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The Laws of Science and The Laws of Ethics

Einstein discusses the relationship between science and ethics. While scientific statements are objective facts that can be proven true or false, ethics requires agreed upon fundamental premises. These ethical premises function similar to axioms in mathematics by providing a basis from which other ethical propositions can be logically derived. Ultimately, ethical axioms originate from innate human tendencies to avoid harm and accumulated social experiences, not from pure logic alone. Inspired individuals can advance ethical principles grounded in shared human experiences.

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Nguyen Hoai Nha Uyen
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113 views2 pages

The Laws of Science and The Laws of Ethics

Einstein discusses the relationship between science and ethics. While scientific statements are objective facts that can be proven true or false, ethics requires agreed upon fundamental premises. These ethical premises function similar to axioms in mathematics by providing a basis from which other ethical propositions can be logically derived. Ultimately, ethical axioms originate from innate human tendencies to avoid harm and accumulated social experiences, not from pure logic alone. Inspired individuals can advance ethical principles grounded in shared human experiences.

Uploaded by

Nguyen Hoai Nha Uyen
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Laws of Science and the Laws of Ethics

ALBERT EINSTEIN

Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879–April 18, 1955) was a theoretical physicist, and is
widely regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. He was one of the major
proponents of the theory of relativity, and proved the famous equation E=mc2. He also
made major contributions to the development of quantum mechanics, statistical
mechanics, and cosmology. He was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics for his
explanation of the photoelectric effect in 1905 (his “miracle year”) and “for his services
to Theoretical Physics.”
After his general theory of relativity was formulated in November 1915, Einstein became
world-famous, an unusual achievement for a scientist. In his later years, his fame
exceeded that of any other scientist in history. In popular culture, his name has become
synonymous with great intelligence and even genius.
Einstein himself was deeply concerned with the social impact of scientific discoveries. His reverence for all
creation, his belief in an “ultimate principle” (or “unified field theory”) and the grandeur, beauty, and
sublimity of the universe (the primary source of inspiration in science), his awe for the scheme that is
manifested in the material universe—all of these show through in his work and philosophy.
Born in Germany to Jewish parents, he temporarily renounced his German citizenship and took Swiss
citizenship in 1901. He remained a Swiss citizen for the rest of his life, but temporarily regained German and in
1940 permanently added American citizenship.

1 Science searches for relations which are thought to exist independently of the searching
individual. This includes the case where man himself is the subject. Or the subjects of scientific statements
may be concepts created by ourselves, as in mathematics. Such concepts are not necessarily supposed to
correspond to any objects in the outside world. However, all scientific statements and laws have one
characteristic in common: they are “true or false” (adequate or inadequate). Roughly speaking, our reaction
to them is “yes” or “no.”
2 The scientific way of thinking has a further characteristic. The concepts which it uses to build up
its coherent systems are not expressing emotions. For the scientist, there is only “being,” but no wishing, no
valuing, no good, no evil; no goal. As long as we remain within the realm of science proper, we can never
meet with a sentence of the type: “Thou shalt not lie.” There is something like a Puritan’s restraint in the
scientist who seeks truth: he keeps away from everything voluntaristic or emotional. Incidentally, this trait is
the result of a slow development, peculiar to modern Western thought.
3 From this it might seem as if logical thinking was irrelevant for ethics. Scientific statements of
facts and relations, indeed, cannot produce ethical directives. However, ethical directives can be made
rational and coherent by logical thinking and empirical knowledge. If we can agree on some fundamental
ethical propositions, then other ethical propositions can be derived from them, provided that the original
premises are stated with sufficient precision. Such ethical premises play a similar role in ethics, to that
played by axioms in mathematics.
4 This is why we do not feel at all that it is meaningless to ask such questions as: “Why should we
not lie?” We feel that such questions are meaningful because in all discussions of this kind some ethical
premises are tacitly taken for granted. We then feel satisfied when we succeed in tracing back the ethical
directive in question to these basic premises. In the case of lying this might perhaps be done in some ways
such as this: Lying destroys confidence in the statements of other people. Without such confidence, social
cooperation is made impossible or at least difficult. Such cooperation, however, is essential to make human
life possible and tolerable. This means that the rule “Thou shalt not lie” has been traced back to the
demands: “Human life shall be preserved” and “Pain and sorrow shall be lessened as much as possible.”
5 But what is the origin of such ethical axioms? Are they arbitrary? Are they based on mere
authority? Do they stem from experiences of men and are they conditioned indirectly by such experiences?
6 For pure logic all axioms are arbitrary, including the axioms of ethics. But they are by no means
arbitrary from a psychological and genetic point of view. They are derived from our inborn tendencies to
avoid pain and annihilation, and from the accumulated emotional reaction of individuals to the behavior of
their neighbors.
It is the privilege of man’s moral genius, impersonated by inspired individuals, to advance ethical axioms which
are so comprehensive and so well founded that men will accept them as grounded in the vast mass of their
individual emotional experiences. Ethical axioms are found and tested not very differently from the axioms of
science. Truth is what stands the test of experience.
I. Paraphrasing:
1. The scientific way of thinking has a further characteristic. The concepts which it uses to build up its coherent
systems are not expressing emotions. For the scientist, there is only “being,” but no wishing, no valuing, no
good, no evil; no goal.
2. If we can agree on some fundamental ethical propositions, then other ethical propositions can be derived
from them, provided that the original premises are stated with sufficient precision.
II. Summarizing:
Relying on the answers in Part III (Comprehension questions), write a short paragraph summary of the essay.
III. Feedback:

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