Blog 17

                In part one of the biography Albert Einstein: Ideas and Opinions, Einstein’s opinions of the world and society around him were described. These include his opinion of good and evil, women of America, and the meaning of Life, all of which were probably influenced heavily from his experiences with the war. The three opinion pieces that captured my attention the most were his views on the meaning of life, the true value of a human being, and on good and evil. He gave no direct answer to the meaning of life but stated that a person is only unfit to live life if he views it as meaningless. On the point for the true value of a human being, Einstein stated that one’s value is based on how much one has attained liberation from oneself. For good and evil, he stated that someone is good if they provide work that elevates them, not by the fruits of the work but from gaining understanding. This lines up well with both the Telos of science, since it is the discovery of all natural truths and the satisfaction of curiosity, and with Aristotle’s account of Eudaimonia, which is the flourishing of mankind through excelling in one’s purpose in life. Even though Einstein does not directly relate his opinions to these two philosophical points, it is apparent that they had an influence on him in some way. Scientists today can learn from Einstein’s views that life not only has a meaning but it also provides value for humanity when one is gaining the fruits of knowledge from one’s work while also elevating another. 

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