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Einstein's Jewish Science
Is relativity Jewish? The Nazis denigrated Albert Einstein's revolutionary theory by calling it "Jewish science," a charge typical of the ideological excesses of Hitler and his followers. Philosopher of science Steven Gimbel explores the many meanings of this provocative phrase and considers whether there is any sense in which Einstein's theory of relativity is Jewish.
Arguing that we must take seriously the possibility that the Nazis were in some sense correct, Gimbel examines Einstein and his work to explore how beliefs, background, and environment may--or may not--influence the work of the scientist. You cannot understand Einstein's science, Gimbel declares, without knowing the history, religion, and philosophy that influenced it.
No one, especially Einstein himself, denies Einstein's Jewish heritage, but many are uncomfortable saying that he was a Jew while he was at his desk working. To understand what "Jewish" means for Einstein's work, Gimbel first explores the many definitions of "Jewish" and asks whether there are elements of Talmudic thinking apparent in Einstein's theory of relativity. He applies this line of inquiry to other scientists, including Isaac Newton, Ren? Descartes, Sigmund Freud, and ?mile Durkheim, to consider whether and how their specific religious beliefs or backgrounds manifested in their scientific endeavors.
"Einstein's Jewish Science" intertwines science, history, philosophy, theology, and politics in fresh and fascinating ways to solve the multifaceted riddle of what religion means--and what it means to science. There are some senses, Gimbel claims, in which Jews can find a special connection to "E = mc2," and this claim leads to the engaging, spirited debate at the heart of this book.
Arguing that we must take seriously the possibility that the Nazis were in some sense correct, Gimbel examines Einstein and his work to explore how beliefs, background, and environment may--or may not--influence the work of the scientist. You cannot understand Einstein's science, Gimbel declares, without knowing the history, religion, and philosophy that influenced it.
No one, especially Einstein himself, denies Einstein's Jewish heritage, but many are uncomfortable saying that he was a Jew while he was at his desk working. To understand what "Jewish" means for Einstein's work, Gimbel first explores the many definitions of "Jewish" and asks whether there are elements of Talmudic thinking apparent in Einstein's theory of relativity. He applies this line of inquiry to other scientists, including Isaac Newton, Ren? Descartes, Sigmund Freud, and ?mile Durkheim, to consider whether and how their specific religious beliefs or backgrounds manifested in their scientific endeavors.
"Einstein's Jewish Science" intertwines science, history, philosophy, theology, and politics in fresh and fascinating ways to solve the multifaceted riddle of what religion means--and what it means to science. There are some senses, Gimbel claims, in which Jews can find a special connection to "E = mc2," and this claim leads to the engaging, spirited debate at the heart of this book.
245 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 13, 2013
The book examines why the Nazis labelled his work as Jewish science, examines to what extent the Jewish/ Talmudic way of thinking may have influenced Einstein's approach to theory of relativity and recounts the virulent anti semitism towards Einstein and other Jewish scientists. The author is the chair of the dept of philosophy at Gettysberg College so there is some heavy philosophy in parts of this, which can be skimmed and also some moderate scientific analysis of relativity.
In dealing with the Jewish way of thinking the author illustrates the Jewish contextual approach to solving problems. For example, the commandment "Thou shall not steal" is examined by the Talmud. If one finds money, can one keep it or is that stealing? The answer is based on the point of view of the person who lost it. If it was found in the street, most likely the person gave up hope of ever regaining it, but if it was found in the person's home or with ID then one can't keep it. The use of two boys together studying the Talmud to ensure that no one only has his point of view but is enriched by having two discussants is another example. This is somewhat tenuous but no question there is a Jewish way of exploring ideas that deals with relative points of view. Jewish style reasoning is where there is an absolute truth, a metaphysical truth (God's truth), which is beyond our ability to grasp but elements of which are uncovered by seemingly contrasting human interpretations.
This is the connection to Einstein. If one passes a magnet inside a coil of wire, one generates an electric field. If one passes the coil over the wire one also generates an electric force. The theory of relativity is clearly a way of examining forces from different points of view. However there was no Jewish "content" to Einstein's work.
The Germans extolled nature (Siegfried--big blond hero) and insisted that only from observations of nature could one develop science. Einstein on the other hand manipulated mathematical symbols to derive his theories. He was a modernist. He was a Jew, an internationalist and not a pure German. The jealousy of other German scientists grew as Einstein's prominence increased and as they did not achieve various academic appointments which they sought. German Nobel prize physicists (Lenard and Stark) engaged in virulent anti-semitic attacks on Einstein and other Jewish scientists. The author does a wonderful job of illustrating the painful pressures that caused Jewish scientists, intellectuals, and musicians to flee.
The author concludes with, "So is Einstein's theory of relativity Jewish science? Yes and no. And that is precisely what makes it Jewish."
In dealing with the Jewish way of thinking the author illustrates the Jewish contextual approach to solving problems. For example, the commandment "Thou shall not steal" is examined by the Talmud. If one finds money, can one keep it or is that stealing? The answer is based on the point of view of the person who lost it. If it was found in the street, most likely the person gave up hope of ever regaining it, but if it was found in the person's home or with ID then one can't keep it. The use of two boys together studying the Talmud to ensure that no one only has his point of view but is enriched by having two discussants is another example. This is somewhat tenuous but no question there is a Jewish way of exploring ideas that deals with relative points of view. Jewish style reasoning is where there is an absolute truth, a metaphysical truth (God's truth), which is beyond our ability to grasp but elements of which are uncovered by seemingly contrasting human interpretations.
This is the connection to Einstein. If one passes a magnet inside a coil of wire, one generates an electric field. If one passes the coil over the wire one also generates an electric force. The theory of relativity is clearly a way of examining forces from different points of view. However there was no Jewish "content" to Einstein's work.
The Germans extolled nature (Siegfried--big blond hero) and insisted that only from observations of nature could one develop science. Einstein on the other hand manipulated mathematical symbols to derive his theories. He was a modernist. He was a Jew, an internationalist and not a pure German. The jealousy of other German scientists grew as Einstein's prominence increased and as they did not achieve various academic appointments which they sought. German Nobel prize physicists (Lenard and Stark) engaged in virulent anti-semitic attacks on Einstein and other Jewish scientists. The author does a wonderful job of illustrating the painful pressures that caused Jewish scientists, intellectuals, and musicians to flee.
The author concludes with, "So is Einstein's theory of relativity Jewish science? Yes and no. And that is precisely what makes it Jewish."
October 28, 2018
This book is enjoyable, humorous, and interesting. Having said that, it also gives off a strong vibe of being written for the sake of writing a book, and the argument being slightly fabricated. I also wish that the penultimate chapter, which presented evidence that anti-Einstein-ism remains in our culture, did more to actually discuss the merits (or lack) of the anti-Einstein aspect, rather than simply making note of it.
Despite those complaints, this was a fun and engaging read, providing both entertainment (a lot of wry and understated humor here) and education (bringing many pieces of history and science together for the sake of the narrative). Rarely have I encountered a solidly academic book which was yet so easy to read.
If you have interest in Einstein, science, the history of naturalism, or Judaism, it's worth a read.
Despite those complaints, this was a fun and engaging read, providing both entertainment (a lot of wry and understated humor here) and education (bringing many pieces of history and science together for the sake of the narrative). Rarely have I encountered a solidly academic book which was yet so easy to read.
If you have interest in Einstein, science, the history of naturalism, or Judaism, it's worth a read.
October 20, 2019
Einstein’s Jewish Science was certainly thought provoking and provided an extensive explanation of the Nazi’s definition of Jewish science and the social history and context behind the term. The book combines both philosophy, physics, sociology, and a history of the world during the war era. I did, however, find myself wondering how many texts were omitted or selected exclusively to support the author’s claims and by the end of the book, though I may have learned much about Einstein and the reasons that his theory was discredited or disrespected, I am still unsure as to what “Jewish Science” really means and if is legitimate to claim that such a notion exists. I suppose that must have been Gimbel’s ultimate intention.
October 6, 2020
Nazis and other nationalist conservatives in 1920s/1930s Germany often lambasted the theory of relativity as "Jewish science." Steven Gimbel unpacks what it would actually mean for something to be a "Jewish science" and whether, setting aside the antisemitism of how the term was employed, there is any truth to that. The book combines biographical information on Einstein, the history of modern Judaism, and -- especially -- an accessible history of science, presenting high-level concepts in a way that readers can understand and maintaining a tone that borders on the conversational without ever getting too informal (think: a professor talking through ideas in class).
December 30, 2018
Ngt rörig och dessutom inte riktigt tydlig med varför boken skrivits. Intressant stundtals dock
May 9, 2020
This is excellent for anyone who wants to know about science and its philosophy.
April 29, 2022
A very good book dealing with the Jewish cultural influences on Einstein's mathematical theories(i.e., the theory of relativity).
July 10, 2013
Every so often a book scratches an itch I didn't know I had.
This book revolves around the question "Is Einstein's theory of relativity inherently Jewish?" I initially thought the question reads as racist, and the book follows the question with an exploration of the Nazi ideology and why German nationalists tried to discredit Einstein's theory through claims of faith. More interestingly, it traces the theories of Newton, Copernicus, and Descartes and examines the theological influences present in each. I knew that our environment affects our perception, but science, to me, has always been this monolith of observations leading toward facts, full stop. In fact, that view of science alone is indicative of Western beliefs of an authoritarian God; as a counter-example, Chinese astronomy, with its cyclical vision of time, focused upon irregularities, ellipses, and comets versus the Western yearning to define the movement of the planets as clockwork.
Anyways, the book is a series of logical investigations tying together the history of the Catholic church, Jewish beliefs, the development of relativity, the German nation state's self-perception, and public opinion's focus upon Einstein. I love when ideas dovetail, because no knowledge exists in a vacuum, and this book is entirely an exploration of those complicated relationships.
This book revolves around the question "Is Einstein's theory of relativity inherently Jewish?" I initially thought the question reads as racist, and the book follows the question with an exploration of the Nazi ideology and why German nationalists tried to discredit Einstein's theory through claims of faith. More interestingly, it traces the theories of Newton, Copernicus, and Descartes and examines the theological influences present in each. I knew that our environment affects our perception, but science, to me, has always been this monolith of observations leading toward facts, full stop. In fact, that view of science alone is indicative of Western beliefs of an authoritarian God; as a counter-example, Chinese astronomy, with its cyclical vision of time, focused upon irregularities, ellipses, and comets versus the Western yearning to define the movement of the planets as clockwork.
Anyways, the book is a series of logical investigations tying together the history of the Catholic church, Jewish beliefs, the development of relativity, the German nation state's self-perception, and public opinion's focus upon Einstein. I love when ideas dovetail, because no knowledge exists in a vacuum, and this book is entirely an exploration of those complicated relationships.
December 8, 2012
Tis is a book that is geared up to fight a windmill whose days are long past. It gives a good review of old philosophy and incidents of the ugly German abnormal World influence, now past. I did not put it down as I am an History student and it did have some practices with which I was not familiar. It is short read, but the authors style seems to be impaired by his anxiousness to get his outrage on paper. He, of course, is correct in his dellivery of events with respect to the Nazii's.
All and all it is not a read unless you wish to get the author's view of some historical events. Their is no real dicussion of physics in the text.
All and all it is not a read unless you wish to get the author's view of some historical events. Their is no real dicussion of physics in the text.
July 6, 2013
I had to take away one star from this brilliant book because I didn't find it very well organized. The author argues that it is not completely possible to separate a scientific method from a religious context. This does not mean that it is fair to call Einstein's method "Jewish science"; in most ways it is not. However the discussion of the "Christian" method of science which assumes access to absolute truth via a privileged reference frame (a pope or the priesthood of an individual believer) vs the "Jewish" method which assumes access to absolute truth via a consortium of non-privileged frames (the rabbinic method) is fascinating.
March 6, 2013
This was not an easy read, but it was a thoroughly thought provoking book. Of the chapters, Chapter three was the most compelling for me. The scientific information challenged me. I had to recall my meager scientific knowledge. But the upside was melding my Jewish insights. I applaud the author for taking on this subject and dealing with it in a balanced way. Not a book for everyone, but certainly one for those who want to explore how our beliefs affect our approach to science. This book is relevant to our times.
August 6, 2012
I like the premise of this book, at time I found it a bit heavy on the physics/philosophy side (which I guess is to be expected considering the subject matter). Some times I felt like I had to push through the reading. Finally, I did not find the synthesis and conclusion that elucidating. Still have a soft spot for Albert though!
October 20, 2012
It's often a fascinating read about Einstein, with the perspective that his worldview was influenced by Judaism in ways similar to how Descartes was a Catholic scientist and Newton a Protestant scientist. Yet the meandering narrative tried to cover too much ground with too many detours; often I was wondering when Einstein would return.
December 7, 2012
This is a fascinating account of the relationship between religious beliefs and scientific inquiry. Very informative and well researched, although the original thesis of there being a "Jewish Science" is not supported.
May 26, 2012
Review to come for COSMOS!
August 3, 2012
Einstein, in any approach to his life and profession is always of interest to the science reading public. This book is no exception.
July 9, 2014
The idea was good, but the presentation was exceedingly slow and not terribly engaging.
January 25, 2015
Frustrating book to read due to it rambling all over the place and seemingly going off topic regularly. Still, the book has a pile of gems and insights and I'm glad I made it to the end.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews