Albert Einstein: I Believe
I read again in a book published almost 70 years ago (”I Believe. Nineteen Personal Philosophies”, Unwin Press, London 1940). It contains, among others, a brief (five page) contribution by Albert Einstein. It is worth quoting from it:
“I do not believe we can have any freedom at all in the philosophical sense, for we act not only under external compulsion but also by inner necessity. Schopenhauer’s saying - “A man can surely do what he wills to do, but he cannot determine what he wills” - impressed itself upon me in youth and has always consoled me when I have witnessed or suffered life’s hardships. This conviction is a perpetual breeder of tolerance, for it does not allow us to take ourselves or others too seriously; it makes rather for a sense of humour.
To ponder interminably over the reason for one’s own existence or the meaning of life in general seems to me, from an objective point of view, to be sheer folly. And yet everyone holds certain ideals by which he guides his aspiration and his judgment. The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth. To make a goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle.”
………..
“This subject brings me to that vilest offspring of the herd mind - the odious militia. The man who enjoys marching in line and file to the strains of music falls below my contempt; he received his great brain by mistake - the spinal cord would have been amply sufficient. ……. War is low and despicable, and I rather be smitten to shreds than participate in such doings.
Such a stain on humanity should be erased without delay. I think well enough of human nature to believe that it would have been wiped out long ago had not the common sense of nations been systematically corrupted through school and press for business and political reasons.”
November 12th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
What the (League of Nations) movement for peace between World Wars, which Einstein’s views on the military reflects, achieved, was the discovery that by planning for the end of Wars, they (the league of Nations) would become hostage to forces that weren’t planning for the end of wars.
It’s all well and good to say that intelligence and common sense would erase wars, but I think it quite intelligent (as well as highly “evil”) to take advantage of others disarming by doing the opposite. I also think it reasonably intelligent to arm a “police” to militarily prevent those “low and despicable” from doing what they would do.
So when is the UN going to seriously arm itself to police the actions of those it deems “evil”? Never. Because that would mean supporting the concept of war to do it.