What’s his theory relative to God?
Pair of Einstein artifacts to be auctioned in N.Y. could hold clues to his spiritual beliefs
NEW YORK — Did Albert Einstein believe in God? The famous physicist was constantly questioned about his religious beliefs during his lifetime.
Two Einstein artifacts being auctioned in New York could contain clues to the spiritual beliefs of the 20th century’s best-known mind.
On Friday, Sotheby’s will auction a Bible in which Einstein inscribed in 1932: “This book is an inexhaustible source of living wisdom and consolation.”
Meanwhile, Christie’s, on Tuesday, will auction a 1954 letter in which Einstein wrote, “The word God is, for me, nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses; the Bible, a collection of honorable but still primitive legends.”
The Bible being auctioned was a gift from Einstein and his wife, Elsa, to Harriet Hamilton, an employee of the couple. The leatherette-bound, Englishlanguage Bible was inscribed in German by Einstein and is expected to sell for $200,000 to $300,000, a specialist in books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, Cassandra Hatton, said.
Hatton also said it’s hard to reconcile the Bible’s description as a source of “living wisdom” with the harsher view of religion Einstein expressed elsewhere.
“It’s possible that this gift was given to someone who was quite religious,” Hatton said. She speculated that Einstein might have penned the inscription “out of respect for her religion.”
The letter Christie’s is selling was written the year before Einstein’s 1955 death and was addressed to Eric Gutkind, a philosopher who had written a book about Jewish spirituality and the pursuit of science.
Einstein wrote in German that, while he “gladly” belonged to the Jewish people, he believed the Jewish religion, “like all other religions, is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions.” Christie’s books and manuscripts specialist Peter Klarnet said the letter, which carries a presale estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million, is notable for its candidness.
“Here, he is actually quite blunt in what he says,” Klarnet said. “The word ‘God’ is a product of human weakness.”
Walter Isaacson, the author of the 2007 biography “Einstein: His Life and Universe,” said the great man’s views on religion are hard to pin down.
“Einstein generally avoided giving simple answers, and, like most human beings, his feelings about spirituality varied over time,” Isaacson said. “Sometimes he expressed himself in more spiritual terms, and sometimes he was more of a debunker of religion.”