A person who is too satisfied with his present happiness can't think too much about the future. Besides, young people like to devote themselves to bold plans. It is natural for a serious young man to form as clear an idea as possible about what he wants to achieve.
If you are lucky, you can pass the exam. I will study at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. I will study math and physics there for four years. I want to be a teacher in the branch of natural science, and I will choose the theoretical part.
There are several reasons that prompted me to make this plan: First, because I tend to think abstractly and mathematically, I lack imagination and practical ability. My wish inspired me to make the same decision. It is natural that people always want to do what they are given. Secondly, science has a certain independence, which is exactly what I like very much.
Second, "My World View"
How strange the fate of those of us who are doomed to death is! Each of us will only make a short stay in this world; I don't know what the purpose is, although sometimes I feel I have feelings for it. However, there is no need to think deeply, as long as we can understand from our daily life: people live for others-first of all, for those people, and their happiness and health are related to our own happiness; Then for many people we don't know, their fate is closely linked with us through the bond of sympathy. I remind myself hundreds of times every day that my spiritual life and material life depend on the labor of others (including the living and the dead), and I must try my best to repay what I have got and what I am still getting. I have a strong desire for a simple life. I think the class division is unreasonable, and finally it is based on violence. I also believe that a simple and honest life is good for everyone, both physically and mentally.
I don't believe that human beings will have that kind of freedom in the philosophical sense at all. Everyone's behavior is not only forced by the outside world, but also adapted to the inner necessity. Schopenhauer said, "People can do what they want, but they can't have what they want." This sentence has been a very real revelation to me since my youth; When I face the difficulties of life and others, it always comforts me and is always the source of tolerance. This kind of experience can alleviate the sense of responsibility that is easily discouraged, and also prevent us from taking ourselves and others too seriously; This has also led to a philosophy of life that gives humor its due place.
From an objective point of view, I always think it is foolish and ridiculous to investigate the meaning or purpose of a person's own existence, or the meaning or purpose of all living things. But everyone has a certain ideal, which determines the direction of his efforts and judgment. In this sense, I never take comfort and happiness as the purpose of life itself-this ethical basis, I call it the ideal of pigsty. Illuminate my path, constantly give me new courage, let me face up to the ideal of life happily, that is, truth, goodness and beauty. If there is no cordial feelings between like-minded people, if there is no focus on the objective world, which can never be achieved in science and art, then in my opinion, life will be empty. I always feel that the vulgar goals that people strive for-property, vanity and luxurious life-are contemptible.
My strong sense of social justice and social responsibility is always in strange contrast to my obvious indifference to direct contact with others and society. I am really a "lonely traveler". I have never belonged to my country, my family, my friends or even my closest relatives wholeheartedly. In the face of all these relationships, I always feel a certain distance and need to remain lonely-and this feeling is increasing year by year. People will clearly find that there is a limit to mutual understanding and coordination with others, but this is not a pity. Such people have undoubtedly lost their innocence and carefree state of mind; On the other hand, he can be largely unaffected by other people's opinions, habits and judgments, and can be tempted to build his inner balance on such an unreliable basis.
My political ideal is democracy. Let everyone be respected as an individual, and don't let anyone become an idol. I received excessive praise and respect from people, not because of my own fault, nor because of my own credit, but it was really a mockery of fate. The reason is probably that people have a desire to know the few ideas I have gained through my meager efforts, but many people have failed to realize this desire. I fully understand that if an organization wants to achieve its goals, it must have one person to think, direct and take full responsibility. But leaders should not be forced, they must have the possibility to choose their own leaders. In my opinion, coercive autocracy will soon degenerate. Because violence always attracts people with poor moral quality, and I believe that it is an eternal law that genius tyrants are always inherited by rogues. It is for this reason that I have always strongly opposed the system we see in Italy and Russia today. (2) The situation in Europe today makes the form of democracy suspect, which cannot be attributed to the democratic principle itself, but to the instability of the government and the characteristics that have nothing to do with individuals in the election. I believe that the United States has found the right path in this regard. They elected a president, whose term of office is long enough and he has full power to really perform his duties. On the other hand, in Germany's political system (3), what I attach importance to is that it has made relatively extensive provisions on the relief of sick or poor people. In the magnificent ranks of human life, I think what is really valuable is not a political country, but a creative and emotional individual, which is personality; Only individuals can create noble and outstanding things, while the masses themselves are always dull in thoughts and feelings. ④
At this point, I thought of the worst performance in public life, which is the military system I hate. The fact that a man can make four victories under the leadership of a military band is enough to make me despise him. He has a brain because of misunderstanding; One spinal cord can meet all his needs. This evil hole in civilized countries should be eliminated as soon as possible. Brave acts from orders, unnecessary atrocities, and all the hateful nonsense in the name of patriotism, all of which make me hate it! In my opinion, how despicable and dirty the war is! I would rather be hacked than take part in such hateful activities. Nevertheless, I think highly of human beings. In my opinion, if people's healthy emotions were not systematically destroyed by commercial and political interests that play a role through schools and newspapers, then the devil of war would have disappeared long ago.
The best experience we can have is the mysterious experience. It is the basic feeling of sticking to the birthplace of real art and real science. Anyone who can't experience, who has no curiosity and no sense of surprise, is a walking corpse with blurred eyes. It is this mysterious experience-although mixed with terror-that produces religion. We realize that what we can't see exists, and feel the deepest rationality and the most splendid beauty that only we can feel in its most primitive form-it is this understanding and this emotion that constitute the real religious feelings; In this sense, and only in this sense, I am a person with deep religious feelings. I can't imagine a god who rewards and punishes his own creation, and I can't imagine that he will have such a will as we experience in ourselves. I can't and don't want to imagine that a person will continue to live after physical death; Let those fragile souls, because of fear or ridiculous solipsism, be content to perceive the magical structure of the existing world, glimpse its fragments, and sincerely try to understand the part of reason displayed in nature, even if it is only a tiny part, and I will be satisfied.
Forum and Century, originally published in 1930.
To annotate ...
The original German text of Schopenhauer's sentence is: "Ein Mensch Kann zwartun, Waser Will, Abernichi Wollen, Waser Will." -Compiler
During World War II, Einstein admitted that he was influenced by anti-Soviet propaganda for a long time before the war, and his views on this issue have changed since then. See his speech at the "Jewish War against Russia" banquet125, 1942, and a letter to the American anti-* * "theorist" Hook on March 6, 1950. -Compiler
(3) refers to 1965438 was established at the end of the first world war, 1933 was overthrown by Hitler's "Weimar Republic". When this article was first published, it was not "German political system" but "our political system". -Compiler
(4) Einstein witnessed the spread of German militarism and fascist plague, and had a very wrong view of the masses and mass movements, which was often revealed in other articles. -Compiler
⑤1After July, 933, Einstein changed this attitude of absolute anti-war and actively called on anti-fascist forces to arm themselves and fight fascist armed aggression. See1letter to A. Naon dated July 20, 933. -Compiler
Brief analysis of prose
My world outlook is a book published by China Social Sciences Press 20 1 1 by Einstein. This essay is one of them.
Editor's recommendation: how strange the fate of us who are always dying is! Each of us will only make a short stay in this world; I don't know what the purpose is, although sometimes I feel I have feelings for it. However, there is no need to think deeply, as long as we can understand from our daily life that people live for others-first of all, for those people, and their happiness and health are related to our self-integration. I remind myself hundreds of times every day that my spiritual life and material life depend on the labor of others (including the living and the dead), and I must try my best to repay what I have got and what I am still getting. I strongly yearn for a simple life, and often find myself taking up too much work of my compatriots, which is unbearable.
Brief introduction of the author
Einstein (1879—— 1955), a German physicist. Born in Ulm, Wü rttemberg. He acquired Swiss citizenship in his early years, resumed German citizenship in 19 13, moved to the United States in 1933, and became an American citizen in 1940. 1905 received a doctorate in philosophy. Since 1909, he has worked as a professor in Zurich University and other schools, and later as a researcher at Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies. In order to resist the Nazis, it is suggested to develop the first atomic bomb. He has made great contributions in many fields of physics. The most important thing is to establish special relativity and extend it to general relativity. The quantum concept of light is also put forward. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 192 1 for discovering the law of photoelectric effect. He is the author of The Meaning of Relativity. ?
Three. On the Meaning of Life
Anyone who regards his own life and the life of the same kind as meaningless is not only unfortunate, but also almost unfit for survival.
Fourth, "the true value of men"
The true value of a person depends on the degree and significance of his self-liberation.
V "On Wealth"
I firmly believe that the wealth in the world cannot promote the development of mankind, even if it is in the hands of those who still want to achieve this goal. Only by following the example of great and pure people can noble thoughts and behaviors be triggered. Money can only overcome people's selfishness and let it be abused uncontrollably.
Who would have thought that Moses, Jesus or Gandhi would be as rich as Carnegie?
The education of cultivating independent thinking by intransitive verbs
From Albert? Editor-in-Chief of Einstein in Qing Dynasty: My World View, CITIC Publishing House, 20 18.
Since ancient times, people with wisdom and talent have discussed education issues and expressed their views on these issues many times. I can't pretend to be an authority at all. As a layman in the field of education, he has nothing but personal experience and personal beliefs. Where does the courage to talk about education come from?
If this is really an academic discussion, people may keep their mouths shut about these considerations. But for human life and action, the situation is different. Here, knowledge of truth alone is not enough; On the contrary, if you don't want to lose this knowledge, you must keep working hard and keep updating. It is like a marble statue standing in the desert, constantly threatened by quicksand. You must constantly stretch out your hand to wipe it, so that marble can shine forever in the sun. To this end, I should also do my part.
Schools have always been the most important means to pass on traditional wealth from generation to generation: this truth is more applicable today than in the past. Modern economic development has weakened the role of the family as a carrier of tradition and education. Therefore, the survival and health of human society depend more on schools.
Sometimes, people just regard school as a tool, through which a certain amount of knowledge can be passed on to the growing next generation. That was not the case. Knowledge is dead, but schools serve the living. It aims to cultivate young people's qualities and abilities that are valuable to social prosperity. But this does not mean depriving an individual of his uniqueness and making him a reluctant tool in the community, just like bees or ants.
Because a society composed of standardized individuals without individual uniqueness and personal goals will be a poor society with no possibility of development. On the contrary, the goal of the school must be to cultivate individuals who can act and think independently. These individuals regard serving the society as their highest life task.
But how can people get closer to this ideal? Can this be achieved through moral preaching? Absolutely not! Words are and will continue to be empty voices, and the road to destruction is always accompanied by flashy words about ideals. But character is not formed by what they hear and say, but by work and action.
Therefore, the most important means of education has always been to encourage students to take action. This is suitable for students to learn writing at the beginning, and also for college graduates to write doctoral thesis, or write a poem, a paper, interpret or translate an article, solve a math problem, or do sports.
But behind every achievement, it is the emotional motivation that this achievement depends on, which in turn is strengthened and nourished by career success. The biggest difference here is that they are closely related to the educational value of the school.
The origin of the same job may be out of fear and compulsion, the ambitious demand for power and reputation, or the sincere interest in the research object and the desire for truth and understanding, so it can also be the sacred curiosity that every healthy child has, but this curiosity has long declined. Completing the same job may have a great influence on a student's education, depending on whether the internal cause that urges him to finish the job is fear of injury, egoism, or joy and satisfaction. No one will insist that the school system and teachers' behavior have no influence on students' psychological development.
In my opinion, the worst thing is that schools mainly educate in a way of fear, coercion and artificial authority. This practice undermines students' healthy attitude towards life, honesty and self-confidence. It makes obedient people. It is not surprising that such schools are common in Germany. I know that this worst evil will not happen in schools in this country; This is true in Switzerland, and perhaps in all democratic countries. It is relatively simple to free the school from the root of all evil. Give teachers the power to use coercive measures as little as possible, and the only source of students' respect for teachers is the latter's own humanity and intelligence level.
The second motive mentioned-ambition, to put it mildly, is recognition and respect, which firmly exists in human nature. Without the drive of this emotion, human interaction will be completely impossible; Striving for the consent of the same kind is of course one of the most important binding forces in society. In this complex emotion, constructive and destructive forces are closely linked. Trying to gain recognition and recognition is a healthy motivation. However, being recognized as better, stronger and smarter than one's peers or classmates will easily lead to excessive self-centered psychological attitude, which may cause harm to both individuals and peers.
Therefore, schools and teachers must be careful not to use simple methods to arouse personal ambitions in order to motivate students to work hard.
Some people mentioned Darwin's theory about struggle for existence and its related choice theory to prove the legitimacy of reviving the competitive spirit. Anarchism in economic competition may also be proved pseudoscientifically in this way. But this is absurd, because the strength of human beings in the competition for survival lies in that they are animals living a social life. Just as the war between individual ants in the anthill has no fundamental significance for survival, so does the struggle between individual members in human society.
Therefore, people should be careful not to instill in young people the idea that the goal of life is to achieve success in the customary sense. Because in most cases, a successful person gets far more from his partners than his contribution to them. However, a person's value should be reflected in what he can give, not what he can get.
In school and life, the most important motivation of work is the pleasure in work, the pleasure of the results obtained in work and the perception of the social value of the results. I think the most important task of school education is to awaken and strengthen these spiritual forces of young people. Only such a psychological foundation will lead to the happy pursuit of the highest quality of human beings, that is, engaging in creative activities of knowledge and art.
Stimulating these potential creative psychological forces is certainly more difficult than taking coercive measures or awakening personal ambitions, but it is more valuable. It is important to cultivate children's game instinct and motivation to pursue knowledge, and guide them to areas that are very important to society-this kind of education is mainly based on the students' ability to undertake tasks in the future.
If the school works successfully from this perspective, it will be highly respected by the growing generation, and the tasks given by the school will be accepted as gifts. I know some children prefer school hours to holidays.
Such schools put forward requirements for teachers. In the field of teacher's work, he should be like an artist. What can we do to make this spirit prevail in schools? There is no panacea for this, just like there is no panacea for making individuals healthy forever, but there are some necessary conditions that can be met.
In this regard, my answer is this: in my opinion, these are in a secondary position. If a young man exercises his muscles and endurance through gymnastics and running, he will adapt to any manual work in the future. Mental training is similar to mental and physical skills training. Therefore, when the clown defines education as "if people forget everything they learned in school, the rest is education", he is generally right. Because of this, I am in no hurry to show my position in the struggle between the followers of classical language and history education and those who attach more importance to natural science education.
I want to oppose the view that schools should teach specific knowledge and skills that can be directly used in future life. There are various needs in life, so it is impossible for schools to carry out such special training. Besides, I think it is more important to oppose treating individuals as inanimate tools. Schools should always aim at this: students leave school with a harmonious personality, not an expert.
I think in a sense, this also applies to those technical schools that train more certain occupations in the future. What should always be placed first is the cultivation of the overall ability of independent thinking and judgment, not the acquisition of specific knowledge. If a person grasps the basic principles of this subject and learns to think and work independently, he will certainly find his own way. Besides, compared with those whose training mainly includes acquiring detailed knowledge, he is more adaptable to progress and change.
It is not enough just to teach people professional knowledge. Professional knowledge may make people become useful machines, but it cannot make people develop harmoniously. Students must have an understanding of values, a warm feeling, and a strong feeling of beauty and kindness, otherwise a person with professional knowledge is more like a well-trained dog than a harmonious development person. In order to establish a proper relationship with peers and collectives, he must learn to understand people's motives, fantasies and pains.
These precious things are taught to the younger generation through teachers' words and deeds, not (or at least mainly not) through textbooks. This is the basic way of culture formation and preservation. When I recommend "humanities" as an important thing to everyone, that's what I think of, not just boring professional knowledge in the fields of history and philosophy.
Too much emphasis on the competition system and premature division of majors according to practicality will stifle the spirit on which all cultural life, including professional knowledge, depends.
It is also very important that valuable education should cultivate the independent critical thinking ability of teenagers. A large number of subjects (credit system) make young people overburdened and greatly endanger their development. Overburden will inevitably lead to superficiality. Let students feel that education is a precious gift, not a heavy obligation.
(This article was originally published in195265438+1The New York Times on October 5. The following excerpt is from My Thoughts and Ideas: Selected Works of Einstein (June 5438 +20201October).
Original title: Einstein: Education to Cultivate Independent Thinking
Seven, "On Classical Literature"
On Classical Literature
This article was written by Einstein on February 29th 1952 for Jung Kaufman, a monthly magazine sponsored by Young Businessmen Branch of Swiss Businessmen Association. This is selected from the English version of 1954, Ideas and Views (page 72).
A person who only reads newspapers and works by contemporary writers at most seems to me like a person who is highly myopic and despises glasses. He is totally dependent on the prejudice and fashion of the times, because he has never seen or heard anything else.
When a person thinks alone, he can't be inspired by other people's ideas and experiences, even the best is insignificant and monotonous.
In a century, only a few enlightened people have clear minds and styles, as well as good taste. The works they have preserved are the most precious property of mankind.
We should thank several ancient writers, because of them, people in the Middle Ages can slowly get rid of superstition and ignorance for more than half a century.
Nothing is more necessary than overcoming the snobbery of modernists.
We should thank several ancient writers, because of them, people in the Middle Ages can slowly get rid of superstition and ignorance for more than half a century.
Eight, "teachers and students-a speech to a group of children"
For teachers, how to awaken students' potential creative interest and cognition is the greatest art.
Dear children:
Today, I am very happy to see happy teenagers living in sunny and lucky places.
Please remember this: the beautiful things you learned in school are the fruits created by generations of people all over the world through enthusiastic efforts and endless hardships. All this is left to you as a legacy. I hope you can accept it, respect it, promote it, and faithfully pass it on to your children one day. In this way, we mortals can get eternal life in the eternal things we create together.
If you always keep this in mind, you will find the meaning of life and work, and you will have a correct attitude towards people and things of other nationalities and other times.
IX. "University Courses in Davos"
Most members of the Senate are well dressed, but the Senate does all kinds of evil.
Compared with individuals, the collective is often less guided by conscience and responsibility. How much pain this human has caused!
What is truly valuable can only be achieved through the selfless cooperation of many individuals.
For a kind-hearted person, when he made great sacrifices and started a collective enterprise with the sole goal of promoting life and culture, he was never happier than this time.
X. "a letter in a time capsule"
1933, Einstein came to America to escape the persecution of Nazi Germany. 1in August, 938, he received a task to write a letter to people after 5000 years as the New York World Expo；; Fair) gift. 1938 the world war is overcast. Germany annexed Austria and actively planned to occupy the Czech Republic. The arrow of war is imminent. The latest technology has been used in a devastating war, and the whole world is shrouded in anxiety. It is in this situation that Einstein wrote the following letter. This letter was buried in a "time capsule" made by Westinghouse at the 1939 World Expo.
This article is translated from the English version of 1954 Ideas and Views.
There are many talented people in our time, and their inventions can promote our life to a considerable extent. We use mechanical power to cross the ocean, and use mechanical power to liberate human beings from heavy physical labor. We have learned to fly, and it is not difficult to send information and news of the whole earth by radio waves.
The production and distribution of commodities are completely out of order, so everyone lives in the fear of being eliminated by the economic cycle and falls into a situation of nothing. Moreover, people living in different countries kill each other from time to time. For these reasons, everyone who thinks about the future is bound to live in fear and pain. All this is a foundation.
Eleven, epigrams dedicated to Leo Baker
I want to pay tribute to this man, who has been ready to help others all his life. I don't know what fear is. His aggressiveness and resentment are alien to him. This is the accomplishment of great moral leaders, and it is precisely so that they can bring comfort to mankind in the painful struggle of self-suffering.
Trying to have wisdom and strength at the same time rarely succeeds, and even success is only a flash in the pan.
People usually don't want to think others are smart-unless they are enemies.
Few people can calmly express opinions different from the prejudice in their social environment. Most people can't even produce such an opinion.
Most stupid people are invincible and always win. However, due to fragmentation. Their cruel fears have eased.
To be a perfect member of the flock, you must first be a sheep.
Oppositions and contradictions can always live in peace in one head, making all political optimism and pessimism systems go up in smoke.
Anyone who pretends to be a judge in the field of truth and knowledge will be frustrated by God's laughter.
The pleasure of observation and understanding is the most beautiful gift of nature.
Twelve, cultivate the education of independent thinking
It is not enough to teach people only professional knowledge. People trained by this kind of education can become useful machines, but they are not people with complete personality. It is important for students to understand "value" and gain personal experience. Students must have a keen sense of beauty and moral kindness, otherwise they are more like a well-trained dog than a balanced development person with only a little professional knowledge. Students must learn to understand people's motives, fantasies and their pains in order to get a correct attitude with their compatriots and their * * *.
These precious things are passed on to the younger generation through personal contact with educators, not-at least mainly-through textbooks. This is the main content of culture itself and culture, and it is also what I think when I advocate paying equal attention to "humanities" instead of dry professional knowledge in the fields of history and philosophy.
Too much emphasis on the competition system and premature specialization will stifle the spirit on which all cultures, including professional knowledge, depend.
For valuable education, it is also very important to cultivate young people's critical thinking. Excessive academic pressure (credit system) will greatly harm the development of this critical thinking. Overweight will inevitably lead to superficiality and vulgarity [20]. Teaching should make students feel as if they have received a precious gift, not a heavy responsibility.