Albert Einstein: A Geniuses View on Politics

Albert Einstein was a German born Theoretical physicist. Einstein is best known for assembling the concept behind the Theory of Relativity, in particular the mass-energy equivalence of E = mc2, as well as receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his “services to Theoretical Physics”. Einstein’s work affected a number of other fields outside of Physics and the name Einstein overtime became synonymous with the term genius, but I am not writing this blog to speak of the plethora of accomplishments Einstein experienced throughout his life, nor do I intend to write about his many works published or why he was named the greatest physicist of all time. Instead, I chose to take a detailed look into the later life of Albert Einstein and just how he was affected by the politics of his time. You see, Einstein lived during a time period in which he was vastly shaped by the fame that came along with being a “genius”, forcing Einstein to become heavily involved in politics.

Albert Einstein had first hand experience with a number of dark periods in history, and whether it be World War I, World War II or the Cold War, Einstein wrote and spoke of one thing: peace. Einstein didn’t want any involvement with politics, simply hoping to continue his successful career as both a scientist and mathematician. Yet, with intensifying demands, Einstein’s involvement in politics increased, forcing him to make new relations with both scholars and political figures in a variety of countries, though Einstein didn’t oppose the idea of meeting new people. Nonetheless, Einstein disliked the fact that he was making these “new acquaintances” simply because his opinion or stance on the politics of that nation was desired. The travels that Einstein participated in as a means to meet with political figures affected him greatly, specifically in terms of achieving the valuable isolation that he needed to do his work.

Due to the fame and genius of Einstein, the mathematician/scientist found himself being called upon to make definite judgments on issues that certainly had nothing to do with physics or mathematics. However, Einstein was fearless and of the utmost awareness of the world surrounding him, with no illusion that ignoring politics would result in world events to fade away. In turn, Einstein simply spoke his opinion on the situation, further allowing him to speak and write both honestly and freely on politics ranging from Nazi Germany to the Cold War era. And though Einstein did issue his opinions on a variety of issues within the world of politics, I believe that Einstein’s stance on politics was simple. Einstein believed in peace and as a German Jew, he only desired to live in a world where he could study the fields of physics and mathematics. Unfortunately, Einstein was forced into becoming involved with politics in a variety of countries, yet he did it with his head held high, sticking to his ideals of speaking freely and honestly and that is what made Einstein a man of true greatness.