Synopses & Reviews
One of the 20th century's most profound thinkers not only transformed the direction of scientific endeavor but also influenced other fields such as psychology, linguistics, and ethics. This volume comprises 23 papers delivered at a 1979 symposium and includes examinations of Einstein's impact on scholarship, culture, and more.
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
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.
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