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Albert Einstein, Philosopher-Scientist: The Library of Living Philosophers Volume VII (December 30, 1998) Paperback
Written by the man considered the "Person of the Century" by Time magazine, this is not a glimpse into Einstein's personal life, but an extension and elaboration into his thinking on science. Two of the great theories of the physical world were created in the early 20th the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Einstein created the theory of relativity and was also one of the founders of quantum theory. Here, Einstein describes the failure of classical mechanics and the rise of the electromagnetic field, the theory of relativity, and of the quanta.Written in German by Einstein himself, the book is faced, page-by-page, with a translation by the noted Professor of Philosophy Paul Arthur Schilpp.Includes Niels Bohr's "Discussions with Einstein on Epistemological Problems in Atomic Physics" -his report of conversations with Einstein and Einstein's reply.
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First published January 1, 1973
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About the author
Albert Einstein
719 books9,648 followersSpecial and general theories of relativity of German-born American theoretical physicist Albert Einstein revolutionized modern thought on the nature of space and time and formed a base for the exploitation of atomic energy; he won a Nobel Prize of 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
His paper of 1905 formed the basis of electronics. His first paper, also published in 1905, changed the world.
He completed his Philosophiae Doctor at the University of Zurich before 1909.
Einstein, a pacifist during World War I, stayed a firm proponent of social justice and responsibility.
Einstein thought that Newtonion mechanics no longer enough reconciled the laws of classical mechanics with those of the electromagnetic field. This thought led to the development. He recognized, however, that he ably also extended the principle to gravitational fields and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916 published a paper. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light, which laid the foundation of the photon.
Best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, dubbed "the world's most famous equation," he received "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory.
He visited the United States when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and went not back to Germany. On the eve of World War II, he endorsed a letter, alerting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president, to the potential development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" and recommending that the United States begin similar research. This recommendation eventually led to the Manhattan project. Einstein supported defending the Allied forces but largely denounced the idea of using the newly discovered nuclear fission as a weapon. Later, with Bertrand Russell–Einstein manifesto highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons.
After the rise of the Nazi party, Einstein made Princeton his permanent home as a citizen of United States in 1940. He chaired the emergency committee of atomic scientists, which organized to alert the public to the dangers of warfare.
At a symposium, he advised:
("Science, Philosophy and Religion, A Symposium," published by the Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion in their Relation to the Democratic Way of Life, Inc., New York, 1941).
In a letter to philosopher Eric Gutkind, dated 3 January 1954, Einstein stated:
(The Guardian, "Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of religion relatively clear," by James Randerson, May 13, 2008)
Great intellectual achievements and originality made the word "Einstein" synonymous with genius.
The institute for advanced study in Princeton, New Jersey, affiliated Einstein until his death in 1955.
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_E...
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobe
His paper of 1905 formed the basis of electronics. His first paper, also published in 1905, changed the world.
He completed his Philosophiae Doctor at the University of Zurich before 1909.
Einstein, a pacifist during World War I, stayed a firm proponent of social justice and responsibility.
Einstein thought that Newtonion mechanics no longer enough reconciled the laws of classical mechanics with those of the electromagnetic field. This thought led to the development. He recognized, however, that he ably also extended the principle to gravitational fields and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916 published a paper. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light, which laid the foundation of the photon.
Best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, dubbed "the world's most famous equation," he received "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory.
He visited the United States when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and went not back to Germany. On the eve of World War II, he endorsed a letter, alerting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president, to the potential development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" and recommending that the United States begin similar research. This recommendation eventually led to the Manhattan project. Einstein supported defending the Allied forces but largely denounced the idea of using the newly discovered nuclear fission as a weapon. Later, with Bertrand Russell–Einstein manifesto highlighted the danger of nuclear weapons.
After the rise of the Nazi party, Einstein made Princeton his permanent home as a citizen of United States in 1940. He chaired the emergency committee of atomic scientists, which organized to alert the public to the dangers of warfare.
At a symposium, he advised:
"In their struggle for the ethical good, teachers of religion must have the stature to give up the doctrine of a personal God, that is, give up that source of fear and hope which in the past placed such vast power in the hands of priests. In their labors they will have to avail themselves of those forces which are capable of cultivating the Good, the True, and the Beautiful in humanity itself. This is, to be sure a more difficult but an incomparably more worthy task... "
("Science, Philosophy and Religion, A Symposium," published by the Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion in their Relation to the Democratic Way of Life, Inc., New York, 1941).
In a letter to philosopher Eric Gutkind, dated 3 January 1954, Einstein stated:
"The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."
(The Guardian, "Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of religion relatively clear," by James Randerson, May 13, 2008)
Great intellectual achievements and originality made the word "Einstein" synonymous with genius.
The institute for advanced study in Princeton, New Jersey, affiliated Einstein until his death in 1955.
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_E...
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobe
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 12, 2024
Courage the cowardly dog
January 16, 2022
Why would I give a 4-star rating to a book when I understood probably a little less than half of it? Because it's intellectually engaging, because it explains some basic concepts of science and philosophy that remain relevant today despite further advances in physics since 1950, and because it offers a glimpse of how some really smart people think.
The opening "autobiography" by Einstein himself was a record of the development of his ideas — the only important thing about his life, he said — and I got only about one-third of the way through it before getting lost. The other essays were hit and miss. Some were comprehensible, some left me feeling drowned in physicists' vocabulary, esoteric algebra, and occasional Greek letters after a page or two. But I'm glad I finally tackled it after letting it sit on the shelf for decades. My copy is the 1959 Harper Torchbooks edition, not listed in Goodreads; it may or may not contain exactly the same essays as are in the later editions.
I must have bought it in a fit of ambition in university and set it aside after finding it tough going. Another example of why it's just as wise never to throw out a good book as never to throw out a potentially useful bit of hardware in the garage.
The opening "autobiography" by Einstein himself was a record of the development of his ideas — the only important thing about his life, he said — and I got only about one-third of the way through it before getting lost. The other essays were hit and miss. Some were comprehensible, some left me feeling drowned in physicists' vocabulary, esoteric algebra, and occasional Greek letters after a page or two. But I'm glad I finally tackled it after letting it sit on the shelf for decades. My copy is the 1959 Harper Torchbooks edition, not listed in Goodreads; it may or may not contain exactly the same essays as are in the later editions.
I must have bought it in a fit of ambition in university and set it aside after finding it tough going. Another example of why it's just as wise never to throw out a good book as never to throw out a potentially useful bit of hardware in the garage.
October 13, 2012
I won't pretend that I could follow much of what is contained in this volume. My copy was actually published in 1970. His autobiographical notes are revealing and the included essays well worth reading. I'm not qualified to comment on the physics and how well many of the ideas have held up but I think they do provide an important context to much of what is being done today. After all, we are standing on the shoulders of giants.
February 2, 2021
Breves, muy breves notas autobiográficas, seguidas de su libro de divulgación sobre relatividad y una selección de artículos no científicos publicados en revistas varias. Einstein era maravilloso y tal, pero nunca conseguí sentirme atraído por su estilo divulgador. Hay artículos interesantes pero la parte de la relatividad no me gustó (en ese mismo año yo estaba dando relatividad en clase, podía comparar directamente lo que nos contaba el autor con los que nos contaba el profesor, y ganaba siempre el profesor). En cualquier caso lectura interesante por razones históricas.
September 1, 2007
This is an excellent book of essays that were written about Albert Einstein and his ideas by fellow physicists and mathematicians. If you want a glimpse of the man from his contemporaries' perspectives, this is great material. I came across it when researching Einstein & the Theory of Relativity, and I wish that i had found it sooner as it gathered a number of insightful pieces in one place.
Want to read
June 19, 2011Part of a distinguished series
April 8, 2016
Bella la prima parte scritta da Einstein un po' lenta la seconda degli altri autori.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews