Einstein as a Jew and a Philosopher

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/may/07/albert-einstein-jew-and-philosopher/

by dnetesn • 11 years ago

41 30 11 years ago

formulaT7• 11 years ago

It's instructive to me to compare Zionism with the process of the invasion of the Americas by Europeans.

The majority of European invaders of America desired to establish new nations where old ones existed, wiping out, marginalizing or assimilating the existing ones, and creating societies where White Europeans were dominant, and which existed to preserve White European culture. This is equivalent to mainstream Zionism.

Now Einstein was a Labor Zionist. Imagine a European who roundly condemned the atrocities of European invaders of America, but supported them because he believed that ordinary Europeans and Native Americans had more in common than they had differences, and there were no real barriers to living in peace in a socialist democracy. Rings kind of hollow, doesn't it?

bsaul8• 11 years ago

European nations didn't invade america or later part of Africa, to create new nations. That's why it's called colonianism : they wanted to extend their own territories.

Zionism is a process for a people to find a land where it would be autonomous ( under the principle that every people should have the right to be master of its own destiny). In that regard, the desire for palestinians to create a palestinian state, or for the kurds to create a kurdish state is the exact same principle. I guess you wouldn't call that colonialism.

ZanyProgrammer2• 11 years ago

Zionism was a process for European Jews to find a land that had problematic claims for being their "homeland."

formulaT7• 11 years ago

Whether you are extending an existing nation or creating a new one is an irrelevant distinction. The point is that people bring in a group that did not live there previously, and establish a new society in that land.

You seem to treat it as a detail that the land where Zionists would be autonomous, was already occupied by non-Jews. The desire for Palestinians or Kurds to create a state is a different matter since they already lived there.

Your argument reminds me of the "terra nullius" argument used to justify the invasion of Australia. Being pedantic about the definition of a nation does't fly when discussing the terra nullius doctrine, and it's no more reasonable when discussing Zionism.

marjukahm• 11 years ago

It always baffles me to think how much abstractions that Einstein's mind could contain. His philosophical, political, and scientific views reflect his sheer ability to make abstractions from first principles. Also, what is more baffling is his sheer ability to sustain those thoughts in his minds for years. The whole progression of thoughts regarding special relativity/general relativity went on for more than a decade with few years of intense work in-between. Einstein exemplified the power of devising thought experiments in mind and then substantiating those thought experiments with reasoning, observation and math for years to come. Interestingly, he failed to persuade the world leaders to destroy nuclear weapons that were threat to human kind and were not that useful in the actual war events.Say something about our greatest mind finds hard to do. Btw, I love his humor.

transfire• 11 years ago

I'll put that one right next to my copy of "Nietzsche as an Aryan and a Scholar".

But seriously, this whole identifying as "Jew" like it were a Dr. Pepper commercial is getting tiresome. When are we going to be happy just being "Human"? Of what I read, Old Dr. E would have liked that title better. And I am 100% certain while he supported the creation of the new Israel in the early days, we wouldn't have been at all happy about what has become of things now.

ZanyProgrammer2• 11 years ago

Well, since Jews believe that the quality of being a Jew is inherited from the mother (for the more Orthodox amongst them), regardless of one's degree of adherence to the religion, then identifying as a Jew seems kosher (pun intended).

NovaX• 11 years ago

"As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew"

leeoniya• 11 years ago

I'll put that one right next to my copy of "Nietzsche as an Aryan and a Scholar".

if that Nietzsche book actually focuses on what he was doing specifically for the Aryan cause/goals, then you probably should

kcovia• 11 years ago

Nietzsche was co-opted by his sister (who was a proto-National Socialist) and was strongly misinterpreted. In fact, Nietzsche was strongly anti-German nationalism and anti-Anti-Semitic, which lead to a fallout with his idol, Wagner.

khoury• 11 years ago

Actually, you are right. He didn't at all like the development of Israel and he has expressed it several times in both personal letters and as undersigned.

http://users.physics.harvard.edu/~wilson/HUMANRIGHTS/Einstei...

jeffwass• 11 years ago

The whole premise of the book is looking at some of Einstein's actions through the lens of his Jewish identity and heritage (and also as a philosopher). Which is quite different compared to the prism he's usually viewed through, namely as a scientist.

I don't understand why that bothers you so much. Are you equally bothered when people identify as a 'coder' or 'entrepreneur' as is quite common in this forum?

formulaT7• 11 years ago

For me the issue is that Jewish identity is presented as always being good, while Aryan/White/European/Whatever_you_want_to_call_it identity is presented as being evil and racist.

Sure, these things exist at a different granularity, but that doesn't explain why one is ok and the other is evil.

Einstein as a Jew and a Philosopher

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