爱因斯坦对人类命运的忧虑

Einstein's Concern about Human Destiny

爱因斯坦终生为人类命运而忧虑,认为社会充满了危机,并分析了科学技术、人的本性同时代危机的关系。爱因斯坦认为,科学技术的悲剧就是科学家的悲剧,主要表现在科学技术的破坏力量是科学家研究发明出来的,而科学家却没有能力阻止用技术力量来作恶。爱因斯坦认为"作恶"的冲动来源于"人的兽性本能",若不加以约束,就会形成物欲主义;在"物欲主义占优势的时代",就会出现利己主义的统治。利己主义在经济生活中造成了种种悲惨后果,在国际关系中导致种种冲突。冲突的深层根源主要是利害冲突。因而,只有用理性来取代原始本性,才能实现人类自我的解放、时代危机的化解。爱因斯坦的这种对人类命运的忧虑是留给后代的重要精神遗产。

Showing great concern for human destiny throughout his life, Einstein held that the world is full of crises and analyzed how the crises of the times are related to the technologies as well as human nature. According to him, the tragedy of science and technology is actually the tragedy of scientists, for the destructive power entailed in science and technology is created by the scientists themselves, who are unable to prevent sci-ence and technology from being exploited for evil purposes. Einstein attributed ttns ewl exploitation to me evn nature of human beings, which, if uncontained, will lead to sheer materialism. A society in which the materialism is predominant will inevitably give rise to a self-interested ruling system. The self-interestedness has various tragic consequences and causes international conflicts, the sources of which are actually the conflicts over interests. Therefore, only when their primitive nature is replaced by reason can human beings realize self emancipation and resolve the crises facing them. Such concerns about human destiny are the significant spiritual legacy Einstein left for his later generations.