Albert Einstein: Historical and Cultural Perspectives

The influence of Einstein's thought extends beyond physics into other fields such as psychology, linguistics, and ethics. 23 papers delivered at a 1979 symposium examine the range of one of the 20th century's great minds. Although best known for his revolutionary scientific ideas, Albert Einstein was also an impassioned social critic, who challenged social and philosophical orthodoxies and championed individual liberty and dignity in the face of persecution and war. The extraordinary range and diversity of Einstein's thought - encompassing fields that include psychology, linguistics, and ethics - is reflected in the breadth of this volume. It comprises 23 papers delivered at the Jerusalem Einstein Centennial Symposium held in March 1979 as part of a worldwide celebration of the centennial of Einstein's birth. This valuable collection offers historical perspectives on Einstein's scientific contributions, the reception of his ideas, his impact on scholarship and twentieth-century culture, and personal reminiscences by friends and associates. The distinguished contributors include P. A. M. Dirac, Fritz Stern, Banesh Hoffmann, Erik H. Erikson, and Max Jammer. The result is a splendid tribute to the greatest physicist of the century.

Table of Contents:
GERALD HOLTON Introduction: Einstein and the Shaping of Our Imagination HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EINSTEIN'S SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS ARTHUR I. MILLER The Special Relativity Theory: Einstein's Response to the Physics of 1905 PETER G. BERGMANN The Quest for Unity: General Relativity and Unitary Field Theories MARTIN J. KLEIN Fluctuations and Statistical Physics in Einstein's Early Work MAX JAMMER Einstein and Quantum Physics RECEPTION OF EINSTEIN'S SCIENTIFIC IDEAS P. A. M. DIRAC The Early Years of Relativity BANESH HOFFMAN Some Einstein Anomalies LOREN R. GRAHAM The Reception of Einstein's Ideas: Two Examples from Contrasting Political Cultures EINSTEIN'S IMPACT ON SCHOLARSHIP AND TWENTIETH-CENTURY CULTURE ROMAN JAKOBSON Einstein and the Science of Language ERIK H. ERIKSON Psychoanalytic Reflections on Einstein's Centenary NATHAN ROTENSTREICH Relativity and Relativism YEHUDA ELKANA Einstein and the Light of Reason EINSTEIN AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE JEWISH WORLD ISAIAH BERLIN Einstein and Israel YITZHAK NAVON On Einstein and the Presidency of Israel URIEL TAL Jewish and Universal Social Ethics in the Life and Thought of Albert Einstein FRITZ STERN Einstein's Germany EINSTEIN AND THE NUCLEAR AGE PAUL DOTY Einstein and International Security BERNARD T. FELD Einstein and the Politics of Nuclear Weapons WORKING WITH EINSTEIN: REMINISCENCES BY ASSOCIATES AND FRIENDS PETER G. BERGMANN Reminiscences BANESH HOFFMAN Reminiscences NATHAN ROTENSTREICH Reminiscences BORIS SCHWARTZ Musical and Personal Reminiscences of Albert Einstein ERNST G. STRAUS Reminiscences Index of Names Subject Index