Einstein, Albert

Typed letter signed ("A. Einstein"), 1 page (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 280 x 215 mm) on letterhead with the embossed Mercer Street address, Princeton, New Jersey, 3 August 1953, to K[urt] Metzer in London; formerly folded, some marginal soiling, creased in lower margin. Brown cloth folding-case, gilt-stamped leather title label on spine.

Phillips, 16 February 1984, lot 438 (unnamed consignor)

Einstein as literary critic. Kurt Metzer was a physicist, working in London, performing calculations on the Lee Model (introduced in 1954 by T.D. Lee to study questions concerning renormalization of field theories). He had evidently submitted a personal essay on an unnamed moral topic, for Einstein's comment.

Einstein begins by approving his simplicity and point of view but rapidly objects: "On the other hand there is a lack of self-criticism on some occasions, f.i. the way the Ten Commandmends [sic] are reviewed, a theme which has already been dealt with very intelligently elsewhere [this last word inserted in manuscript].  I also do not approve of the way you are using the word "egoism." You have to interpret it in such a broad way that it embraces every emotion leading to any action, including social feelings which are as elementary as hunger. So the use of the word is deceptive. With a little more self-criticism you could achieve something of real educational value."