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Albert Einstein’s “Why Socialism?": The Enduring Relevance of His Classic Essay
A contemporary look at Albert Einstein's classic call for socialism
First published more than seventy-five years ago in the inaugural issue of Monthly An Independent Socialist Magazine, Albert Einstein’s “Why Socialism?” is an unheralded classic. Written during the McCarthyite witch-hunt in the United States, it constituted an act of defiance, making a case for socialism unrivaled in its time or ours. Yet, its very existence has been an embarrassment to an establishment which has continually sought to downplay the significance of his iconoclastic essay, together with Einstein’s socialism itself.
This slim, elegant volume includes Einstein’s essay along with a detailed commentary on his essay by Monthly Review editor, John Bellamy Foster. Foster’s introduction tells the story of Einstein’s life-long commitment to socialism and the events leading to the publication of “Why Socialism?” and contextualizes the importance of his essay as we enter a time of planetary crisis and new threats of world war. Over the three-quarters of century since its publication, “Why Socialism?” is one of those rare statements whose power has only grown, reaching untold numbers of readers over the years. It is of crucial importance that—for the sake of the future of humanity—Einstein’s message continues to proliferate.
First published more than seventy-five years ago in the inaugural issue of Monthly An Independent Socialist Magazine, Albert Einstein’s “Why Socialism?” is an unheralded classic. Written during the McCarthyite witch-hunt in the United States, it constituted an act of defiance, making a case for socialism unrivaled in its time or ours. Yet, its very existence has been an embarrassment to an establishment which has continually sought to downplay the significance of his iconoclastic essay, together with Einstein’s socialism itself.
This slim, elegant volume includes Einstein’s essay along with a detailed commentary on his essay by Monthly Review editor, John Bellamy Foster. Foster’s introduction tells the story of Einstein’s life-long commitment to socialism and the events leading to the publication of “Why Socialism?” and contextualizes the importance of his essay as we enter a time of planetary crisis and new threats of world war. Over the three-quarters of century since its publication, “Why Socialism?” is one of those rare statements whose power has only grown, reaching untold numbers of readers over the years. It is of crucial importance that—for the sake of the future of humanity—Einstein’s message continues to proliferate.
97 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2025
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About the author
Albert Einstein
905 books9,660 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 20, 2025
The unseen, less-read and even lesser discussed part of Einstein's thoughts!
December 8, 2025
“the economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil.”
very easy read. i was honestly unfamiliar with albert einstein’s political beliefs until recently (i’d assumed he was left wing but did not ever research specifics of his ideology).
his actual essay is the heart of the book. my only qualm with it is that the first half is a bit wordy and uses a lot of inaccessible language, which quite differs from the second half of the essay which is easy to read and straightforward. his “why socialism?” sets up a nice introduction to anyone who wants to explore socialism as an ideology but it does not delve into definitions on how socialism actually works.
the clearest (and frankly, the only) paragraph in his essay that explicitly states how einstein personally feels and envisions his perfect vision for society is this:
“i am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. in such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. a planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. the education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society.”
and that’s the point. the essay is not for einstein to elaborate on his personal political beliefs but to set open the reader up to exploring the socialist magazine in which his essay was featured.
all in all, i’d recommend this to anyone interested in either exploring socialist ideology or exploring a side of albert einstein that is rarely talked about, but should be. he was a lifelong radical and contributed greatly to activist causes; that work just happens to overshadowed by his brilliant contributions to the scientific field.
very easy read. i was honestly unfamiliar with albert einstein’s political beliefs until recently (i’d assumed he was left wing but did not ever research specifics of his ideology).
his actual essay is the heart of the book. my only qualm with it is that the first half is a bit wordy and uses a lot of inaccessible language, which quite differs from the second half of the essay which is easy to read and straightforward. his “why socialism?” sets up a nice introduction to anyone who wants to explore socialism as an ideology but it does not delve into definitions on how socialism actually works.
the clearest (and frankly, the only) paragraph in his essay that explicitly states how einstein personally feels and envisions his perfect vision for society is this:
“i am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. in such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. a planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. the education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society.”
and that’s the point. the essay is not for einstein to elaborate on his personal political beliefs but to set open the reader up to exploring the socialist magazine in which his essay was featured.
all in all, i’d recommend this to anyone interested in either exploring socialist ideology or exploring a side of albert einstein that is rarely talked about, but should be. he was a lifelong radical and contributed greatly to activist causes; that work just happens to overshadowed by his brilliant contributions to the scientific field.
January 15, 2026
Unknown to me was Einstein, the radical. No teacher in school mentioned his socialist ideas, nor the fact that the FBI had a file on this man. Furthermore, Einstein was a champion of racial justice, revolution, and constructing a more human society. The historical introduction at the beginning by John Bellamy Foster and the afterword by John J. Simon elucidated the context and arguments of Einstein, and you can tell how much Karl Marx and Thorstein Veblen influenced his views. This essay and the contents of this edition were fascinating and deeply moved me. 10/10
November 14, 2025
I read the John Bellamy Foster print and I have to say while the essay was good John’s addition and historical contextualisation was so interesting 🧐
December 30, 2025
Down the rabbit hole I go after watching Oppenheimer 🐇🕳️
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January 14, 2026what a cool dude
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews