217 results
1956ref. 65595NY: Dell 1956. Mass market paperback. Very good. Mass market paperback. Spine lightly creased wraps lightly rubbed else very good. Dell First Edition A-121. Cover art by John Fernie. Dell unknown books
1950ref. 6682New York: Philosophical Library 1950. First edition. Very Good in pretty good dust jacket. 21 cm; 279 pages portrait frontispiece. Turquoise cloth in plain cream-colored dust jacket. Dust jacket chipped at top of spine. Of the variant dust jackets and issues this is the one with the fewest number of titles advertised on the rear and the price of $4.75 on the inside flap. Philosophical Library hardcover books
1983ref. 556751New York: Dover Publications Inc 1983. Softcover. Very Good. Reprint. 56pp. Pictorial wrappers. Ex-library with a label on the front cover and a stamp on the front fly spine partially unglued from text block faint dampstain in the margin of several pages about very good. Originally published by E.P. Dutton in 1923. Dover Publications Inc unknown books
1931ref. 021909New York: Covici Friede 1931. First Edition. hardcover. Some pencil markings in text title page and endpapers darkened not really affecting Einstein's inscription; covers a little soiled. Good to Very Good and quite scarce. With a long biographical note and an appreciation by George Bernard Shaw. Subjects include Disarmament Pacifism the Jewish Homeland and more. This copy INSCRIBED and SIGNED by the author with his scarcer full signature on the front endpaper: "To little Pauline/Albert Einstein/1933." An uncommon title to find signed by the man of the century. With a letter of authenticity from James Spence if you need that kind of security blanket. Covici Friede hardcover books
1921ref. 450858New York: Harcourt Brace and Company 1921. Hardcover. Very Good. First edition. Octavo. Owner's pencil name a few easily erasable pencil notes in text small spots on front board and a little wear at the spine ends very good. Harcourt, Brace and Company hardcover books
1955ref. 23282New York: Dell First Edition 1955. Softcover. Fine. Paperback original. Pages slightly yellowed else a fine unread copy. Leo Durocher blurb. Novel by the compiler of The Fireside Book of Baseball about an aging player-manager taking one last shot at the big time. McCue p.38. Dell First Edition unknown books
1942ref. 1265881942. Signed. EINSTEIN Albert. Typed letter signed. Princeton November 3 1942. One sheet measuring 8-1/2 by 11 inches typing on recto only; matted and framed with a portrait of Einstein entire piece measures 21 by 17 inches. $38000.An exceptional typed letter signed by Einstein on precursors like Johannes Kepler's work to his Special and General Theories of Relativity beautifully framed.The letter on letterhead from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton reads in full: ""November 3 1942. Mr. Felix W. Cartier. Laconite Minn. Dear Sir: Since the times of Kepler one has found approximation formulaes for the mean distances of the planets from the sun. It is sure that there are not precise laws behind those approximate relations. It may be possible to understand the irregularities of this kind with the methods of statistical mechanics. But hitherto nobody seems to have been able to do so. In any case there is no analogy between such regularities and the quantum laws in molecular physics. Very truly yours signed A. Einstein. Prof. Albert Einstein.""Early in the 17th century Johannes Kepler 1571-1630 discovered that planets orbit the sun in ellipses rather than perfect circles. This great discovery paved the way for Isaac Newton's laws of gravity and for Albert Einstein's general and special theories of relativity. Previous to Einstein's time people believed in real distances and absolute time and showed that instruments could not objectively measure the distances between planets. Einstein's theories which hypothesized that light and space curve near a massive object revolutionized scientific thought and gave man an exciting new perspective of his universe.Einstein's letter reflects on some of the most important scientific revelations in the history of physics and astronomy. Kepler defined three laws of planetary motion; however the one specifically referred to in this letter is that all planets move about the Sun in elliptical orbits having the Sun as one of the foci. If the Universe then consisted only of two point massesÑthe Sun and a planetÑthe orbit of that planet would make a perfect closed ellipse that returned the world to its starting location with each trip around the Sun. But in a Universe governed by Newtonian gravity with a plethora of massive bodies in our Solar System that ellipse will precess or rotate slightly in its orbit.In the mid-1800s orbital deviations of Uranus from its predicted motions led to the discovery of Neptune as the outermost world's gravitational influence accounted for the excess motion. But in the inner Solar System the nearest planet to the Sun Mercury was experiencing a similar problem. With detailed accurate observations going back to the late 1500s thanks to astronomer Tycho Brahe we could measure how Mercury's perihelion its closest orbital point to the Sun was advancing. The number we came up with was 5600"" per century just over 1.5 degrees over a 100 year period. But of that 5025"" came from the precession of Earth's equinoxes a well-known phenomenon while 532"" was due to Newtonian gravity.But 5025"" plus 532"" comes up short by a small but significant amount. Attempts at explanationÑincluding the existence of an unknown inner planet interior to MercuryÑall failed. But after Einstein's special theory of relativity came out in 1905 mathematician Henri Poincare showed that the phenomena of length contraction and time dilation contributed a fraction between 15-25% of the needed amount towards the solution dependent on the error. That plus Minkowski's formalization of space and time as not separate entities but as a single structure bound together by their union spacetime led Einstein to develop the general theory of relativity. On November 25 1915 he presented his results computing the spectacular figure that the contribution of the extra curvature of space predicted an additional precession of 43"" per century exactly the right figure needed to explain this observation sending shockwaves through the astronomy and physics communities. Less than two months after this Karl Schwarzschild found an exact solution predicting the existence of black holes. The deflection of starlight and gravitational redshifts/blueshifts were realized as possible tests and finally the solar eclipse of 1919 validated general relativity as superseding Newtonian gravity. Expected fold lines. An incredible letter scarce in its important content. unknown books
1921ref. 1206201921. Signed. EINSTEIN Albert. Autograph letter signed. No place August 14 1921. Single sheet of cream lined paper measuring 7-1/2 by 11 inches; p. 1. $35000.Rare heartfelt autograph letter of recommendation written and signed by Einstein in German enthusiastically recommending his friend and colleague physicist Prof. Dr. Paul Epstein for an academic position.The autograph letter dated ""14 VIII 21"" written entirely in Einstein's hand reads translated from the original German: ""Prof. Dr. Epstein is certainly one of the most prominent living theoretical physicists of the German-speaking world. Without a doubt he would have been appointed to a German professorship a long time ago had his Russian nationality not stood in the way. Among Epstein's numerous original scientific papers two findings which advanced the modern quantum theory in crucial ways should be noted. After Mr. Sommerfeld as the first physicist who on the basis of special hypotheses had applied the quantum theory to a certain mechanical system of more than one degree of freedom Mr. Epstein discovered an important generalization of the quantum principle which established the application of the quantum theory for all quasi-periodic mechanical systems. Based on that general application of the quantum principle he then provided an analysis of the splitting of spectral lines in the electrical field Stark effect the accordance of which with the experiment provides one of the strongest supports for the Rutherford-Bohr atomic theory. I would like to add that I have also come to appreciate Mr. Epstein in personal interactions as a human being and that I had the pleasure of attending several scientific lectures given by him which enabled me to convince myself of his competence in delivering clearly understandable oral exposition. / A. Einstein.""Einstein and Epstein were friends and longtime correspondents who shared an interest in physics Judaism and the founding of Israel. Paul Epstein was a Russian-American mathematical physicist. He remains best known for his contributions to the development of quantum mechanics. Indeed he was one of a select group that included Lorentz Einstein Minkowski Thomson Rutherford Sommerfeld Rntgen von Laue Bohr de Broglie Ehrenfest and Schwarzschild. Born in Warsaw then part of Imperial Russia Epstein was brought up solidly middle class. He later stated that his mother recognized his potential at the age of four and predicted his future as a mathematician. Epstein studied mathematics and physics for his entire university career eventually earning a degree from the Imperial University of Moscow. He then went on to earn a Ph.D. at the Technical University of Munich in 1914 concentrating on a problem in the theory of diffraction of electromagnetic waves. However the outbreak of World War I rendered Epstein an enemy alien in Germany. Sommerfeld intervened on his behalf and he was allowed to stay as a private citizen and continue his research. In 1916 Epstein published an important paper explaining the Stark Effect using the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantum theory. After the war Epstein went to Leiden and worked as an assistant for Lorentz and Ehrenfest. In 1921Ñthe year this letter was writtenÑEpstein was recruited by Robert Millikan to join the physicists at the California Institute of Technology. Epstein accepted the position and stayed there for the rest of his career publishing extensively on quantum theory. Epstein was something of polymath and worked in numerous areas outside of quantum theory including work on air resistance the settling of gasses the theory of vibration and the absorption of sound. He was an avid supported of Freudian psychoanalysis including as one of the founding members of the Psychoanalytic Study Group that later merged with the Los Angeles Institute for Psychoanalysis. Epstein was also notably anti-communist and worried about the threat of nationalism.The areas of study mentioned in Einstein's letter of recommendation all came together to help form the science behind atomic and hydrogen bombs though neither Einstein nor Epstein anticipated quite where the science was headed in 1921. The letter mentions the Stark effect which is the shifting and splitting of spectral lines of atoms and molecules due to the presence of an external electric field. It is analogous to the Zeeman effect in which a magnetic field is the influence. The Rutherford-Bohr model presented in 1913 is a system consisting of a small dense nucleus surrounded by orbiting electronsÑsomewhat like the Solar System but with electrostatic forces instead of gravity. The Bohr model came to be recognized as a relatively primitive model of the hydrogen atom compared to the valence shell atom model. However because of its simplicity and the correct results it generates for certain systems it is still commonly used to introduce students to quantum mechanics.Overall this letter provides valuable insight into the scientific world during the height of Einstein's international career right when he first began traveling abroad and meeting fellow scientists internationally. The letter reflects Einstein's importance in the community and is a testament to Epstein's ability as a physicist. Original mailing creases. Fine condition. unknown books
1946ref. 1206241946. Signed. EINSTEIN Albert. Typed letter signed. Princeton April 3 1946. Single sheet of gray letterhead measuring 8-1/2 by 11 inches; p. 1. Matted and framed with a portrait entire piece measures 19 by 15-1/2 inches. $9500.Original typed letter signed by Albert Einstein thanking his friend Dr. Isadore Held for his birthday wishes as well as for sending a new book that Einstein found both ""extraordinarily enlightening"" and humorous. Text in German.The letter typed on Einstein's personal letterhead with his name and Princeton address blindstamped at the top reads in full translation: ""3 April 1946. Dear Mr. Held: I would like to express my sincere thanks for your birthday wishes and for the sending of the last work of this wonderful contemporary. I have already read quite a bit and find that it is extraordinarily enlightening. His penetration into the mentality of far-off times and attitudes toward thinking is most remarkable and his humor no less. With fond greetings to you and your dear wife. Yours signed Albert Einstein."" This letter was written to Austrian-American medical Dr. Isadore Held who was friends with Einstein since at least 1938. Held and Einstein shared numerous interests particularly related to Jewish humanitarian relief and Israel. At Held's death Einstein wrote to his widow that ""True goodness emanated from this man who alleviated the harshness of human relations and who understood and forgave all weaknessesÉ As a role model for his fellow men he was the best that a human being can be."" Einstein was not a huge fan of birthdays though he happily acknowledged well wishes from friends. Just before turning 65 Einstein crankily said to a New York Times interviewer: ""What is there to celebrate Birthdays are automatic things. Anyway birthdays are for children."" In a 1954 letter to physicist Hans Mhsam Einstein described his birthday as ""a natural disaster a shower of paper full of flattery under which one is drowned."" Einstein was generally quite shy and did not like to be the center of attention particularly from strangers obsessed with his accomplishments and fame. However well-meaning letters and small gifts like the book given by Held were always welcomed and graciously accepted by Einstein. Original mailing creases and a few pinpoint holes along top edge possibly from stapling. About-fine condition. unknown books
1994ref. S11423New York:: Warner Books 1994. 1994. Small 8vo. 179 pp. Printed wrappers. Fine. ISBN: 0446670111 Warner Books, (1994). unknown books
2005ref. CNAP071San Francisco: The Arion Press 2005. Hardcover. New. 10-1/2 by 8 inches eighty pages. Printed by letterpress from lead-alloy type cast in the Mackenzie & Harris typefoundry the formulas were set by hand as was the display type while the prose was composed and cast in Monotype. The types are Modern for the text with special characters as needed for mathematical symbols; Egyptian for the interspersed annotations printed in blue; and Lining Gothic for display. The paper is Schiller a German mouldmade sheet. A pixelated portrait of Einstein is the frontispiece. This image is based on a photograph taken about 1910 rendered as a coarse halftone for reference then handset in units of six-point type: three sizes of solid squares and one centered dot. Over 4000 pieces of type make up the picture. The portrait is printed in gray as is the famous equation: E=mc2 which appears on the flyleaves. The binding is dark blue cloth over boards with a band of tie-dyed Thai paper to create an unusual spatial effect spanning the cover diagonally. The titling on the spine is stamped in silver foil. The edition is limited to 400 numbered copies for sale. One of the great achievements in science Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity was set forth in two papers published in the Leipzig physics journal Annalen der Physik in 1905. The German text was translated into English in 1923 by W. Perrett and G. B. Jeffrey and this is the version with some later corrections that is presented in this book. The Einstein papers are annotated by Richard Muller who has also provided a foreword and afterword. The foreword gives a general overview of the problems Einstein addressed against the background of nineteenth-century physics. The afterword carries the story from the miraculous year of 1905 when Einstein was only twenty-six through the effects of the theory on twentieth-century science. Muller conjectures on the progress of physics had Einstein not appeared and considers his career as a whole its last thirty-five years devoted mainly to an unsuccessful attempt to create a unified field theory. ___POSTAGE: International customers please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA ILAB and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have we are here to help. The Arion Press hardcover books
1946ref. 110238New York: Rudolf Schick Publishing Co 1946. Hardcover. Near Fine. First edition. Modest offsetting from front endpapers from a clipping else near fine without dustwrapper. Rudolf Schick Publishing Co hardcover books
1981ref. 101451Reading Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc 1981. Softcover. Fine. Third printing. Fine with slight bumping to the corners in wrappers. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc unknown books
1962ref. 439676New York: Oxford University Press 1962. Softcover. Very Good. Later printing. Trade paperback. 492pp. Translated by Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder. Pages lightly age-toned edges rubbed very good. Oxford University Press unknown books
1948ref. 3094Princeton: np 1948. first edition. Very Good. ONE OF EINSTEIN'S MOST DIRECT STATEMENTS ON GOD: A POWERFUL AND CONCISE PRECURSOR TO HIS CELEBRATED "GOD LETTER". In the letter dated September 25 1948 and addressed to the Indiana University student Barbara Homans Einstein writes: "I believe that the idea of a personal God is too anthropomrphic sic and childlike to be considered seriously. We have to content ourselves with that modest insight which is accessible to us." The letter is a strikingly concentrated statement of Einstein's religious philosophy. In two sentences he rejects the notion of an anthropomorphic personal deity while setting against it a characteristically modest view of human knowledge: rather than claiming access to metaphysical certainty "we have to content ourselves" with the limited understanding available to us. That formulation places the letter squarely within one of the most important recurring themes of Einstein's later correspondence: his distinction between conventional belief in a personal God and his own sense of awe before the rational order of the universe. Six years later in his famous letter to the philosopher Eric Gutkind of 3 January 1954 Einstein would return to the same subject in far greater detail describing the word "God" as an expression of human weakness and rejecting traditional religious conceptions with exceptional directness. Christie's described the Gutkind letter as Einstein's most fully articulated statement of his religious and philosophical views; it sold in 2018 for $2892500 at Christie's. The present letter is remarkable because the essential position of the later "God Letter" is already present here in distilled form. The shared target is the anthropomorphic personal God: a conception Einstein repeatedly rejected while maintaining that a profound sense of wonder before the structure of nature could still be called religious. It is a direct statement of Einstein's mature religious philosophy anticipating the central argument of the 1954 "God Letter" by more than five years. Typed letter signed "A. Einstein" to Barbara Homans. Princeton 25 September 1948. One page 8 1/2 x 11 in typed on Einstein's Princeton stationery with embossed address at head; signed "A. Einstein" in ink. Folded for mailing with light toning and a few small stains. np unknown books
ref. 74322New York: Monthly Review n.d. 9p. staplebound pamphlet small ink mark at lower left corner crease otherwise very good. Reprinted from the May 1949 issue of Monthly Review. Monthly Review unknown books
1952ref. 3091Princeton: np 1952. First edition. no binding. Very Good. EXTRAORDINARY EINSTEIN LETTER IN ENGLISH EXPLAINING SIMULTANEITY ONE OF THE CENTRAL TENETS OF RELATIVITY THEORY. Einstein's "1905 paper on special relativity is widely regarded as having destroyed the classical conceptions of absolute time and space along with absolute simultaneity and absolute length which had reigned in physics from the times of Galileo and Newton to the dawn of the twentieth century. The Special Theory teaches us that simultaneity is not as we supposed an absolute concept but is always relative to some inertial frame of reference. If we change the inertial frame of reference we change the events to be reckoned simultaneous." -Craig and Smith Einstein Relativity and Absolute Simultaneity The concept of simultaneity lies at the core of relativity theory. The very first sub-section of Einstein's legendary 1905 paper on Special Relativity is introduced by the title "Definition of Simultaneity" and "in the second paragraph of his 1905 relativity paper Einstein proved that simultaneity as defined in the first paragraph is a relative concept. This means as Einstein explained that 'we must not ascribe absolute meaning to the concept of simultaneity; instead two events that are simultaneous when observed from some particular coordinate system can no longer be considered simultaneous when observed from a system that is moving relative to that system.' In these words Einstein for the first time offered an explicit definition of what he means when he speaks of a relative concept. As we see it is a concept whose validity depends on the coordinate system chosen or in brief it is a frame-dependent concept. Simultaneity is no longer a binary relation depending also on the coordinate-frame involved. Furthermore Einstein's proof of the relativity of simultaneity in this paragraph is the first ever published rigorous proof of the relativity of a physical concept. The relativity of simultaneity became also the first major subject of dispute between proponents and opponents of the theory of relativity" Max Jammer Concepts of Simultaneity: From Antiquity to Einstein and Beyond. When Einstein expanded his relativity theory into his General Theory of 1916 the notion of simultaneity became less well-defined and more problematic and therefore much-debated. Einstein in the present letter is answering a question from Dr. Waldron Gardiner a physician apparently without any particular expertise in relativity theory about the concept of simultaneity in space the domain of general relativity. Dated July 10 1952 the letter reads in full: Dear Sir: "Your difficulty stems from the fact that you do not distinguish between general and special theory of relativity the latter being a limit case where you neglect gravitation. In the latter case there are special coordinate systems inertial systems and with respect to such system the concept of simultaneity has a sharp meaning and can be defined empirically by light signals. In general relativity the space and time coordinates have no direct physical meaning so that also the concept of simultaneity of spatially distant events has no physical meaning. Physical meaning can be attributed to this concept only in certain special cases which are characterized by certain symmetry qualities. Such case is not realized in nature. But in those idealizations which we use to represent expanding space there are coordinate systems representing space-time in the mathematically simplest form. With respect to such coordinate systems simultaneity has meaning but the definition of simultaneity as defined in special relativity theory is out of place here. Very sincerely yours SignedA. Einstein PrintedAlbert Einstein In short Einstein is explaining to Dr. Gardiner that since "space and time coordinates have no direct physical meaning" in cosmological terms i.e. there are no frames of reference that cover all of space his understanding of simultaneity in general relativity is flawed and based on the model of special relativity "a limit case" achieved only through a reductive and localized application of general relativity. Einstein concludes the letter with the provocative comment that in idealized systems representing expanding space simultaneity has meaning and in fact this "meaning" of simultaneity in general relativity has become a fertile area of exploration over the years see Jammer ibid. Note: A carbon of Dr. Gardiner's original letter to Einstein is included. Princeton: July 10 1952. One 8.5 x 11 inch page of Einstein's Institute for Advanced Study letterhead. Signed "A. Einstein" in ink. Date corrected from July 9th to July 10th. Usual but very light folds small spot of soiling at top left corner; a tiny bit of toning to extreme edges. Housed in custom presentation folder. LETTERS BY EINSTEIN DISCUSSING MAJOR ELEMENTS OF RELATIVITY PARTICULARLY IN ENGLISH ARE EXCEEDINGLY RARE. np unknown books
1945ref. 1292Princeton: Princeton University Press 1945. Second edition first printing. 1945 LANDMARK SUMMARY OF NOBELIST ALBERT EINSTEIN'S THEORIES THAT ESTABLISHED MODERN PHYSICS--COPY OF NOBELIST CARLETON GAJDUSEK WHO DISCOVERED KURU THE FIRST PRION DISEASE. 8 inches tall hardcover gray cloth binding gilt title to spine decorative bookplate of D. Carleton Gajdusek to front paste-down signature of D. Carleton Gajdusek to front free endpaper vi 135 pp near fine in very good unclipped jacket with faint splash mark to cover light wear to spine ends and corners in protective mylar sleeve. This first printing of the second edition contains an appendix added by the author discussing advances in the theory of relativity since the first edition in 1921. ALBERT EINSTEIN 1879 – 1955 was a German-born theoretical physicist widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory of relativity but he also made important contributions to the development of the theory of quantum mechanics. Relativity and quantum mechanics are together the two pillars of modern physics. In 1922 he was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to Theoretical Physics and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The Meaning of Relativity: Four Lectures Delivered at Princeton University May 1921 is a book published by Princeton University Press in 1922 that compiled the 1921 Stafford Little Lectures at Princeton University given by Albert Einstein. The lectures were translated into English by Edwin Plimpton Adams. The lectures and the subsequent book were Einstein's last attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of his theory of relativity and is his only book that provides an accessible overview of the physics and mathematics of general relativity. The book is made of four lectures. The first is titled "Space and Time in Pre-Relativity Physics". The second lecture is titled The Theory of Special Relativity and discusses the special theory of relativity. The third and fourth lectures cover the general theory of relativity in two parts. Einstein added an appendix to update the book for its second edition published in 1945 offered here. PROVENANCE: DANIEL CARLTON GAJDUSEK 1923-2008 was an American medical doctor and researcher who was co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1976 for his work in Kuru the first prion disease. Gajdusek graduated from Harvard Medical school at age 23 served as head of virological and neurological research at the National Institute for Health in 1958; and inducted into the National Academy of sciences in 1974. Gajdusek's best-known work focused on kuru. This disease was rampant among the South Fore people of New Guinea in the 1950s and 1960s. Gajdusek connected the spread of the disease to the practice of funerary cannibalism by the South Fore. With elimination of cannibalism kuru disappeared among the South Fore within a generation. He proved his hypothesis by successfully transmitting the disease to primates and demonstrating that it had an unusually long incubation period of several years. This was the first demonstration of the infectious spread of a noninflammatory degenerative disease in humans. Subsequently additional human agents belonging to the same group were discovered. They include sporadic familial and variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Gajdusek recognized that diseases like Kuru and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease were caused by a new infectious agent that had not yet been identified. Princeton University Press hardcover books
1922ref. 792Berlin: Springer 1922. First Edition. Wrappers. Near fine. 2 vols. in German the first appearance of 2 distinct papers in 2 separate periodical issues September 13 and November 17. Both are complete in original wrappers. Near fine small pencil name on the Nov. cover. Seems to be surprisingly rare. RBH lists no auction sales of Friedmann's article title and date since 1975 and only one copy of it is listed by OCLC but copies of the bound annual Zeitschrift für Physik are regularly available and should not in this case be considered in any way equivalent to our set in publisher's wrappers. 1. Friedmann's pioneering paper the first to seriously apply general relativity to cosmology without the stabilizing cosmological constant theorizing and mathematically formularizing an expanding universe dragging cosmology into a branch of physics. In Zeitschrift für Physik Band 10 He 16 September 13 1922 pages 377-386 "Here we have for the first time the idea of an expanding universe originating in a singularity-a big-bang." -Helge Kragh Cosmology and Controversy page 24. 2. Einstein's critical remarks on Friedmann's paper that he retracted in 1923. In Zeitschrift für Physik Band 11 He 4/5 November 17 1922 page 326. Springer unknown books
1943ref. 3079Princeton NJ: np 1943. first. Very Good. AN EXTRAORDINARY SIGNED 1943 STATEMENT DEFINING EINSTEIN'S CONCEPTION OF JUDAISM THROUGH REASON AND SPINOZA WHILE WARNING AGAINST "CLERICAL DOMINATION" IN A FUTURE JEWISH HOMELAND. Of course we all know Einstein as the great scientist. From the theoretical physicists among us to those of use who barely survived high school physics we are all captivated by the man and accept his place at the outer limits of human intellectual capacity. Yet it's when Einstein leaves the world of relativity and theoretical physics that we are often most drawn to his never-ending charisma. Especially exciting to so many of us are his deep convictions about human affairs especially politics and religion. Einstein famously was irreligiously religious. Born to a secular Jewish family his upbringing lacked the complex ritual we associate with Orthodox Judaism. He briefly became curious about religiosity as a child but his attempts at following religious ritual and doctrine ended a few years later as he confronted the conflict between scientific ideas and Biblical stories. Yet one still sees a deep spirituality in Einstein who saw a special camaraderie in the 17th-century Dutch Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza. Spinoza was a Jewish radical who had little patience for endless ritual. He did not see God as a being intervening in human affairs but as a great rational force who formed the universe using rational methods. We become close to God therefore by trying to understand the natural world not obeying endless rituals. One can easily see Spinoza's approach as appealing to Einstein. In Spinoza's view the scientist is the holyman his work bringing him closer to God's creations. While in 1943 many of Einstein's contemporaries could accept such a view in seventeenth-century Amsterdam it was another matter: Spinoza was formally expelled from his Jewish community. Shikmoni's Pamphlet & Einstein's Views Humanistisches Judentum Humanistic Judaism was not a conventional commercial publication. It was issued privately in Haifa in 1948 "on behalf of a Circle of Friends" with Einstein's contribution prominently advertised on the title page as a "Geleitwort von Prof. Albert Einstein." Shikmoni's short pamphlet aligns closely with Einstein's view of religion. Its central proposition is quite radical: a genuinely renewed Jewish culture must recover what Shikmoni regards as Judaism's original combination of humanism and a rational worldview. He traces that tradition through Moses and the Prophets incorporates Jesus "the Nazarene" and sees it culminating in Spinoza. For Shikmoni as for Einstein Spinoza offered a way of reconciling Jewish intellectual identity with reason and freedom from religious orthodoxy. Shikmoni's devotion to Spinoza extended beyond this pamphlet. In 1950 he founded the Spinoza House Bet Shpinozah or Spinozaeum in Haifa a center devoted to promoting Spinoza's philosophy in the newly established State of Israel. The organization attracted prominent supporters including David Ben-Gurion and Albert Einstein. The Document The typescript we have here was written by Einstein on his Princeton letterhead in November 1943 in response to Shikmoni's pamphet and would eventually be published as Einstein's foreword to the pamphlet. The pamphlet would not appear until 1948 five years after Einstein wrote these words. It is not difficult to understand why Shikmoni's manuscript made such an impression on Einstein. He recognized in it many of his own ideas about Judaism religion and Spinoza. Indeed in the typescript Einstein begins by admitting that Shikmoni had articulated something that he himself had long felt but had struggled to define: "This little work has made a deep impression on me. It expresses in a clear manner the meaning of Judaism as it had always hovered indistinctly before me." What follows is almost a miniature statement of Einstein's own religious philosophy: "liberation from petrified ritual; adherence to the social ideal formulated so early; struggle against the spirit of unreason in every form; striving toward Spinoza's amor dei intellectualis." Like Spinoza Einstein's Judaism is not defined principally by ritual observance but by ethics reason intellectual freedom and the pursuit of understanding. But Einstein then moves from religion to politics. The typescript is dated November 1943 five years before the establishment of Israel. We see Einstein already contemplating the character of a future Jewish homeland and warning against allowing religious authority to dominate it: "May a favorable fate preserve us from failing to recognize the danger and for a second time in our history falling in our own homeland under clerical domination which over the course of history has alienated several of our finest people from the community." The warning brings us directly back to Spinoza. Einstein had just invoked a Jewish thinker who had himself been expelled from his religious community for his unorthodox ideas; in the very next paragraph he warns of religious authority once again alienating "several of our finest people" from the Jewish community. There is another important feature of the present typescript. When Einstein's statement was finally published as the foreword to Shikmoni's pamphlet in 1948 one of its most forceful phrases had disappeared. Einstein's original reads: "Kampf gegen den Ungeist in jeder Form" "struggle against the spirit of unreason in every form". The entire phrase is omitted from the published version. The present signed typescript therefore preserves a substantive passage from Einstein's original statement that did not survive into its eventual publication. Full German Transcription Diese kleine Schrift hat tiefen Eindruck auf mich gemacht. Sie spricht den Sinn des Judentums wie er mir immer dunkel undeutlich vorschwebte in einer klaren Weise aus. Loslösung vom versteinerten Ritual Festhalten an dem so früh formulierten sozialen Ideal Kampf gegen den Ungeist in jeder Form Streben nach Spinoza's amor dei intellectualis in welchem das soziale und weltanschauliche Ideal des Judentums vereinigt sind. Möge uns ein gutes Schicksal davor bewahren dass wir durch Verkennung der Gefahr zum zweiten Male in unserer Geschichte in unserem eigenen Heim priesterlicher Bevormundung anheimfallen die im Laufe der Geschichte mehrere unserer Besten der Gemeinschaft entfremdet hat. Möge wer anders denkt und fühlt die Kraft aufbringen die hier berührten Fragen vorurteilslos zu erwägen bevor er urteilt. Princeton N.J. November 1943 A. Einstein English Translation This little work has made a deep impression on me. It expresses in a clear manner the meaning of Judaism as it had always hovered indistinctly before me: liberation from petrified ritual; adherence to the social ideal formulated so early; struggle against the spirit of unreason in every form; striving toward Spinoza's amor dei intellectualis in which the social and philosophical ideals of Judaism are united. May a favorable fate preserve us from failing to recognize the danger and for a second time in our history falling in our own homeland under clerical domination which over the course of history has alienated several of our finest people from the community. May those who think and feel differently summon the strength to consider without prejudice the questions touched upon here before passing judgment. Princeton N.J. November 1943 A. Einstein In a single page later published in an obscure German pamphlet Einstein brings together some of the convictions that defined his life beyond physics: his Jewish identity his reverence for Spinoza his distrust of religious orthodoxy and his belief that reason humanism and intellectual freedom should prevail over dogma. Typescript on Einstein's Princeton letterhead with his embossed Mercer Street address at top; signed by Einstein "A. Einstein." at bottom right. Princeton New Jersey November 1943. One page approx. 8.5 x 11 in; rust mark from paper clip at top left; scattered foxing; two binder punch holes at right margin. A RARE CLEAR EXPLANATION OF EINSTEIN'S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND HIS RELATIONSHIP TO JUDAISM. np unknown books
1930ref. 2349np: np 1930. First edition. Fine. EINSTEIN ON THE CONCEPT OF PEACE: A POWERFUL AUTOGRAPH STATEMENT IN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE FORMAT. Translated from the original German: "No person has the moral right to call himself a Christian or Jew so long as he is prepared to engage in systematic murder at the command of an authority or allow himself to be used in any way in the service of war or the preparation for it." Beginning in 1925 the World League for Peace Ligue mondiale pour la paix under the direction of its president Georges Dejean solicited statements on peace from prominent scientists writers artists political leaders and other public figures throughout the world sending them large 11.5x16.5 inch sheets for their submissions. The resulting collection of more than 1000 original manuscripts was assembled between 1925 and 1932. A selection was reproduced in facsimile in the limited-edition volume Pax Mundi: Livre d'or de la paix published in Geneva by Paxunis in 1932. This is Einstein's original manuscript contribution to the project. A highly unusual format with exceptionally large Einstein signature 2.25 in / 6 cm of an important Einstein statement consistent with his life-long dedication to pacifism. c.1925-1930. One large folio page 11.5 x 16.5 inches. In German. Fine condition. np unknown books
1949ref. 343971949. On scientists and military work: “The majority of really good scientists in this country have withdrawn from military work…The young ones who cannot lean upon a standing of their own have generally given in to the almost irresistible pressure. One cannot expect it to be any different."" Einstein and other scientists faced the harsh reality of the product of their work after the war and the bombing of Japan; Here Einstein in a way grapples with his own role On the timeless nature of fighting for what you believe: “The truth appears foolish to the insane.Lost people are content to find themselves in agreement with the masses."" <img class=""alignnone wp-image-34606 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20251001204256/Einstein_Letter_11-1-1600x897.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""897"" /> Although Albert Einstein’s participation in the production of the atomic bomb was limited the public perceived his role as crucial and he was in fact the face of the project to many. The reasons were that although he did not work on the Manhattan Project the US effort to build the bomb his famous equation E=mc2 provided the theoretical basis for understanding the immense energy released in nuclear fission which is the process that powers the bomb. And his 1939 letter to President Roosevelt co-signed by Leo Szilárd alerted the US government to the potential of nuclear weapons and prompted the start of research that eventually led to the Manhattan Project. Feeding the public perceptions of his responsibility were publications like The Smyth Report a history of the development of the bomb published the day after the bombing of Nagasaki which ascribed great historical weight to Einstein’s 1939 letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in catalyzing the development of the bomb. In 1946 Time magazine published the famous cover featuring Einstein’s portrait backgrounded by an enormous mushroom cloud emblazoned with “E=mc2” and the accompanying article by Whittaker Chambers referred to him as “the father of the bomb” a title which resonated in the popular imagination. A March 1947 Newsweek cover featured Einstein above the headline “Godfather of the Atomic Bomb”. Einstein was hounded by the association throughout the rest of his life culminating in his November 1954 admission to Linus Pauling “I made one great mistake in my life when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made….” Albert Einstein was known for his dedication to morality which he said was “of the highest importance” as well as beliefs that stemmed from morality like pacifism anti-militarism and loyalty to the facts taught by science. He viewed morality as fundamentally human and believed that ethical behavior should form a basis for both individual well-being and the collective good of humanity. Thus for Einstein the pursuit of morality was the most vital human endeavor essential for bringing beauty and dignity to life and ensuring the survival and thriving of the human race. He shared these beliefs with Dr. Herbert Jehle. Dr. Jehle was a pioneering theoretical physicist whose work spanned quantum field theory biophysics and astrophysics. He was a student and friend of Einstein in the 1920s in Germany; and a disciple and friend of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. At Princeton in 1947 he provided Richard Feynman with the spark which would lead to his path integral formulation. Einstein had left for the United States in 1933 the same year that Jehle received his doctorate from the Technische Hochschule Berlin. In the same year Dietrich Bonhoeffer Jehle's friend and mentor stepped down from his professorship at Berlin in protest of the Nazi ascent to power. In 1940 Jehle refused to assist in the German armament and atomic project and was interned in concentration camps. Escaping in 1941 with the help of Quaker and Christian relief organizations Jehle made his way to the United States where he took a position at Harvard University until leaving for Princeton in 1947. At Princeton Jehle's pacifist beliefs coincided with Einstein's own and they reconnected bonding over shared views of social responsibility and ethics in science and playing music together regularly Einstein on violin Jehle on the piano. Jehle was also the editor of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science newsletter of which Einstein was a member. Jehle additionally submitted articles to other science publications. During the 1950s Jehle collaborated with Linus Pauling on DNA research as well as advocating with Pauling for peace. In the early 1960s Jehle worked as a consultant to Marshall Nirenberg at the NIH on DNA-coding for which Nirenberg also won a Nobel Prize for in 1968. Jehle's 1949 article ""For a Universal Morality"" asserted that ""participation in war preparations posed a challenge to man's conscience under any circumstances. and urged that scientists refuse to participate in war work under any government democratic or totalitarian"" see Nathan & Norden Einstein on Peace p 514. The editor of the Bulletin Eugene Rabinowitch rejected the article in a letter to Einstein to which Einstein replied advocating Jehle's position praising Jehle for not being “deterred by taboos” and then sent this letter to Jehle. It is interesting to think how time and war had affected Einstein's thinking. Where his letter did much to advance the nuclear militarization and as a scientist he felt a need to intervene here is advocating the opposite. Autograph letter signed on paper watermarked ""Whiting Mutual Bond Rag Content""Princeton 1949 to Herbert Jehle endorsing the article by Jehle that had been submitted to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists on the topics of science and morality and cautioning Jehle on the complications of his position in the post-war world. “I have read your article several times and find that it agrees exactly with my thinking. In accordance with your wishes I am sending your paper with my recommendation to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists in the hope that they will publish it. “I doubt however that the effect will correspond with the good intentions of the article. The truth appears foolish to the insane. He suspects disloyal intent and revolts against the thought that the 'foreigner' considers himself a better judge of what Americans should do. There are after all few who think and feel in a supra-national manner. Lost people are content to find themselves in agreement with the masses. “The majority of really good scientists in this country have withdrawn from military work more so than it was ever the case in Germany. The young ones who cannot lean upon a standing of their own have generally given in to the almost irresistible pressure. One cannot expect it to be any different since few are born to be martyrs - if no mass movement drives them in that direction. I see the real justification of your approach in the attempt to help generate such a mass movement. “The predicament in which we are is in a certain sense timeless. The public institutions necessarily represent a rather low moral level as do the men who stand behind these institutions. The individual is at the mercy of these institutions the standards of which he must recognize to be low if he is conscientious and not completely without ideas. He is thus forced into some compromise since he sees that that kind of necessarily imperfect institution cannot be dispensed with. “If those who see the light do not stand honestly and courageously for the good the world will get deeper and deeper into the morass. In expressing my joy that you have acted in this way and continue to do so I remain with friendly greetings. Yours A. Einstein.” With: Autograph statement as a PS from Einstein in German with Jehle's autograph English translation beneath and annotations above transcribing his recommendation for Jehle which Einstein sent to the editor of the Bulletin. “I am sending you this book article. It comes from a younger physicist who is courageous enough to simply say what is evident without being deterred by taboos. I hope that his note can be published in the Bulletin.” An important letter reflecting Einstein's post-war advocacy for morality and peace and assessments of the place of scientists in the moral sphere as well as realistic observations on and understanding of world politics. We obtained this letter directly from the Jehle family. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
ref. 342445/11/19. A remarkable letter before his great fame referencing and shown to Marie Curie Einstein who helped free so many from the jaws of Nazism makes an impassioned plea for a World War I German POW in France who would escape but later die in the Holocaust In 1905 while a young patent clerk and physicist in Bern Switzerland Albert Einstein obtained his doctorate and published a paper that explained his newly developed Special Theory of Relativity. This unlocked many mysteries of the universe and introduced the world to the idea equating mass and the speed of light with energy which we know today as e=mc2. Einstein's insight and one element that distanced his work from that of Newton was to recognize that mc2 was the proper energy of mass the energy associated with that mass and was independent of its motion. Mass must be measured in this way as resting mass. This was a foundation of e=mc2. The breakdown of molecules therefore released energy. This energy is often used by cells to perform work such as powering movement. In the early years of the 20th century thanks to the development of mass spectrographs science had acquired the capacity to ""weigh"" atoms with extreme precision. Indeed Einstein provided the theoretical explanation for Brownian motion while French Chemist Perrin experimentally verified Einstein's theory solidifying the evidence for the existence of atoms. Scientists among them Perrin noted that when comparing the mass of a helium nuclei to that of the four elementary nuclei it was made of there was a slight discrepancy—one helium atom was slightly lighter than four hydrogen atoms; in other words the whole was smaller than the sum of the parts. Where did the missing mass go Einstein knew the answer: in accordance with his famous E=mc_ equation a tiny fraction of the mass had been transformed into a formidable quantity of energy. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-34256 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20250724151316/Einstein-Nov-1919-1-1600x709.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""709"" /> The French mathematician Paul Langevin understood the formidable source of energy that resulted from these ""transmutations."" But it was Jean Perrin a professor of physical chemistry in Paris who first proposed in 1919 that the fusion of hydrogen into helium was the energy source of the Sun and stars accounting for the billions of years of sunshine past and the billions of years to come. During this time radiation studies too were in their infancy. Marie Curie famously decided to do her thesis on radiation recently discovered in uranium by Henri Becquerel. She found that an ore containing uranium was far more radioactive than could be explained by its uranium content. This led her and her husband Pierre to the discovery of a new element that was 400 times more radioactive than uranium. In 1898 it was added to the Periodic Table as polonium named after Curie’s birth country. Then Curie discovered an even more radioactive element radium and through observation of radium made a fundamental discovery: Radiation wasn’t dependent on the organisation of atoms at the molecular level; something was happening inside the atom itself. The atom was not as scientists believed at the time inert indivisible or even solid. This discovery led to an overlapping one: At the time people did not know what powered the Sun. Many however thought it was Radium. Perrin was one of those who believed this. His hypothesis borrowing from E=MC2 was that radiation in the form of Radium was emanating from bodies like earth causing the breakdown of molecules on the Sun and that the breakdown was powering the Sun and other stars. In 1919 Perrin sent to Einstein his new publication proposing this theory. Einstein's response notes the breakdown of molecules and the released energy can likely be accomplished by other means than radiation. He uses the mathematical equation for the breakdown of one molecule into atoms. He references a first order reaction a chemical reaction where the rate of the reaction is directly proportional to the concentration of only one reactant. In simpler terms if you double the concentration of that reactant you double the reaction rate. A common example is radioactive decay. And he gives his best to the Madame Curie. Einstein had last met in Paris with Perrin Pierre Langevin Professor of Experimental Physics at the Collège de France and Curie then Professor of Physics at the Sorbonne on the occasion of Einstein’s lecture to the French Physical Society in late March 1913. They first met at the Solvay Congress in Brussels in autumn 1911. At the same time Einstein who helped so many Jews escape Germany during World War II had a distant cousin the geologist August Moos who had volunteered in the German infantry at the start of the First World War in 1914. After being taken prisoner in 1915 he made several attempts to escape which resulted in a sentence that prevented his release after the armistice of 1918. His mother asked for help from Einstein who turned to his friend Perrin as well as mathematician and statesman Paul Painlevé asking them to intercede. Moos was finally released in February 1920. He would work as an oil geologist in the interwar period before being tragically arrested due to his Jewish heritage under the Nazi regime. Moos would die in the Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II. Typed letter signed in French signed “A. Einstein"" November 5 1919 to Professor Jean Baptiste Perrin who would go on to win the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1926 for his work on the atomic structure of matter. ""Dear Perrin! I received your publications and thank you cordially. Your opinion of the primary importance of radiation for all chemical reactions still seems to me dubious even if it was certain which it is not that reactions of the type J_ - JJ added by hand are of the first order. It would be possible for example that J_ molecules whose internal energy exceeds a certain limit would decompose in accordance with radioactive bodies. ""One more prayer. One of the parents of one of my cousins—a geologist—is a prisoner of war in France. His widowed mother having lost her other son in the war is in the greatest pain for her only son since he had tried to flee several times. She shudders at the thought that the man—through his old efforts to flee in a very difficult situation—might try to flee again and be shot. Wouldn't it be possible to do something for this young scholar"" He goes on to give the address of August Moos held in Charleville Ardennes and concludes by offering his ""many friendships for you Mr. Langevin and Madame Curie."" Below he notes an ink spill draws an arrow and writes ""drop of editorial sweat from editing."" Perrin responded the very same day confirming that he believed rays from Earth were breaking down molecules in the sun and that he assumed the first order nature of the reaction. In other words he did not agree with Einstein that radiation was not breaking down molecules releasing energy and powering the sun. ""I do indeed believe that I2 Einstein used J but Perrin used I decomposes like radioactive bodies and I devoted a chapter of my work to this but precisely on the conviction that radioactive bodies like I2 are decomposed by light for radium ultra-short X rays emanating from the Earth at _ = 10–11 light which suddenly increases the internal energy. I read your letters to Mrs. Curie and to Langevin. They too send you their very best regards."" Perrin and In addition to this important family and political content Einstein comments on a theory that Perrin had developed in which all chemical transformations including radioactive decay are triggered by radiation calling it ""dubious."" Also significant is the date: one day before the official report of Eddington's expedition debuted before the Royal Society of London confirming Einstein's theory of general relativity. Widespread newspaper coverage of the results vaulted Einstein into immediate international fame. An altogether remarkable letter from one Nobel Prize winner to another shown to yet a third and using the chemical equation for the breakdown of molecules into atoms in his own hand. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
1941ref. 3262211/9/41. A generous demonstration by Einstein of his loyalty to friends and belief in the importance of music Dr. Theodor Rosenheim was a physician at the famed Medical University Clinic of the Charité in Germany in the 1880s. He was primarily concerned with the physiology and pathology of the digestive tract. He published an early textbook on the “Pathologie und Therapie der Krankheiten des Verdauungsapparates”. Rosenheim was one of the first in Germany to describe and publish on ulcerative colitis. He was intensively involved in the technical development of esophagoscopy and gastroscopy which at that time were only possible with rigid instruments. The Rosenheim line which was named after him described the largest diagonal diameter of the gastric percussion figure. Rosenheim was appointed professor extraordinarius at Berlin University in 1921. He also founded a polyclinic and a private sanatorium for stomach and intestinal patients. He was well respected in Berlin and his private practice developed successfully with a large circle of patients including Albert Einstein. Theodor’s wife was Hedwig Rosenheim and their daughter Kate was a hero of the Holocaust. She helped several thousand children from Jewish families to escape from Germany. She personally accompanied the legendary Kindertransporte to England among other places. She travelled to the USA in 1936 to negotiate directly with the aid organizations there. She then returned to Germany to actively continue the aid campaigns. Theodor died in 1939. Käte Rosenheim was able to flee Berlin together with her 72-year-old mother Hedwig Rosenheim on January 23 1941. They reached Havana Cuba via France Spain and Portugal. From there they were able to continue to New York where they arrived on April 1 1941. Albert Einstein was an accomplished violinist and music lover who was inspired by music in his scientific work. He often said that he would have been a musician if he hadn't pursued science. Another music lover was Hedwig Rosenheim. She had escaped Germany without her possessions especially her precious musical instruments. Upon arrival in the United States she contacted the old family friend Albert Einstein hoping he could help her get a flute either for herself or another escapee one who may have agreed to look for her. Einstein was sympathetic and rose to the occasion. He even contributed some of his personal funds to secure the flute. Typed letter signed his vacation house in Knollwood at Saranac Lake N.Y. September 11 1941 to his old friend Mrs. Hedwig Rosenheim in New York City. “ The matter of i.e. the quest for the flute shall not fail. First one should know what the committee is giving out – or loaning. Second there is the Hebrew Free Loan Society 108 Second Ave. New York which in such cases provides interest-free loans in exchange for the backing of two guarantors. I will serve as a guarantor and contribute 20 dollars on top of that. The man should visit both institutions and can show this letter. In the hope of receiving a positive report soon I remain with warm greetings your A. Einstein.” “PS. Starting next week my address will again be in Princeton.” The committee he referred may have been the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee though there were others as well. It shows a lot about Einstein - his generosity his continued concern for old friends who had escaped from Germany and love for music - that he volunteered to make a personal financial contribution to obtaining the flute. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
1954ref. 2625423/02/1954. An increasingly uncommon letter of Einstein on the role of religions philosophy peace and the dangers of the atomic age that he helped usher in <img class=""alignnone wp-image-26334 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204132831/Einstein-Feb-28-1954-1-e1674939062835-1600x216.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""216"" /> Albert Einstein believed that wars stood in the way of human progress and he was a lifelong pacifist though he did not believe in pacifism at any price or in all situations. He was also an active promoter of world peace from the days of World War I right up to his death in 1955. In fact one of his last acts before his death was to add his signature to a statement of nine scientists warning that the world risked universal annihilation unless the institution of war was abolished. Knowing his stance people from all over the world appealed to him to assist various causes consistent with these beliefs and to give statements supporting individuals and groups that did so. Einstein was also not a member or follower of any organized religion. He considered himself a Jew but was not a practicing Jew. And as for the Christian churches he felt that it “since Constantine has always favored the authoritarian State as long as the State allows the Church to baptize and instruct the masses"". Their conduct in the years up to World War II was worse than disappointing he thought as they made the devil’s bargain - the evil compromise - with the Hitler regime. Einstein addressed this saying “Since when can one make a pact with Christ and Satan at the same time"" He added ""The Church has always sold itself to those in power and agreed to any bargain in return for immunity…If I were allowed to give advice to the Churches I would tell them to begin with a conversion among themselves and to stop playing power politics.” This idea of an evil compromise or devil's pact is central to his feelings about organized religion. There was one exception to his criticism of religions - the Quakers. Their community aims at purifying the Christian world and generating social reform by creating direct experience with God without intervention of clergy or other expressions of church. The Quakers greatly influenced science and industry and their community is noted for the pursuit of peace and non-violence. Thus Einstein’s views fit into their belief system. “If I were not a Jew I would be a Quaker” he once wrote. Speaking to a Quaker gathering in 1938 he said ""With admiration and respect I have seen in the course of many years how successfully and selflessly the Society of Friends has worked in the entire world to lessen human suffering and to make the teachings of Christ apply to real life. Everyone who is concerned about a better lot and a more dignified stature for humanity owes deep gratitude to the Society of Friends. This Society is an admirable testimony against the assertion that every organization by its very nature kills the spirit which has called it into life.” <img class=""alignnone wp-image-26335 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204132818/Einstein-Feb-28-1954-2-e1674939294283-1600x653.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""653"" /> In 1949 the Australian pathologist Alton R. Chapple who was a Quaker wrote to Einstein in the then-current climate of concern regarding the perils of the atomic age for ""a few words of leadership and hope"". Einstein responded stressing the necessity for moral courage by the individual. He said that power is often in the hands of power-loving persons who know very little restrictions when it comes to the realization of their ambitious goals; and answering negatively the question whether self-restraint on what “productive thinkers and explorers” research might not prevent further development of means of mass destruction. He gave three main reasons: 1 The already existing means of destruction are effective enough to bring about total destruction; 2 People really devoted to the progress of knowledge concerning the physical world like Faraday or Rutherford have never worked for practical goals let alone military goals. And nobody could know in advance what kind of application might be developed on the basis of their discoveries; and 3 People of technical skill are so numerous and so dependent economically that they cannot be expected to refuse employment offered them by the state or private industry even if they were able to clearly recognize that their work will lead to disaster on a world-wide scale. He concluded that hope can only be based on the intellectual and moral independence of a sufficient number of people since “honesty and courage of the individual to stand up for his convictions on every occasion is the only essential thing”. Chapple wrote Einstein again in 1954 about the Quakers and a perceived contradiction that Chapple discerned in the 1949 letter thinking that Einstein stated that he does not expect people to refuse to work in research that generates knowledge for the means of mass destruction. Einstein responded to Chapple giving a virtual primer on his world view and opinions on how a religion and religious individuals could live a moral life and contribute something valuable to society and the cause of peace. This he felt the Quakers did. Typed letter signed on his blind-embossed letterhead Princeton February 23 1954 to Alton Chapple in Australia illuminating Einstein’s judgment and standards of conduct. “Thank you for your letter of February 16th. I consider the Society of Friends the religious community which has the highest moral standards. As far as I know they have never made evil compromises and are always guided by their conscience. In international life especially their influence seems to me to be very beneficial and effective. “There seems to me to be no contradiction in my remarks in my former letter to you. The rules applying to a moral elite can not be expected to be followed by the rank and file.” So here Einstein praises those religions with “the highest moral standards”. He especially lays out the need for them and for individuals to avoid “evil” compromises and to always be guided by conscience. If an individual does these things or a dedicated group like the Quakers they will gain influence that is both beneficial and effective. Einstein does stand by his statement in the 1949 letter maintaining that from his experience moral elites lead and that those in rank and file don’t necessarily follow that lead. In a sense he is saying that an ethical elite exercising leadership has the best chance of saving the world. An increasingly uncommon letter of Einstein on philosophy peace the role of religions and religious individuals and the dangers of the atomic age that he helped usher in. <img class=""alignnone wp-image-25018 size-post-window"" src=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204144051/Folder-site-11-1600x1327.jpg"" alt="""" width=""1600"" height=""1327"" /> unknown books
