Historical Musing: Why Did Einstein Say "No"?

email ^ | 03.21.02 | Bud

[maxwell]

A bud of mine asked me to post this and try to get some of y'all's comments so here 'tis...

As many may already know, when Israel was formed they asked a prominent physicist (Albert Einstein) if he would become the president (ruler, top-dog, high-and-mighty, king, whatever) of the country. This is an offer he refused... the question I'd like for you to post (or maybe you know the answer) is: Does anyone know why he refused? What were the circumstances that influenced his decision? Does anyone think it had anything to do with the tensions that have been brewing over there?

I know (or at least think I remember correctly) that in his heart Einstein was a pacifist. Could his decision have been influenced by this? Did he NOT want to be in a position to order the much needed death of suicide bombers, hijackers, and run of the mill scum-suckers?

Thunk about it and let me know what you finded out...

[maxwell]

Well that's it.
Note to Moderators et al.: This is a genuine historical/philosophical inquiry, NOT a vanity.

Any comments?

[maxwell]

Bump for opinions

[maxwell]

Bump for eggheads

[Slip18]

I want to know, too. Bumpity bump bump!

[maxwell]

Okay, pinging randomly now... flame away...

[maxwell]

Any thoughts, pontificators?

[maxwell]

Thankya chickie... I'm just going to ping random folks til somebody gets p!ssed enough to get on here and tell me what for, hehehe...

[Slip18]

Google has a lot of information on Freud and Einstein and their correspondence. It's right here

[riley1992]

This is what I found from Here

In 1952 Einstein was offered the position of President of Israel, a chiefly honorific post. Old and sick, but at peace in his Princeton home and office, he turned down the invitation. His interest in public affairs, however, continued. In 1955 he joined Bertrand Russell in urging scientists toward mediation between East and West and limitation of nuclear armament. Meanwhile he was writing a speech for the anniversary of Israel's independence.

[maxwell]

Then Einstein poses one last question, asking Freud whether it would be possible to influence the development of humans in a way which could make them more resistant to what Einstein calls the psychoses of hate and destruction.

Hmmmmm... [semi-libertarian kneejerk] That rubs my a$$ the wrong way, y'knowwhatI'msayin'... Sounds like some folks in today's education industry...

[Slip18]

I've always been a fan of Einstein's, but that quote bothered me, also. This may have been taken out of context, though, because Einstein's letters and missives are still copyrighted.

[snowfox]

This is only an opinion, but after the brief contacts that he had with various forms of government, he probably decided, quite wisely, that in the first case, he was too intelligent for politics, and in the second he couldn't stand politicians.

A brief history of his two major contacts with government:

First, he is run out of germany by the Nazis

Second, at the beginning of world war two, he writes a letter along other top physicists of the day, urging FDR to research and develope the A-Bomb. After he sees the effects of the bomb, he writes another letter, condemning its' use, and pleading for the bomb development to be scrapped. This time the letter is roundly ignored. After this, he comes out against wart in general, and Hoover even builds a file on him.

It is my opinion that he refused simply because he couldn't stand the thought of having to act like politicians he had previously dealt with.

Or another, more realistic option is that after he dated Marilyn Monroe he had to spend the rest of his life taking a cold shower.

[riley1992]

Direct quote from his own writing on the offering:

When Chaim Weizmann, the first President of Israel and an old friend of Einstein's, died in 1952 Einstein was offered the Presidency. He regretfully declined, writing: "I am deeply moved by the offer from our State of Israel, and at once saddened and ashamed that I cannot accept it."

Okay, you're on your own now, buster. LOL

[maxwell]

after he dated Marilyn Monroe he had to spend the rest of his life taking a cold shower.

Bwahaha...

Well as a physicist I think physicists are some of the worst folks you could have running a country anyway, because we tend to be insufferable eggheads... And most of us drink too much anyway... Haha...

Ol' Albert was a great man with the photoelectric effect and relativity and other sh!t I cain't remember right now because I have a fever. I think he would've made a poor choice for running a gov't though.

[maxwell]

Thank you kindly lil' lady... Don't run off too fast, dollbaby-- I need a samwich and a cold beer to get this fever down. Get a pack of smokes too while yer at it... :P

[Robert A Cook PE]

One can be brilliant (as Einstein certainly was) and internationally well-known ... (again Eistein certainly was well-known.)

Pacifist? He appears to be.

But a theorectical physicist, whose only experience is in a lecture hall discussing mathematical theory for thirty years in a foreign country, has NO BUSINESS trying to run a new country ... deeply meshed in fighting both the British and the Arabs in and around Jerusalem.

Clinton used the celebrity-is-expert as he manipulated the media to stay in power. Einstein (as celebrity) would be an utter failure as a nation's leader.

[Slip18]

You want beer?

Sorry about your fever, Max. When I get back from the doc today, I'll share the antibiotics, okay?

[maxwell]

Clinton used the celebrity-is-expert as he manipulated the media to stay in power. Einstein (as celebrity) would be an utter failure as a nation's leader.

Right on Bob... It's almost a tired ol' argument about how familiarity with the intricacies of scientific knowledge doesn't necessarily render one apt to superior understanding of everything else under the sun... Physicists for some reason are particularly prone to that delusion.

[maxwell]

Thankya chickie... Some cuervo and a massage wouldn't go over too bad too. ;)