Einstein’s Religious Philosophy

Here is a short, sweet, and quick summary of some of Albert Einstein’s philosophy and religious views which I thought were interesting enough to jot down while I have that material fresh in mind. (I thought it’s good to read all these various views of Einstein’s in one fell swoop to get a good mental image of his views.) These can be found in most biographies on Einstein, but I included references [1] and [2] below for definiteness. (Throughout this note, ‘he’ refers, of course, to Einstein.) Let’s begin!

1. Einstein began to appreciate and identify more with his Jewish heritage in later life (as he approached 50).
2. He had profound faith in the order and discernible laws in the universe, which he said was the extent to which he calls himself ‘religious.’
3. God had no choice but to create the universe in the way He did.
4. He believed in something larger than himself, in a greater mind.
5. He called nationalism an infantile disease.
6. He received instruction in the Bible and Talmud. He is a Jew, but one who is also enthralled by “the luminous figure of the Nazarene.”
7. He believed Jesus was a real historical figure and that Jesus’ personality pulsates in every word in the Gospels.
8. He was not an atheist, but a kind of “deist.”
9. He did not like atheists quoting him in support of atheism.
10. He believed in an impersonal God, who is not concerned with human action.
11. His belief in an impersonal God was not disingenuous in order to cover up an underlying ‘atheism’.
12. He was neither theist nor atheist.
13. He did not believe in free will. He was a causal determinist. (Not even God has free will! 🙂 )
    
14. Though he did not believe in free will, nevertheless he said “I am compelled to act as if free will existed.”
15. He liked Baruch Spinoza’s treatment of the soul and body as one.
16. He did not believe in immortality.
17. He believed that the imagination was more important than knowledge.
18. He believed in a superior mind that reveals itself in world of experience, which he says represents his conception of God.
19. He believed in a “cosmic religious feeling” which he says “is the strongest and noblest motive for scientific research.”
20. “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”

There you have it, without commentary! 😉

References.

[1] Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions.

[2] Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe. (See especially chapter 17.)

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