What did the greatest thinkers believe? This is a question that undoubtedly begs if a great person is perceived as an atheist.
While the beliefs of most celebrities are irrelevant, the religious and philosophical ideas of those who stand out for their intelligence are of great interest.
Interest in Einstein's religious beliefs
Many people know that the great physicist was brought up as a Jew, and some people are still convinced of his devotion to the God of Abraham.
Atheists love to classify a scientist as one of their own, claiming that the genius physicist of the 20th century supported their point of view. The name of Albert Einstein is too loud in the scientific world, so it is understandable why supporters of different interpretations of the universe cite this person as an example.
In January 1936, a schoolgirl named Ellis wrote a letter to Einstein in which the question was raised whether he believed in science and religion. The scientist answered it quickly.
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Content of the letter
"My dear Dr. Einstein, we have raised the question," Can scientists pray? " in our Sunday class. It started with a discussion about whether we can believe in science and religion in parallel. We write to scientists and other important people to try and answer this question. We will be very grateful if you answer our letter: is the prayer read by scientists and what are they praying for? We are 6th grade students. Regards, Miss Ellis."
Scientist's answer
“Scientists believe that every incident, including human existence, is conditioned by the laws of nature. Therefore, they cannot believe that the course of events can be influenced by prayer, that is, supernatural desire.
However, we must admit that our actual knowledge of these forces is not perfect, so that, in the end, confidence in the existence of God is based on faith. This belief remains widespread even with the current advances in science.
But also every scientist who is seriously engaged in science is convinced that a certain spirit manifests itself in the laws of the Universe, which significantly surpasses all human laws. Thus, the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special kind, which, of course, is very different from the religiosity of the ordinary man in the street.
Greetings from your heart, A. Einstein."
Pantheism is the basis of Einstein's worldview
In his response, the physics genius alludes to his commitment to pantheism. Several times he openly expressed this point of view, opening his thoughts to Rabbi Herbert Goldstein: “I believe in the God of Spinoza, who manifests himself in the harmony of everything that exists in the Universe, and not in God who cares about the fate and deeds of mankind”. The scientist went on to tell his interviewer that he was "captivated by Spinoza's pantheism." This pantheism will become the basis of Einstein's worldview and even influence his ideas in physics.
Okay, but what is pantheism? Pantheism can be defined as the existence of several such ideas. In simple terms, this is the belief that everything is identical with God. Adherents of this view often say that God is the Universe, nature, space, or, in other words, everything was created by God.
Spinoza's pantheism, which interested Einstein, suggests that the universe is identical with God. Such a God is impersonal and not interested in human activities. Everything in nature is made of the same fundamental substance that is derived from God. The laws of physics are absolute, and causality leads to determinism in space.
Everything that happens around was the result of necessity, and it was the will of the Most High. For man, happiness follows from an understanding of the cosmos and an awareness of our place in it, but it is not achieved by prayer calling for divine intervention.
Einstein's belief, while not as strong as the religious devotion of many people, was part of his objection to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, since, according to the scientist, the pantheistic universe acts on causality, but quantum mechanics does not.
Einstein accused the quantum theorists Niels Bohr and Max Born of believing in "a God who plays dice." The famous scientist tried to go through his life path in such a way as to prove the absence of free will.
The worldview of all great people is complex
Albert Einstein was a pantheist who supported certain Jewish traditions. At the same time, the physicist noted that "from the point of view of the Jesuit priest, of course, he has always been an atheist." The scientist preferred to be perceived by the public as an agnostic, and not as a hated militant atheist. He considered the people who anthropomorphized God to be somewhat primitive. Ethically, he was a secular humanist.
Einstein's view of God, life and the Universe is more complex than the view of people who want to rank a great scientist among their like-minded people. Devotion to science and reason led the outstanding scientist to the rationalistic worldview of Spinoza, as well as to the theory of organized religion. His ideas deserve study, as are the foundations of the worldview of most geniuses.
Maya Muzashvili