From: Damien Broderick (damienb@unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Thu Jun 05 2003 - 09:44:35 MDT
At 02:10 AM 6/5/03 -0400, Karen wrote:
> I am surprised that I haven't seen anyone mention that Einstein
>believed in the existence of a god. He was purported to be a genius. "God
>does not play dice with the universe." Isn't it right to conclude that
>intelligent minds can differ on the issue of a deity?
Well, that's not the best quote to use; it's generally held that this was
Einstein's way of personifying the deep lawfulness of the world. On the
other hand, there's this from Abraham Pais's SUBTLE IS THE LORD... THE
SCIENCE AND THE LIFE OF ALBERT EINSTEIN:
`"A religious person is devout in the sense that he has no doubt of the
significance of those superpersonal objects and goals which neither require
nor are capable of rational foundation." Thus, according to Einstein, "a
legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist... Science
without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." By his own
definition, Einstein himself was, of course, a deeply religious man' (OUP,
1982, 319)
He was wrong about quantum theory, too.
On the other hand, if you wish to adduce his genius in support of religion,
you're stuck with his support for socialism. See `Why Socialism?',
http://www.monthlyreview.org/598einst.htm
Life is so complicated. :)
Damien Broderick
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