Why Socialism? by Albert Einstein

[radio4progressives]

Gee, who knew Einstein was a Socialist? I wonder if Senator Joe McCarthy, members of HUAC (et al) openly questioned Einstein's loyalty to the United States? .. National Security Archives may have documents to answer these questions.. (to be researched/checked) In the meantime, here's an interesting window into Einstein's thinking on the logic and wisdom of Socialism as expressed in this article he wrote on the subject matter..


Why Socialism?
by Albert Einstein
This essay was originally published in the first issue of Monthly Review (May 1949).
https://www.monthlyreview.org/598einst.htm

Is it advisable for one who is not an expert on economic and social issues to express views on the subject of socialism? I believe for a number of reasons that it is.

Let us first consider the question from the point of view of scientific knowledge. It might appear that there are no essential methodological differences between astronomy and economics: scientists in both fields attempt to discover laws of general acceptability for a circumscribed group of phenomena in order to make the interconnection of these phenomena as clearly understandable as possible.

But in reality such methodological differences do exist. The discovery of general laws in the field of economics is made difficult by the circumstance that observed economic phenomena are often affected by many factors which are very hard to evaluate separately.

In addition, the experience which has accumulated since the beginning of the so-called civilized period of human history has—as is well known—been largely influenced and limited by causes which are by no means exclusively economic in nature.

For example, most of the major states of history owed their existence to conquest. The conquering peoples established themselves, legally and economically, as the privileged class of the conquered country. They seized for themselves a monopoly of the land ownership and appointed a priesthood from among their own ranks. The priests, in control of education, made the class division of society into a permanent institution and created a system of values by which the people were thenceforth, to a large extent unconsciously, guided in their social behavior.

But historic tradition is, so to speak, of yesterday; nowhere have we really overcome what Thorstein Veblen called "the predatory phase" of human development. The observable economic facts belong to that phase and even such laws as we can derive from them are not applicable to other phases.

Since the real purpose of socialism is precisely to overcome and advance beyond the predatory phase of human development, economic science in its present state can throw little light on the socialist society of the future.

(emphasis mine)



Text in Full: https://www.monthlyreview.org/598einst.htm

[toddwquigley]

Actually everybody knew Einstein was a socialist, communist would be more appropriate. This is why the Government kept him away from the Manhattan project, he was a security risk. Remember, the man had spent his life in what had been for 20 years a socialist country before moving to America, ironically because of the problems that socialism brought, ie: "National Socialism", which was a nice term for Facisism, AKA: the Nazi party.

While he was an absolutely brilliant physicist, his personal life was a complete mess because he simply didn't understand people, including himself because he was a barely functioning Autistic savant.

He was the architype of the absent minded prefessor, he also couldn't drive a car, couldn't feed himself, or take care of his house, went days without bathing, etc. A perfect example would be the fact that he purchased an elevator for his one story house in Pasadena when he was a CalTech professor because he forgot that he lived in a one story house.

In other words, to say that Einstein was a socialist, really carries no implication of any social wisdom on his part, because he was never noted for social wisdom, more for his lack of it.

The man made a lot of silly mistakes, and personally I would prefer to remember the good side to him. To drag up the fact that he was a communist is just washing his old, and well known dirty laundry in public one more time. Rather than supporting your cause, it just saddens me to remember that such a great man was so deluded at times.

[elienos]

Why do people equate all the isms with the most extreme versions. Capitalists are socialists and socialists these days are capitalists. Communisism is a little weird to me, but most people who identify with communism that I have met don't resemble the communists of Marx's time. The truth of it is that communism doesn't work, capitalism doesn't work, socialism doesn't work...what works for us isn't going to work for someone 3,000 miles away. Socialist cuba is probably a better place to live than many so-called "democracies." Chavez is as much a capitalist as a socialist. The US is socializes quite a bit these days. Polarity doesn't work so well in this day and age.

How do you know Einstein bought an elevator for his one-story house? I find that far-fetched, but maybe true and out of context. Einstein was intelligent in more ways than one I would have to argue.

[MsTerry]

Todd,
Can you back up this story?
In his days, Einstein wasn't known to be rich, and elevators being what they are, are still quite an expense.
So, what is your source?
https://www.astronomynotes.com/relativity/s3.htm

He was the architype of the absent minded prefessor, he also couldn't drive a car, couldn't feed himself, or take care of his house, went days without bathing, etc. A perfect example would be the fact that he purchased an elevator for his one story house in Pasadena when he was a CalTech professor because he forgot that he lived in a one story house.

[Yubajeff]

Einstein was clearly a self-taught geniues. He made all his discoveries and breathroughts with no funding, no faculty position (that came laer), no lab, no facilitites.. He did thought experiments in his head,and revolutionalized physics. He also was concerned enough to warn the president that we need to get the bomb before the Germans did, or we we would not be having this discussions.

Today Albert Einstein would be diagnsoed with ADD. not autism, and treated with drugs which would have prevented his discoveries. Perhaps if you read the new Einstein biograpy by Issacson you would understand. Einstein did not become wealthy through his endeavors, especially when compared to varoius CEO's, attorneys. politicians, & others who
earn millions and contribute nothing of enduring value..
I don't even think he botherered with a patent on E=MC2 athough he paradoxically had a job as a patent clerk.
At least read the first chapter of the new Issaccson biography before trashing the greatest genius in the the 20th centurey.
Yubajeff