Albert Einstein, Historical and Cultural Perspectives: The Centennial Symposium in Jerusalem [Course Book ed.] 9781400855438

Table of contents :
Contents
Introduction: Einstein and the Shaping of Our Imagination
Historical Perspectives on Einstein's Scientific Contributions
The Special Relativity Theory: Einstein's Response to the Physics of 1905
The Quest for Unity: General Relativity and Unitary Field Theories
Fluctuations and Statistical Physics in Einstein's Early Work
Einstein and Quantum Physics
Reception of Einstein's Scientific Ideas
The Early Years of Relativity
Some Einstein Anomalies
The Reception of Einstein's Ideas: Two Examples from Contrasting Political Cultures
Einstein's Impact on Scholarship and Twentieth-Century Culture
Einstein and the Science of Language
Psychoanalytic Reflections on Einstein's Centenary
Relativity and Relativism
The Myth of Simplicity
Einstein and the Light of Reason
Einstein and Developments in the Jewish World
Einstein and Israel
On Einstein and the Presidency of Israel
Jewish and Universal Social Ethics in the Life and Thought of Albert Einstein
Einstein's Germany
Einstein and the Nuclear Age
Einstein and International Security
Einstein and the Politics of Nuclear Weapons
Working with Einstein: Reminiscences by Associates and Friends
Reminiscences
Reminiscences
Reminiscences
Musical and Personal Reminiscences of Albert Einstein
Reminiscences
Index of Names
Subject Index

Citation preview

ALBERT EINSTEIN Historical and Cultural Perspectives

JERUSALEM EINSTEIN CENTENNIAL SYMPOSIUM 14-23 MARCH 1979 ORGANIZED BY

The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities The Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Van Leer Jerusalem Foundation The Jerusalem Foundation Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies

ALBERT EINSTEIN Historical and Cultural Perspectives THE CENTENNIAL SYMPOSIUM IN JERUSALEM

EDITED BY

Gerald Holton and Yehuda Elkana

Princeton University Press Princeton, New Jersey

Copyright © 1982 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Guildford, Surrey All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data will be found on the last printed page of this book This book has been composed in Linotron Trump Clothbound editions of Princeton University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and binding materials are chosen for strength and durability Printed in the United States of America by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey "Einstein and Israel," © Isaiah Berlin 1980. This essay has been published previously in Isaiah Berlin's Personal Impressions, edited by Henry Hardy (London: The Hogarth Press, 1980; New York: The Viking Press, 1981). "Einstein's Germany," © Fritz Stern 1979. ISBN 0-691-02383-2 pbk. Fizst Pnnceton Paperback printing, 1984

Contents

GERALD HOLTON Introduction: Einstein and the Shaping of Our Imagination HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EINSTEIN'S SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS

The Special Relativity Theory: Einstein's Response to the Physics of 1905 ARTHUR i. MILLER

The Quest for Unity: General Relativity and Unitary Field Theories PETER G. BERGMANN

MARTIN J. KLEIN Fluctuations and Statistical Physics in Einstein's Early Work MAX JAMMER

Einstein and Quantum Physics

RECEPTION OF EINSTEIN'S SCIENTIFIC IDEAS

p. A. M. DIRAC The Early Years of Relativity BANESH HOFFMANN

Some Einstein Anomalies

The Reception of Einstein's Ideas: Two Examples from Contrasting Political Cultures LOREN R. GRAHAM

EINSTEIN'S IMPACT ON SCHOLARSHIP AND TWENTIETH-CENTURY CULTURE ROMAN JAKOBSON ERIK H. ERIKSON

Centenary

Einstein and the Science of Language Psychoanalytic Reflections on Einstein's

CONTENTS NATHAN ROTENSTREICH

Relativity and Relativism

The Myth of Simplicity

YEHUDA ELKANA

Einstein and the Light of Reason

YARON EZRAHI

175 205 253

EINSTEIN AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE JEWISH WORLD

Einstein and Israel

ISAIAH BERLIN

281

On Einstein and the Presidency of Israel

293

Jewish and Universal Social Ethics in the Life and Thought of Albert Einstein

297

YITZHAK NAVON URIEL TAL

Einstein's Germany

FRITZ STERN

319

EINSTEIN AND THE NUCLEAR AGE

PAUL DOTY

Einstein and International Security

BERNARD τ. FELD

347

Einstein and the Politics of Nuclear

Weapons

369

WORKING WITH EINSTEIN'. REMINISCENCES BY ASSOCIATES AND FRIENDS

PETER G. BERGMANN BANESH HOFFMANN

Reminiscences Reminiscences

NATHAN ROSEN

Reminiscences

BORIS scHWARZ

Musical and Personal Reminiscences of

Albert Einstein ERNST G. STRAUS

397 401 405 409

Reminiscences

417

Index of Names

425

Subject Index

431

Gerald Holton

INTRODUCTION: EINSTEIN AND THE SHAPING OF OUR IMAGINATION

THE ONE-HUNDREDTH anniversary of Albert Einstein's birth oc­ casioned an outpouring of celebrations and scholarly meetings all over the world, and in the most diverse forums. These were touch­ ing and sometimes overwhelming testimonies to the continuing role that Einstein's ideas and ideals still play, both in the aspi­ rations of contemporary scientists and in the popular imagination. Those who attended several of these occasions in 1979 an