Science & Technology

Einstein letter on religion and the universe to sell for $125,000

By T.K. Randall
July 22, 2023 ·  2 comments

Albert Einstein photographed in 1947. Image Credit: Orren Jack Turner The letter, which was written in German and addressed to religious studies teacher Mrs Martha Munk, sought to answer the question of whether it was possible "for a modern scientist to reconcile the idea of the creation of the world by God, a higher power, with his scientific knowledge."

"As long as the stories in the Bible had been taken literally, it was obvious what kind of faith was expected from the readers," Einstein wrote.

"If you are however to interpret the Bible symbolically (metaphorically), it is not clear anymore whether God is in fact to be thought of as a person [and therefore not a monotheistic deity], which is somehow analogous to humans."

"In that case it is difficult to assess what remains of the faith in its original sense.""I think, however, that the person who is more or less trained in scientific thinking is alien to the religious creation (in the original sense) of the cosmos, because he applies the standard of causal conditionality to everything."

"This does not refute the religious attitude but, in a certain sense, replaces and supersedes it."

The letter had been passed down to Munk's family and had never been available for sale before, so its inclusion in an upcoming auction with US autograph dealer The Raab Collection has certainly turned the heads of a few collectors.

As things stand, the letter is expected to fetch over $125,000.

Source: Mail Online | Comments (2)

Tags: Einstein