Albert Einstein
Rebuilt space and time, badly dressed
Philosophy
Einstein published four papers in 1905 while working as a patent clerk, any one of which would have made a career. He was also a lifelong pacifist, a refugee, and the most quoted scientist in history — half of it wrongly. These are the lines that check out, on curiosity, imagination and the limits of what a formula can tell you.
Read when you need reminding that the interesting questions look naive at first
The moral element cannot be displaced by reason, thank heaven!
The World As I See It — "The 1932 Disarmament Conference" · 1934
Let every man be respected as an individual and no man idolised.
The World As I See It — "The World as I See It" · 1934
An autocratic system of coercion, in my opinion, soon degenerates.
The World As I See It — "The World as I See It" · 1934
There is nothing divine about morality, it is a purely human affair.
The World As I See It — "The Religiousness of Science" · 1934
The principal art of the teacher is to awaken the joy in creation and knowledge.
The World As I See It — "Teachers and Pupils" · 1934
Money only appeals to selfishness and always tempts its owners irresistibly to abuse it.
The World As I See It — "Of Wealth" · 1934
Thus do we mortals achieve immortality in the permanent things which we create in common.
The World As I See It — "Teachers and Pupils" · 1934
Nature scatters her common wares with a lavish hand, but the choice sort she produces but seldom.
The World As I See It — "The Liberty of Doctrine" · 1934
As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
Sidelights on Relativity — "Geometry and Experience" · 1921
It is right in principle that those should be the best loved who have contributed most to the elevation of the human race and human life.
The World As I See It — "Good and Evil" · 1934
The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self.
The World As I See It — "Good and Evil" · 1934
The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.
The World As I See It — "The World as I See It" · 1934
The ideals which have lighted me on my way and time after time given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Truth, Goodness and Beauty.
The World As I See It — "The World as I See It" · 1934
The individual, if left alone from birth, would remain primitive and beast-like in his thoughts and feelings to a degree that we can hardly conceive.
The World As I See It — "Society and Personality" · 1934
Only the individual can think, and thereby create new values for society, nay, even set up new moral standards to which the life of the community conforms.
The World As I See It — "Society and Personality" · 1934
