ...,nterestingly, the !orre!t e+uation *as a!tually
!onsi"ere" brieDy, but reJe!te" by Einstein be!ause he !ame to the mista2en
!on!lusion that it violate" !ausality. Then a further mista2e le" to the aban"onment
of the prin!iple of !ovarian!e.
6arry #ar2er, Einsteins Gream/ The 3ear!h for a Mni.e" Theory of the Mniverse
('(86).
#on"ering about the problem, Einstein thought about the beam of light !urving
aroun" the limb of the sun@ he soon realiNe" that it *as not the beam that *as bent,
but rather the spa!e through *hi!h it travele". ;atter must someho* !urve spa!e
an" other matter must move through this !urve" spa!e in the *ay *e see it moveX
yet this *ay must be 5natural.5 9e "e!i"e" the most natural *ay *oul" be along a
path that represente" the shortest "istan!e bet*een t*o given points in spa!e (this
is !alle" the geo"esi! in mathemati!s). This *oul" mean that the sun !urves the
spa!e aroun" it an" the planets move in this spa!e along geo"esi!s. These geo"esi!s
appear to us to be ellipti!al orbits, but in !urve" spa!e they are a!tually straight
lines.
6arry #ar2er, Einsteins Gream/ The 3ear!h for a Mni.e" Theory of the Mniverse
('(86).
1rom a simple point of vie*, then, Einsteins e+uation !an be *ritten/ tensor A a
tensor 6, *here tensor A "es!ribes the !urvature of spa!e an" tensor 6 "es!ribes the
matter that !auses the !urvature. ,n pra!ti!e, 6 !an also !ontain terms "es!ribing an
ele!tromagneti! .el" sin!e ele!tromagneti! .el"s represent energy, an" energy is
Just another form of mass. Einsteins "issatisfa!tion !entere" on tensor 6.
6arry #ar2er, Einsteins Gream/ The 3ear!h for a Mni.e" Theory of the Mniverse
('(86) referring to the Einstein .el" e+uations of general relativity
3umming up, *e may say that there is har"ly one among the great problems, in
*hi!h mo"ern physi!s is so ri!h, to *hi!h Einstein has not ma"e an important
!ontribution. That he may sometimes have misse" the target in his spe!ulations, as,
for e=ample, in his hypothesis of light +uanta, !annot really be hel" too mu!h against
him, for it is not possible to intro"u!e fun"amentally ne* i"eas, even in the most
e=a!t s!ien!es, *ithout o!!asionally ta2ing ris2.
;a= #lan!2 (*ith Qalther Wernst, 9einri!h %ubens an" Emil Qarburg), ('('))
letter of re!ommen"ation for membership in the #russian A!a"emy of 3!ien!es
('(')) $olle!te" #apers of Albert Einstein ($#AE) 4ol. 8, Go!. <<8 ('(()).
, trie" to persua"e him to give up his "eterminism, *hi!h amounte" to the vie*
that the *orl" *as a four?"imensional #armeni"ean blo!2 universe in *hi!h !hange
*as a human illusion, or very nearly so. (9e agree" that this ha" been his vie*, an"
*hile "is!ussing it , !alle" him 5#armeni"es5.) , argue" that if men, or other
organisms, !oul" e=perien!e !hange an" genuine su!!ession in time, then this *as
real. ,t !oul" not be e=plaine" a*ay by a theory of the su!!essive rising into our
!ons!iousness of time sli!es *hi!h in some sense !oe=ist@ for this 2in" of 5rising into
!ons!iousness5 *oul" have pre!isely the same !hara!ter as that su!!ession of
!hanges *hi!h the theory tries to e=plain a*ay. [ , trie" to present to Einstein?
#armeni"es as strongly as , !oul" my !onvi!tion that a !lear stan" must be ma"e
against any i"ealisti! vie* of time. An" , also trie" to sho* that, though the i"ealisti!
vie* *as !ompatible *ith both "eterminism an" in"eterminism, a !lear stan" shoul"
be ma"e in favour of an 5open5 universe X one in *hi!h the future *as in no sense
!ontaine" in the past or the present, even though they "o impose severe restri!tions
on it. , argue" that *e shoul" not be s*aye" by our theories to give up realism (for
*hi!h the strongest arguments *ere base" on !ommon sense), though , thin2 that he
*as rea"y to a"mit, as , *as, that *e might be for!e" one "ay to give it up if very
po*erful arguments (of -Y"els type, say) *ere to be brought against it. , therefore
argue" that *ith regar" to time, an" also to in"eterminism (that is, the
in!ompleteness of physi!s), the situation *as pre!isely similar to the situation *ith
regar" to realism. Appealing to his o*n *ay of e=pressing things in theologi!al terms,
, sai"/ if -o" ha" *ante" to put everything into the *orl" from the beginning, 9e
*oul" have !reate" a universe *ithout !hange, *ithout organisms an" evolution, an"
*ithout man an" mans e=perien!e of !hange. 6ut 9e seems to have thought that a
live universe *ith events une=pe!te" even by 9imself *oul" be more interesting than
a "ea" one.
Oarl #opper, in Mnen"e" 0uest/ An ,ntelle!tual Autobiography , p. '<8
;en li2e Einstein pro!laim obvious truths about *ar but are not listene" to. 3o long
as Einstein is unintelligible, he is thought *ise, but as soon as he says anything that
people !an un"erstan", it is thought that his *is"om has "eparte" from him.
6ertran" %ussell, Go -overnments Gesire QarH ('()2), a ne*spaper arti!le for
the 5We* Zor2 Ameri!an5 (as +uote" in ;ortals an" &thers, v.', '(78).
&h, he *as a lovely man, Einstein. &h, lovely man. 9e ha" the most perfe!t
simpli!ity an" perfe!t mo"esty, an" all his feelings *ere humane.
6ertran" %ussell, in an intervie* *ith Gavi" 3uss2in", Iune '0, '(62.
,t "i" not last/ the Gevil ho*ling 9oF
Aet Einstein beF restore" the status +uo.
I. $. 3+uire, in 5,n !ontinuation of #ope on We*ton5 ('(26)@ 3+uire is here
e=ten"ing upon the famous statement of Ale=an"er #ope/
Wature an" Watures la*s lay hi" in night/
-o" sai", Aet We*ton beF X an" all *as light.
As +uote" in The Epigrammatists / A 3ele!tion from the Epigrammati!
Aiterature of An!ient, ;e"ibval, an" ;o"ern Times ('878) by 9enry #hilip Go"", p.
)2(.
Wapoleon, an" other great men of his type, they *ere ma2ers of empire. 6ut there
is an or"er of men that get beyon" that/ They are not ma2ers of empire, but they are
ma2ers of universe. An" *hen they have ma"e those universes, their han"s are
unstaine" by the bloo" of any human being on earth. [ #tolemy ma"e a universe,
*hi!h laste" '<00 years. We*ton also ma"e a universe, *hi!h has laste" )00 years.
Einstein has ma"e a universe, an" , !ant tell you ho* long that *ill last.
-eorge 6ernar" 3ha*, from spee!h hel" in honour of Einstein at the 3avoy 9otel
in Aon"on, &!tober 28, '()0.
, li2e +uoting Einstein. Ono* *hyH 6e!ause nobo"y "ares !ontra"i!t you.
3tu"s Ter2el, as +uote" in 54oi!e of Ameri!a5 in The -uar"ian (' ;ar!h 2002)
Einstein e=plaine" his theory to me every "ay, an" on my arrival , *as fully
!onvin!e" that he un"erstoo" it.
Attribute" to $haim QeiNmann, after a long trans?Atlanti! Journey@ 3impsons
$ontemporary 0uotations (6822) !re"its Wigel $al"er, Einsteins Mniverse ('(7()@ a
slightly "i7erent version appears in Gavi" 6o"anis, Eam!c, *hi!h !re"its $arl 3eelig,
Albert Einstein/ A Go!umentary 6iography ('(86), pp. 80>8'.
Einsteins theory of relativity has a"van!e" our i"eas of the stru!ture of the
!osmos a step further. ,t is as if a *all *hi!h separate" us from Truth has !ollapse".
Qi"er e=panses an" greater "epths are no* e=pose" to the sear!hing eye of
2no*le"ge, regions of *hi!h *e ha" not even a presentiment. ,t has brought us mu!h
nearer to grasping the plan that un"erlies all physi!al happening.
9ermann Qeyl, 3pa!eXTimeX;atter ('(22).
9is *or2 revolve" aroun" three rules *hi!h apply to all UUs!ien!eV, our problems,
an" times/
'. &ut of !lutter, .n" simpli!ity@
2. 1rom "is!or" ma2e harmony@ an" .nally
). ,n the mi""le of "iR!ulty lies opportunity.
Iohn Ar!hibal" Qheeler, intervie*e" in $osmi! 3ear!h, 4ol. ', Wo. < (1all '(7().
The three prin!iples are sometimes attribute" to Einstein himself, but no sour!e !an
be foun" sho*ing that Einstein state" them, an" Qheeler "i"nt in"i!ate in the
intervie* *hether he *as +uoting something Einstein ha" tol" him or giving his o*n
"es!ription of ho* Einstein *or2e".
A !lear pattern emerges... he lat!hes on to some per!eive" fun"amental *ea2ness
or !ontra"i!tion in e=isting physi!al theory an" *orries over it for long perio"s of time
Xas long as it ta2es. 9e is !on!erne" not to e=ploit e=isting i"eas but to trans!en"
them. This restless style is not ne!essarily a re!ipe for su!!ess. Einstein "i" not play
a !reative role in the "evelopment of physi!s after '(28... The basi! "iR!ulty *as
that Einstein believe" he sa* "iR!ulties in the basi! foun"ations of +uantum theory
an" that, !hara!teristi!ally, he *ishe" to overhaul the theory rather than to e=ploit it.
Qhile his !olleagues *ere applying +uantum theory *ith great su!!ess to elu!i"ate
the *or2ings of atoms, nu!lei, an" bul2 matter, Einstein hel" aloof.
1ran2 Qil!Ne2 ` 6etsy Gevine, Aonging for the 9armonies/ Themes an"
4ariations from ;o"ern #hysi!s ('(87).
;ost s!ientists are happiest *hen they are ma2ing !lear progress, solving some
perhaps small but *ell?"e.ne" an" signi.!ant problems by !lever a"aptations of
2no*n te!hni+ues. ;ost peopleXperhaps allXfeel a!utely an=ious an" unhappy
*hen they are 5groping in the "ar25 or .n" themselves poise" uneasily upon 5no .rm
foun"ation.5 Qe must a"mire the !ourage of those rare in"ivi"uals *ho, li2e Einstein,
systemati!ally see2 out su!h situations.
1ran2 Qil!Ne2 ` 6etsy Gevine, Aonging for the 9armonies/ Themes an"
4ariations from ;o"ern #hysi!s ('(87).
,t is +uite easy to in!lu"e a *eight for empty spa!e in the e+uations of gravity.
Einstein "i" so in '('7, intro"u!ing *hat !ame to be 2no*n as the !osmologi!al
!onstant into his e+uations. 9is motivation *as to !onstru!t a stati! mo"el of the
universe. To a!hieve this, he ha" to intro"u!e a negative mass "ensity for empty
spa!e, *hi!h Just !an!ele" the average positive "ensity "ue to matter. Qith Nero total
"ensity, gravitational for!es !an be in stati! e+uilibrium. 9ubbles subse+uent
"is!overy of the e=pansion of the universe, of !ourse, ma"e Einsteins stati! mo"el
universe obsolete. ...The fa!t is that to this "ay *e "o not un"erstan" in a "eep *ay
*hy the va!uum "oesnt *eigh, or (to say the same thing in another *ay) *hy the
!osmologi!al !onstant vanishes, or (to say it in yet another *ay) *hy Einsteins
greatest blun"er *as a mista2e.
1ran2 Qil!Ne2 ` 6etsy Gevine, Aonging for the 9armonies/ Themes an"
4ariations from ;o"ern #hysi!s ('(87).
Isaac Newton
do not know what may appear to the world, but to myself seem to have been only like a boy
playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a
prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.
Sir saac Newton (January 4, 1643 March 31 1727 or in Old Style: December 25, 1642 March
20, 1727) was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, alchemist, inventor, theologian
and natural philosopher. He is often regarded as the most influential scientist in history and is
most famous for discovering the Laws of Gravity.
Contents
1 Quotes
1.1 Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687)
1.2 Opticks (1704)
1.3 "Hypothesis explaining the Properties of Light" (1675)
1.4 Board of Longitude
1.5 A short Schem of the true Religion
1.6 Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John (1733)
1.7 Geometriae (Treatise on Geometry)
2 Disputed
3 Misattributed
4 Quotes about Newton
4.1 A - F
4.2 G - L
4.3 M - R
4.4 S - Z
5 External links
Quotes
Plato is my friend Aristotle is my friend but my greatest friend is truth.
frame no hypotheses.
Christ comes as a thief in the night, & it is not for us to know the times & seasons which God hath
put into his own breast.
To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age...
Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.
have studied these things you have not.
Amicus Plato amicus Aristoteles magis amica veritas
Plato is my friend Aristotle is my friend but my greatest friend is truth.
These are notes in Latin that Newton wrote to himself that he titled: Quaestiones Quaedam
Philosophicae [Certain Philosophical Questions] (c. 1664)
Variant translations: Plato is my friend, Aristotle is my friend, but my best friend is truth.
Plato is my friend Aristotle is my friend truth is a greater friend.
This is a variation on a much older adage, which Roger Bacon attributed to Aristotle: Amicus
Plato sed magis amica veritas. Bacon was perhaps paraphrasing a statement in the
Nicomachean Ethics: Where both are friends, it is right to prefer truth.
The best and safest method of philosophizing seems to be, first to enquire diligently into the
properties of things, and to establish these properties by experiment, and then to proceed more
slowly to hypothesis for the explanation of them. For hypotheses should be employed only in
explaining the properties of things, but not assumed in determining them, unless so far as they
may furnish experiments.
Letter to gnatius Pardies (1672) Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (Feb.
1671/2) as quoted by William L. Harper, saac Newton's Scientific Method: Turning Data nto
Evidence about Gravity and Cosmology (2011)
f have seen further it is by standing on ye sholders of Giants.
Letter to Robert Hooke (15 February 1676) [dated as 5 February 1675 using the Julian
calendar with March 25th rather than January 1st as New Years Day, equivalent to 15 February
1676 by Gregorian reckonings.] The phrase is most famous as an expression of Newton's but he
was using a simile which in its earliest known form was attributed to Bernard of Chartres by John
of Salisbury: Bernard of Chartres used to say that we [the Moderns] are like dwarves perched on
the shoulders of giants [the Ancients], and thus we are able to see more and farther than the
latter. And this is not at all because of the acuteness of our sight or the stature of our body, but
because we are carried aloft and elevated by the magnitude of the giants.
Modernized variants: f have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
f have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
f have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.
have not been able to discover the cause of those properties of gravity from phenomena, and
frame no hypotheses; for whatever is not deduced from the phenomena is to be called a
hypothesis, and hypotheses, whether metaphysical or physical, whether of occult qualities or
mechanical, have no place in experimental philosophy.
Letter to Robert Hooke (15 February 1676) [5 February 1676 (O.S.)]
Bullialdus wrote that all force respecting ye Sun as its center & depending on matter must be
reciprocally in a duplicate ratio of ye distance from ye center.
Letter to Edmund Halley (June 20, 1686) quoted in . Bernard Cohen and George E. Smith,
ed.s, The Cambridge Companion to Newton (2002) p.204
1. Fidelity & Allegiance sworn to ye King is only such a fidelity and obedience as is due to him
by ye law of ye land; for were that faith and allegiance more than what the law requires, we would
swear ourselves slaves, and ye King absolute; whereas, by the law, we are free men,
notwithstanding those Oaths. 2. When, therefore, the obligation by the law to fidelity and
allegiance ceases, that by the Oath also ceases...
Letter to Dr. Covel Feb. 21, (1688-9) Thirteen Letters from Sir saac Newton to J. Covel,
D.D. (1848)
The 2300 years do not end before the year 2132 nor after 2370.
The time times & half time do not end before 2060. .... t may end later, but see no reason for
its ending sooner. This mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop
to the rash conjectures of fancifull men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, & by
doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail. Christ comes
as a thief in the night, & it is not for us to know the times & seasons which God hath put into his
own breast.
An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture (1704), regarding his
calculations "Of the End of the World" based upon the prophecies of Daniel, quoted in Look at the
Moon! the Revelation Chronology (2007) by John A. Abrams, p. 141
Modern typographical and spelling variant:
This mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash
conjectures of fanciful men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, and by doing so
bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail.
As quoted in "The world will end in 2060, according to Newton" in the London Evening
Standard (19 June 2007).
To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age. 'Tis much
better to do a little with certainty, & leave the rest for others that come after you, than to explain all
things by conjecture without making sure of any thing.
Statement from unpublished notes for the Preface to Opticks (1704) quoted in Never at
Rest: A Biography of saac Newton (1983) by Richard S. Westfall, p. 643.
n the beginning of the year 1665 found the method of approximating series and the rule for
reducing any dignity [power] of any binomial to such a series [ i.e. the binomial theorem ]. The
same year in May found the method of tangents of Gregory and Slusius, and in November had
the direct method of Fluxions (i.e. the elements of differential calculus), and the next year in
January had the Theory of Colours, and in May following had entrance into the inverse method
of Fluxions [i.e. integral calculus], and in the same year began to think of gravity extending to the
orb of the moon ... and having thereby compared the force requisite to keep the Moon in her orb
with the force of gravity at the surface of the earth, and found them to answer pretty nearly. All
this was in the two years of 1665 and 1666, for in those years was in the prime of my age for
invention and minded Mathematicks and Philosophy more than at any time since.
(ca. 1716) A Catalogue of the Newton MSS., Portsmouth Collection, Cambridge (1888) as
quoted in Sir Sidney Lee (ed.), The Dictionary of National Biography Vol.40 (1894)
keep the subject constantly before me, and wait 'till the first dawnings open slowly, by little
and little, into a full and clear light.
Reply upon being asked how he made his discoveries, as quoted in "Biographia Britannica:
Or the Lives of the Most Eminent Persons who Have Flourished in Great Britain from the Earliest
Ages Down to the Present Times, Volume 5 ", by W. nnys, (1760), p. 3241.
have studied these things you have not.
Reported as Newton's response, whenever Edmond Halley would say anything disrespectful
of religion, by Sir David Brewster in The Life of Sir saac Newton (1831). This has often been
quoted in recent years as having been a statement specifically defending Astrology. Newton
wrote extensively on the importance of Prophecy, and studied Alchemy, but there is little evidence
that he took favourable notice of astrology[1]. n a footnote, Brewster attributes the anecdote to
the astronomer Nevil Maskelyne who is said to have passed it on to Oxford professor Stephen
Peter Rigaud[2].
God created everything by number, weight and measure.
do not know what may appear to the world, but to myself seem to have been only like a boy
playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a
prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.
Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir saac Newton (1855) by Sir David
Brewster (Volume . Ch. 27). Compare: "As children gath'ring pebbles on the shore", John Milton,
Paradise Regained, Book iv. Line 330.
n default of any other proof, the thumb would convince me of the existence of a God.
Reported as something said by Newton in All the Year Round (1864), by Charles Dickens;
later found in "The Book of the Hand" (1867) by A R. Craig, S. Low and Marston, p. 51:
"n want of other proofs, the thumb would convince me of the existence of a God; as without
the thumb the hand would be a defective and incomplete instrument, so without the moral will,
logic, decision, faculties of which the thumb in different degrees offers the different signs, the
most fertile and the most brilliant mind would only be a gift without worth."
A slight variant of this is cited as something Newton once "exclaimed" in Human Nature :
An nterdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective, Vol. 1, ssues 7-12 (1978), p. 47: "n the absence of
any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence."
find more sure remarks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatever.
Anecdote reported by Dr. Robert Smith, late Master of Trinity College, to his student Richard
Watson, as something that Newton expressed when he was writing his Commentary On Daniel.
n Watson's Apology for the Bible. London 8vo. (1806), p. 57
Oh, Diamond! Diamond! thou little knowest what mischief thou hast done!
This is from an anecdote found in St. Nicholas magazine, Vol. 5, No. 4, (February 1878) :
Sir saac Newton had on his table a pile of papers upon which were written calculations that
had taken him twenty years to make. One evening, he left the room for a few minutes, and when
he came back he found that his little dog "Diamond" had overturned a candle and set fire to the
precious papers, of which nothing was left but a heap of ashes.
t is the perfection of God's works that they are all done with the greatest simplicity. He is the
God of order and not of confusion. And therefore as they would understand the frame of the world
must endeavor to reduce their knowledge to all possible simplicity, so must it be in seeking to
understand these visions.
Cited in Rules for methodizing the Apocalypse, Rule 9, from a manuscript published in The
Religion of saac Newton (1974) by Frank E. Manuel, p. 120, quoted in Never at Rest: A
Biography of saac Newton (1983) by Richard S. Westfall, p. 326, in Fables of Mind: An nquiry
nto Poe's Fiction (1987) by Joan Dayan, p. 240, and in Everything Connects: n Conference with
Richard H. Popkin (1999) by Richard H. Popkin, James E. Force, and David S. Katz, p. 124.
Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.
Cited in Rules for methodizing the Apocalypse, Rule 9, from a manuscript published in The
Religion of saac Newton (1974) by Frank E. Manuel, p. 120, as quoted in Socinianism And
Arminianism : Antitrinitarians, Calvinists, And Cultural Exchange in Seventeenth-Century Europe
(2005) by Martin Mulsow, Jan Rohls, p. 273.
Variant: Truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of
things.
As quoted in God in the Equation : How Einstein Transformed Religion (2002) by Corey S.
Powell, p. 29.
God created everything by number, weight and measure.
As quoted in Symmetry in Plants (1998) by Roger V. Jean and Denis Barab, p. xxxvii, a
translation of a Latin phrase he wrote in a student's notebook, elsewhere given as Numero
pondere et mensura Deus omnia condidit. This is similar to Latin statements by Thomas Aquinas,
and even more ancient statements of the Greek philosopher Pythagoras. See also Wisdom of
Solomon 11:20.
We must believe in one God that we may love & fear him. We must believe that he is the father
Almighty, or first author of all things by the almighty power of his will, that we may thank &
worship him & him alone for our being and for all the blessings of this life < insertion from f 43v >
We must believe that this is the God of moses & the Jews who created heaven & earth & the sea
& all things therein as is expressed in the ten commandments, that we may not take his name in
vain nor worship images or visible resemblances nor have (in our worship) any other God then
him. For he is without similitude he is the invisible God whom no eye hath seen nor can see, &
therefore is not to be worshipped in any visible shape. He is the only invisible God & the only God
whom we are to worship & therefore we are not to worship any visible image picture likeness or
form. We are not forbidden to give the name of Gods to Angels & Kings but we are forbidden to
worship them as Gods. For tho there be that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth (as
there are Gods many & Lords many) yet to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all
things & we in him & our Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things & we in him, that is, but one
God & one Lord in our worship: One God & one mediator between God & man the man Christ
Jesus. We are forbidden to worship two Gods but we are not forbidden to worship one God, &
one Lord: one God for creating all things & one Lord for redeeming us with his blood. We must
not pray to two Gods, but we may pray to one God in the name of one Lord. We must believe
therefore in one Lord Jesus Christ that we may behave our selves obediently towards him as
subjects & keep his laws, & give him that honour & glory & worship which is due to him as our
Lord & King or else we are not his people. We must believe that this Lord Jesus is the Christ, or
Messiah the Prince predicted by Daniel, & we must worship him as the Messiah or else we are no
Christians. The Jews who were taught to have but one God were also taught to expect a king, &
the Christians are taught in their Creed to have the same God & to believe that Jesus is that King.
Drafts on the history of the Church (Section 3). Yahuda Ms. 15.3, National Library of srael,
Jerusalem, srael. 2006 Online Version at Newton Project.
Who is a liar, saith John, but he that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist that
denyeth the Father & the Son. And we are authorized also to call him God: for the name of God is
in him. Exod. 23.21. And we must believe also that by his incarnation of the Virgin he came in the
flesh not in appearance only but really & truly , being in all things made like unto his brethren
(Heb. 2 17) for which reason he is called also the son of man.
Drafts on the history of the Church (Section 3). Yahuda Ms. 15.3, National Library of srael,
Jerusalem, srael. 2006 Online Version at Newton Project.
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687)
The errors are not in the art, but in the artificers.
The ancients considered mechanics in a twofold respect; as rational, which proceeds
accurately by demonstration, and practical. To practical mechanics all the manual arts belong,
from which mechanics took its name. But as artificers do not work with perfect accuracy, it comes
to pass that mechanics is so distinguished from geometry, that what is perfectly accurate is called
geometrical; what is less so is called mechanical. But the errors are not in the art, but in the
artificers. He that works with less accuracy is an imperfect mechanic: and if any could work with
perfect accuracy, he would be the most perfect mechanic of all; for the description of right lines
and circles, upon which geometry is founded, belongs to mechanics. Geometry does not teach us
to draw these lines, but requires them to be drawn; for it requires that the learner should first be
taught to describe these accurately, before he enters upon geometry; then it shows how by these
operations problems may be solved.
Preface (8 May 1686).
Geometry does not teach us to draw these lines, but requires them to be drawn...
Our design, not respecting arts, but philosophy, and our subject, not manual, but natural
powers, we consider chiefly those things which relate to gravity, levity, elastic force, the resistance
of fluids, and the like forces, whether attractive or impulsive; and therefore we offer this work as
mathematical principles of philosophy; for all the difficulty of philosophy seems to consist in this
from the phenomena of motions to investigate the forces of nature, and then from these forces
to demonstrate the other phenomena...
Preface
wish we could derive the rest of the phenomena of nature by the same kind of reasoning from
mechanical principles; for am induced by many reasons to suspect that they may all depend
upon certain forces by which the particles of bodies, by some causes hitherto unknown, are either
mutually impelled towards each other, and cohere in regular figures, or are repelled and recede
from each other; which forces being unknown, philosophers have hitherto attempted the search of
nature in vain; but hope the principles here laid down will afford some light either to that or some
truer method of philosophy.
Preface
Rational mechanics must be the science of the motions which result from any forces, and of
the forces which are required for any motions, accurately propounded and demonstrated. For
many things induce me to suspect, that all natural phenomena may depend upon some forces by
which the particles of bodies are either drawn towards each other, and cohere, or repel and
recede from each other: and these forces being hitherto unknown, philosophers have pursued
their researches in vain. And hope that the principles expounded in this work will afford some
light, either to this mode of philosophizing, or to some mode which is more true.
Preface, translation in William Whewell's History of the nductive Sciences (1837)
do not define time, space, place, and motion, as being well known to all. Only must observe,
that the common people conceive those quantities under no other notions but from the relation
they bear to sensible objects. And thence arise certain prejudices, for the removing of which it will
be convenient to distinguish them into absolute and relative, true and apparent, mathematical and
common.
Definitions - Scholium
We are to admit no more causes of natural things than such as are both true and sufficient to
explain their appearances.
t is indeed a matter of great difficulty to discover, and effectually to distinguish, the true
motions of particular bodies from the apparent; because the parts of that immovable space, in
which those motions are performed, do by no means come under the observation of our senses.
Yet the thing is not altogether desperate; for we have some arguments to guide us, partly from the
apparent motions, which are the differences of the true motions; partly from the forces, which are
the causes and effects of the true motions.
Definitions - Scholium
We are to admit no more causes of natural things than such as are both true and sufficient to
explain their appearances.
"Rules of Reasoning in Philosophy" : Rule
Every body continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a right line, unless it is
compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.
Laws of Motion,
The alternation of motion is ever proportional to the motive force impressed; and is made in the
direction of the right line in which that force is impressed.
Laws of Motion,
To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction; or, the mutual actions of two bodies
upon each other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts.
Laws of Motion,
Hypotheses non fingo.
frame no hypotheses.
A famous statement in the "General Scholium" of the third edition, indicating his belief that
the law of universal gravitation was a fundamental empirical law, and that he proposed no
hypotheses on how gravity could propagate.
Variant translation: feign no hypotheses.
As translated by Alexandre Koyr (1956)
have not as yet been able to discover the reason for these properties of gravity from
phenomena, and do not feign hypotheses. For whatever is not deduced from the phenomena
must be called a hypothesis; and hypotheses, whether metaphysical or physical, or based on
occult qualities, or mechanical, have no place in experimental philosophy. n this philosophy
particular propositions are inferred from the phenomena, and afterwards rendered general by
induction.
As translated by . Bernard Cohen and Anne Whitman (1999).
Elegantissima haecce solis, planetarum & cometarum compages non nisi consilio & dominio
entis intelligentis & potentis oriri potuit. <...> Hic omnia regit non ut anima mundi, sed ut
universorum dominus. Et propter dominium suum, dominus deus Hdvopop dici solet.
This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the
counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being. <...>This Being governs all things, not
as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all; and on account of his dominion he is wont to be
called Lord God dvokpop, or Universal Ruler <...>
Scholium Generale (1726). Translated by Andrew Motte (1846).
But it is not to be conceived that mere mechanical causes could give birth to so many regular
motions: since the Comets range over all parts of the heavens, in very eccentric orbits. For by
that kind of motion they pass easily through the orbs of the Planets, and with great rapidity; and in
their aphelions, where they move the slowest, and are detain'd the longest, they recede to the
greatest distances from each other, and thence suffer the least disturbance from their mutual
attractions. This most beautiful System of the Sun, Planets and Comets, could only proceed from
the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being. And if the fixed Stars are the
centers of other like systems, these being form'd by the like wise counsel, must be all subject to
the dominion of One; especially, since the light of the fixed Stars is of the same nature with the
light of the Sun, and from every system light passes into all the other systems. And lest the
systems of the fixed Stars should, by their gravity, fall on each other mutually, he hath placed
those Systems at immense distances one from another.
General Scholium, Tr. Andrew Motte (1729)
He is not Eternity or nfinity, but Eternal and nfinite; he is not Duration or Space, but he
endures and is present. He endures for ever and is every where present; and by existing always
and every where he constitutes Duration and Space.
General Scholium, Tr. Andrew Motte (1729)
Since every particle of Space is always, and every indivisible moment of Duration is every
where, certainly the Maker and Lord of all things cannot be never and no where.
General Scholium, Tr. Andrew Motte (1729)
Every soul that has perception is, though in different times and in different organs of sense and
motion, still the same indivisible person. There are given successive parts in duration, co-existent
parts in space, but neither the one nor the other in the person of a man, or his thinking principle;
and much less can they be found in the thinking substance of God. Every man, so far as he is a
thing that has perception, is one and the same man during his whole life, in all and each of his
organs of sense. God is the same God, always and every where. He is omnipresent, not virtually
only, but also substantially; for virtue cannot subsist without substance.
General Scholium, Tr. Andrew Motte (1729)
We know him only by his most wise and excellent contrivances of things, and final causes; we
admire him for his perfections; but we reverence and adore him on account of his dominion. For
we adore him as his servants; and a God without dominion, providence, and final causes, is
nothing else but Fate and Nature. Blind metaphysical necessity, which is certainly the same
always and every where, could produce no variety of things. All that diversity of natural things
which we find, suited to different times and places, could arise from nothing but the ideas and will
of a Being necessarily existing. But by way of allegory, God is said to see, to speak, to laugh, to
love, to hate, to desire, to give, to receive, to rejoice, to be angry, to fight, to frame, to work, to
build. For all our notions of God are taken from the ways of mankind, by a certain similitude
which, though not perfect, has some likeness however. And thus much concerning God; to
discourse of whom from the appearances of things, does certainly belong to Natural Philosophy.
General Scholium, Tr. Andrew Motte (1729)
Opticks (1704)
There were several editions of Opticks in English and in Latin made in Newtons lifetime,
including expansions of the original 16 "Queries" to eventually number 31.
The main Business of natural Philosophy is to argue from Phenomena without feigning
Hypotheses, and to deduce Causes from Effects, till we come to the very first Cause, which
certainly is not mechanical.
What is there in places empty of matter?
The changing of bodies into light, and light into bodies, is very conformable to the course of
Nature, which seems delighted with transmutations.
Do not Bodies act upon Light at a distance, and by their action bend its Rays; and is not this
action (caeteris paribus) [all else being equal] strongest at the least distance?
Query 1
Do not the Rays which differ in Refrangibility differ also in Flexibility; and are they not by their
different inflexions separated from one another, so as after separation to make the Colours in the
three Fringes... ? And after what manner are they inflected to make those Fringes?
Query 2
Are not the Rays of Light in passing by the edges and sides of Bodies, bent several times
backwards and forwards, with a motion like that of an Eel? And do not the three Fringes of
colour'd Light... arise from three such bendings?
Query 3
Do not the Rays of Light which fall upon Bodies, and are reflected or refracted, begin to bend
before they arrive at the Bodies; and are they not reflected, refracted, and inflected, by one and
the same Principle, acting variously in various Circumstances?
Query 4
Do not Bodies and Light act mutually upon one another; that is to say, Bodies upon Light in
emitting, reflecting, refracting and inflecting it, and Light upon Bodies for heating them, and
putting their parts into a vibrating motion wherein heat consists?
Query 5
Do not several sorts of Rays make Vibrations of several bignesses, which according to their
bigness excite Sensations of several Colours, much after the manner that the Vibrations of the
Air, according to their several bignesses excite Sensations of several Sounds? And particularly do
not the most refrangible Rays excite the shortest Vibrations for making a Sensation of deep violet,
the least refrangible the largest form making a Sensation of deep red, and several intermediate
sorts of Rays, Vibrations of several intermediate bignesses to make Sensations of several
intemediate Colours?
Query 13
s not the Heat of the warm Room convey'd through the Vacuum by the Vibrations of a much
subtiler Medium than Air, which after the Air was drawn out remained in the Vacuum? And is not
this Medium the same with that Medium by which Light is refracted and reflected and by whose
Vibrations Light communicates Heat to Bodies, and is put into Fits of easy Reflexion and easy
Transmission? ...And do not hot Bodies communicate their Heat to contiguous cold ones, by the
Vibrations of this Medium propagated from them into the cold ones? And is not this Medium
exceedingly more rare and subtile than the Air, and exceedingly more elastick and active? And
doth it not readily pervade all Bodies? And is it not (by its elastick force) expanded through all the
Heavens?
Query 18
Doth not this thereal Medium in passing out of Water, Glass, Crystal, and other compact and
dense Bodies into empty Spaces, grow denser and denser by degrees, and by that means refract
the Rays of Light not in a point, but by bending them gradually in curve Lines? And doth not the
gradual condensation of this Medium extend to some distance from the Bodies, and thereby
cause the nflexions of the Rays of Light, which pass by the edges of dense Bodies, at some
distance from the Bodies?
Query 20
s not this Medium [ther] much rarer within the dense Bodies of the Sun, Stars, Planets, and
Comets, than in the empty celestial Spaces between them? And in passing from them to great
distances, doth it not grow denser and denser perpetually, and thereby cause the gravity of those
great Bodies towards one another, and of their parts towards the Bodies; every Body
endeavouring to go from the denser parts of the Medium towards the rarer? ...And though this
ncrease of density may at great distances be exceeding stow, yet if the elastick force of this
Medium be exceeding great, it may suffice to impel Bodies from the denser parts of the Medium
towards the rarer, with all that power which we call Gravity. And that the elastic force of this
Medium is exceeding great, may be gather'd from the swiftness of its Vibrations.
Query 21
As Attraction is stronger in small Magnets than in great ones in proportion to their Bulk, and
Gravity is greater in the Surfaces of small Planets than in those of great ones in proportion to their
bulk, and small Bodies are agitated much more by electric attraction than great ones; so the
smallness of the Rays of Light may contribute very much to the power of the Agent by which they
are refracted.
Query 21
And so if any one would suppose that ther (like our Air) may contain Particles which
endeavour to recede from one another (for do not know what this ther is) and that its Particles
are exceedingly smaller than those of Air, or even than those of Light: The exceeding smallness
of its Particles may contribute to the greatness of the force by which those Particles may recede
from one another, and thereby make that Medium exceedingly more rare and elastick than Air,
and by consequence exceedingly less able to resist the motions of projectiles, and exceedingly
more able to press upon gross Bodies, by endeavouring to expand it self.
Query 21
To make way for the regular and lasting Motions of the Planets and Comets, it's necessary to
empty the Heavens of all Matter, except perhaps some very thin Vapours, Steams or Effluvia,
arising from the Atmospheres of the Earth, Planets and Comets, and from such an exceedingly
rare thereal Medium ... A dense Fluid can be of no use for explaining the Phnomena of
Nature, the Motions of the Planets and Comets being better explain'd without it. t serves only to
disturb and retard the Motions of those great Bodies, and make the frame of Nature languish: And
in the Pores of Bodies, it serves only to stop the vibrating Motions of their Parts, wherein their
Heat and Activity consists. And as it is of no use, and hinders the Operations of Nature, and
makes her languish, so there is no evidence for its Existence, and therefore it ought to be
rejected. And if it be rejected, the Hypotheses that Light consists in Pression or Motion
propagated through such a Medium, are rejected with it.
And for rejecting such a Medium, we have the authority of those the oldest and most
celebrated philosophers of ancient Greece and Phoenicia, who made a vacuum and atoms and
the gravity of atoms the first principles of their philosophy, tacitly attributing Gravity to some other
Cause than dense Matter. Later Philosophers banish the Consideration of such a Cause out of
natural Philosophy, feigning Hypotheses for explaining all things mechanically, and referring other
Causes to Metaphysicks: Whereas the main Business of natural Philosophy is to argue from
Phenomena without feigning Hypotheses, and to deduce Causes from Effects, till we come to the
very first Cause, which certainly is not mechanical.
Query 28 : Are not all Hypotheses erroneous in which Light is supposed to consist of
Pression or Motion propagated through a fluid medium?
What is there in places empty of matter? and Whence is it that the sun and planets gravitate
toward one another without dense matter between them? Whence is it that Nature doth nothing in
vain? and Whence arises all that order and beauty which we see in the world? To what end are
comets? and Whence is it that planets move all one and the same way in orbs concentrick, while
comets move all manner of ways in orbs very excentrick? and What hinders the fixed stars from
falling upon one another?
Query 28 : Are not all Hypotheses erroneous in which Light is supposed to consist of
Pression or Motion propagated through a fluid medium?
The changing of bodies into light, and light into bodies, is very conformable to the course of
Nature, which seems delighted with transmutations.
Query 30 : Are not gross bodies and light convertible into one another, and may not bodies
receive much of their activity from the particles of light which enter into their composition?
t seems probable to me that God, in the beginning, formed matter in solid, massy, hard,
impenetrable, moveable particles, of such sizes and figures, and with such other properties, and
in such proportions to space, as most conduced to the end for which He formed them; and that
these primitive particles, being solids, are incomparably harder than any porous bodies
compounded of them, even so very hard as never to wear or break in pieces; no ordinary power
being able to divide what God had made one in the first creation. While the particles continue
entire, they may compose bodies of one and the same nature and texture in all ages: but should
they wear away or break in pieces, the nature of things depending on them would be changed.
Query 31 : Have not the small particles of bodies certain powers, virtues, or forces, by which
they act at a distance, not only upon the rays of light for reflecting, refracting, and inflecting them,
but also upon one another for producing a great part of the Phenomena of nature?
How these Attractions may be perform'd, do not here consider. What call Attraction may
be perform'd by impulse, or by some other means unknown to me. use that Word here to signify
only in general any Force by which Bodies tend towards one another, whatsoever be the Cause.
For we must learn from the Phaenomena of Nature what Bodies attract one another, and what
are the Laws and Properties of the attraction, before we enquire the Cause by which the
Attraction is perform'd, The Attractions of Gravity, Magnetism and Electricity, react to very
sensible distances, and so have been observed by vulgar Eyes, and there may be others which
reach to so small distances as hitherto escape observation; and perhaps electrical Attraction may
react to such small distances, even without being excited by Friction.
"Hypothesis explaining the Properties of Light" (1675)
Article sent to Henry Oldenburg in 1675 but not published until Thomas Birch, "History of the
Royal Society" (1757) Vol.3 pp. 247, 262, 272; as quoted in Nature (1893) Vol.48 p.536
Were to assume an hypothesis, it should be this, if propounded more generally, so as not to
assume what light is further than that it is something or other capable of exciting vibrations of the
ether. First, it is to be assumed that there is an ethereal medium, much of the same constitution
as air, but far rarer, subtiller, and more strongly elastic. ...n the second place, it is to be supposed
that the ether is a vibrating medium, like air, only the vibrations much more swift and minute;
those of air made by a man's ordinary voice succeeding at more than half a foot or a foot
distance, but those of ether at a less distance than the hundredth-thousandth part of an inch. And
as in air the vibrations are some larger than others, but yet all equally swift... so suppose the
ethereal vibrations differ in bigness but not in swiftness. ...n the fourth place, therefore, suppose
that light is neither ether nor its vibrating motion, but something of a different kind propagated
from lucid bodies. They that will may suppose it an aggregate of various peripatetic qualities.
Others may suppose it multitudes of unimaginable small and swift corpuscles of various sizes
springing from shining bodies at great distances one after the other, but yet without any sensible
interval of time. ...To avoid dispute and make this hypothesis general, let every man here take his
fancy; only whatever light be, would suppose it consists of successive rays differing from one
another in contingent circumstances, as bigness, force, or vigour, like as the sands on the shore...
and, further, would suppose it diverse from the vibrations of the ether. ...Fifthly, it is to be
supposed that light and ether mutually act upon one another. ...thereal vibrations are therefore
the best means by which such a subtile agent as light can shake the gross particles of solid
bodies to heat them.
And so, supposing that light impinging on a refracting or reflecting ethereal superficies puts it
into a vibrating motion, that physical superficies being by the perpetual applause of rays always
kept in a vibrating motion, and the ether therein continually expanded and compressed by turns, if
a ray of light impinge on it when it is much compressed, suppose it is then too dense and stiff to
let the ray through, and so reflects it; but the rays that impinge on it at other times, when it is
either expanded by the interval between two vibrations or not too much compressed and
condensed, go through and are refracted.
And now to explain colours. suppose that as bodies excite sounds of various tones and
consequently vibrations, in the air of various bignesses, so when rays of light by impinging on the
stiff refracting superficies excite vibrations in the ether, these rays excite vibrations of various
bignesses... therefore, the ends of the capillamenta of the optic nerve which front or face the
retina being such refracting superficies, when the rays impinge on them they must there excite
these vibrations, which vibrations (like those of sound in a trumpet) will run along the pores or
crystalline pith of the capillamenta through the optic nerves into the sensorium (which light itself
cannot do), and there, suppose, affect the sense with various colours, according to their bigness
and mixturethe biggest with the strongest colours, reds and yellows; the least with the weakest,
blues and violets; middle with green; and a confusion of all with white, much after the manner,
that in the sense of hearing, nature makes use of aereal vibrations of several bignesses to
generate sounds of divers tones; for the analogy of nature is to be observed.
Board of Longitude
One [method] is by a Watch to keep time exactly. But, by reason of the motion of the Ship, the
Variation of Heat and Cold, Wet and Dry, and the Difference of Gravity in different Latitudes, such
a watch hath not yet been made.
Written in remarks to the 1714 Longitude committee; quoted in Longitude (1995) by Dava
Sobel, p. 52 (i998 edition) SBN 1-85702-571-7),
A good watch may serve to keep a recconing at Sea for some days and to know the time of a
Celestial Observ[at]ion: and for this end a good Jewel watch may suffice till a better sort of Watch
can be found out. But when the Longitude at sea is once lost, it cannot be found again by any
watch.
Letter to Josiah Burchett (1721), quoted in Longitude (1995) by Dava Sobel, p. 60.
A short Schem of the true Religion
Religion is partly fundamental & immutable partly circumstantial & mutable.
We must be righteous & do to all men as we would they should do to us.
Undated manuscript : Keynes Ms. 7: '"A short Schem of the true Religion'"
Righteousness is the religion of the kingdom of heaven & even the property of God himself
towards man. Righteousness & Love are inseparable for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the
law.
Religion is partly fundamental & immutable partly circumstantial & mutable. The first was the
Religion of Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham Moses Christ & all the saints & consists of two parts
our duty towards God & our duty towards man or piety & righteousness, piety which will here call
Godliness & Humanity.
Godliness consists in the knowledge love & worship of God, Humanity in love, righteousness &
good offices towards man.
Of Godliness.
Atheism is so senseless & odious to mankind that it never had many professors. Can it be by
accident that all birds beasts & men have their right side & left side alike shaped (except in their
bowels) & just two eyes & no more on either side the face & just two ears on either side the head
& a nose with two holes & no more between the eyes & one mouth under the nose & either two
fore leggs or two wings or two arms on the sholders & two leggs on the hipps one on either side &
no more? Whence arises this uniformity in all their outward shapes but from the counsel &
contrivance of an Author? Whence is it that the eyes of all sorts of living creatures are transparent
to the very bottom & the only transparent members in the body, having on the outside an hard
transparent skin, & within transparent juyces with a crystalline Lens in the middle & a pupil before
the Lens all of them so truly shaped & fitted for vision, that no Artist can mend them? Did blind
chance know that there was light & what was its refraction & fit the eys of all creatures after the
most curious manner to make use of it? These & such like considerations always have & ever will
prevail with man kind to believe that there is a being who made all things & has all things in his
power & who is therfore to be feared.
Of Atheism
dolatry is a more dangerous crime because it is apt by the authority of Kings & under very
specious pretenses to insinuate it self into mankind. Kings being apt to enjoyn the honour of their
dead ancestors: & it seeming very plausible to honour the souls of Heroes & Saints & to believe
that they can heare us & help us & are mediators between God & man & reside & act principally
in the temples & statues dedicated to their honour & memory? And yet this being against the
principal part of religion is in scripture condemned & detested above all other crimes. The sin
consists first in omitting the service of the true God.
Of dolatry
The other part of the true religion is our duty to man. We must love our neighbour as our
selves, we must be charitable to all men for charity is the greatest of graces, greater then even
faith or hope & covers a multitude of sins. We must be righteous & do to all men as we would
they should do to us.
Of Humanity
Abel was righteous & Noah was a preacher of righteousness & by his righteousness he was
saved from the flood. Christ is called the righteous & by his righteousness we are saved & except
our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees we shall not enter into
the kingdome of heaven. Righteousness is the religion of the kingdom of heaven & even the
property of God himself towards man. Righteousness & Love are inseparable for he that loveth
another hath fulfilled the law.
Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John (1733)
The predictions of things to come relate to the state of the Church in all ages.
Amongst the old Prophets, Daniel is most distinct in order of time, and easiest to be understood:
and therefore in those things which relate to the last times, he must be made the key to the rest.
Published posthumously by his nephew Benjamin Smith - Full text online For background
information on these quotations, see saac Newton's religious views
n sacred Prophecy, which regards not single persons, the Sun is put for the whole species and
race of Kings, light for the glory, truth, and knowledge, wherewith great and good men shine and
illuminate others; darkness for obscurity of condition, and for error, blindness and ignorance.
When a man is taken in a mystical sense, his qualities are often signified by his actions, and by
the circumstances of things about him.
The folly of nterpreters has been, to foretell times and things by this Prophecy, as if God
designed to make them Prophets.
The design of God was much otherwise... not to gratify mens curiosities by enabling them to
foreknow things, but that after they were fulfilled they might be interpreted by the event, and his
own Providence, not the nterpreters, be then manifested thereby to the world.
He that will understand the old Prophets, must begin with this; but the time is not yet come for
understanding them perfectly, because the main revolution predicted in them is not yet come to
pass.
The signal revolutions predicted by all the holy Prophets, will at once both turn men's eyes upon
considering the predictions, and plainly interpret them. Till then we must content ourselves with
interpreting what hath been already fulfilled.
The authority of Emperors, Kings, and Princes, is human. The authority of Councils, Synods,
Bishops, and Presbyters, is human. The authority of the Prophets is divine, and comprehends the
sum of religion, reckoning Moses and the Apostles among the Prophets; and if an Angel from
Heaven preach any other gospel, than what they have delivered, let him be accursed. Their
writings contain covenant between God and his people, with instructions for keeping this
covenant; instances of God's judgments upon them that break it: and predictions of things to
come. While the people of God keep the covenant they continue to be his people: when they
break it they cease to be his people or church, and become the Synagogue of Satan, who say
they are Jews and are not. And no power on earth is authorized to alter this covenant.
The predictions of things to come relate to the state of the Church in all ages: and amongst the
old Prophets, Daniel is most distinct in order of time, and easiest to be understood: and therefore
in those things which relate to the last times, he must be made the key to the rest.
Vol. , Ch. 1: ntroduction concerning the Compilers of the books of the Old Testament
For understanding the Prophecies, we are, in the first place, to acquaint our-selves with the
figurative language of the Prophets. This language is taken from the analogy between the world
natural, and an empire or kingdom considered as a world politic. Accordingly, the whole world
natural consisting of heaven and earth, signifies the whole world politic, consisting of thrones and
people, or so much of it as is considered in the Prophecy: and the things in that world signify the
analogous things in this. For the heavens, and the things therein, signify thrones and dignities,
and those who enjoy them; and the earth, with the things thereon, the inferior people; and the
lowest parts of the earth, called Hades or Hell, the lowest or most miserable part of them.
Whence ascending towards heaven, and descending to the earth, are put for rising and falling in
power and honor: rising out of the earth, or waters, and falling into them, for the rising up to any
dignity or dominion, out of the inferior state of the people, or falling down from the same into that
inferior state; descending into the lower parts of the earth, for descending to a very low and
unhappy estate; speaking with a faint voice out of the dust, for being in a weak and low condition;
moving from one place to another, for translation from one office, dignity, or dominion, to another;
great earthquakes, and the shaking of heaven and earth, for the shaking of kingdoms, so as to
distract or overthrow them; the creating a new heaven and earth, and the passing away of an old
one, or the beginning and end of the world, for the rise and ruin of the body politic signified
thereby.
Vol. , Ch. 2: Of the Prophetic Language
n the heavens, the Sun and Moon are, by interpreters of dreams, put for the persons of Kings
and Queens; but in sacred Prophecy, which regards not single persons, the Sun is put for the
whole species and race of Kings, in the kingdom or kingdoms of the world politic, shining with
regal power and glory; the Moon for the body of the common people, considered as the King's
wife; the Stars for subordinate Princes and great men, or for Bishops and Rulers of the people of
God, when the Sun is Christ; light for the glory, truth, and knowledge, wherewith great and good
men shine and illuminate others; darkness for obscurity of condition, and for error, blindness and
ignorance; darkening, smiting, or setting of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, for the ceasing of a
kingdom, or for the desolation thereof, proportional to the darkness; darkening the Sun, turning
the Moon into blood, and falling of the Stars, for the same; new Moons, for the return of a
dispersed people into a body politic or ecclesiastic.
Vol. , Ch. 2: Of the Prophetic Language
Yet sometimes vegetables and animals are, by certain epithets or circumstances, extended to
other significations; as a Tree, when called the tree of life or of knowledge; and a Beast, when
called the old serpent, or worshiped. When a Beast or Man is put for a kingdom, his parts and
qualities are put for the analogous parts and qualities of the kingdom; as the head of a Beast, for
the great men who precede and govern; the tail for the inferior people, who follow and are
governed; the heads, if more than one, for the number of capital parts, or dynasties, or dominions
in the kingdom, whether collateral or successive, with respect to the civil government; the horns
on any head, for the number of kingdoms in that head, with respect to military power...
Vol. , Ch. 2: Of the Prophetic Language
When a man is taken in a mystical sense, his qualities are often signified by his actions, and by
the circumstances of things about him. So a Ruler is signified by his riding on a beast; a Warrior
and Conqueror, by his having a sword and bow; a potent man, by his gigantic stature; a Judge, by
weights and measures... the affliction or persecution which a people suffers in laboring to bring
forth a new kingdom, by the pain of a woman in labor to bring forth a man-child; the dissolution of
a body politic or ecclesiastic, by the death of a man or beast; and the revival of a dissolved
dominion, by the resurrection of the dead.
Vol. , Ch. 2: Of the Prophetic Language
The Prophecies of Daniel are all of them related to one another, as if they were but several
parts of one general Prophecy, given at several times. The first is the easiest to be understood,
and every following Prophecy adds something new to the former.
Vol. , Ch. 3: Of the vision of the mage composed of four Metals
Daniel was in the greatest credit amongst the Jews, till the reign of the Roman Emperor
Hadrian. And to reject his prophecies, is to reject the Christian religion. For this religion is founded
upon his prophecy concerning the Messiah.
Vol. , Ch. 3 : Of the vision of the mage composed of four Metals.
Now in this vision of the mage composed of four Metals, the foundation of all Daniel's
Prophecies is laid. t represents a body of four great nations, which should reign over the earth
successively, viz. the people of Babylonia, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. And by a
stone cut out without hands, which fell upon the feet of the mage, and brake all the four Metals to
pieces, and became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth; it further represents that a new
kingdom should arise, after the four, and conquer all those nations, and grow very great, and last
to the end of all ages.
Vol. , Ch. 3: Of the vision of the mage composed of four Metals
The fourth Beast was the empire which succeeded that of the Greeks, and this was the
Roman. This beast was exceeding dreadful and terrible, and had great iron teeth, and devoured
and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; and such was the Roman empire. t
was larger, stronger, and more formidable and lasting than any of the former. ...it became greater
and more terrible than any of the three former Beasts. This Empire continued in its greatness till
the reign of Theodosius the great; and then brake into ten kingdoms, represented by the ten
horns of this Beast; and continued in a broken form, till the Ancient of days sat in a throne like
fiery flame, and the judgment was set, and the books were opened, and the Beast was slain and
his body destroyed, and given to the burning flames; and one like the son of man came with the
clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and received dominion over all nations, and
judgment was given to the saints of the most high, and the time came that they possessed the
kingdom.
Vol. , Ch. 4: Of the vision of the four Beasts
beheld, saith Daniel, till the Beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning
flames. As concerning the rest of the Beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives
were prolonged for a season and a time [Chap. vii. 11, 12.]. And therefore all the four Beasts are
still alive, tho the dominion of the three first be taken away. The nations of Chaldea and Assyria
are still the first Beast. Those of Media and Persia are still the second Beast. Those of Macedon,
Greece and Thrace, Asia minor, Syria and Egypt, are still the third. And those of Europe, on this
side Greece, are still the fourth.
Vol. , Ch. 4: Of the vision of the four Beasts
Now Daniel, considered the horns, and behold there came up among them another horn,
before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and behold in this horn
were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things,and his look was more
stout than his fellows,and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against
them... and speak great words against the most High, and wear out the saints, and think to
change times and laws... By its eyes it was a Seer; and by its mouth speaking great things and
changing times and laws, it was a Prophet as well as a King. And such a Seer, a Prophet and a
King, is the Church of Rome. A Seer, Eiokoo, is a Bishop in the literal sense of the word; and
this Church claims the universal Bishopric. With his mouth he gives laws to kings and nations as
an Oracle; and pretends to nfallibility, and that his dictates are binding to the whole world; which
is to be a Prophet in the highest degree.
Vol. , Ch. 7: Of the Eleventh Horn of Daniel's Fourth Beast
n a small book printed at Paris A.C. 1689, entitled, An historical dissertation upon some coins
of Charles the great, Ludovicus Pius, Lotharius, and their successors stamped at Rome, it is
recorded, that in the days of Pope Leo X, there was remaining in the Vatican, and till those days
exposed to public view, an inscription in honour of Pipin the father of Charles the great, in these
words... "That Pipin the pious was the first who opened a way to the grandeur of the Church of
Rome, conferring upon her the Exarchate of Ravenna and many other oblations." ...the Pope
[Stephen ] sent letters to Pipin, wherein he told him that if he came not speedily against the
Lombards, pro data sibi potentia, alienandum fore regno Dei & vita terna, he should be
excommunicated. Pipin therefore, fearing a revolt of his subjects, and being indebted to the
Church of Rome, came speedily with an army into taly, raised the siege, besieged the Lombards
in Pavia, and forced them to surrender the Exarchate and region of Pentapolis to the Pope for a
perpetual possession. Thus the Pope became Lord of Ravenna, and the Exarchate, some few
cities excepted; and the keys were sent to Rome, and laid upon the confession of St. Peter, that
is, upon his tomb at the high Altar, in signum veri perpetuique dominii, sed pietate Regis gratuita,
as the inscription of a coin of Pipin hath it. This was in the year of Christ 755. And henceforward
the Popes being temporal Princes, left off in their Epistles and Bulls to note the years of the
Greek Emperors, as they had hitherto done.
Vol. , Ch. 7: Of the Eleventh Horn of Daniel's Fourth Beast
Upon Christmas-day, the people of Rome, who had hitherto elected their Bishop, and reckoned
that they and their Senate inherited the rights of the ancient Senate and people of Rome, voted
Charles their Emperor, and subjected themselves to him in such manner as the old Roman
Empire and their Senate were subjected to the old Roman Emperors. The Pope [Leo ] crowned
him, and anointed him with holy oil, and worshiped him on his knees after the manner of adoring
the old Roman Emperors... The Emperor, on the other hand, took the following oath to the Pope:
n nomine Christi spondeo atque polliceor, Ego Carolus mperator coram Deo & beato Petro
Apostolo, me protectorem ac defensorem fore hujus sanct Roman Ecclesi in omnibus
utilitatibus, quatens divino fultus fuero adjutorio, prout sciero poteroque. The Emperor was also
made Consul of Rome, and his son Pipin crowned King of taly: and henceforward the Emperor
styled himself: Carolus serenissimus, Augustus, Deo coronatus, magnus, pacificus, Rom
gubernans imperium [Charles, most serene Augustus crowned by God, the great, peaceful
emperor ruling the Roman empire], or mperator Romanorum [Emperor of the Romans]; and was
prayed for in the Churches of Rome. His image was henceforward put upon the coins of Rome:
while the enemies of the Pope, to the number of three hundred Romans and two or three of the
Clergy, were sentenced to death. The three hundred Romans were beheaded in one day in the
Lateran fields: but the Clergymen at the intercession of the Pope were pardoned, and banished
into France. And thus the title of Roman Emperor, which had hitherto been in the Greek
Emperors, was by this act transferred in the West to the Kings of France.
Vol. , Ch. 7: Of the Eleventh Horn of Daniel's Fourth Beast
The Popes began also about this time to canonize saints, and to grant indulgences and
pardons: and some represent that Leo was the first author of all these things. t is further
observable, that Charles the great, between the years 775 and 796, conquered all Germany from
the Rhine and Danube northward to the Baltic sea, and eastward to the river Teis; extending his
conquests also into Spain as far as the river Ebro: and by these conquests he laid the foundation
of the new Empire; and at the same time propagated the Roman Catholic religion into all his
conquests, obliging the Saxons and Huns who were heathens, to receive the Roman faith, and
distributing his northern conquests into Bishoprics, granting tithes to the Clergy and Peter-pence
to the Pope: by all which the Church of Rome was highly enlarged, enriched, exalted, and
established.
Vol. , Ch. 7: Of the Eleventh Horn of Daniel's Fourth Beast
n the reign of the Greek Emperor Justinian, and again in the reign of Phocas, the Bishop of
Rome obtained some dominion over the Greek Churches, but of no long continuance. His
standing dominion was only over the nations of the Western Empire, represented by Daniel's
fourth Beast.
Vol. , Ch. 8: Of the power of the eleventh horn of Daniel's fourth Beast, to change times and
laws
While this Ecclesiastical Dominion was rising up, the northern barbarous nations invaded the
Western Empire, and founded several kingdoms therein, of different religions from the Church of
Rome. But these kingdoms by degrees embraced the Roman faith, and at the same time
submitted to the Pope's authority. The Franks in Gaul submitted in the end of the fifth Century, the
Goths in Spain in the end of the sixth; and the Lombards in taly were conquered by Charles the
great A.C. 774. Between the years 775 and 794, the same Charles extended the Pope's authority
over all Germany and Hungary as far as the river Theysse and the Baltic sea; he then set him
above all human judicature, and at the same time assisted him in subduing the City and Duchy of
Rome. By the conversion of the ten kingdoms to the Roman religion, the Pope only enlarged his
spiritual dominion, but did not yet rise up as a horn of the Beast. t was his temporal dominion
which made him one of the horns: and this dominion he acquired in the latter half of the eighth
century, by subduing three of the former horns as above. And now being arrived at a temporal
dominion, and a power above all human judicature, he reigned with a look more stout than his
fellows, and times and laws were henceforward given into his hands, for a time times and half a
time, or three times and an half; that is, for 1260 solar years, reckoning a time for a Calendar year
of 360 days, and a day for a solar year. After which the judgment is to sit, and they shall take
away his dominion, not at once, but by degrees, to consume, and to destroy it unto the end. And
the kingdom and dominion, and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall, by
degrees, be given unto the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Vol. , Ch. 8: Of the power of the eleventh horn of Daniel's fourth Beast, to change times and
laws
The second and third Empires, represented by the Bear and Leopard, are again represented
by the Ram and He-Goat; but with this difference, that the Ram represents the kingdoms of the
Medes and Persians from the beginning of the four Empires, and the Goat represents the
kingdom of the Greeks to the end of them. By this means, under the type of the Ram and He-
Goat, the times of all the four Empires are again described: lifted up mine eyes, saith Daniel,
and saw, and behold there stood before the river [Ulai] a Ram which had two horns, and the two
horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
Vol. , Ch. 9: Of the Kingdoms Represented in Daniel by the Ram and He-Goat
The Vision of the mage composed of four Metals was given first to Nebuchadnezzar, and then
to Daniel in a dream: and Daniel began then to be celebrated for revealing of secrets, Ezek. xxviii.
3. The Vision of the four Beasts, and of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, was also
given to Daniel in a dream. That of the Ram and the He-Goat appeared to him in the day time,
when he was by the bank of the river Ulay; and was explained to him by the prophetic Angel
Gabriel. t concerns the Prince of the host, and the Prince of Princes: and now in the first year of
Darius the Mede over Babylon, the same prophetic Angel appears to Daniel again, and explains
to him what is meant by the Son of man, by the Prince of the host, and the Prince of Princes. The
Prophecy of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven relates to the second coming of
Christ; that of the Prince of the host relates to his first coming: and this Prophecy of the Messiah,
in explaining them, relates to both comings, and assigns the times thereof.
Vol. , Ch. 10: Of the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks
And upon a wing of abominations he shall cause desolation, even until the consummation, and
that which is determined be poured upon the desolate. The Prophets, in representing kingdoms
by Beasts and Birds, put their wings stretched out over any country for their armies sent out to
invade and rule over that country. Hence a wing of abominations is an army of false Gods: for an
abomination is often put in scripture for a false God; as where Chemosh is called the abomination
of Moab, and Molech the abomination of Ammon. The meaning therefore is, that the people of a
Prince to come shall destroy the sanctuary, and abolish the daily worship of the true God, and
overspread the land with an army of false gods; and by setting up their dominion and worship,
cause desolation to the Jews, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. For Christ tells us, that
the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel was to be set up in the times of the Roman
Empire, Matth. xxiv. 15.
Vol. , Ch. 10: Of the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks
The times of the Birth and Passion of Christ, with such like niceties, being not material to
religion, were little regarded by the Christians of the first age. They who began first to celebrate
them, placed them in the cardinal periods of the year; as the annunciation of the Virgin Mary, on
the 25th of March, which when Julius Csar corrected the Calendar was the vernal Equinox; the
feast of John Baptist on the 24th of June, which was the summer Solstice; the feast of St. Michael
on Sept. 29, which was the autumnal Equinox; and the birth of Christ on the winter Solstice, Dec.
25, with the feasts of St. Stephen, St. John and the nnocents, as near it as they could place
them. And because the Solstice in time removed from the 25th of December to the 24th, the 23d,
the 22d, and so on backwards, hence some in the following centuries placed the birth of Christ on
Dec. 23, and at length on Dec. 20: and for the same reason they seem to have set the feast of St.
Thomas on Dec. 21, and that of St. Matthew on Sept. 21. So also at the entrance of the Sun into
all the signs in the Julian Calendar, they placed the days of other Saints; as the conversion of
Paul on Jan. 25, when the Sun entered Aquarius; St. Matthias on Feb. 25, when he entered
Pisces; St. Mark on Apr. 25, when he entered Taurus; Corpus Christi on May 26, when he entered
Gemini; St. James on July 25, when he entered Cancer; St. Bartholomew on Aug. 24, when he
entered Virgo; Simon and Jude on Oct. 28, when he entered Scorpio: and if there were any other
remarkable days in the Julian Calendar, they placed the Saints upon them, as St. Barnabas on
June 11, where Ovid seems to place the feast of Vesta and Fortuna, and the goddess Matuta;
and St. Philip and James on the first of May, a day dedicated both to the Bona Dea, or Magna
Mater, and to the goddess Flora, and still celebrated with her rites. All which shews that these
days were fixed in the first Christian Calendars by Mathematicians at pleasure, without any
ground in tradition; and that the Christians afterwards took up with what they found in the
Calendars.
Vol. , Ch. 11: Of the Times of the Birth and Passion of Christ
Thus have we, in the Gospels of Matthew and John compared together, the history of Christ's
actions in continual order during five Passovers. John is more distinct in the beginning and end;
Matthew in the middle: what either omits, the other supplies. The first Passover was between the
baptism of Christ and the imprisonment of John, John ii. 13. the second within four months after
the imprisonment of John, and Christ's beginning to preach in Galilee, John iv. 35. and therefore it
was either that feast to which Jesus went up, when the Scribe desired to follow him, Matth. viii.
19. Luke ix. 51, 57. or the feast before it. The third was the next feast after it, when the corn was
eared and ripe, Matth, xii. 1. Luke vi. 1. The fourth was that which was nigh at hand when Christ
wrought the miracle of the five loaves, Matth. xiv. 15. John vi. 4, 5. and the fifth was that in which
Christ suffered, Matth. xx. 17. John xii. 1.
Vol. , Ch. 11: Of the Times of the Birth and Passion of Christ
Between the first and second Passover John and Christ baptized together, till the imprisonment
of John, which was four months before the second. Then Christ began to preach, and call his
disciples; and after he had instructed them a year, lent them to preach in the cities of the Jews: at
the same time John hearing of the fame of Christ, sent to him to know who he was. At the third,
the chief Priests began to consult about the death of Christ. A little before the fourth, the twelve
after they had preached a year in all the cities, returned to Christ; and at the same time Herod
beheaded John in prison, after he had been in prison two years and a quarter: and thereupon
Christ fled into the desert for fear of Herod. The fourth Christ went not up to Jerusalem for fear of
the Jews, who at the Passover before had consulted his death, and because his time was not yet
come. Thenceforward therefore till the feast of Tabernacles he walked in Galilee, and that secretly
for fear of Herod: and after the feast of Tabernacles he returned no more into Galilee, but
sometimes was at Jerusalem, and sometimes retired beyond Jordan, or to the city Ephraim by
the wilderness, till the Passover in which he was betrayed, apprehended, and crucified.
Vol. , Ch. 11: Of the Times of the Birth and Passion of Christ
John therefore baptized two summers, and Christ preached three. The first summer John
preached to make himself known, in order to give testimony to Christ. Then, after Christ came to
his baptism and was made known to him, he baptized another summer, to make Christ known by
his testimony; and Christ also baptized the same summer, to make himself the more known: and
by reason of John's testimony there came more to Christ's baptism than to John's. The winter
following John was imprisoned; and now his course being at an end, Christ entered upon his
proper office of preaching in the cities. n the beginning of his preaching he completed the
number of the twelve Apostles, and instructed them all the first year in order to send them abroad.
Before the end of this year, his fame by his preaching and miracles was so far spread abroad,
that the Jews at the Passover following consulted how to kill him. n the second year of his
preaching, it being no longer safe for him to converse openly in Judea, he sent the twelve to
preach in all their cities: and in the end of the year they returned to him, and told him all they had
done. All the last year the twelve continued with him to be instructed more perfectly, in order to
their preaching to all nations after his death. And upon the news of John's death, being afraid of
Herod as well as of the Jews, he walked this year more secretly than before; frequenting deserts,
and spending the last half of the year in Judea, without the dominions of Herod.
Vol. , Ch. 11: Of the Times of the Birth and Passion of Christ
Thus have we in the Gospels of Matthew and John all things told in due order, from the
beginning of John's preaching to the death of Christ, and the years distinguished from one
another by such essential characters that they cannot be mistaken. The second Passover is
distinguished from the first, by the interposition of John's imprisonment. The third is distinguished
from the second, by a double character: first, by the interposition of the feast to which Christ went
up, Mat. viii. 19. Luke ix. 57. and secondly, by the distance of time from the beginning of Christ's
preaching: for the second was in the beginning of his preaching, and the third so long after, that
before it came Christ said, from the days of John the Baptist until now, &c. and upbraided the
cities of Galilee for their not repenting at his preaching, and mighty works done in all that time.
The fourth is distinguished from the third, by the mission of the twelve from Christ to preach in the
cities of Judea in all the interval. The fifth is distinguished from all the former by the twelve's being
returned from preaching, and continuing with Christ during all the interval, between the fourth and
fifth, and by the passion and other infallible characters.
Vol. , Ch. 11: Of the Times of the Birth and Passion of Christ
All the characters of the Passion agree to the year 34; and that is the only year to which they all
agree.
Vol. , Ch. 11: Of the Times of the Birth and Passion of Christ
The kingdoms represented by the second and third Beasts, or the Bear and Leopard, are again
described by Daniel in his last Prophecy written in the third year of Cyrus over Babylon, the year
in which he conquered Persia. For this Prophecy is a commentary upon the Vision of the Ram
and He-Goat.
Vol. , Ch. 12: Of the Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth
The monarchy of the Greeks for want of an heir was broken into several kingdoms; four of
which, seated to the four winds of heaven, were very eminent. For Ptolemy reigned over Egypt,
Lybia and Ethiopia; Antigonus over Syria and the lesser Asia; Lysimachus over Thrace; and
Cassander over Macedon, Greece and Epirus.
Vol. , Ch. 12: Of the Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth
Thus the Empire of the Greeks, which at first brake into four kingdoms, became now reduced
into two notable ones, henceforward called by Daniel the kings of the South and North. For
Ptolemy now reigned over Egypt, Lybia, Ethiopia, Arabia, Phonicia, Colosyria, and Cyprus; and
Seleucus, having united three of the four kingdoms, had a dominion scarce inferior to that of the
Persian Empire, conquered by Alexander the great. All which is thus represented by Daniel: And
the king of the South [Ptolemy] shall be strong, and one of his Princes [Seleucus, one of
Alexander's Princes] shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great
dominion.
Vol. , Ch. 12: Of the Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth
n the same year that Antiochus by the command of the Romans retired out of Egypt, and set
up the worship of the Greeks in Judea; the Romans conquered the kingdom of Macedon, the
fundamental kingdom of the Empire of the Greeks, and reduced it into a Roman Province; and
thereby began to put an end to the reign of Daniel's third Beast. This is thus expressed by Daniel.
And after him Arms, that is the Romans, shall stand up. As signifies after the King, Dan. xi.
8; so iJnn may signify after him. Arms are every where in this Prophecy of Daniel put for the
military power of a kingdom: and they stand up when they conquer and grow powerful. Hitherto
Daniel described the actions of the Kings of the North and South; but upon the conquest of
Macedon by the Romans, he left off describing the actions of the Greeks, and began to describe
those of the Romans in Greece. They conquered Macedon, llyricum and Epirus, in the year of
Nabonassar 580. 35 years after, by the last will and testament of Attalus the last King of
Pergamus, they inherited that rich and flourishing kingdom, that is, all Asia westward of mount
Taurus; 69 years after they conquered the kingdom of Syria, and reduced it into a Province, and
34 years after they did the like to Egypt. By all these steps the Roman Arms stood up over the
Greeks: and after 95 years more, by making war upon the Jews, they polluted the sanctuary of
strength, and took away the daily sacrifice, and then placed the abomination of desolation. For
this abomination was placed after the days of Christ, Math. xxiv. 15. n the 16th year of the
Emperor Adrian, A.C. 132, they placed this abomination by building a Temple to Jupiter
Capitolinus, where the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stood. Thereupon the Jews under the
conduct of Barchochab rose up in arms against the Romans, and in the war had 50 cities
demolished, 985 of their best towns destroyed, and 580,000 men slain by the sword; and in the
end of the war, A.C. 136, were banished Judea upon pain of death, and thenceforward the land
remained desolate of its old inhabitants.
Vol. , Ch. 12: Of the Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth
n the beginning of the Jewish war in Nero's reign, the Apostles fled out of Judea with their
flocks; some beyond Jordan to Pella and other places, some into Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia,
Asia minor, and elsewhere. Peter and John came into Asia, and Peter went thence by Corinth to
Rome; but John staying in Asia, was banished by the Romans into Patmos, as the head of a party
of the Jews, whose nation was in war with the Romans. By this dispersion of the Christian Jews,
the Christian religion, which was already propagated westward as far as Rome, spread fast into
all the Roman Empire, and suffered many persecutions under it till the days of Constantine the
great and his sons: all which is thus described by Daniel. And such as do wickedly against the
covenant, shall he, who places the abomination, cause to dissemble, and worship the heathen
Gods; but the people among them who do know their God, shall be strong and act. And they that
understand among the people, shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame,
and by captivity, and by spoil many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a
little help, viz. in the reign of Constantine the great; and at that time by reason of their prosperity,
many shall come over to them from among the heathen, and cleave to them with dissimulation.
But of those of understanding there shall still fall to try God's people by them and to purge them
from the dissemblers, and to make them white even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a
time appointed.
Vol. , Ch. 12: Of the Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth
Hitherto the Roman Empire continued entire; and under this dominion, the little horn of the He-
Goat continued mighty, but not by his own power. But now, by the building of Constantinople, and
endowing it with a Senate and other like privileges with Rome; and by the division of the Roman
Empire into the two Empires of the Greeks and Latins, headed by those two cities; a new scene
of things commences, in which which a King, the Empire of the Greeks, doth according to his will,
and, by setting his own laws above the laws of God, exalts and magnifies himself above every
God, and speaks marvelous things against the God of Gods, and shall prosper till the indignation
be accomplished.Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the lawful desire of women
in matrimony, nor any God, but shall magnify himself above all. And in his seat he shall honor
Mahuzzims, that is, strong guardians, the souls of the dead; even with a God whom his fathers
knew not shall he honor them, in their Temples, with gold and silver, and with precious stones and
valuable things. All which relates to the overspreading of the Greek Empire with Monks and Nuns,
who placed holiness in abstinence from marriage; and to the invocation of saints and veneration
of their relics, and such like superstitions, which these men introduced in the fourth and fifth
centuries. And at the time of the end the King of the South, or the Empire of the Saracens, shall
push at him; and the King of the North, or Empire of the Turks, shall come against him like a
whirlwind, with chariots and with horsemen, and with many ships; and be shall enter into the
countries of the Greeks, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious
land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom
and Moab, and the chief of the children Ammon: that is, those to whom his Caravans pay tribute.
He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape;
but he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of
Egypt; and the Lybians and Ethiopians shall be at his steps. All these nations compose the
Empire of the Turks, and therefore this Empire is here to be understood by the King of the North.
They compose also the body of the He-Goat; and therefore the Goat still reigns in his last horn,
but not by his own power.
Vol. , Ch. 12: Of the Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth
n the first ages of the Christian religion the Christians of every city were governed by a Council
of Presbyters, and the President of the Council was the Bishop of the city. The Bishop and
Presbyters of one city meddled not with the affairs of another city, except by admonitory letters or
messages. Nor did the Bishops of several cities meet together in Council before the time of the
Emperor Commodus: for they could not meet together without the leave of the Roman governors
of the Provinces. But in the days of that Emperor they began to meet in Provincial Councils, by
the leave of the governors; first in Asia, in opposition to the Cataphrygian Heresy, and soon after
in other places and upon other occasions. The Bishop of the chief city, or Metropolis of the
Roman Province, was usually made President of the Council; and hence came the authority of
Metropolitan Bishops above that of other Bishops within the same Province. Hence also it was
that the Bishop of Rome in Cyprian's days called himself the Bishop of Bishops. As soon as the
Empire became Christian, the Roman Emperors began to call general Councils out of all the
Provinces of the Empire; and by prescribing to them what points they should consider, and
influencing them by their interest and power, they set up what party they pleased. Hereby the
Greek Empire, upon the division of the Roman Empire into the Greek and Latin Empires, became
the King who, in matters of religion, did according to his will; and, in legislature, exalted and
magnified himself above every God: and at length, by the seventh general Council, established
the worship of the images and souls of dead men, here called Mahuzzims.
Vol. , Ch. 13: Of the King who did according to his will, and magnified himself above every
God, and honored Mahuzzims, and regarded not the desire of women
The same King [Greek Empire] placed holiness in abstinence from marriage. Eusebius in his
Ecclesiastical history tells us, that Musanus wrote a tract against those who fell away to the
heresy of the Encratites, which was then newly risen, and had introduced pernicious errors; and
that Tatian, the disciple of Justin, was the author thereof; and that renus in his first book
against heresies teaches this... But although the followers of Tatian were at first condemned as
heretics by the name of Encratites, or Continentes; their principles could not be yet quite
exploded: for Montanus refined upon them, and made only second marriages unlawful; he also
introduced frequent fastings, and annual, fasting days, the keeping of Lent, and feeding upon
dried meats. The Apostolici, about the middle of the third century, condemned marriage, and were
a branch of the disciples of Tatian. The Hierocit in Egypt, in the latter end of the third century,
also condemned marriage. Paul the Eremite [Hermit] fled into the wilderness from the persecution
of Decius, and lived there a solitary life till the reign of Constantine the great, but made no
disciples. Antony did the like in the persecution of Dioclesian, or a little before, and made
disciples; and many others soon followed his example.
Vol. , Ch. 13: Of the King who did according to his will...
Hitherto the principles of the Encratites had been rejected by the Churches; but now being
refined by the Monks, and imposed not upon all men, but only upon those who would voluntarily
undertake a monastic life, they began to be admired, and to overflow first the Greek Church, and
then the Latin also, like a torrent. Eusebius tells us, that Constantine the great had those men in
the highest veneration, who dedicated themselves wholly to the divine philosophy; and that he
almost venerated the most holy company of Virgins perpetually devoted to God; being certain that
the God to whom he had consecrated himself did dwell in their minds. n his time and that of his
sons, this profession of a single life was propagated in Egypt by Antony, and in Syria by Hilarion;
and spread so fast, that soon after the time of Julian the Apostate a third part of the Egyptians
were got into the deserts of Egypt. They lived first singly in cells, then associated into conobia or
convents; and at length came into towns, and filled the Churches with Bishops, Presbyters and
Deacons. Athanasius in his younger days poured water upon the hands of his master Antony; and
finding the Monks faithful to him, made many of them Bishops and Presbyters in Egypt: and these
Bishops erected new Monasteries, out of which they chose Presbyters of their own cities, and
sent Bishops to others. The like was done in Syria, the superstition being quickly propagated
thither out of Egypt by Hilarion a disciple of Antony. Spiridion and Epiphanius of Cyprus, James of
Nisibis, Cyril of Jerusalem, Eustathius of Sebastia in Armenia, Eusebius of Emisa, Titus of Bostra,
Basilius of Ancyra, Acacius of Csarea in Palestine, Elpidius of Laodicea, Melitius and Flavian of
Antioch, Theodorus of Tyre, Protogenes of Carrh, Acacius of Berrha, Theodotus of Hierapolis,
Eusebius of Chalcedon, Amphilochius of conium, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory Nyssen, and
John Chrysostom of Constantinople, were both Bishops and Monks in the fourth century.
Eustathius, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory Nyssen, Basil, &c. had Monasteries of Clergymen in
their cities, out of which Bishops were sent to other cities; who in like manner erected
Monasteries there, till the Churches were supplied with Bishops out of these Monasteries. ...Not
long after even the Emperors commanded the Churches to choose Clergymen out of the
Monasteries by this Law.
Vol. , Ch. 13: Of the King who did according to his will...
Henceforward the Christian Churches having a form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof, came into the hands of the Encratites: and the Heathens, who in the fourth century came
over in great numbers to the Christians, embraced more readily this sort of Christianity, as having
a greater affinity with their old superstitions, than that of the sincere Christians; who by the lamps
of the seven Churches of Asia, and not by the lamps of the Monasteries, had illuminated the
Church Catholic during the three first centuries.
Vol. , Ch. 13: Of the King who did according to his will...
The Cataphrygians brought in also several other superstitions: such as were the doctrine of
Ghosts, and of their punishment in Purgatory, with prayers and oblations for mitigating that
punishment, as Tertullian teaches in his books De Anima and De Monogamia. They used also the
sign of the cross as a charm. So Tertullian in his book de Corona militis... All these superstitions
the Apostle refers to, where he saith: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, the
Dmons and Ghosts worshiped by the heathens, speaking lies in hypocrisy, about their
apparitions, the miracles done by them, their relics, and the sign of the cross, having consciences
seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, &c. 1 Tim. iv.
1,2,3. From the Cataphrygians these principles and practices were propagated down to posterity.
For the mystery of iniquity did already work in the Apostles days in the Gnostics, continued to
work very strongly in their offspring the Tatianists and Cataphrygians, and was to work till that
man of sin should be revealed; whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and
signs, and lying wonders, and all deceivableness of unrighteousness; colored over with a form of
Christian godliness, but without the power thereof, 2 Thess. ii. 7-10.
Vol. , Ch. 13: Of the King who did according to his will...
For though some stop was put to the Cataphrygian Christianity, by Provincial Councils, till the
fourth century; yet the Roman Emperors then turning Christians, and great multitudes of heathens
coming over in outward profession, these found the Cataphrygian Christianity more suitable to
their old principles, of placing religion in outward forms and ceremonies, holy-days, and doctrines
of Ghosts, than the religion of the sincere Christians: wherefore they readily sided with the
Cataphrygian Christians, and established that Christianity before the end of the fourth century. By
this means those of understanding, after they had been persecuted by the heathen Emperors in
the three first centuries, and were holpen with a little help, by the conversion of Constantine the
great and his sons to the Christian religion, fell under new persecutions, to purge them from the
dissemblers, and to make them white, even to the time of the end.
Vol. , Ch. 13: Of the King who did according to his will...
n scripture we are told of some trusting in God and others trusting in idols, and that God is our
refuge, our strength, our defense. n this sense God is the rock of his people, and false Gods are
called the rock of those that trust in them, Deut. xxxii. 4, 15, 18, 30, 31, 37. n the same sense the
Gods of the King who shall do according to his will are called Mahuzzims, munitions, fortresses,
protectors, guardians, or defenders.
Vol. , Ch. 14: Of the Mahuzzims, honoured by the King who doth according to his will
Gregory Nyssen tells us, that after the persecution of the Emperor Decius, Gregory Bishop of
Neocsarea in Pontus, instituted among all people, as an addition or corollary of devotion
towards God, that festival days and assemblies should be celebrated to them who had contended
for the faith, that is, to the Martyrs. And he adds this reason for the institution: When he observed,
saith Nyssen, that the simple and unskilful multitude, by reason of corporeal delights, remained in
the error of idols; that the principal thing might be corrected among them, namely, that instead of
their vain worship they might turn their eyes upon God; he permitted that at the memories of the
holy Martyrs they might make merry and delight themselves, and be dissolved into joy. The
heathens were delighted with the festivals of their Gods, and unwilling to part with those delights;
and therefore Gregory, to facilitate their conversion, instituted annual festivals to the Saints and
Martyrs. Hence it came to pass, that for exploding the festivals of the heathens, the principal
festivals of the Christians succeeded in their room: as the keeping of Christmas with ivy and
feasting, and playing and sports, in the room of the Bacchanalia and Saturnalia; the celebrating of
May-day with flowers, in the room of the Floralia; and the keeping of festivals to the Virgin Mary,
John the Baptist, and divers of the Apostles, in the room of the solemnities at the entrance of the
Sun into the signs of the Zodiac in the old Julian Calendar. n the same persecution of Decius,
Cyprian ordered the passions of the Martyrs in Africa to be registered, in order to celebrate their
memories annually with oblations and sacrifices: and Felix Bishop of Rome, a little after, as
Platina relates... "consulting the glory of the Martyrs, ordained that sacrifices should be celebrated
annually in their name." By the pleasures of these festivals the Christians increased much in
number, and decreased as much in virtue, until they were purged and made white by the
persecution of Dioclesian. This was the first step made in the Christian religion towards the
veneration of the Martyrs: and tho it did not yet amount to an unlawful worship; yet it disposed the
Christians towards such a further veneration of the dead, as in a short time ended in the
invocation of Saints.
Vol. , Ch. 14: Of the Mahuzzims, honoured by the King who doth according to his will
The folly of nterpreters has been, to foretell times and things by this Prophecy, as if God
designed to make them Prophets. By this rashness they have not only exposed themselves, but
brought the Prophecy also into contempt.
The design of God was much otherwise. He gave this and the Prophecies of the Old
Testament, not to gratify mens curiosities by enabling them to foreknow things, but that after they
were fulfilled they might be interpreted by the event, and his own Providence, not the nterpreters,
be then manifested thereby to the world. For the event of things predicted many ages before, will
then be a convincing argument that the world is governed by providence. For, as the few and
obscure Prophecies concerning Christ's first coming were for setting up the Christian religion,
which all nations have since corrupted; so the many and clear Prophecies concerning the things
to be done at Christ's second coming, are not only for predicting but also for effecting a recovery
and re-establishment of the long-lost truth, and setting up a kingdom wherein dwells
righteousness. The event will prove the Apocalypse; and this Prophecy, thus proved and
understood, will open the old Prophets, and all together will make known the true religion, and
establish it. For he that will understand the old Prophets, must begin with this; but the time is not
yet come for understanding them perfectly, because the main revolution predicted in them is not
yet come to pass. n the days of the voice of the seventh Angel, when he shall begin to sound, the
mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets: and then the
kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign for
ever, Apoc. x. 7. xi. 15. There is already so much of the Prophecy fulfilled, that as many as will
take pains in this study, may see sufficient instances of God's providence: but then the signal
revolutions predicted by all the holy Prophets, will at once both turn men's eyes upon considering
the predictions, and plainly interpret them. Till then we must content ourselves with interpreting
what hath been already fulfilled.
Amongst the nterpreters of the last age there to scarce one of note who hath not made some
discovery worth knowing; and thence seem to gather that God is about opening these mysteries.
The success of others put me upon considering it; and if have done any thing which may be
useful to following writers, have my design.
Vol. , Ch. 1 : ntroduction, concerning the time when the Apocalypse was written
Geometriae (Treatise on Geometry)
Through algebra you easily arrive at equations, but always to pass therefrom to the elegant
constructions and demonstrations which usually result by means of the method of porisms is not
so easy, nor is one's ingenuity and power of invention so greatly exercised and refined in this
analysis.
The Mathematical Papers of saac Newton (edited by Whiteside), Volume 7; Volumes 1691-
1695 / pg. 261.
Disputed
f had stayed for other people to make my tools and things for me, had never made anything.
can calculate the motions of the heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.
Such a statement first appears in The Church of England Quarterly Review (1850), p. 142,
as "[he] could calculate the motions of erratic bodies, but not the madness of a multitude"
(claimed to be Newton's view on the outcome of the South Sea Bubble)
Variants: can calculate the motions of heavenly bodies but not the madness of men.
can calculate the movement of the stars, but not the madness of men.
f had stayed for other people to make my tools and things for me, had never made anything.
This first appears in the saac Newton : A Biography (1934), citing unpublished papers by
John Conduitt reporting an anecdote of an occassion where Conduitt asked Newton where he
obtained the tools to make his reflecting telescope. Newton is said to have laughed and replied,
"f had stayed for other people to make my tools and things for me had never made anything of
it."
"Atheism is so senseless. When look at the solar system, see the earth at the right distance
from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance."
As quoted in saac Newton: nventor, Scientist, and Teacher (1975) by John Hudson Tiner.
"Atheism is so senseless" is a statement Newton made indeed in "A short Schem of the true
Religion", but no source for the rest of this statement has been located prior to 1975. Part of this
statement might originate as a summation of observations by Colin Maclaurin in his An Account of
Sir saac Newton's Philosophical Discoveries (1750), Book , Ch. 5: "On the quantity of watter
and density of the sun and planets" : "... the earth ... those planets which are nearer the sun are
found to be more dense, by which they are enabled to bear the greater heat of the sun. This is
the result of our most subtle enquiries into nature, that all things are in the best situations, and
disposed by perfect wisdom. f our earth was carried down into the orb of Mercury, our ocean
would boil and soon be dissipated into vapour, and dry land would become uninhabitable. f the
earth was carried to the orb of Saturn, the ocean would freeze at so great a distance from the
sun, and the cold would soon put a period to the life of plants and animals. A much less variation
of the earth's distance from the sun than this would depopulate the torrid zone if the earth came
nearer the sun, and the temperate zones, if it was carried from the sun. A less heat at Jupiter's
distance ... might be as fatal ... proves on every occasion, the wisdom of the author."
Misattributed
Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.
Actually a statement by American advertising executive and author Howard W. Newton
(1903 - 1951).
Les hommes construisent trop de murs et pas assez de ponts.
Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.
This became widely attributed to saac Newton after Dominique Pire ascribed it to "the words
of Newton" in his Nobel Lecture, 11 December 1958.[3] Pire refers not to saac, but to Joseph
Fort Newton, who is widely reported to have said "People are lonely because they build walls
instead of bridges." This appears to be paraphrased from a longer passage found in his essays
and addresses, The One Great Church: Adventures of Faith (1948), pp. 5152: "Why are so
many people shy, lonely, shut up within themselves, unequal to their tasks, unable to be happy?
Because they are inhabited by fear, like the man in the Parable of the Talents, erecting walls
around themselves instead of building bridges into the lives of others; shutting out life."
Quotes about Newton
His peculiar gift was the power of holding continuously in his mind a purely mental problem until
he had seen it through. ~ John Maynard Keynes
Alphabetized by author
Newton was not the first of the age of reason. He was the last of the magicians. ~ John
Maynard Keynes
Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night:
God said, Let Newton be! and all was light. ~ Alexander Pope
Out blaz'd a Newton's soul and all was light. ~ Aaron Hill
A - F
Newton and Locke are examples of the deep sagacity which may be acquired by long habits of
thinking and study.
John Adams, in a letter to Abigail Adams (29 October 1775), published Letters of John
Adams, Addressed to His Wife, Vol. 1 (1841), ed. Charles Francis Adams, p. 72
According to Sir saac Newton's Calculations, the last Comet that made its Appearance in
1680, imbib'd so much Heat by its Approaches to the Sun, that it would have been two thousand
times hotter than red hot ron, had it been a Globe of that Metal; and that supposing it as big as
the Earth, and at the same Distance from the Sun, it would be fifty thousand Years in cooling,
before it recovered its natural Temper. n the like manner, if an Englishman considers the great
Ferment into which our Political World is thrown at present, and how intensely it is heated in all its
Parts, he cannot suppose that it will cool again in less than three hundred Years. n such a Tract
of Time it is possible that the Heats of the present Age may be extinguished, and our several
Classes of great Men represented under their proper Characters. Some eminent Historian may
then probably arise that will not write recentibus odiis (as Tacitus expresses it) with the Passions
and Prejudices of a contemporary Author, but make an impartial Distribution of Fame among the
Great Men of the present Age.
Joseph Addison and Richard Steele, No 101, Tuesday, June 26, 1711 ," n: The Spectator,
Volume 2, Tonson, 1718
A footnote adds: "n his Principia, published 1687, Newton says this to show that the nuclei
of Comets must consist of solid matter."
Newton's own motto, "hypotheses non fingo" was, in a sense, disregarded by Newton himself:
he rejected hypotheses only where they violated his own "regula philosophandi", that is to say, his
principle of their strict parsimony. n terms of present-day methodology, we reject hypotheses as
scientifically meaningless if they are incapable even of indirect test; and we reject them as
superfluous or as implausible if they are too complex and artificial to conform with well
established canons of inductive probability. But freedom of scientific theorizing must be preserved
wherever the conditions of meaningfulness and of economy appear to be satisfied.
Arthur Beer (ed.), Vistas in Astronomy (1955) ntroduction to Vol.1
Now a fourfold vision see,
And a fourfold vision is given to me ;
'Tis fourfold in my supreme delight,
And threefold in soft Beulah's night,
And twofold Always. May God us keep
From Single vision, & Newton's sleep !
William Blake, "With happiness stretch'd across the hills," Poems from Letters, The Poetical
Works of William Blake: A New and Verbatim Text from the Manuscript Engraved and Letterpress
Originals (1905)
The landscape has been so totally changed, the ways of thinking have been so deeply
affected, that it is very hard to get hold of what it was like before... t is very hard to realize how
total a change in outlook he has produced.
Hermann Bondi, "Newton and the Twentieth CenturyA Personal View" in Let Newton Bel A
New Perspective on his Life and Works (1988) R. Flood, J. Fauvel, M. Shortland, R. Wilson p.241
f Sir saac Newton had not been distinguished as a mathematician and a natural philosopher,
he would have enjoyed a high reputation as a theologian.
Sir. David Brewster, Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir saac Newton, Vol.
2
A student of the history of physical science will assign to Newton a further importance which
the average man can hardly appreciate. ...the separation ...of positive scientific inquiries from
questions of ultimate causation.
Edwin Arthur Burtt, The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science; a Historical
and Critical Essay (1925)
The history of mathematics and mechanics for a hundred years subsequent to Newton appears
primarily as a period devoted to the assimilation of his work and the application of his laws to
more varied types of phenomena. So far as objects were masses, moving in space and time
under the impress of forces as he had defined them, their behaviour was now, as a result of his
labours, fully explicable in terms of exact mathematics.
Edwin Arthur Burtt, The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science; a Historical
and Critical Essay (1925)
When Newton saw an apple fall, he found
n that slight startle from his contemplation ...
A mode of proving that the earth turn'd round
n a most natural whirl, called 'gravitation'.
Lord Byron, Don Juan, Canto X (1823)
Opticks was out of harmony with the ideas of 19th-century physics. ...an exposition of the
"wrong" (i.e., corpuscular) theory of light,even though it also contained many of the basic
principles of the "correct" (i.e., wave) theory. Not only had Newton erred in his choice... but also
he apparently had found no insuperable difficulty in simultaneously embracing features of two
opposing theories. ...by adopting a combination of the two theories at once, he had violated one
of the major canons of 19th-century physics... Today our point of view is influenced by the theory
of photons and matter waves, or the... complementarity of Neils Bohr; and we may read with a
new interest Newtons ideas on the interaction of light and matter or his explanation of the
corpuscular and undulatory aspects of light.
. Bernard Cohen, Preface to Opticks by Sir saac Newton (1952)
Of the many references to Newton in 18th-century electrical writings only a small number were
to the Principia, the greater part by far were to the Opticks. This was true not alone of the
electrical writings but also in other fields of experimental enquiry. ...[The Opticks] would allow the
reader to roam, with great Newton as his guide, through the major unresolved problems of
science and even the relation of the whole world of nature to Him who had created it. ...in the
Opticks Newton did not adopt the motto... Hypotheses non fingo; frame no hypothesesbut,
so to speak, let himself go, allowing his imagination full reign and by far exceeding the bounds of
experimental evidence.
. Bernard Cohen, Preface to Opticks by Sir saac Newton (1952)
[Newton] bought a book of udicial Astrology out of a curiosity to see what there was in that
science & read in it till he came to a figure of the heavens which he could not understand for want
of being acquainted with Trigonometry, & to understand the ground of that bought an English
Euclid with an ndex of all the problems at the end of it & only turned to two or three which he
thought necessary for his purpose & read nothing but the titles of them finding them so easy &
self evident that he wondered any body would be at the pains of writing a demonstration of them
& laid Euclid aside as a trifling book, & was soon convinced of the vanity & emptiness of the
pretended science of udicial astrology.
John Conduitt, "Draft account of Newton's life at Cambridge" (c 1727-8); quoted in The
Mathematical Papers of saac Newton (1967) by D.T. Whiteside, M.A. Hoskin and A. Prag,
Cambridge University Press. Vol. 1, pp. 15-19
[Newton] achieved the clearest appreciation of the relation between the empirical elements in a
scientific system and the hypothetical elements derived from a philosophy of nature.
Alistair Cameron Crombie as quoted by John Freely in Before Galileo; The Birth of Modern
Science in Medieval Europe (2012)
Galileo rst studied the motion of terrestrial objects, pendulums, free-falling balls, and
projectiles. He summarized what he observed in the mathematical language of proportions. And
he extrapolated from his experimental data to a great idealization now called the "inertia
principle, which tells us, among other things, that an object projected along an innite, frictionless
plane will continue forever at a constant velocity. His observations were the beginnings of the
science of motion we now call "mechanics.... Newton also invented a mathematical language
(the "Fluxions" method, closely related to our present-day calculus) to express his mechanics, but
in an odd historical twist, rarely applied that language himself.
William H. Cropper, Great Physicists - The Life and Times of Leading Physicists (2001), p.
12: Mechanics historical synopsis
But to return to the Newtonian Philosophy: Tho' its Truth is supported by Mathematicks, yet its
Physical Discoveries may be communicated without. The great Mr. Locke was the first who
became a Newtonian Philosopher without the help of Geometry; for having asked Mr. Huygens,
whether all the mathematical Propositions in Sir saac's Principia were true, and being told he
might depend upon their Certainty; he took them for granted, and carefully examined the
Reasonings and Corollaries drawn from them, became Master of all the Physics, and was fully
convinc'd of the great Discoveries contained in that Book.
John Theophilus Desaguliers, Course of Experimental Philosophy, Vol.1, ed.3 (1763) A.
Millar
Multiple-prism arrays were first introduced by Newton (1704) in his book Opticks. n that
visionary volume Newton reported on arrays of nearly isosceles prisms in additive and
compensating configurations to control the propagation path and the dispersion of light. Further,
he also illustrated slight beam expansion in a single isosceles prism.
F. J. Duarte, in The Physics of Multiple-Prism Optics in Tunable Laser Optics (2003), p. 57
n accordance with Newton's system, physical reality is characterised by concepts of space,
time, the material point and force (interaction between material points). Physical events are to be
thought of as movements according to law of material points in space. The material point is the
only representative of reality in so far as it is subject to change. The concept of the material point
is obviously due to observable bodies; one conceived of the material point on the analogy of
movable bodies by omitting characteristics of extension, form, spatial locality, and all their 'inner'
qualities, retaining only inertia, translation, and the additional concept of force.
Albert Einstein, in "Maxwell's nfluence on the Development of the Conception of Physical
Reality" in James Clerk Maxwell : A Commemorative Volume 1831-1931 (1931), pp. 66-73
n order to put his system into mathematical form at all, Newton had to devise the concept of
differential quotients and propound the laws of motion in the form of total differential equations
perhaps the greatest advance in thought that a single individual was ever privileged to make.
Albert Einstein, "Clerk Maxwell's nfluence on the Evolution of the dea of Physical Reality"
Essays in Science (1934)
Newton had other postulates by which he could get the law of angular momentum, but
Newtonian laws were wrong. There's no forces, it's all a lot of balony. The particles don't have
orbits, and so on.
Richard Feynman, "The Relation of Mathematics to Physics," The Character of Physical
Law, Messenger Lectures (1964)
Newton's proof of the law of refraction is based on an erroneous notion that light travels faster
in glass than in air, the same error that Descartes had made. This error stems from the fact that
both of them thought that light was corpuscular in nature.
John Freely, Before Galileo, The Birth of Modern Science in Medieval Europe (2012)
G - L
t was God who breathed life into matter and inspired its many textures and processes.
...Rather than turn away from what he could not explain, he plunged in more deeply. ...There
were forces in nature that he would not be able to understand mechanically, in terms of colliding
billiard balls or swirling vortices. They were vital, vegetable, sexual forcesinvisible forces of
spirit and attraction. Later, it had been Newton, more than any other philosopher, who effectively
purged science of the need to resort to such mystical qualities. For now, he needed them.
James Gleick, saac Newton (2003)
The prejudice for Sir saac has been so great, that it has destroyed the intent of his
undertaking, and his books have been a means of hindering that knowledge they were intended
to promote. t is a notion every child imbibes almost with his mother's milk, that Sir saac Newton
has carried philosophy to the highest pitch it is capable of being carried, and established a
system of physics upon the solid basis of mathematical demonstration.
George Horne, written anonymously in his A Fair, Candid, and mpartial Statement of the
Case between Sir saac Newton and Mr. Hutchinson (1753)
Newton said that he made his discoveries by 'intending' his mind on the subject; no doubt truly.
But to equal his success one must have the mind which he 'intended.' Forty lesser men might
have intended their minds till they cracked, without any like result. t would be idle either to affirm
or to deny that the last half-century has produced men of science of the calibre of Newton. t is
sufficient that it can show a few capacities of the first rank, competent not only to deal profitably
with the inheritance bequeathed by their scientific forefathers, but to pass on to their successors
physical truths of a higher order than any yet reached by the human race. And if they have
succeeded as Newton succeeded, it is because they have sought truth as he sought it, with no
other object than the finding it.
Thomas Henry Huxley, The Advance of Science in the Last Half-Century (1889)
esteem his [Newton's] understanding and subtlety highly, but consider that they have been
put to ill use in the greater part of this work, where the author studies things of little use or when
he builds on the improbable principle of attraction.
Christiaan Huygens, writing five years after the appearance of Newton's Principia, as quoted
in A. R. Manwell, Mathematics Before Newton (Oxford University Press, 1959), p. 56 He
[Huygens] said, indeed, that the idea of universal attraction [gravitation] 'appears to me absurd'.
do not mind at all that [Newton] is not a Cartesian provided he does not offer us suppositions
like that of attraction.
Christiaan Huygens, letter to Fatio de Duillier (11 July 1687), quoted in Ren Dugas,
Mechanics in the seventeenth century (1958), p. 440
As to the Christian religion, besides the strong evidence which we have for it, there is a
balance in its favour from the number of great men who have been convinced of its truth after a
serious consideration of the question. Grotius was an acute man, a lawyer, a man accustomed to
examine evidence, and he was convinced. Grotius was not a recluse, but a man of the world, who
certainly had no bias on the side of religion. Sir saac Newton set out an infidel, and came to be a
very firm believer.
Samuel Johnson in: James Boswell, Life of Johnson, 1791/1848, p. 243; Chpt. 8, 1763
Do not all charms fly
At the mere touch of cold philosophy?
There was an awful rainbow once in heaven:
We knew her woof, her texture: she is given
n the dull catalogue of common things.
Philosophy will clip an Angel's wings,
Conquer all mysteries by rule of line.
Empty the haunted air, and gnomed mine
Unweave a rainbow, as it erewhile made
The tender-person'd Lamia melt into a shade.
A response to Newton, over a century after his theory was proposed in Optiks (1714)
John Keats, Lamia (1820) Part , 229-238
Newton was not the first of the age of reason. He was the last of the magicians, the last of the
Babylonians and Sumerians, the last great mind that looked out on the visible and intellectual
world with the same eyes as those who began to build our intellectual inheritance rather less than
10,000 years ago. [...] [H]e looked on the whole universe and all that is in it as a riddle, as a
secret which could be read by applying pure thought to certain evidence, certain mystic clues
which God had laid about the world to allow a sort of philosopher's treasure hunt to the esoteric
brotherhood. He believed that these clues were to be found partly in the evidence of the heavens
and in the constitution of elements[...], but also partly in certain papers and traditions handed
down by the brethren in an unbroken chain back to the original cryptic revelation in Babylonia.
John Maynard Keynes, "Newton the Man," in The Royal Society Newton Tercentenary
Celebrations 15-19 July 1946 (Cambridge: at the University Press, 1947), pp. 27-34; also in an
address to the Royal Society Club (1942), as quoted in A Dictionary of Scientific Quotations
(1977) by Alan L. MacKay, p.140
n vulgar modern terms Newton was profoundly neurotic of a not unfamiliar type, but... a most
extreme example. His deepest instincts were occult, esoteric, semantic with profound shrinking
from the world, a paralyzing fear of exposing his thoughts, his beliefs, his discoveries, in all
nakedness to the inspection and criticism of the world. ...Until the second phase of his life, he was
a wrapt, consecrated solitary, pursuing his studies by intense introspection.
John Maynard Keynes, "Newton the Man," in The Royal Society Newton Tercentenary
Celebrations (1947)
His peculiar gift was the power of holding continuously in his mind a purely mental problem
until he had seen straight through it. fancy his pre-eminence is due to his muscles of intuition
being the strongest and most enduring with which a man has ever been gifted. ... believe that
Newton could hold a problem in his head for hours and days and weeks until it surrendered to
him its secret. Then being a supreme mathematical technician he could dress it up, how you will,
for the purposes of exposition, but it was his intuition that was pre-eminently extraordinary.
John Maynard Keynes, "Newton the Man," in The Royal Society Newton Tercentenary
Celebrations (1947): this starts off with a very similar remark as Keynes had made in Essays in
Biography (1933): " His peculiar gift was the power of holding continuously in his mind a purely
mental problem until he had seen it through.
Newton was the greatest genius that ever existed, and the most fortunate, for we cannot find
more than once a system of the world to establish.
Joseph Louis Lagrange, quoted by F. R. Moulton: ntroduction to Astronomy (New York,
1906), p. 199.
Everyone knows Newton as the great scientist. Few remember that he spent half his life
muddling with alchemy, looking for the philosopher's stone. That was the pebble by the seashore
he really wanted to find.
Fritz Leiber, in "Poor Superman" (1951), also in the anthology Tomorrow (1952) edited by
Robert A. Heinlein
Newton was really a very valuable man, not onely for his wonderfull skill in Mathematicks but in
divinity too and his great knowledge in the scriptures where in know few his equals.
John Locke, quoted in The Cambridge Companion to Newton (edited by . Bernard Cohen,
George E. Smith)
M - R
We shall find it more conducive to scientific progress to recognise, with Newton, the ideas of
time and space as distinct, at least in thought, from that of the material system whose relations
these ideas serve to co-ordinate.
James Clerk Maxwell, Matter and Motion (1876)
t is an observed fact that bodies of equal mass, placed in the same position relative to the
earth, are attracted equally towards the earth whatever they are made of; but this is not a doctrine
of abstract dynamics founded on axiomatic principles, but a fact discovered by observation, and
verified by the careful experiments of Newton on the times of oscillation of hollow wooden balls
suspended by strings of the same length, and containing gold, silver, lead, glass, sand, common
salt, wood, water, and wheat. ...measuring the length of a pendulum which swings seconds.
James Clerk Maxwell, Matter and Motion (1876)
The fact that a magnet draws iron towards it was noticed by the ancients, but no attention was
paid to the force with which the iron attracts the magnet. Newton, however, by placing the magnet
in one vessel and the iron in another, and floating both vessels in water so as to touch each other,
showed experimentally that as neither vessel was able to propel the other along with itself
through the water, the attraction of the iron on the magnet must be equal and opposite to that of
the magnet on the iron, both being equal to the pressure between the two vessels.
James Clerk Maxwell, Matter and Motion (1876)
We cannot... regard Newton's statement as an appeal to experience and observation, but
rather as a deduction of the third law of motion from the first.
James Clerk Maxwell, Matter and Motion (1876)
Newton had a profound interest in things Jewish. ...Newton owned five of the works of
Maimonides... He also possessed Christian Knorr von Rosenroth's Kabbala denudata (1677)...
along with an edition of the first century Jewish philosopher Philo. His writings reveal that he used
the Talmud, the learning of which he accessed through Maimonides and other sources in his
library.
Benny Peiser, saac Newton: "Judaic monotheist of the school of Maimonides 2007
Newton's exegesis merged with a prophetic tradition that helped create during the nineteenth
and twentieth centuries the religious and political climates that paved the way for the resettlement
of Jews in Palestine - the longed-for vision of the Restoration. Newton would have approved.
Benny Peiser, saac Newton: "Judaic monotheist of the school of Maimonides 2007
When had the honour of his conversation, endeavoured to learn his thoughts upon
mathematical subjects, and something historical concerning his inventions, that had not been
before acquainted with. found, he had read fewer of the modern mathematicians, than one could
have expected; but his own prodigious invention readily supplied him with what he might have an
occasion for in the pursuit of any subject he undertook. have often heard him censure the
handling geometrical subjects by algebraic calculations; and his book of Algebra he called by the
name of Universal Arithmetic, in opposition to the injudicious title of Geometry, which Des Cartes
had given to the treatise, wherein he shews, how the geometer may assist his invention by such
kind of computations. He frequently praised Slusius, Barrow and Huygens for not being
influenced by the false taste, which then began to prevail. He used to commend the laudable
attempt of Hugo de Omerique to restore the ancient analysis, and very much esteemed
Apollonius's book De sectione rationis for giving us a clearer notion of that analysis than we had
before.
Henry Pemberton. View of Newton's Philosophy, (1728), preface; The bold passage is
subject of the 1809 article "Remarks on a Passage in Castillione's Life' of Sir saac Newton." By
John Winthrop, in: The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 1770-1776.
Charles Hutton et al. eds. (1809) p. 519.
The first thoughts, which gave rise to his Principia, he had, when he retired from Cambridge in
1666 on account of the plague. As he sat alone in a garden, he fell into a speculation on the
power of gravity; that as this power is not found sensibly diminished at the remotest distance from
the centre of the earth to which we can rise, neither at the tops of the loftiest buildings, nor even
on the summits of the highest mountains, it appeared to him reasonable to conclude that this
power must extend much further than was usually thought: why not as high as the moon? said he
to himself.
Henry Pemberton. View of Newton's Philosophy, (1728), preface. As cited in: Pierre Bayle,
John Peter Bernard, John Lockman (1738), A general dictionary, historical and critical, p. 783;
There is a traditional story about Newton: as a young student, he began the study of geometry,
as was usual in his time, with the reading of the Elements of Euclid. He read the theorems, saw
that they were true, and omitted the proofs. He wondered why anybody should take pains to
prove things so evident. Many years later, however, he changed his opinion and praised Euclid.
The story may be authentic or not ...
George Plya, How to Solve t (1945); Page 215 in the Expanded Princeton Science Library
Edition (2004), SBN 0-691-11966-X
Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night:
God said, Let Newton be! and all was light.
Alexander Pope, lines written for Newton's monument in Westminster Abbey, as quoted in
The Epigrammatists : A Selection from the Epigrammatic Literature of Ancient, Medival, and
Modern Times (1875) by Henry Philip Dodd, p. 329; a Latin inscription was chosen instead, but
this was later inscribed on a marble tablet placed in the room of the manor-house of Woolsthorpe
in which Newton was born.
Variants:
Nature and all her works lay hid in night;
God said, Let Newton be, and all was light.
Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night;
God said "Let Newton be" and all was light.
O'er Nature's laws, God cast the veil of night,
Out blaz'd a Newton's soul and all was light.
Variant written by Aaron Hill, preserved in Hill's Works (1753), Vol. V, p. 92; mentioned in
The Epigrammatists : A Selection from the Epigrammatic Literature of Ancient, Medival, and
Modern Times (1875) by Henry Philip Dodd, p. 329
Sir saac Newton, having perhaps the greatest scientific mind of all time, accepted the books of
Book of Daniel and Revelation as revelations from God, being very detailed and accurate
representations of the history of the world's dominating kingdoms, and prophesying both the first
and second coming of Christ. He understood that the scriptures taught that the true Church of
Jesus Christ had been lost, and he awaited three separate future events: 1) the restoration of the
gospel by an angel, 2) the re-establishment of the true church, and 3) the rise of a new world
kingdom led by the Savior himself, which will crush the kingdoms of the world as the stone
pulverized the statue to powder. He saw the whole purpose of these revelations is not to satisfy
man's curiosity about the future, but to be a testimony of the foreknowledge of God after they are
all fulfilled in the last days. He proposed that the revelations can be understood by discovering
rules governing their consistent imagery, but only after they have been fulfilled, unless an
interpretation is given with the revelation. Truly Newton's genius was remarkable, and we could
learn much from his insights and systematic methods.
John P. Pratt, in "Sir saac Newton nterprets Daniel's Prophecies" in Meridian Magazine (11
August 2004)
Dr. Pemberton tells us a that the first thoughts, which gave rise to Newton's Principia, occurred
to him when he had retired from Cambridge into Lincolnshire, in 1666, on account of the plague.
Voltaire had his information from Mrs. Catharine Barton, Newton's favourite niece, who married
Conduitt, a member of the Royal Society, and one of his intimate friends: from having spent a
great portion of her life in his society, she was good authority for such an anecdote, and she
related that some fruit, falling from a tree, was the accidental cause of this direction to Newton's
speculations.
Stephen Peter Rigau. Historical Essay on the First Publication of Sir saac Newton's
Principia. (1838), p. 1-2; Lead paragraph of the first chapter.
S - Z
Un genio es alguien que descubre que la piedra que cae y la luna que no cae representan un
solo y mismo fenmeno.
A genius is someone who discovers that the stone that falls and the moon that doesn't fall
represent one and the same phenomenon.
Ernesto Sbato, in On Heroes and Tombs [Sobre hroes y tumbas] (1961), Ch. X
Variant translation: A genius is someone who discovers that the falling stone and the moon
that falls represent one and the same phenomenon.
Newton proposed that the particles of the air (we would call them molecules), were motionless
in space and were held apart by repulsive forces between them... He assumed that the repulsive
force was inversely proportional to the distance between the particles...He showed that, on the
basis of this assumption, a collection of static particles in a box would behave exactly as Boyle
had found. His model led directly to Boyle's law. Probably the greatest scientist ever, Newton
managed to get the right answer from a model that was wrong in every possible way.
Brian L. Silver, The Ascent of Science (1998)
The weight of a smallish apple is, pleasingly, about 1 newton, or 1 N. ...Newton probably
weighed about 700 newtons.
Brian L. Silver, The Ascent of Science (1998)
The view of space that exists independent of any relationship is called the absolute view. t was
Newton's view, but it has been definitely repudiated by the experiments that have verified
Einstein's theory of general relativity. ...There are unfortunately not a few good professional
physicists who still think about the world as if space and time had an absolute meaning.
Lee Smolin, Three Roads to Quantum Gravity (2000)
Newton did not show the cause of the apple falling, but he shewed a similitude between the
apple and the stars. By doing so he turned old facts into new knowledge; and was well content if
he could bring diverse phenomenon under "two or three Principles of Motion" even "though the
Causes of these Principles were not yet discovered."
D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, On Growth and Form (1917)
The reader will recollect that we are here speaking of the Principia as a mechanical treatise
only... As a work on dynamics, its merit is, that it contains a wonderful store of refined and
beautiful mathematical artifices, applied to solve all the most general problems which the subject
offered. t can hardly be said to contain any new inductive discovery respecting the principles of
mechanics; for though Newton's "Axioms or Laws of Motion," which stand at the beginning of the
book, are a much clearer and more general statement of the grounds of mechanics than had yet
appeared, it can hardly be said that they contain any doctrines which had not been previously
stated or taken for granted by other mathematicians.
William Whewell, History of the nductive Sciences (1837) Bk.6, Ch.5, Sect.1
He was unhappy with the relativity of motion, even though it is a consequence of his equations,
and to escape it he postulated the existence of "absolute" space, with respect to which true rest
and motion are defined.
Frank Wilczek, The Lightness of Being (2008)
Here lies
saac Newton, Knight,
Who, by a Vigour of Mind almost supernatural,
First demonstrated
The Motions and Figures of the Planets,
The Paths of the Comets, and the Tides of the Ocean.
He diligently investigated
The different Refrangibilities of the Rays of Light,
And the Properties of the Colours to which they give rise.
An assiduous, sagacious, and faithful nterpreter
Of Nature, Antiquity, and the Holy Scriptures,
He asserted his Philosophy of the Majesty of God,
And exhibited in his conduct the Simplicity of the Gospel.
Let mortals rejoice
That there has existed such and so great
An Ornament of Human Nature.
William Thomson
(Redirected from Lord Kelvin)
Do not imagine that mathematics is hard and crabbed, and repulsive to common sense. t is
merely the etherealization of common sense.
...when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know
something about it;...
William Thomson (June 26, 1824December 17, 1907), 1st Baron Kelvin, often referred to simply
as Lord Kelvin, was a Scottish physicist.
Contents
1 Quotes
1.1 Thermodynamics quotes
2 Disputed
3 External Links
Quotes
need scarcely say that the beginning and maintenance of life on earth is absolutely and
infinitely beyond the range of sound speculation in dynamical science.
The Life of Lord Kelvin, Volume 2, by Silvanus Phillips Thompson. American Mathematical
Soc., 1 Dec 2005. Pg 866.
t is conceivable that animal life might have the attribute of using the heat of surrounding
matter, at its natural temperature, as a source of energy for mechanical effect . . . .The influence
of animal or vegetable life on matter is infinitely beyond the range of any scientific enquiry hitherto
entered on. ts power of directing the motions of moving particles, in the demonstrated daily
miracle of our human free-will, and in the growth of generation after generation of plants from a
single seed, are infinitely different from any possible result of the fortuitous concurrence of atoms.
The Life of Lord Kelvin, Volume 2, by Silvanus Phillips Thompson. American Mathematical
Soc., 1 Dec 2005. Pg 1093.
often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in
numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot express it in numbers, your
knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you
have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science, whatever the matter may be.
Lecture on "Electrical Units of Measurement" (3 May 1883), published in Popular Lectures
Vol. , p. 73
There cannot be a greater mistake than that of looking superciliously upon the practical
applications of science. The life and soul of science is its practical application; and just as the
great advances in mathematics have been made through the desire of discovering the solution of
problems which were of a highly practical kind in mathematical science, so in physical science
many of the greatest advances that have been made from the beginning of the world to the
present time have been made in earnest desire to turn the knowledge of the properties of matter
to some purpose useful to mankind.
Lecture on "Electrical Units of Measurement" (3 May 1883), published in Popular Lectures
Vol. , p. 73, as quoted in The Life of Lord Kelvin (1910) by Silvanus Phillips Thompson.
Quaternions came from Hamilton after his really good work had been done, and though
beautifully ingenious, have been an unmixed evil to those who have touched them in any way.
Letter to Robert Baldwin Hayward (1892), as quoted in Energy and Empire : A Biographical
Study of Lord Kelvin (1989) by Crosbie Smith and M. Norton Wise.
am afraid am not in the flight for "aerial navigation. was greatly interested in your work with
kites; but have not the smallest molecule of faith in aerial navigation other than ballooning or of
expectation of good results from any of the trials we hear of. So you will understand that would
not care to be a member of the aronautical Society.
As a response to Major B. F. S. Baden Powell's request to join the Aeronautical Society,
December 8, 1896.
Often reproduced out of context and without citation to any primary source as "Heavier-than-
air flying machines are impossible", like in The Experts Speak : The Definitive Compendium of
Authoritative Misinformation (1984) by Christopher Cerf and Victor Navasky, p. 236.
Symmetrical equations are good in their place, but 'vector' is a useless survival, or offshoot
from quaternions, and has never been of the slightest use to any creature.
Letter to G. F. FitzGerald (1896) as quoted in A History of Vector Analysis : The Evolution of
the dea of a Vectorial System (1994) by Michael J. Crowe, p. 120
Do not imagine that mathematics is hard and crabbed, and repulsive to common sense. t is
merely the etherealization of common sense.
Quoted in Life of Lord Kelvin (1910) by Silvanus Phillips Thompson.
Tesla has contributed more to electrical science than any man up to his time.
Statement of 1896, as quoted in Prodigal Genius : The Life of Nikola Tesla (2007) by James
J. O'Neill
To live among friends is the primary essential of happiness.
Lord Kelvin's Replies to Addresses given on the Celebration of the Jubilee of his
Professorship (June 15-17, 1896). Quoted in Lord Kelvin, Professor of Natural Philosophy in the
University of Glasgow 1846-1899 by George F. Fitzgerald, 1899. Full Text
Thermodynamics quotes
t is impossible by means of inanimate material agency, to derive mechanical effect from any
portion of matter by cooling it below the temperature of the coldest of the surrounding objects.
[Footnote: ] f this axiom be denied for all temperatures, it would have to be admitted that a self-
acting machine might be set to work and produce mechanical effect by cooling the sea or earth,
with no limit but the total loss of heat from the earth and sea, or in reality, from the whole material
world.
Mathematical and Physical Papers, Vol.1 p.179 (1882) "On the Dynamical Theory of Heat
with Numerical Results Deduced from Mr Joule's Equivalent of a Thermal Unit and M. Regnault's
Observations on Steam" originally from Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, March,
1851 and Philosophical Magazine iv, 1852.
1. There is at present in the material world a universal tendency to the dissipation of
mechanical energy.
2. Any restoration of mechanical energy, without more than an equivalent of dissipation, is
impossible in inanimate material processes, and is probably never effected by means of
organized matter, either endowed with vegetable life or subjected to the will of an animated
creature.
3. Within a finite period of time past, the earth must have been, and within a finite period of
time to come the earth must again be, unfit for the habitation of man as at present constituted,
unless operations have been, or are to be performed, which are impossible under the laws to
which the known operations going on at present in the material world are subject.
Mathematical and Physical Papers, Vol.1 p.512 (1882) "On a Universal Tendency in Nature
to the Dissipation of Mechanical Energy" originally from the Proceedings of the Royal Society of
Edinburgh for April 19, 1852, also Philosophical Magazine, Oct. 1852.
f the water flow down by a gradual natural channel, its potential energy is gradually converted
into heat by fluid friction, according to an admirable discovery made by Mr Joule of Manchester
above twelve years ago, which has led to the greatest reform that physical science has
experienced since the days of Newton. From that discovery, it may be concluded with certainty
that heat is not matter, but some kind of motion among the particles of matter; a conclusion
established, it is true, by Sir Humphrey Davy and Count Rumford at the end of last century, but
ignored by even the highest scientific men during a period of more than forty years.
Mathematical and Physical Papers, Vol.2 (1884) "On Mechanical Antecedents of Motion,
Heat and Light" (originally published 1854, 1855)
Disputed
There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more
precise measurement.
Although reportedly from an address to the British Association for the Advancement of
Science (1900), the quote is only duplicated without citation to any primary source in various
books, including Superstring : A theory of everything? (1988) by Paul Davies and Julian Brown;
also in Rebuilding the Matrix : Science and Faith in the 21st Century (2003) by Denis Alexander.
To be more credible, a source prior to the 1980s and close to 1900 is needed.
Confusion may be due to Michelson who made a similar quote whilst mentioning Lord
Kelvin: n 1894, Albert A. Michelson remarked that in physics there were no more fundamental
discoveries to be made. Quoting Lord Kelvin, he continued, "An eminent physicist remarked that
the future truths of physical science are to be looked for in the sixth place of decimals." [1].
The beauty and clearness of the dynamical theory, which asserts heat and light to be modes of
motion, is at present obscured by two clouds. . The first came into existence with the undulatory
theory of light, and was dealt with by Fresnel and Dr. Thomas Young; it involved the question,
how could the earth move through an elastic solid, such as essentially is the luminiferous ether?
. The second is the MaxwellBoltzmann doctrine regarding the partition of energy.
From a 1900, April 27, Royal nstitution lecture. Lord Kelvin, Nineteenth Century Clouds over
the Dynamical Theory of Heat and Light, Philosophical Magazine, Sixth Series, 2, 140 (1901).
Science 100
Nikola Tesla
The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result. He does not expect that his advanced
ideas will be readily taken up... His duty is to lay the foundation for those who are to come, and
point the way.
Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 7 January 1943) was a physicist, inventor, and electrical engineer.
An ethnic Serb born in the Military Frontier (present-day Croatia), he was a subject of the Austrian
Empire who later became an American citizen.
Contents
1 Quotes
1.1 The Problem of ncreasing Human Energy (1900)
1.2 A Means for Furthering Peace (1905)
1.3 Man's Greatest Achievement (1908; 1930)
1.4 My nventions (1919)
1.5 A Machine to End War (1937)
2 Attributed to Tesla
3 Quotes about Tesla
4 External links
Quotes
A point of great importance would be first to know: what is the capacity of the earth? And what
charge does it contain if electrified?
Throughout space there is energy. ... it is a mere question of time when men will succeed in
attaching their machinery to the very wheelwork of nature.
This planet, with all its appalling immensity, is to electric currents virtually no more than a small
metal ball.
All my money has been invested into experiments with which have made new discoveries
enabling mankind to have a little easier life.
A point of great importance would be first to know: what is the capacity of the earth? And what
charge does it contain if electrified? Though we have no positive evidence of a charged body
existing in space without other oppositely electrified bodies being near, there is a fair probability
that the earth is such a body, for by whatever process it was separated from other bodies and
this is the accepted view of its origin it must have retained a charge, as occurs in all processes
of mechanical separation.
"Experiments With Alternating Currents of Very High Frequency, and Their Application to
Methods of Artificial llumination" (20 May 1891)
Alternate currents, especially of high frequencies, pass with astonishing freedom through even
slightly rarefied gases...
Alternate currents, especially of high frequencies, pass with astonishing freedom through even
slightly rarefied gases. The upper strata of the air are rarefied. To reach a number of miles out
into space requires the overcoming of difficulties of a merely mechanical nature.
"Experiments With Alternate Currents Of High Potential And High Frequency" an address to
the nstitution of Electrical Engineers, London (February 1892)
Ere many generations pass, our machinery will be driven by a power obtainable at any point of
the universe. This idea is not novel. Men have been led to it long ago by instinct or reason; it has
been expressed in many ways, and in many places, in the history of old and new. We find it in the
delightful myth of Antheus, who derives power from the earth; we find it among the subtle
speculations of one of your splendid mathematicians and in many hints and statements of
thinkers of the present time. Throughout space there is energy. s this energy static or kinetic! f
static our hopes are in vain; if kinetic and this we know it is, for certain then it is a mere
question of time when men will succeed in attaching their machinery to the very wheelwork of
nature.
"Experiments With Alternate Currents Of High Potential And High Frequency" (February
1892)
There is something within me that might be illusion as it is often case with young delighted
people, but if would be fortunate to achieve some of my ideals, it would be on the behalf of the
whole of humanity. f those hopes would become fulfilled, the most exciting thought would be that
it is a deed of a Serb.
Address at the Belgrade train station (1 June 1892)
Nature may reach the same result in many ways. Like a wave in the physical world, in the
infinite ocean of the medium which pervades all, so in the world of organisms, in life, an impulse
started proceeds onward, at times, may be, with the speed of light, at times, again, so slowly that
for ages and ages it seems to stay, passing through processes of a complexity inconceivable to
men, but in all its forms, in all its stages, its energy ever and ever integrally present. A single ray
of light from a distant star falling upon the eye of a tyrant in bygone times may have altered the
course of his life, may have changed the destiny of nations, may have transformed the surface of
the globe, so intricate, so inconceivably complex are the processes in Nature. n no way can we
get such an overwhelming idea of the grandeur of Nature than when we consider, that in
accordance with the law of the conservation of energy, throughout the nfinite, the forces are in a
perfect balance, and hence the energy of a single thought may determine the motion of a
universe.
"On Light And Other High Frequency Phenomena" A lecture delivered before the Franklin
nstitute, Philadelphia (24 February 1893), and before the National Electric Light Association, St.
Louis (1 March 1893), published in The Electrical review (9 June 1893), p. Page 683; also in The
nventions, Researches And Writings of Nikola Tesla (1894)
Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is
no more.
"The Problem of ncreasing Human Energy. with Special Reference to Harvesting the Sun's
Energy", Century llustrated Magazine (June 1900)
When the great truth accidentally revealed and experimentally confirmed is fully recognized,
that this planet, with all its appalling immensity, is to electric currents virtually no more than a
small metal ball and that by this fact many possibilities, each baffling imagination and of
incalculable consequence, are rendered absolutely sure of accomplishment; when the first plant
is inaugurated and it is shown that a telegraphic message, almost as secret and non-interferable
as a thought, can be transmitted to any terrestrial distance, the sound of the human voice, with all
its intonations and inflections, faithfully and instantly reproduced at any other point of the globe,
the energy of a waterfall made available for supplying light, heat or motive power, anywhere on
sea, or land, or high in the air humanity will be like an ant heap stirred up with a stick: See the
excitement coming!
"The Transmission of Electric Energy Without Wires" in Electrical World and Engineer (5
March 1904)
As soon as it is completed, it will be possible for a business man in New York to dictate
instructions, and have them instantly appear in type at his office in London or elsewhere. He will
be able to call up, from his desk, and talk to any telephone subscriber on the globe, without any
change whatever in the existing equipment. An inexpensive instrument, not bigger than a watch,
will enable its bearer to hear anywhere, on sea or land, music or song, the speech of a political
leader, the address of an eminent man of science, or the sermon of an eloquent clergyman,
delivered in some other place, however distant. n the same manner any picture, character,
drawing, or print can be transferred from one to another place. Millions of such instruments can
be operated from but one plant of this kind. More important than all of this, however, will be the
transmission of power, without wires, which will be shown on a scale large enough to carry
conviction.
On the Wardenclyffe Tower, in "The Future of the Wireless Art" in Wireless Telegraphy and
Telephony (1908)
Let the future tell the truth and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments.
The present is theirs; the future, for which really worked, is mine.
Money does not represent such a value as men have placed upon it. All my money has been
invested into experiments with which have made new discoveries enabling mankind to have a
little easier life.
As quoted in "A Visit to Nikola Tesla" by Dragislav L. Petkovi in Politika (April 1927); also in
Tesla, Master of Lightning (1999) by Margaret Cheney, Robert Uth, and Jim Glenn, p. 82
Let the future tell the truth and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments.
The present is theirs; the future, for which really worked, is mine.
On patent controversies regarding the invention of Radio and other things, as quoted in "A
Visit to Nikola Tesla" by Dragislav L. Petkovi in Politika (April 1927); as quoted in Tesla, Master
of Lightning (1999) by Margaret Cheney, Robert Uth, and Jim Glenn, p. 73 SBN 0760710058 ;
also in Tesla: Man Out of Time (2001) by Margaret Cheney, p. 230 SBN 0743215362
To say that in the presence of large bodies space becomes curved is equivalent to stating that
something can act upon nothing. , for one, refuse to subscribe to such a view.
have harnessed the cosmic rays and caused them to operate a motive device.
Brooklyn Eagle (10 July 1931)
f Edison had a needle to find in a haystack, he would proceed at once with the diligence of the
bee to examine straw after straw until he found the object of his search. ... was a sorry witness
of such doings, knowing that a little theory and calculation would have saved him ninety per cent
of his labor.
New York Times (19 October 1931)
hold that space cannot be curved, for the simple reason that it can have no properties. t
might as well be said that God has properties. He has not, but only attributes and these are of our
own making. Of properties we can only speak when dealing with matter filling the space. To say
that in the presence of large bodies space becomes curved is equivalent to stating that something
can act upon nothing. , for one, refuse to subscribe to such a view.
New York Herald Tribune (11 September 1932)
The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result. He does not expect that his advanced
ideas will be readily taken up. His work is like that of the planter for the future. His duty is to lay
the foundation for those who are to come, and point the way. He lives and labors and hopes.
"Radio Power Will Revolutionize the World" in Modern Mechanics and nventions (July 1934)
Today's scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through
equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality.
"Radio Power Will Revolutionize the World" in Modern Mechanics and nventions (July 1934)
The scientists from Franklin to Morse were clear thinkers and did not produce erroneous
theories. The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly,
but one can think deeply and be quite insane.
"Radio Power Will Revolutionize the World" in Modern Mechanics and nventions (July 1934)
Much has been said about Yugoslavia and its people, but many Americans may be under a
wrong impression for political enemies and agitators have spread the idea that its inhabitants
belong to different nations animated by mutual hate and held together against their will, by a
tyrannical power. The fact is that all Yugoslavs Serbians, Slavonians, Bosnians,
Herzegovinians, Dalmations, Montenagrins, Croatians and Slovenes are of the same race,
speak the same language and have common national ideals and traditions.
At the termination of the World War, Alexander brought about a political union creating a
powerful and resourceful State. This was hailed with joy by all the Slavs of the Balkans, but it took
time before the people found themselves in the new conditions.
was born in Croatia. The Croatians and Slovenes were never in a position to fight for their
independence. t was the Serbians who fought the battles for freedom and the price of liberty was
paid in Serbian blood. All true Croatians and Slovenes remember that gratefully. They also know
that the Serbians have an unequaled aptitude and experience in warfare and are best qualified to
direct the forces of the country in a crisis.
Ever since united Yugoslavia came into being through Alexander's efforts, political enemies
have done all they could to disrupt it by sowing seeds of discord and disseminating malicious
reports. . The death of the King has shaken the country to its very foundations, but the enemies
who say that it means the disruption of Yugoslavia will hope in vain, for the noble blood of the
great man has only served to cement its parts more firmly and strengthen the national structure.
Alexander will live long in the memory of his people, a heroic figure of imposing stature, both the
Washington and Lincoln of the Yugoslavs; like Washington an able and intrepid general who freed
his country from oppression; like Lincoln a wise and patriotic leader who suffered martyrdom.
'"Tribute to King Alexander" The New York Times (19 October 1934)
Einstein's relativity work is a magnificent mathematical garb which fascinates, dazzles and
makes people blind to the underlying errors. The theory is like a beggar clothed in purple whom
ignorant people take for a king... its exponents are brilliant men but they are metaphysicists rather
than scientists.
New York Times (11 July 1935), p. 23, c.8
Man's new sense of pity began to interfere with the ruthless workings of nature. The only
method compatible with our notions of civilization and the race is to prevent the breeding of the
unfit by sterilization and the deliberate guidance of the mating instinct. The trend of opinion
among eugenists is that we must make marriage more difficult. Certainly no one who is not a
desirable parent should be permitted to produce progeny. A century from now it will no more
occur to a normal person to mate with a person eugenically unfit than to marry a habitual criminal.
As quoted in "A Machine to End War - A Famous nventor, Picturing Life 100 Years from
Now, Reveals an Astounding Scientific Venture Which He Believes Will Change the Course of
History" by George Sylvester Viereck in Liberty (February 1937)
Miss! Never trust a Jew!
To a secretary, as quoted in Tesla: Man Out of Time (1998) by Margaret Cheney, SBN
0743215362 , p.165 (footnote)
Marconi is a good fellow. Let him continue. He is using seventeen of my patents.
On being informed that Marconi was transmitting wireless messages across the Atlantic
Ocean, as quoted in "Who nvented Radio?" at PBS.org, and in Tesla : The Modern Sorcerer
(1999) by Daniel Blair Stewart, p. 371
do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor
as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success ... Such emotions make a man forget
food, sleep, friends, love, everything.
Quoted in Marconi and Tesla: Pioneers of Radio Communication (2008) by Tim O'Shei, SBN
159845076X , p.5
The Problem of ncreasing Human Energy (1900)
Though free to think and act, we are held together, like the stars in the firmament, with ties
inseparable. These ties cannot be seen, but we can feel them.
We are all one.
The individual is ephemeral, races and nations come and pass away, but man remains.
"The Problem of ncreasing Human Energy with Special References to the Harnessing of the
Sun's Energy" in Century llustrated Magazine (June 1900)
When we speak of man, we have a conception of humanity as a whole, and before applying
scientific methods to the investigation of his movement we must accept this as a physical fact.
But can anyone doubt to-day that all the millions of individuals and all the innumerable types and
characters constitute an entity, a unit? Though free to think and act, we are held together, like the
stars in the firmament, with ties inseparable. These ties cannot be seen, but we can feel them.
cut myself in the finger, and it pains me: this finger is a part of me. see a friend hurt, and it hurts
me, too: my friend and are one. And now see stricken down an enemy, a lump of matter which,
of all the lumps of matter in the universe, care least for, and it still grieves me. Does this not
prove that each of us is only part of a whole?
For ages this idea has been proclaimed in the consummately wise teachings of religion,
probably not alone as a means of insuring peace and harmony among men, but as a deeply
founded truth. The Buddhist expresses it in one way, the Christian in another, but both say the
same: We are all one. Metaphysical proofs are, however, not the only ones which we are able to
bring forth in support of this idea. Science, too, recognizes this connectedness of separate
individuals, though not quite in the same sense as it admits that the suns, planets, and moons of
a constellation are one body, and there can be no doubt that it will be experimentally confirmed in
times to come, when our means and methods for investigating psychical and other states and
phenomena shall have been brought to great perfection. Still more: this one human being lives on
and on. The individual is ephemeral, races and nations come and pass away, but man remains.
Therein lies the profound difference between the individual and the whole.
So we find that the three possible solutions of the great problem of increasing human energy
are answered by the three words: food, peace, work. Many a year have thought and pondered,
lost myself in speculations and theories, considering man as a mass moved by a force, viewing
his inexplicable movement in the light of a mechanical one, and applying the simple principles of
mechanics to the analysis of the same until arrived at these solutions, only to realize that they
were taught to me in my early childhood. These three words sound the key-notes of the Christian
religion. Their scientific meaning and purpose now clear to me: food to increase the mass, peace
to diminish the retarding force, and work to increase the force accelerating human movement.
These are the only three solutions which are possible of that great problem, and all of them have
one object, one end, namely, to increase human energy. When we recognize this, we cannot help
wondering how profoundly wise and scientific and how immensely practical the Christian religion
is, and in what a marked contrast it stands in this respect to other religions. t is unmistakably the
result of practical experiment and scientific observation which have extended through the ages,
while other religions seem to be the outcome of merely abstract reasoning. Work, untiring effort,
useful and accumulative, with periods of rest and recuperation aiming at higher efficiency, is its
chief and ever-recurring command. Thus we are inspired both by Christianity and Science to do
our utmost toward increasing the performance of mankind. This most important of human
problems shall now specifically consider.
Universal Peace, assuming it to be in the fullest sense realizable, might not require eons for its
accomplishment, however probable this may appear...
A Means for Furthering Peace (1905)
"The Transmission of Electrical Energy Without Wires as a Means for Furthering Peace" in
Electrical World and Engineer (7 January 1905)
Universal Peace, assuming it to be in the fullest sense realizable, might not require eons for its
accomplishment, however probable this may appear, judging from the imperceptibly slow growth
of all great reformatory ideas of the past. ... Our accepted estimates of the duration of natural
metamorphoses, or changes in general, have been thrown in doubt of late. The very foundations
of science have been shaken.
A state of human life vaguely defined by the term "Universal Peace," while a result of cumulative
effort through centuries past, might come into existence quickly, not unlike a crystal suddenly
forms in a solution which has been slowly prepared.
A state of human life vaguely defined by the term "Universal Peace," while a result of
cumulative effort through centuries past, might come into existence quickly, not unlike a crystal
suddenly forms in a solution which has been slowly prepared. But just as no effect can precede
its cause, so this state can never be brought on by any pact between nations, however solemn.
Experience is made before the law is formulated, both are related like cause and effect. So long
as we are clearly conscious of the expectation, that peace is to result from such a parliamentary
decision, so long have we a conclusive evidence that we are not fit for peace. Only then when we
shall feel that such international meetings are mere formal procedures, unnecessary except in so
far as they might serve to give definite expression to a common desire, will peace be assured.
To judge from current events we must be, as yet, very distant from that blissful goal. t is true
that we are proceeding towards it rapidly. There are abundant signs of this progress everywhere.
The race enmities and prejudices are decidedly waning.
We begin to think cosmically...
We begin to think cosmically. Our sympathetic feelers reach out into the dim distance. The
bacteria of the "Weltschmerz," are upon us. So far, however, universal harmony has been
attained only in a single sphere of international relationship. That is the postal service. ts
mechanism is working satisfactorily, but how remote are we still from that scrupulous respect
of the sanctity of the mail bag! And how much farther again is the next milestone on the road to
peace an international judicial service equally reliable as the postal!
General disarmament being for the present entirely out of question, a proportionate reduction
might be recommended. The safety of any country and of the world's commerce depending not
on the absolute, but relative amount of war material, this would be evidently the first reasonable
step to take towards universal economy and peace. But it would be a hopeless task to establish
an equitable basis of adjustment. Population, naval strength, force of army, commercial
importance, water-power, or any other natural resource, actual or prospective, are equally
unsatisfactory standards to consider.
To conquer by sheer force is becoming harder and harder every day. Defensive is getting
continuously the advantage of offensive, as we progress in the satanic science of destruction.
The new art of controlling electrically the movements and operations of individualized automata at
a distance without wires, will soon enable any country to render its coasts impregnable against all
naval attacks.
The distance at which it can strike, and the destructive power of such a quasi-intelligent
machine being for all practical purposes unlimited, the gun, the armor of the battleship and the
wall of the fortress, lose their import and significance. One can prophesy with a Daniel's
confidence that skilled electricians will settle the battles of the near future. But this is the least. n
its effect upon war and peace, electricity offers still much greater and more wonderful possibilities.
To stop war by the perfection of engines of destruction alone, might consume centuries and
centuries. Other means must be employed to hasten the end.
Fights between individuals, as well as governments and nations, invariably result from
misunderstandings in the broadest interpretation of this term. Misunderstandings are always
caused by the inability of appreciating one another's point of view. This again is due to the
ignorance of those concerned, not so much in their own, as in their mutual fields. The peril of a
clash is aggravated by a more or less predominant sense of combativeness, posed by every
human being. To resist this inherent fighting tendency the best way is to dispel ignorance of the
doings of others by a systematic spread of general knowledge. With this object in view, it is most
important to aid exchange of thought and intercourse.
Our senses enable us to perceive only a minute portion of the outside world.
Mutual understanding would be immensely facilitated by the use of one universal tongue. But
which shall it be, is the great question. At present it looks as if the English might be adopted as
such, though it must be admitted that it is not the most suitable. Each language, of course, excels
in some feature.... A practical answer to that momentous question must perforce be found in
times to come, for it is manifest that by adopting one common language the onward march of
man would be prodigiously quickened. do not believe that an artificial concoction, like Volapuk,
will ever find universal acceptance, however time-saving it might be. That would be contrary to
human nature. Languages have grown into our hearts.
Our senses enable us to perceive only a minute portion of the outside world. Our hearing
extends to a small distance. Our sight is impeded by intervening bodies and shadows. To know
each other we must reach beyond the sphere of our sense perceptions. We must transmit our
intelligence, travel, transport the materials and transfer the energies necessary for our existence.
Following this thought we now realize, forcibly enough to dispense with argument, that of all other
conquests of man, without exception, that which is most desirable, which would be most helpful in
the establishment of universal peaceful relations is the complete ANNHLATON OF
DSTANCE.
To achieve this wonder, electricity is the one and only means. nestimable good has already
been done by the use of this all powerful agent, the nature of which is still a mystery. Our
astonishment at what has been accomplished would be uncontrollable were it not held in check
by the expectation of greater miracles to come. That one, the greatest of all, can be viewed in
three aspects: Dissemination of intelligence, transportation, and transmission of power.
Within a few years a simple and inexpensive device, readily carried about, will enable one to
receive on land or sea the principal news, to hear a speech, a lecture, a song or play of a musical
instrument, conveyed from any other region of the globe.
Within a few years a simple and inexpensive device, readily carried about, will enable one to
receive on land or sea the principal news, to hear a speech, a lecture, a song or play of a musical
instrument, conveyed from any other region of the globe. The invention will also meet the crying
need for cheap transmission to great distances, more especially over the oceans. The small
working capacity of the cables and the excessive cost of messages are now fatal impediments in
the dissemination of intelligence which can only be removed by transmission without wires.
The ideal solution of the problem of transportation will be arrived at only when the complete
annihilation of distance in the transmission of power in large amounts shall have become a
commercial reality. That day we shall invade the domain of the bird. When the vexing problem of
aerial navigation, which has defied his attempts for ages, is solved, man will advance with giant
strides.
That electrical energy can be economically transmitted without wires to any terrestrial distance,
have unmistakably established in numerous observations, experiments and measurements,
qualitative and quantitative. These have demonstrated that is practicable to distribute power from
a central plant in unlimited amounts, with a loss not exceeding a small fraction of one per cent, in
the transmission, even to the greatest distance, twelve thousand miles to the opposite end of
the globe.
Whatever the future may bring, the universal application of these great principles is fully assured,
though it may be long in coming.
have obtained... spark discharges extending through more than one hundred feet and
carrying currents of one thousand amperes, electromotive forces approximating twenty million
volts, chemically active streamers covering areas of several thousand square feet, and electrical
disturbances in the natural media surpassing those caused by lightning, in intensity.
Whatever the future may bring, the universal application of these great principles is fully
assured, though it may be long in coming. With the opening of the first power plant, incredulity will
give way to wonderment, and this to ingratitude, as ever before.
t should be borne in mind that electrical energy obtained by harnessing a waterfall is probably
fifty times more effective than fuel energy. Since this is the most perfect way of rendering the
sun's energy available, the direction of the future material development of man is clearly
indicated.
Electric current, after passing into the earth travels to the diametrically opposite region of the
same and rebounding from there, returns to its point of departure with virtually undiminished
force. The outgoing and returning currents clash and form nodes and loops similar to those
observable on a vibrating cord. To traverse the entire distance of about twenty-five thousand
miles, equal to the circumference of the globe, the current requires a certain time interval, which
have approximately ascertained. n yielding this knowledge, nature has revealed one of its most
precious secrets, of inestimable consequence to man. So astounding are the facts in this
connection, that it would seem as though the Creator, himself, had electrically designed this
planet just for the purpose of enabling us to achieve wonders which, before my discovery, could
not have been conceived by the wildest imagination.
All that was great in the past was ridiculed, condemned, combated, suppressed only to
emerge all the more powerfully, all the more triumphantly from the struggle.
The economic transmission of power without wires is of all-surpassing importance to man. By
its means he will gain complete mastery of the air, the sea and the desert. t will enable him to
dispense with the necessity of mining, pumping, transporting and burning fuel, and so do away
with innumerable causes of sinful waste. By its means, he will obtain at any place and in any
desired amount, the energy of remote waterfalls to drive his machinery, to construct his canals,
tunnels and highways, to manufacture the materials of his want, his clothing and food, to heat and
light his home year in, year out, ever and ever, by day and by night. t will make the living
glorious sun his obedient, toiling slave. t will bring peace and harmony on earth.
t is not a dream, it is a simple feat of scientific electrical engineering, only expensive blind,
faint-hearted, doubting world! . . . Humanity is not yet sufficiently advanced to be willingly led by
the discover's keen searching sense. But who knows? Perhaps it is better in this present world of
ours that a revolutionary idea or invention instead of being helped and patted, be hampered and
ill-treated in its adolescence by want of means, by selfish interest, pedantry, stupidity and
ignorance; that it be attacked and stifled; that it pass through bitter trials and tribulations, through
the heartless strife of commercial existence. So do we get our light. So all that was great in the
past was ridiculed, condemned, combated, suppressed only to emerge all the more powerfully,
all the more triumphantly from the struggle.
Man's Greatest Achievement (1908; 1930)
What has the future in store for this strange being, born of a breath, of perishable tissue, yet
mmortal, with his powers fearful and Divine?
Variant 1 : An early version of this essay as quoted by Tesla in a letter (dated 19 April 1908)
published in The New York Times (21 April 1908)
What magic will be wrought by him in the end? What is to be his greatest deed, his crowning
achievement?
Can man control this grandest, most awe-inspiring of all processes in nature?
To create and to annihilate material substance, cause it to aggregate in forms according to his
desire, would be the supreme manifestation of the power of Man's mind, his most complete
triumph over the physical world...
According to an adopted theory, every ponderable atom is differentiated from a tenuous fluid,
filling all space merely by spinning motion, as a whirl of water in a calm lake. By being set in
movement this fluid, the ether, becomes gross matter. ts movement arrested, the primary
substance reverts to its normal state. t appears, then, possible for man through harnessed
energy of the medium and suitable agencies for starting and stopping ether whirls to cause matter
to form and disappear. At his command, almost without effort on his part, old worlds would vanish
and new ones would spring into being. He could alter the size of this planet, control its seasons,
adjust its distance from the sun, guide it on its eternal journey along any path he might choose,
through the depths of the universe. He could make planets collide and produce his suns and
stars, his heat and light; he could originate life in all its infinite forms. To cause at will the birth and
death of matter would be man's grandest deed, which would give him the mastery of physical
creation, make him fulfill his ultimate destiny.
Variant 2: New York American (6 July 1930)
When a child is born its sense-organs are brought in contact with the outer world. The waves of
sound, heat, and light beat upon its feeble body, its sensitive nerve-fibres quiver, the muscles
contract and relax in obedience: a gasp, a breath, and in this act a marvelous little engine, of
inconceivable delicacy and complexity of construction, unlike any on earth, is hitched to the
wheel-work of the Universe.
The little engine labors and grows, performs more and more involved operations, becomes
sensitive to ever subtler influences and now there manifests itself in the fully developed being
Man a desire mysterious, inscrutable and irresistible: to imitate nature, to create, to work
himself the wonders he perceives.
nspired to this task he searches, discovers and invents, designs and constructs, and covers
with monuments of beauty, grandeur and awe, the star of his birth. He descends into the bowels
of the globe to bring forth its hidden treasures and to unlock its immense imprisoned energies for
his use. He invades the dark depths of the ocean and the azure regions of the sky. He peers in
the innermost nooks and recesses of molecular structure and lays bare to his gaze worlds
infinitely remote. He subdues and puts to his service the fierce, devastating spark of Prometheus,
the titanic forces of the waterfall, the wind and the tide. He tames the thundering bolt of Jove and
annihilates time and space. He makes the great Sun itself his obedient toiling slave. Such is his
power and might that the heavens reverberate and the whole earth trembles by the mere sound
of his voice.
What has the future in store for this strange being, born of a breath, of perishable tissue, yet
mmortal, with his powers fearful and Divine? What magic will be wrought by him in the end?
What is to be his greatest deed, his crowning achievement?
Long ago he recognized that all perceptible matter comes from a primary substance, or a
tenuity beyond conception, filling all space, the Akasha or luminiferous ether, which is acted upon
by the life-giving Prana or Creative Force, calling into existence, in never ending cycles, all things
and phenomena. The primary substance, thrown into infinitesimal whirls of prodigious velocity,
becomes gross matter; the force subsiding, the motion ceases and matter disappears, reverting
to the primary substance.
Can man control this grandest, most awe-inspiring of all processes in nature? Can he harness
her inexhaustible energies to perform all their functions at his bidding? more still cause them to
operate simply by the force of his will?
f he could do this, he would have powers almost unlimited and supernatural. At his command,
with but a slight effort on his part, old worlds would disappear and new ones of his planning would
spring into being. He could fix, solidify and preserve the ethereal shapes of his imagining, the
fleeting visions of his dreams. He could express all the creations of his mind on any scale, in
forms concrete and imperishable. He could alter the size of this planet, control its seasons, guide
it along any path he might choose through the depths of the Universe. He could cause planets to
collide and produce his suns and stars, his heat and light. He could originate and develop life in
all its infinite forms.
To create and to annihilate material substance, cause it to aggregate in forms according to his
desire, would be the supreme manifestation of the power of Man's mind, his most complete
triumph over the physical world, his crowning achievement, which would place him beside his
Creator, make him fulfill his Ultimate Destiny.
My nventions (1919)
"My nventions" first published in Electrical Experimenter magazine (1919); republished as My
nventions : The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla (1983)
am credited with being one of the hardest workers and perhaps am, if thought is the equivalent
of labour, for have devoted to it almost all of my waking hours .
Chapter 1 : Early Life
The progressive development of man is vitally dependent on invention. t is the most important
product of his creative brain. ts ultimate purpose is the complete mastery of mind over the
material world, the harnessing of the forces of nature to human needs. This is the difficult task of
the inventor who is often misunderstood and unrewarded. But he finds ample compensation in
the pleasing exercises of his powers and in the knowledge of being one of that exceptionally
privileged class without whom the race would have long ago perished in the bitter struggle
against pitiless elements. Speaking for myself, have already had more than my full measure of
this exquisite enjoyment; so much, that for many years my life was little short of continuous
rapture.
am credited with being one of the hardest workers and perhaps am, if thought is the
equivalent of labour, for have devoted to it almost all of my waking hours. But if work is
interpreted to be a definite performance in a specified time according to a rigid rule, then may be
the worst of idlers. Every effort under compulsion demands a sacrifice of life-energy. never paid
such a price. On the contrary, have thrived on my thoughts.
Our first endeavors are purely instinctive prompting of an imagination vivid and undisciplined.
As we grow older reason asserts itself and we become more and more systematic and designing.
But those early impulses, though not immediately productive, are of the greatest moment and
may shape our very destinies. ndeed, feel now that had understood and cultivated instead of
suppressing them, would have added substantial value to my bequest to the world. But not until
had attained manhood did realize that was an inventor.
The moment one constructs a device to carry into practice a crude idea, he finds himself
unavoidably engrossed with the details of the apparatus. As he goes on improving and
reconstructing, his force of concentration diminishes and he loses sight of the great underlying
principle.. do not rush into actual work. When get an idea, start at once building it up in my
imagination. change the construction, make improvements and operate the device in my mind. t
is absolutely immaterial to me whether run my turbine in thought or test it in my shop. even
note if it is out of balance.
Of all things liked books best. My father had a large library and whenever could manage
tried to satisfy my passion for reading. He did not permit it and would fly in a rage when he caught
me in the act. He hid the candles when he found that was reading in secret. He did not want me
to spoil my eyes. But obtained tallow, made the wicking and cast the sticks into tin forms, and
every night would bush the keyhole and the cracks and read, often till dawn.
Chapter 2 : Extraordinary Experiences
feel convinced that my preservation was not altogether accidental, but was indeed the work of
divine power.
From childhood was compelled to concentrate attention upon myself. This caused me much
suffering, but to my present view, it was a blessing in disguise for it has taught me to appreciate
the inestimable value of introspection in the preservation of life, as well as a means of
achievement. The pressure of occupation and the incessant stream of impressions pouring into
our consciousness through all the gateways of knowledge make modern existence hazardous in
many ways. Most persons are so absorbed in the contemplation of the outside world that they are
wholly oblivious to what is passing on within themselves. The premature death of millions is
primarily traceable to this cause. Even among those who exercise care, it is a common mistake to
avoid imaginary, and ignore the real dangers. And what is true of an individual also applies, more
or less, to a people as a whole.
feel convinced that my preservation was not altogether accidental, but was indeed the work of
divine power. An inventor's endeavor is essentially life saving. Whether he harnesses forces,
improves devices, or provides new comforts and conveniences, he is adding to the safety of our
existence. He is also better qualified than the average individual to protect himself in peril, for he
is observant and resourceful.
One day went alone to the river to enjoy myself as usual. When was a short distance from
the masonry, however, was horrified to observe that the water had risen and was carrying me
along swiftly.. The pressure against my chest was great and was barely able to keep my head
above the surface.. Slowly and gradually became exhausted and unable to withstand the strain
longer. Just as was about to let go, to be dashed against the rocks below, saw in a flash of light
a familiar diagram illustrating the hydraulic principle that the pressure of a fluid in motion is
proportionate to the area exposed and automatically turned on my left side. As if by magic, the
pressure was reduced.
Chapter 3 : The Rotary Magnetic Field
n one of the sinking spells [due to Cholera] which was thought to be the last, my father rushed
into the room. still see his pallid face as he tried to cheer me in tones belying his assurance.
"Perhaps," said, " may get well if you will let me study engineering." "You will go to the best
technical institution in the world," he solemnly replied, and knew that he meant it. A heavy weight
was lifted from my mind.. came to life like Lazarus to the utter amazement of everybody.
He declared that it could not be done and did me the honor of delivering a lecture on the
subject, at the conclusion he remarked, "Mr. Tesla may accomplish great things, but he certainly
will never do this. t would be equivalent to converting a steadily pulling force, like that of gravity
into a rotary effort. t is a perpetual motion scheme, an impossible idea." But instinct is something
which transcends knowledge. We have, undoubtedly, certain finer fibers that enable us to
perceive truths when logical deduction, or any other willful effort of the brain, is futile.
When understood the task, it was not with a resolve such as men often make. With me it was
a sacred vow, a question of life and death. knew that would perish if failed. Now felt that the
battle was won. Back in the deep recesses of the brain was the solution, but could net yet give it
outward expression.
A thousand secrets of nature which might have stumbled upon accidentally, would have given
for that one which had wrested from her against all odds and at the peril of my existence.
One afternoon, which is ever present in my recollection, was enjoying a walk with my friend in
the city park and reciting poetry. At that age knew entire books by heart, word for word. One of
these was Goethe's Faust. The sun was just setting and reminded me of a glorious passage:
The idea came like a flash of lightning and in an instant the truth was revealed .
Sie rckt und weicht, der Tag ist berlebt,
Dort eilt sie hin und frdert neues Leben.
O! da kein Flgel mich vom Boden hebt,
hr nach und immer nach zu streben!
Ein schner Traum, indessen sie entweicht.
Ach! zu des Geistes Flgeln wird so leicht
Kein krperlicher Flgel sich gesellen!
[The glow retreats, done is the day of toil;
t yonder hastes, new fields of life exploring;
Ah, that no wing can lift me from the soil
Upon its track to follow, follow soaring!
A glorious dream! though now the glories fade.
Alas! the wings that lift the mind no aid
Of wings to lift the body can bequeath me.
(tr. Bayard Taylor)
As uttered these inspiring words the idea came like a flash of lightning and in an instant the
truth was revealed. drew with a stick on the sand the diagram shown six years later in my
address before the American nstitute of Electrical Engineers, and my companion understood
them perfectly. The images saw were wonderfully sharp and clear and had the solidity of metal
and stone, so much so that told him, "See my motor here; watch me reverse it." cannot begin
to describe my emotions. Pygmalion seeing his statue come to life could not have been more
deeply moved. A thousand secrets of nature which might have stumbled upon accidentally,
would have given for that one which had wrested from her against all odds and at the peril of my
existence .
On the nvention of the nduction Motor
Chapter 4 : Tesla Coil and Transformer
For a while gave myself up entirely to the intense enjoyment of picturing machines and
devising new forms. t was a mental state of happiness about as complete as have ever known
in life. . When natural inclination develops into a passionate desire, one advances towards his
goal in sevenleague boots. n less than two months evolved virtually all the types of motors and
modifications of the system which are now identified with my name, and which are used under
many other names all over the world. t was, perhaps, providential that the necessities of
existence commanded a temporary halt to this consuming activity of the mind.
The last line is about having to take up a job
Chapter 5 : The nfluences That Shape Our Destiny
Up to that time never realized that possessed any particular gift of discovery, but Lord
Rayleigh, whom always considered as an ideal man of science, had said so and if that was the
case, felt that should concentrate on some big idea.
After Lord Rayleigh's praise of Tesla at the Royal nstitution, London, 1892
The gift of mental power comes from God, Divine Being, and if we concentrate our minds on that
truth, we become in tune with this great power.
The gift of mental power comes from God, Divine Being, and if we concentrate our minds on
that truth, we become in tune with this great power. My Mother had taught me to seek all truth in
the Bible; therefore devoted the next few months to the study of this work.
One day, as was roaming the mountains, sought shelter from an approaching storm. The sky
became overhung with heavy clouds, but somehow the rain was delayed until, all of a sudden,
there was a lightening flash and a few moments after, a deluge. This observation set me thinking.
t was manifest that the two phenomena were closely related, as cause and effect, and a little
reflection led me to the conclusion that the electrical energy involved in the precipitation of the
water was inconsiderable, the function of the lightening being much like that of a sensitive trigger.
Here was a stupendous possibility of achievement. f we could produce electric effects of the
required quality, this whole planet and the conditions of existence on it could be transformed. The
sun raises the water of the oceans and winds drive it to distant regions where it remains in a state
of most delicate balance. f it were in our power to upset it when and wherever desired, this might
life sustaining stream could be at will controlled. We could irrigate arid deserts, create lakes and
rivers, and provide motive power in unlimited amounts. This would be the most efficient way of
harnessing the sun to the uses of man. The consummation depended on our ability to develop
electric forces of the order of those in nature.
He had the highest regard for my attainments and gave me every evidence of his complete
faith in my ability to ultimately achieve what had set out to do. am unwilling to accord to some
smallminded and jealous individuals the satisfaction of having thwarted my efforts. These men
are to me nothing more than microbes of a nasty disease. My project was retarded by laws of
nature. The world was not prepared for it. t was too far ahead of time, but the same laws will
prevail in the end and make it a triumphal success.
About the role of J. Pierpont Morgan, and the failure of Tesla's "World System" project
What we now want most is closer contact and better understanding between individuals and
communities all over the earth and the elimination of that fanatic devotion to exalted ideals of
national egoism and pride, which is always prone to plunge the world into primeval barbarism and
strife.
Chapter 6 : The Magnifying Transmitter
t would be calamitous, indeed, if at this time when the art is in its infancy and the vast majority,
not excepting even experts, have no conception of its ultimate possibilities, a measure would be
rushed through the legislature making it a government monopoly. .universal evidence
unmistakably shows that the best results are always obtained in healthful commercial
competition.
While have not lost faith in its potentialities, my views have changed since. War can not be
avoided until the physical cause for its recurrence is removed and this, in the last analysis, is the
vast extent of the planet on which we live. Only though annihilation of distance in every respect,
as the conveyance of intelligence, transport of passengers and supplies and transmission of
energy will conditions be brought about some day, insuring permanency of friendly relations.
What we now want most is closer contact and better understanding between individuals and
communities all over the earth and the elimination of that fanatic devotion to exalted ideals of
national egoism and pride, which is always prone to plunge the world into primeval barbarism and
strife. No league or parliamentary act of any kind will ever prevent such a calamity. These are
only new devices for putting the weak at the mercy of the strong.
This mental activity, at first involuntary under the pressure of illness and suffering, gradually
became second nature and led me finally to recognize that was but an automaton devoid of free
will in thought and action and merely responsible to the forces of the environment. Our bodies are
of such complexity of structure, the motions we perform are so numerous and involved and the
external impressions on our sense organs to such a degree delicate and elusive, that it is hard for
the average person to grasp this fact. Yet nothing is more convincing to the trained investigator
than the mechanistic theory of life which had been, in a measure, understood and propounded by
Descartes three hundred years ago.
At present, many of the ablest minds are trying to devise expedients for preventing a repetition
of the awful conflict which is only theoretically ended and the duration and main issues of which
have correctly predicted in an article printed in the Sun of December 20, 1914. The proposed
League is not a remedy but, on the contrary, in the opinion of a number of competent men, may
bring about results just the opposite. t is particularly regrettable that a punitive policy was
adopted in framing the terms of peace, because a few years hence, it will be possible for nations
to fight without armies, ships or guns, by weapons far more terrible, to the destructive action and
range of which there is virtually no limit. Any city, at a distance, whatsoever, from the enemy, can
be destroyed by him and no power on earth can stop him from doing so.
We crave for new sensations but soon become indifferent to them. The wonders of yesterday
are today common occurrences.
To me, the universe is simply a great machine which never came into being and never will end.
The human being is no exception to the natural order. Man, like the universe, is a machine.
Nothing enters our minds or determines our actions which is not directly or indirectly a response
to stimuli beating upon our sense organs from without.
A Machine to End War (1937)
"Machine to End War by Nikola Tesla as told to George Sylvester Viereck" in Liberty, (February
1937)
While am not a believer in the orthodox sense, commend religion, first, because every
individual should have some ideal religious, artistic, scientific, or humanitarian to give
significance to his life. Second, because all the great religions contain wise prescriptions relating
to the conduct of life, which hold good now as they did when they were promulgated.
There is no conflict between the ideal of religion and the ideal of science, but science is
opposed to theological dogmas because science is founded on fact. To me, the universe is simply
a great machine which never came into being and never will end. The human being is no
exception to the natural order. Man, like the universe, is a machine. Nothing enters our minds or
determines our actions which is not directly or indirectly a response to stimuli beating upon our
sense organs from without. Owing to the similarity of our construction and the sameness of our
environment, we respond in like manner to similar stimuli, and from the concordance of our
reactions, understanding is barn. n the course of ages, mechanisms of infinite complexity are
developed, but what we call "soul " or "spirit," is nothing more than the sum of the functionings of
the body. When this functioning ceases, the "soul" or the "spirit" ceases likewise.
Attributed to Tesla
My brain is only a receiver. n the universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge,
strength, inspiration. have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but know that it exists.
Quotes about Tesla
He'll be a child of the storm.
The world, think, will wait a long time for Nikola Tesla's equal in achievement and imagination. ~
Edwin Howard Armstrong
He did dream and his dreams came true, he did have visions but they were of a real future, not
an imaginary one. ~ John Stone Stone
What we at one time were inclined, through a species of intellectual myopia, to regard as the
fascinating but fantastical speculations of a man whom we are now compelled, in the light of
modern experience and knowledge, to admit was a prophet. ~ J. S. Stone
Tesla was no mere lecturer and prophet. He saw to the fulfillment of his prophesies. J. S. Stone
He'll be a child of the storm.
Comment by the midwife who assisted his birth, "at the stroke of midnight" while lightning
was striking during a thunderstorm. His mother replied, "No, of light.", as quoted in the Tesla
Universe Timeline
We think of his contribution much oftener than that of Ampere and Ohm ... the induction motor
and our power system are enduring monuments to Nikola Tesla.
Dr. E. F. W. Alexanderson
The world, think, will wait a long time for Nikola Tesla's equal in achievement and imagination.
Edwin Howard Armstrong, as quoted in the The Tesla Museum exhibition in Belgrade, and
by the Tesla Memorial Society of New York
Nikola Tesla is proof that real greatness surpasses national borders and differences.
George W. Bush in a message to Stjepan Mesi, quoted in "Nikola Tesla's anniversary and
ancestry" in The New Generation (24 December 2006)
Tesla is entitled to the enduring gratitude of mankind.
Arthur Compton
As an eminent pioneer in the realm of high frequency currents... congratulate you on the great
successes of your life's work.
Albert Einstein in a letter to Tesla for his 75th birthday (1931)
Tesla has done great things that will take the rest of us a long time to fully exploit. Lets just
hope we exploit them for the right reasons!
Kevin R. Hutson
Nikola Tesla is the true unsung prophet of the electronic age; without whom our radio, auto
ignition, telephone, alternating current power generation and transmission, radio and television
would all have been impossible.
Ben Johnston in the "ntroduction" to My nventions : The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla
(1983).
The invention of the wheel was perhaps rather obvious; but the invention of an invisible wheel,
made of nothing but a magnetic field, was far from obvious, and that is what we owe to Nikola
Tesla.
Reginald Kapp (1956)
Tesla has contributed more to electrical science than any man up to his time.
Lord Kelvin, in a statement of 1896, as quoted in Prodigal Genius : The Life of Nikola Tesla
(2007) by James J. O'Neill
am sending [Dr. Tesla]... my gratitude and my respect in overflowing measure.
Robert Millikan
All scientific men will be delighted to extend their warmest congratulations to Tesla and to
express their appreciation of his great contributions to science.
Ernest Rutherford
Nikola Tesla's achievements in electrical science are monuments that symbolize America as a
land of freedom and opportunity ... Tesla's mind was a human dynamo that whirled to benefit
mankind.
David Sarnoff
The evolution of electric power from the discovery of Faraday to the initial great installation of
the Tesla polyphase system in 1896 is undoubtedly the most tremendous event in all engineering
history.
Charles F. Scott
misunderstood Tesla. think we all misunderstood Tesla. We thought he was a dreamer and
visionary. He did dream and his dreams came true, he did have visions but they were of a real
future, not an imaginary one. Tesla was the first man to lift his eyes high enough to see that the
rarified stratum of atmosphere above our earth was destined to play an important role in the radio
telegraphy of the future, a fact which had to obtrude itself on the attention of most of us before we
saw it. But Tesla also perceived what many of us did not in those days, namely, the currents
which flowed way from the base of the antenna over the surface of the earth and in the earth
itself.
John Stone Stone in "John Stone Stone on Nikola Tesla's Priority in Radio and Continuous-
Wave Radiofrequency Apparatus" (1915)
Tesla, with his almost preternatural insight into alternating current phenomenon that had
enabled him some years before to revolutionize the art of electric power transmission through the
invention of the rotary field motor, knew how to make resonance serve, not merely the role of a
microscope to make visible the electric oscillations, as Hertz had done, but he made it serve the
role of a stereopticon to render spectacular to large audiences the phenomena of electric
oscillations and high frequency currents....He did more to excite interest and create an intelligent
understanding of these phenomena in the years 18911893 than anyone else, and the more we
learn about high frequency phenomena, resonance, and radiation today, the nearer we find
ourselves approaching what we at one time were inclined, through a species of intellectual
myopia, to regard as the fascinating but fantastical speculations of a man whom we are now
compelled, in the light of modern experience and knowledge, to admit was a prophet. But Tesla
was no mere lecturer and prophet. He saw to the fulfillment of his prophesies and it has been
difficult to make any but unimportant improvements in the art of radio-telegraphy without traveling
part of the way at least, along a trail blazed by this pioneer who, though eminently ingenious,
practical, and successful in the apparatus he devised and constructed, was so far ahead of his
time that the best of us then mistook him for a dreamer. never came anywhere near having an
appreciation of what Mr. Tesla had done in this art until a very late date...
John Stone Stone in "John Stone Stone on Nikola Tesla's Priority in Radio and Continuous-
Wave Radiofrequency Apparatus" (1915)
[Dr. Tesla's] lectures opened a new physical world to me... [He was] one of the kindest men 've
ever encountered. The hours which was permitted to spend together with [him] will always be
among the fondest memories of my life.
Jonathan Zenneck