[lit-ideas] Re: Einsteiniana
- From: Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 11 May 2014 16:46:05 +0100 (BST)
>perhaps in conjunction with Lenin's own comments on the matter:>
"Comments" which Popper, despite his anti-Marxist stance, describes as most
excellent (Lenin was dead before the publication of LdF, so we do not have
Lenin's stance on even very early Popper).
Strange bedfellows etc.
Dnl
Ldn
On Sunday, 11 May 2014, 15:51, Omar Kusturica <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
And perhaps in conjunction with Lenin's own comments on the matter:
http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1908/mec/six5.htm#v14pp72h-346
On Sun, May 11, 2014 at 4:27 PM, Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>One essay, P, Frank's "Einstein, Mach, and Logical Positivism', reveals an
>astounding fact.
>
>"Because of the close connection, which obviously exists between
>Einstein's theory of relativity and Mach's philosophy, Lenin feared that
>Einstein's
>theories might become a Trojan horse for the infiltration of idealistic
>currents among Russian scientists and among educated classes in general.">
>
>
>To be read in conjunction with Popper's "A Note on Berkeley as Precursor to
>Mach and Einstein", now in Conjectures & Refutations.
>
>
>dnl
>armed with a crowbar
>
>ldn
>
>On Sunday, 11 May 2014, 13:33, "dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
><dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>In a message dated 5/10/2014 9:48:12 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
>lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>Everyone on this forum knows that if we study a subject a lot and then
>keep on studying it; eventually we will know more about it than almost anyone
>we know – assuming we start our study with adequate intelligence. This
>seems to me what the Ashkenazi Jews started doing 800 years ago. But is
>natural selection an adequate explanation for what happened in the 20th
>century, for Einstein for example? We know there are genetic “triggers” of
>various sorts; mightn’t the intense study needed for mastering money-lending
>have
>triggered an intellectual benefit that was
to some extent heritable?
>Maybe not, but it doesn’t seem as though there were enough generations for
>natural selection to explain those results."
>
>I see D. McEvoy has addressed the more general topic of L. Helm's post
>about cultural "vs." biological evolution, but I wanted to focus specifically
>on Einstein, before we move on!
>
>there are OTHER ways to fit Einstein into the picture!
>
>One line of argument would be to sort of show that there's more in Einstein
>than a development of 'money-lending'! -- a lot of chance comes into play
>as one can fascinatingly find by reading about Einstein's early years! Oh,
>the effect of that
gift -- Euclid's book -- by the family friend:
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein
>
>"When Einstein was ten years old, Max Talmud (later changed to Max Talmey),
>a poor Jewish medical student from Poland, was introduced to the Einstein
>family by his brother. During weekly visits over the next five years, he
>gave the boy popular books on science, mathematical texts and philosophical
>writings. These included Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, and
>Euclid's Elements (which Einstein called the "holy little geometry book")"
>
>For a philosopher of science, Einstein's genetic background may be
largely
>irrelevant! For the record, part of the contents to
>
>Schilpp, Paul Arthur, ed. (1949). Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist.
>The Library of Living Philosophers, vol. 7. Evanston, IL: The Library of
>Living Philosophers.
>
>
>that lists Einstein as a a 'living philosopher'. (Since McEvoy discussed
>Helm's post vis-à-vis Popper in his first response -- and Popper merited a
>volume in Schilpp's series -- McEvoy's second response focuses on
>'intelligence' rather).
>
>This is as per R. Erskins's notes at
>
>http://www.amazon.com/Albert-Einstein-Philosopher-Scientist-Library-Philosop
>hers/product-reviews/0875481337/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoi
>nts=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
>
>After the introduction and preface the book opens with Einstein's
>
>"Autobiographical Notes," written in German.
>
>We may read both the German text and English translation on the facing
>pages, and compare the two,
>
>The next section contains a series of essays by Einstein's esteemed
>colleagues and contemporaries.
>
>Among them are
W. Pauli, M.Born, N. Bohr, K. Goedel, G. Bachelard and
>others of equal stature.
>
>Some contributors disagree with Einstein's position on statistical quantum
>theory, M. Born in particular.
>
>Others tackle the epistemological issues of their time, illuminating
>subtle philosophical considerations that quickened the numerous advances in
>theoretical physics during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
>
>One essay, P, Frank's "Einstein, Mach, and Logical Positivism', reveals an
>astounding fact.
>
>"Because of the close connection, which obviously exists between
>Einstein's theory of relativity and
Mach's philosophy, Lenin feared that Einstein's
>theories might become a Trojan horse for the infiltration of idealistic
>currents among Russian scientists and among educated classes in general."
>
>Einstein answers each contributor at the end of the book in his "Remarks
>to the Essays Appearing in this Collective Volume."
>
>He begins with Pauli and Born, primarily because of their position on
>statistical quantum theory, whereupon Einstein launches into a fascinating
>defense of his own position.
>
>But as with all the contributors, the tone throughout was gentle and
>respectful.
>
>And one comes away with the impression
that Einstein was beloved by his
>contemporaries because he returned that love in kind.
>
>The result was a mighty collusion of powerful minds that changed the
>world.
>
>"Now, if only politicians and preachers could do the same!", Erkins
>comments.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Speranza
>
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