"World AS I See It" by Albert Einstein

The entire human race has contributed the universe to Einstein. But the book relates Einstein`s view of the weltbild, or, in English, world.

Through this book, readers can meet the practical wisdom of a scientist who immersed himself in topics like mass and energy, light speed and time. The book consists of excerpts of his contributions and speeches—it is a live record about Einstein. His writing is naïve, but persistent. Throughout his writings left in various forms, Einstein consistently criticizes the collective interest that has been threatening individuals and peace, and pasted the modern human history with madness and destruction.

A philosopher`s criticism suddenly comes up in my mind, why a scientist whose specialty covered only a fraction of the whole human affair, talks about social ethics.

Einstein has not directly answered the question. But he says, "I have expressed my opinions sparingly, only when I feel my silence leads to aiding some conspiracy." Einstein uses the phrase "intellectual and ethical work" a lot in his letters. He might have understood his job as something related to the ethics of the whole world.

Einstein envisions that the world advances to the international politics and the whole human race only through individuals. What is the goal in life? It is not the ability to get more from others. The value of a human being is determined by his or her ability to give to others. In other words, Einstein argues that one should aim at giving back what he or she has received through the sweat of others.

We cannot find any room in Einstein`s definition of others for exclusive interest communities and groups. Individuals and the entire human community are the only ones left. Einstein contends, "Only individuals can think, and individuals have souls," reminding us "The Holy Spirit comes down only to the individuals."

His interest in individuals moves over into systems. He also opines, "If a human consumes all the strength he or she has in the process of daily commodities, freedom in any form loses its necessity all together," and "The unlimited competition in the capitalistic society runs the risk of paralyzing the social consciousness in an individual." Einstein`s point of view like this once pushed him deep into the danger of elimination during the 1950s when McCarthyism swept across America. A recently published book "Files of Einstein" narrates the situations in depth.

Naturally, therefore, Einstein`s love of individualism did not leave any room for compromise with totalitarianism. Even before the World War II, he criticized the totalitarianism like fascism. He never forgot the facts that the socialism brands all people standing on the other side as wicked individuals and that the planned economy enslaves individuals.

The genius in physics, who always emphasized the preciousness of a human being in its own right, announced a declaration that was both respected and laughed at by the world.

That was his call for the establishment of a single, unified world government in which the U.S, the Soviet Union and Britain cooperate with each other.

“Individual countries` rights to determine their own future have to be sacrificed to avoid the general public` struggle against the general public,” said Einstein.

But nations, particularly the Soviet Union, gave cold response to his proposal. They said the ideal of “world government” is capitalists` conspiracy to expand their investments to all over the world. His idea seems to be too much ahead of time.

No wonder that Einstein refused the proposal when he was offered the first presidency of Israel in 1952. To him, building a nation state of the Jews might have seemed to give the huge pain caused by nationalism back to the entire world.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first publication of this book. His contemporary writer, Stefan Zweig, said that his generation experienced free fall from great progress and experienced everything at once while other generations got a gradual taste of it. Pain of the age brought about wisdom of the age. But while the world is in peace during the last half century, human beings are forgetting to be warned against their own destructive instinct. This is why renewed attention is being given to the scientist` message that called for peace for every single and all human beings.

Yoon-Jong Yoo gustav@donga.com