Einstein even wrote papers on socialism, but this is often swept under the rug
Albert Einstein was born in Germany in the year 1879. During this time socialism was on the rise. Here we will be going through his paper, “Why socialism?” and looking into his reasoning behind choosing this system. [1]
His Aims
Why Socialism was originally published in the first issue of Monthly Review (May 1949). Albert Einstein viewed writing about socialism as a public service. This is because at the time writing, or even talking, about socialism was a social taboo.
“Clarity about the aims and problems of socialism is of greatest significance in our age of transition. Since, under present circumstances, free and unhindered discussion of these problems has come under a powerful taboo, I consider the foundation of this magazine [Monthly Review] to be an important public service.[1]”
He thought Monthly Review would be a good forum for sharing leftist ideas, and thus he contributed what he could. [2]
Sharing views
Albert Einstein thought that even those who are not experts in economic and social issues should get a say. He brought up many arguments for this.
Firstly he believed that we were simply in a predatory phase of humanity, where humans oppressed humans for profit. This happened through many facets. Much of it was through imperialism, where countries invaded and enslaved the people of another. Another method was monopoly over the ownership of land, where the slavery is no less real. Another method was choosing the “ruling class” out of their own people. (Einstein specifically mentions priests.)
This predatory phase affects economics. Economics is practised differently from other “sciences”, because many non-economic factors change the situations, like those stated above. That means that outside of this predatory phase, much economic thought simply does not apply.
The next point Einstein makes is that socialism aims to help with the social-ethical end of humanity. Science alone can not achieve this, in any way shape or form. This is because science is simply a tool to reach any aim. That means the aims of scientists choose its use, more than the other way around (at least when humans are involved.)
“ we should be on our guard not to overestimate science and scientific methods when it is a question of human problems; and we should not assume that experts are the only ones who have a right to express themselves on questions affecting the organization of society.”
The Crisis of Human Society
Human society is in a crisis. The stability of human race has been “gravely shattered”.
“It is characteristic of such a situation that individuals feel indifferent or even hostile toward the group, small or large, to which they belong.”
He then explains a story of personal importance. Einstein is explaining how the only way to prevent humanity from destroying itself through fighting is to create a “supra-national organization”. The other person responds simply with “Why are you so deeply opposed to the disappearance of the human race?”. He then goes on to state that nobody a century ago would even think of saying that so lightly, and that human emotions and goals are often contradictory in nature and can not be expressed easily.
On top of this he goes on to explain that humans have two different facets, that make up the “inner character of man”. A solitary being and a social being. The solitary being seeks to ensure its own existence and the existence of its friends/family. The social being seeks to gain the recognition and attention of other humans. The amount of each of these determine how well an individual can achieve an “inner equilibrium”. However, that is not to say that is what creates personality. Einstein believes that personality is largely created by interactions with society.
“But the personality that finally emerges is largely formed by the environment in which a man happens to find himself during his development, by the structure of the society in which he grows up, by the tradition of that society, and by its appraisal of particular types of behavior. The abstract concept “society” means to the individual human being the sum total of his direct and indirect relations to his contemporaries and to all the people of earlier generations. The individual is able to think, feel, strive, and work by himself; but he depends so much upon society—in his physical, intellectual, and emotional existence—that it is impossible to think of him, or to understand him, outside the framework of society. It is “society” which provides man with food, clothing, a home, the tools of work, language, the forms of thought, and most of the content of thought; his life is made possible through the labor and the accomplishments of the many millions past and present who are all hidden behind the small word “society.”
The individual is dependent on society. That is simply a fact of nature. An individual can not be separated from society. However, humans have achieved and use far more than any other group in nature. We have our own advanced languages and achievements that did not rise out of nature directly. Society is variable and susceptible to change by the individual, but the individual is also susceptible to society. People have different personality traits growing up in different societies, even if the base instincts are the same between all.
“human beings are not condemned, because of their biological constitution, to annihilate each other or to be at the mercy of a cruel, self-inflicted fate.”
Man and Society
Man can not separate himself from society. We now have a global society, The entire planet is completely interconnected in its production, each part can not survive without the others. Other factors of human life are unchangeable, like natural instincts. This means that society can only change in certain ways, but it can still change.
The problem of our time is the relation of man to society. People know they are dependent on society, but they do not see this is a positive. As Albert Einstein explains,
“But he does not experience this dependence as a positive asset, as an organic tie, as a protective force, but rather as a threat to his natural rights, or even to his economic existence.”
This problem comes from people only releasing one facet of their nature, the solitary being. The system we leave in focuses on that facet of human nature, completely ignoring the other half of it.
“Unknowingly prisoners of their own egotism, they feel insecure, lonely, and deprived of the naive, simple, and unsophisticated enjoyment of life. Man can find meaning in life, short and perilous as it is, only through devoting himself to society.“
Einstein then goes on to point out that capitalism is the system at fault. Part of the problem is how capitalism takes the majority of what the worker produces. The means of production are used by the collective of society to produce for that society, for they are the only things that can. If they are essential to all of society, why are they owned by individuals?
With this system of individual owners controlling the means of production, they have the ability to purchase the only thing the worker has to sell. His labor. His labor has a value based on how many workers are competing for the job and his minimum needs. Nobody can stay unemployed for long and survive, and that is what you are competing against. On top of that capital always becomes concentrated into a few hands, helped along by the rise of technology. As technology becomes both larger and more efficient, destroying smaller capitalists.
On top of this, government makes it even worse. All representatives are chosen by political parties, which are always corrupted by big business. This gives no way for the worker to express his opinion, or to ensure his own freedom. The same capitalists also easily gain monopolies over the majority of sources of information.
This all leads to a situation Einstein describes as this:
“Production is carried on for profit, not for use. There is no provision that all those able and willing to work will always be in a position to find employment; an “army of unemployed” almost always exists. The worker is constantly in fear of losing his job. Since unemployed and poorly paid workers do not provide a profitable market, the production of consumers’ goods is restricted, and great hardship is the consequence. Technological progress frequently results in more unemployment rather than in an easing of the burden of work for all. The profit motive, in conjunction with competition among capitalists, is responsible for an instability in the accumulation and utilization of capital which leads to increasingly severe depressions. Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste of labor, and to that crippling of the social consciousness of individuals which I mentioned before.“
This is why Albert Einstein believes socialism is the better system. Socialism is not defined in this essay, for he expected people to at least be able to define it. Sadly, that is not the case today. You can go here for basic information on the system.
You can go here to see the original essay.