World War One and the International Scientific Community

One of the most interesting things said so far in this class was when Professor Maleki stated that Physics was not necessarily the absolute truth but rather an alternative viewpoint. This surprised me to hear a Physics professor make this argument. Being a political science and history major I had always admired science for its pursuit of a kind of truth than can be tested and proven. I am not exactly sure if I fully understand what professor Maleki meant and I am looking forward to learning what role the viewpoint of Physics plays in our world. If modern Physics is centered around being able to come to conclusions through quantitative analysis, then why can't Physics provide us with the absolute truth?

The history reading given for last class shows that while Physics often comes down to quantitative analysis the interaction between nations and scientists in war is much more abstract. I found it interesting how Hale chose to use Science to further divide the world during World War One rather than seeing it as the rare thing that could bring it together. Often it seems that portrayals of scientists suggest that scientists are moral relativists who have little concern for humanity, religion, or politics and are only focused on advancing their research. The example of scientists acting during world one suggests the opposite. The ideals of a free-international scientific community are thrown to the side as many involved clung to their national identity and sense of morality about the war rather than their scientific interests. At the very beginning of the war Hale sees the importance of international science and by the end of the war he is consumed with punishing German scientists for their involvement in the war. The emotion of war ultimately trumps the rationality of science.

Einstein on the other hand seems to have both a strong sense of morality and an investment in the idea of a strong international scientific community. His values as a pacifist and his belief in science make him strongly anti-war.It seems to me that Einstein sees violence as un-scientific, the result of irrationality and emotions as opposed to logic and reason. Einstein believes there is a better way for humanity to resolve conflict besides war, and maybe that way can be found through science. It is not only in the best interests of scientists, and science itself, for there to be a strong scientific community, but it is also in the interests of peace to bring people from all corners of the globe to similar conclusions about the physical world we live in. Perhaps the more we have in common in the pursuit of scientific truth the less we will have to argue about in war.

Of course it is a great tragedy that Einstein's pacifism was ultimately confronted by perhaps history's greatest case for war the holocaust, which started in his home country and agaisnt his own religion.