Einstein at the blackboard

[BaalChatzaf]

[Max]

[Peter]

From The BBC: Einstein's travel diaries reveal racist stereotypes: Newly published private travel diaries have revealed Albert Einstein's racist and xenophobic views. Written between October 1922 and March 1923, the diaries track his experiences in Asia and the Middle East. In them, he makes sweeping and negative generalizations, for example calling the Chinese "industrious, filthy, obtuse people." Einstein would later in life advocate for civil rights in the US, calling racism "a disease of white people".

This is the first time the diaries have been published as a standalone volume in English. Published by Princeton University Press, The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein: The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922-1923 was edited by Ze'ev Rosenkranz, assistant director of the California Institute of Technology's Einstein Papers Project.

Einstein traveled from Spain to the Middle East and, via Sri Lanka, then called Ceylon, on to China and Japan. The physicist describes arriving in Port Said in Egypt and facing "Levantines of every shade... as if spewed from hell" who come aboard their ship to sell their goods. He also describes his time in Colombo in Ceylon, writing of the people: "They live in great filth and considerable stench down on the ground, do little, and need little." But the famous physicist reserves his most cutting comments for the Chinese. According to a piece in the Guardian about the diaries, he describes Chinese children as "spiritless and obtuse", and calls it "a pity if these Chinese supplant all other races."

In other entries he calls the Chinese "a peculiar herd-like nation," and "more like automatons than people", before claiming there is "little difference" between Chinese men and women, and questioning how the men are "incapable of defending themselves" from female "fatal attraction."

Noted for both his scientific brilliance and his humanitarianism, Albert Einstein emigrated to the US in 1933 after the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. The Jewish scientist described racism as "a disease of white people" in a 1946 speech at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. END QUOTE

 

[BaalChatzaf]

1 hour ago, Peter said:

From The BBC: Einstein's travel diaries reveal racist stereotypes: Newly published private travel diaries have revealed Albert Einstein's racist and xenophobic views. Written between October 1922 and March 1923, the diaries track his experiences in Asia and the Middle East. In them, he makes sweeping and negative generalizations, for example calling the Chinese "industrious, filthy, obtuse people." Einstein would later in life advocate for civil rights in the US, calling racism "a disease of white people".

 

 

This is the first time the diaries have been published as a standalone volume in English. Published by Princeton University Press, The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein: The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922-1923 was edited by Ze'ev Rosenkranz, assistant director of the California Institute of Technology's Einstein Papers Project.

 

 

Einstein traveled from Spain to the Middle East and, via Sri Lanka, then called Ceylon, on to China and Japan. The physicist describes arriving in Port Said in Egypt and facing "Levantines of every shade... as if spewed from hell" who come aboard their ship to sell their goods. He also describes his time in Colombo in Ceylon, writing of the people: "They live in great filth and considerable stench down on the ground, do little, and need little." But the famous physicist reserves his most cutting comments for the Chinese. According to a piece in the Guardian about the diaries, he describes Chinese children as "spiritless and obtuse", and calls it "a pity if these Chinese supplant all other races."

 

 

In other entries he calls the Chinese "a peculiar herd-like nation," and "more like automatons than people", before claiming there is "little difference" between Chinese men and women, and questioning how the men are "incapable of defending themselves" from female "fatal attraction."

 

 

Noted for both his scientific brilliance and his humanitarianism, Albert Einstein emigrated to the US in 1933 after the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. The Jewish scientist described racism as "a disease of white people" in a 1946 speech at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. END QUOTE

 

 

 

 

 

Einstein's attitude on race, on women, on politics were a product of the times in which he lived  and his upbringing.  While Einstein might have been Liberal in his political views he had a very typical (for the time) attitude toward women.  He treated his first wife Milava like shit after the lust wore off.  He treated his second wife, who was also his cousin, as a nurse maid  and a servant.   His attitude toward Asians was no doubt influenced by the prevailing views (of that time)  toward Asians. Very few people have the strength of mind and character  to fully  outgrow and depart from their upbringing.  Einstein  shed the then current prejudices concerning space and time and  blazed a different path.  He did not do the same for his regard of non-Europeans and women.  No one is perfect.

 

[Peter]

I see a fallacy in the “No one is perfect,” argument. Nathan’s may be the top ranked hotdog but it still should be served with mustard and pickle relish. Persons with great minds should also behave decently towards the people in their lives.

Ba’al wrote:  Very few people have the strength of mind and character to fully outgrow and depart from their upbringing. Einstein shed the then current prejudices concerning space and time and blazed a different path.  He did not do the same for his regard of non-Europeans and women. No one is perfect. end quote

I would prefer to be treated like a human being by “the great ones.” I am not saying Brad and Angelina should stop in their tracks to give me their autographs as they are trudging to their limo after an awards ceremony, but I would expect them to not shout out, “Don’t bother me, don’t bother me, you friggin’ moron!” The women in Albert’s life should have stood up to his shenanigans.

Peter

Quote from "Hannibal," by Thomas Harris: Hawking, twisted in his wheelchair, speaks in his computer-generated voice: "Where does the difference between the past and the future come from? The laws of science do not distinguish between the past and the future. Yet there is a big difference between the past and future in everyday life. You may see a cup of tea fall off a table and break into pieces on the floor. But you will never see the cup gather itself back together and jump back on the table." The film, run backward, shows the cup reassembling itself on the table. Hawking continues:   "The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time."

Doctor Lector admired Hawking's work very much and followed it as closely as he could in the mathematical journals. He knew that Hawking had once believed the universe would stop expanding and would shrink again, and entropy might reverse itself. Later, Hawking said he was mistaken. Lector was quite capable in the area of higher mathematics, but Stephen Hawking is on another plain entirely from the rest of us. For years Lector had teased the problem, wanting very much for Hawking to be right the first time, for the expanding universe to stop, for entropy to reverse itself, for Mischa, eaten, to be whole again. end quote