Re: A. Einstein: science, philosophy and religion.
From: Woodridge (woodridge_at_libero.it)
Date: 09/23/04
- Next message: Androcles: "Re: Is the speed of light really constant ?"
- Previous message: Ilja Schmelzer: "Re: What is luminiferous ether made of?"
- In reply to: robert j. kolker: "Re: A. Einstein: science, philosophy and religion."
- Next in thread: ande452_at_attglobal.net: "Re: A. Einstein: science, philosophy and religion."
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ]
Date: 23 Sep 2004 00:24:34 -0700
"Woodridge" wrote:
>But what is sure is that Einstein himself, not other people, claimed
>to be a pantheist.
"robert j. kolker" asked:
> Citation please?
Oh, I'm sorry Bob, I haven't read your reply. Actually I did not
expect this request, since I posted weeks ago this citation also in
the relativity NG, in a debate between two other users.
I copied and pasted it below.
-------
I report in the following some *explicit* words *written* by Einstein.
The English title of the work is "How I see the world". I have an
Italian version and I am going to translate from it, but I have no
doubt that if you check the English version you'll find the same
concepts and contents if not the exact words (I apologise in advance
for any error and imperfection in the translation).
****
... I cannot imagine a God rewarding and punishing the object of his
creation, and moreover a God exerting his will in the same way as we
do on ourselves...
... the human spirit imagines gods more or less similar to us, from
whose will and actions the events depend... I call this religion the
religion of terror...
...these religions have a common point: an anthropomorphic God: beyond
this level there are only very noble men...
...there is another level of the religious life... the cosmic
religion... no anthropomorphic God idea corresponds to it... we can
found men filled by this kind of religion... such as Democrito, S.
Francesco d'Assisi, SPINOZA...
...the existence of a superior mind which manifest itself in the
natural world is FOR ME the idea of God; in the current language it
can be called PANTHEISM (SPINOZA).
****
Of course, I extracted some sentences (in sequence), but I can assure
you that reading the integral text gives the same feeling. In
particular, a kind of negative judgement on the "traditional" ideas of
God is very evident. You can trust me, but anyway you can easily check
on the English version of the book.
(Anyway, the last sentence does not leave any doubt about the
Einstein's belief).
--------
Regards
Woodridge
- Next message: Androcles: "Re: Is the speed of light really constant ?"
- Previous message: Ilja Schmelzer: "Re: What is luminiferous ether made of?"
- In reply to: robert j. kolker: "Re: A. Einstein: science, philosophy and religion."
- Next in thread: ande452_at_attglobal.net: "Re: A. Einstein: science, philosophy and religion."
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ]
Relevant Pages
|
