The language of science is the language of the world and virtue

The graduate student of the Ecological Faculty of the Russian University of Friendship of Peoples Svyatoslav Gorbunov in his article recalls the contribution of Albert Einstein and Albert Schweitzer to the anti -war movement.

“Either the war is crazy, or if people make this madness, then they are not at all reasonable creatures, as it is customary for us to think for some reason,” is one of the main thoughts of the classic of world literature L.N. Tolstoy, voiced by him in “Sevastopol stories”.

As you know, literature is more than history, at least in what trace it leaves in human memory. After all, history is just a science. Moreover, science is very accurate. But often history offers us wonderful facts, which, no doubt, would be worthy of the highest literature. So we can say about the history of science - the story that scientists make, the stories of scientists themselves.

At the very beginning of the New Age, the concept of “scientist” and “thinker” were still very difficult to develop. The ruthless specialization has not yet entered the sphere of knowledge of our world. Every scientist could afford that “luxury” that today we sometimes have no time left. He could afford to observe, think and evaluate; To express a living attitude to his surrounding life and the events taking place in it. It was this that we remembered the great scientists of that time.

Over time, the process of cognition has lost its worldview orientation, since it has lost the same “living attitude to life”; The worldview gave way to the worldview. Francis Bacon's dream has come true, and by the 20th century, science has earned as a “factory” in the production of new knowledge. The profession of a scientist has become as ordinary and familiar as the profession of a carpenter or teacher. Science has become a craft, and philosophy has turned only into "an integrator of scientific knowledge into human culture." And yet ... And yet, scientists continued and continue to remain people who can feel and empathize, evaluate and have their own, depending only on their own mind and experience.

The motto “ Knowledge it Self is Power ” (“Knowledge - Power”) , proposed by Bacon, is largely true. But power without its use is useless and destructive. And therefore, against the background of the colossal power that modern knowledge represents to us, the personality of the scientist with the virtues inherent in it becomes more important.

The language of science and education is the language of the world and cooperation, the movement to the knowledge of our world and the correction of human vices. How I would like to believe in it! All the more important are living evidence that strengthen this faith.

The XX century, which we now call the "last century", will forever remain in the history and memory of mankind with all its mistakes and disasters. The identities of scientists who worked during this period will remain in it forever; Persons who are not trying to conceal their attitude to the events that are happening around them.

We recall them and we.

On March 6, 1917, when a battle took place in Europe and around the world, called the First World War, Albert Einstein is a man who had to become a symbol of the scientist of his century for many, wrote the following lines: “How could it happen that an era, such a loving culture, could be so monstrously immoral? I am more and more convinced that mercy and love for my neighbor is more valuable and above everything else ... All our vaunted technological progress, and our entire civilization is similar to an ax in the hands of an insane person. ”

Only two years earlier he completed and published his masterpiece -the general theory of relativity, but at the same time the fate of culture and the world deeply excited him.

In the same years, at the other end of the world, Einstein’s close friend, the philosopher and doctor Albert Schweitzer, working in the stuffy premises of the hospital buildings of the distant African village, is thinking about the reason for the decline of culture and the events that he observed.

In 1916, the French colonial authorities will be taken into custody. Then he will begin work on the description of ideas that shed light on the nature of those “high” feelings that then (however, as now) was justified by violence. “Schweitzer reminded of the true idea of ​​patriotism, which is designed to consider the unceasing development of purely human elements in the life of the nation by its highest task; Which should look for greatness in the highest ideals of mankind, and not at all in an exaggerated idea of ​​external glory and strength. Patriotism of this kind entrusts the national sense of control of reason, morality and culture ” [1].

He will continue these thoughts in the camps for the interned in Garepsum and San Remes, and later in his native Alsace. Their result will be a book that tells that the loss of moral - ethical - began, the separation of European culture from it, the dominance of private interests over the universal principles of humanity led to the beginning of the self -destruction of European civilization [2].

Unfortunately, the world did not learn the difficult lesson taught to him. Nationalism, revanchism, militarism, conviction of its superiority over others, the game of personal and economic interests, the moral justification of violence - all this remained with him, and perhaps even more rooted in it.

Later, in his speech (upon receipt of the Nobel Prize of the World for 1952), Schweizer will say: “After the Second World War, the situation turned out to be unusual, because the world did not come. Only in contracts that are of the nature of the ceasefire are it laid to an end. And only because we are incapable of even more or less satisfactory reorganization of the case, we have to be content with the prisoners from case to truce. And no one knows what they can lead to ”[3]. It was true.

But in addition, the idea of ​​the inadmissibility of justification of violence with any benefits or ideas was rooted in the minds of outstanding minds of that time. As you know, the next war that seized the world was equally terrible. Einstein will leave Germany in 1933. Schweizer, returning to Europe in January 1939, after his sixth visit to Africa, feels the proximity of a new war and after 12 days, by inertia, having reached his native places, goes back to his workplace between water and virgin forests of Gabon.

Having passed the observer through the years of confusion and horror, behind which he and his contemporaries had to observe, Einstein will write: “I consider the root cause of the frightening deterioration of the ethical behavior of people the mechanization and dehumanization of our life is a fatal side result of the development of scientific and technical thinking. Our fault! I do not see a way out of this plight. A person cools more likely the planets on which he lives ” [4-5].

Schweitzer will say: “It became obvious that the war in our time is a disaster. No opportunity must not be missed to avoid it. In this case, we must first remember the moral principles. In the last two wars, we were the culprits of cruelty and inhumanity. And in subsequent wars, even greater fault will lie on us. But they should not happen. The horrors experienced by all of us must arouse in us the desire for life without wars ...

All capable of preserving the world must be immediately used and put into action ” [3].

Both scientists did not remain indifferent to the fate of the world and humanity. As you know, a letter about the acceleration of the development of an atomic project, written by Einstein Roosevelt, led to him with a heavy load of personally perceived responsibility, which he associated with this act. Schweitzer also knew about this. Their activity in the struggle for the world, backed by conscience and understanding of the value of the world, turned out to be more and more active and persistent.

The Pagoshash movement, founded by Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell and many other famous scientists, has become a historical example of their solidarity. An example that exists so far. “We turn to you as people to people: remember your human beginning and forget about the rest” [6], ”reads the document known to us today as“ Einstein's Manifesto -Russell ”. Einstein signed it on April 16, 1955, two days before his death [8]. Albert Schweitzer also continued his struggle with human hatred to each other until the very last days. Many times he addresses the inhabitants of the planet with calls for peace. A few days before his departure, together with Lainus, Pauling and a large group of scientists, Nobel Prize winners, he will sign an appeal to the heads of the powers demanding to stop the war in Vietnam.

This appeal, like all the previous ones, will immediately become known throughout the world. These were these scientists, these were these people. Their voices were heard. Their voices were listened.

“I understand that I said nothing new about the problem of the world. But with complete confidence, I can say that it will be resolved only when we, based on the foundations of morality, reject the war, for it makes us the culprits of inhumanity. At the time in which we live, every demonstration of the spirit, no matter how weak it may be, has its own meaning, because if the fire flashes, then it can light a fuel, which in itself will not ignite. And this is fuel - good, humane feelings with which the hearts of people are filled, and we can hope that it will be ignited ” [3], - this is how Albert Schweitzer will finish his Nobel speech. “Ultimately, morality is the basis of all human values” [9], ”Albert Einstein agreed with him.

Two scientists: physicist and “humanitarian”. Two thinkers, two Nobel laureates, two people who have devoted their lives to science and humanity. Both of them became for us symbols of the moral responsibility of scientists for the fate of our society. Their example inspires many.

But this simple "luxury" is available to each of us. The luxury of the notorious, personal attitude to circumstances and surrounding people. And this luxury is not measured by the scale of personality or fame, it is measured by the sincerity and purity of deeds and thoughts. Each of us can share it even in the most difficult times, listening to our conscience, our mind and our experience. “How few in the world of those who truly have eyes and heart. However, it is the force that will decide whether it will be possible to protect humanity from the desperate position that the blind majority, apparently, considers it an ideal today, ” A. Einstein points out in his famous letter [7].

The language of science is in reality the language of the world and virtue. We must remember this. “You cannot be disappointed in humanity, because we are people ourselves,” said Albert Einstein [7]. The more voluminous our knowledge becomes, the more significant the personality of the scientist becomes. The more complicated the circumstances, the higher its moral authority can be. The stronger the darkness thickens, the more bright the light from the lighted candle seems to us.

1. Nosik B. Schweitzer - M.: Young Guard, 1971.
2. Schweitzer A. “Decline and revival of culture. Culture and ethics (“Verfall und Wiedraufbau Der Kultur. Kultur und Ethik”).
3. Getting G. Meeting with Albert Schweitzer. / Per. With him. V. Shapiro. Hood. D. Anikeev. - M .: The main edition of the eastern literature of the publishing house Science, 196.
4. Dyukas E., Hofman B. Albert Einstein as a man. / Per. from English. A.N. Luka is available at: http://lib.ru/memuary/zhzl/einshtein.txt
5. A letter written on April 11, 1946. Cit. by [4].
6. Borisov V. Historical example of the solidarity of scientists http://trv-science.ru/2013/12/24/Istoricheskijjjj-primer-solidarnosti-uchenykh .
7. Einstein A. / Letter to a supporter of the world / Einstein A. Mir, as I see him / Per. from English. A. Brodotskaya, 2012 - M.: AST, 2013.
8. In addition to him, the Nobel laureates Max Born, Percy Bridzman, Frederick Zholio-Kuri, German Maller, Lainus Poling, Cecil Powell, Hidekwa Yukawa, as well as Joseph Rotblat and Professor of Theoretical Physics, put their signatures under the manifesto. Warsaw University Leopold Infeld.
9. A letter written on March 24, 1954. Cit. by [4].

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