Albert Einstein Quotes About Philosophy

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  A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

  Albert Einstein

  Inspirational, Beauty, Spiritual

  Letter of 1950, as quoted in "The New York Times", March 29, 1972.

• If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.

  Albert Einstein

  Inspirational, Spiritual, Philosophy

  "Treasury of the Christian Faith: An Encyclopedic Handbook of the Range and Witness of Christianity". Book by Stanley Irving Stuber, Thomas Curtis Clark, Association Press, 1949.

• When I study philosophical works I feel I am swallowing something which I don't have in my mouth.

  Albert Einstein

  Philosophy, Philosophical, Swallowing

• Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act.

  Albert Einstein

  Philosophy, Historical, Privilege

• The Revolution introduced me to art, and in turn, art introduced me to the Revolution!

  Albert Einstein

  Inspirational, Spiritual, Art

• I fully agree with you about the significance and educational value of as well as history and philosophy of science. So many people today - and even professional - seem to me like someone who has seen thousands of trees but has never seen a forest. A knowledge of the historic and philosophical background gives that kind of independence from prejudices of his generation from which most scientists are suffering. This independence created by philosophical insight is - in my opinion - the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker after truth.

  Albert Einstein

  Philosophy, Real, Educational

• Politics is more difficult than physics.

  Albert Einstein

  Wise, Philosophy, Politics

  Quoted in N.Y. Times, 22 Apr. 1955

• I would not think that philosophy and reason themselves will be man's guide in the foreseeable future; however, they will remain the most beautiful sanctuary they have always been for the select few.

  Albert Einstein

  Beautiful, Philosophy, Future

• The sole function of education...[is] to open the way to thinking and knowing, and the school, as the outstanding organ for the people's education, must serve that end exclusively.

  Albert Einstein

  Education, Philosophy, School

  Albert Einstein (2011). “Out of My Later Years: The Scientist, Philosopher, and Man Portrayed Through His Own Words”, p.20, Open Road Media

• [Kepler] had to realize clearly that logical-mathematical theoretizing, no matter how lucid, could not guarantee truth by itself; that the most beautiful logical theory means nothing in natural science without comparison with the exactest experience. Without this philosophic attitude, his work would not have been possible.

  Albert Einstein

  Beautiful, Attitude, Philosophy

• I do not believe that a moral philosophy can ever be founded on a scientific basis. … The valuation of life and all its nobler expressions can only come out of the soul’s yearning toward its own destiny. Every attempt to reduce ethics to scientific formulas must fail. Of that I am perfectly convinced.

  Albert Einstein

  Life, Philosophy, Believe

  Albert Einstein (2013). “Einstein on Politics: His Private Thoughts and Public Stands on Nationalism, Zionism, War, Peace, and the Bomb”, p.230, Princeton University Press

• The fact that man produces a concept "I" besides the totality of his mental and emotional experiences or perceptions does not prove that there must be any specific existence behind such a concept. We are succumbing to illusions produced by our self-created language, without reaching a better understanding of anything. Most of so-called philosophy is due to this kind of fallacy.

  Albert Einstein

  Philosophy, Men, Emotional

  Robert N. Goldman, Albert Einstein (1997). “Einstein's God: Albert Einstein's Quest as a Scientist and as a Jew to Replace a Forsaken God”, Jason Aronson Incorporated

• Consider the concepts referred to in the words 'where', 'when', 'why', 'being', to the elucidation of which innumerable volumes of philosophy have been devoted. We fare no better in our speculations than a fish which should strive to become clear as to what is water.

  Albert Einstein

  Philosophy, Math, Water

• Everything that the human race has done and thought is concerned with the satisfaction of deeply felt needs and the assuagement of pain. One has to keep this constantly in mind if one wishes to understand spiritual movements and their development. Feeling and longing are the motive force behind all human endeavor and human creation, in however exalted a guise the latter may present themselves to us.

  Albert Einstein

  Spiritual, Pain, Philosophy

  Albert Einstein (2010). “Ideas And Opinions”, p.36, Broadway Books

• Philosophy is empty if it isn't based on science. Science discovers, philosophy interprets.

  Albert Einstein

  Philosophy, Empty, Ifs

  William Hermanns, Albert Einstein (1983). “Einstein and the Poet: In Search of the Cosmic Man”, Branden Publishing Company

• Mere unbelief in a personal God is no philosophy at all.

  Albert Einstein

  Philosophy, Mere, Unbelief

  Albert Einstein (2010). “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein”, p.340, Princeton University Press

• Most mistakes in philosophy and logic occur because the human mind is apt to take the symbol for the reality.

  Albert Einstein

  Philosophy, Mistake, Reality

  Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw (2009). “Einstein on Cosmic Religion and Other Opinions and Aphorisms”, p.101, Courier Corporation

• Only in mathematics and physics was I, through self-study, far beyond the school curriculum, and also with regard to philosophy as it was taught in the school curriculum.

  Albert Einstein

  Philosophy, School, Self

  Albert Einstein (2010). “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein”, p.24, Princeton University Press

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