Princeton, 15 June 1950

Name: On his philosophical approach to science
Brand: Princeton, 15 June 1950
Price: 28000.00 USD
Availability: SoldOut

Price Realised USD 35,000

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On his philosophical approach to science

Princeton, 15 June 1950

Price Realised USD 35,000

Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Autograph letter signed (‘Albert’) to Michele Besso, [Princeton], 15 June 1950.

In German, one page, 277 x 214mm. Envelope.

Please note this is the property of a private consignor.

Published in Pierre Speziali (ed.) Albert Einstein. Michele Besso. Correspondance 1903-1955. Paris: Hermann, 1972. No. 175

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Lot Essay

On the philosophical underpinning of his scientific approach.

'My affirmation that the difference between sensory experience and hallucination is a purely hypothetical (conventional) difference belonging to one of those categories invented by us without independent logical content – justifiable only through expediency: this is a mere cliche. I have mentioned it in order to show that the free selection of conceptually constructive elements, which are freely imposed and not empirically deducible, does not begin in the actual scientific domain but belongs to everyday thought'. The letter also responds to a question from Besso about the non-linearity of equations for the explanation of reciprocal effects, providing an example of the way in which field theory replaces the notion of force, and attempts to grasp a problem expounded by Besso's son, Vero (but poorly explained by Besso) about a schema for distinguishing between similar objects.