愛因斯坦關於宗教信仰／上帝的相關言論選譯

愛因斯坦關於宗教信仰／上帝的相關言論選譯
02/16/09


南郭點評：有神與無神論之爭由來已久，事實上無神論主要是18世紀啟蒙運動的產物，而至1856年達爾文的《物種起源》發表後無神論更是喧囂。然而現代科學的進一步發現發明，尤其是1952年DHA的發現，及基因細胞學的發現，使得有神無神之爭重現膠著。有一本書彙集了1600名世界著名科學家哲學家思想家信基督教名錄，另一本書則收集了諾貝爾物理化學數學及和來獎獲得者信神者的名錄與事蹟。愛因斯坦是公認的人類中最聰慧的人，因此有關研究愛氏宗教觀上帝觀的資訊也特別多，至少有三百萬條英文資訊。下述愛氏論宗教與上帝選譯自《五十名諾貝爾科學獎與哲學獎獲得者信上帝》。
ALBERTEINSTEIN NOBEL LAUREATE IN PHYSICS
Nobel Prize: Albert Einstein(1879–1955) was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributionsto Quantum Theory and for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.Einstein is one of the founders of modern physics; he is the author of theTheory of Relativity. According to the world media (Reuters, December2000) Einstein is “the personality of the second millennium.” Ph.D. in physics,University of Zurich, Switzerland, 1905 Professor of Physics at theUniversities of Zurich, Prague, Bern, and Princeton, NJ.


1. 我想知道上帝是如何創造這個世界的。我對這種或那種現象，這種或那種元素的光譜不感興趣。我想知道上帝的思想，至於其它細節就讓其休息吧。

“I want to knowhow God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, inthe spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts, the rest aredetails.” (Einstein, as cited in Ronald Clark, Einstein: The Life and Times,London, Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., 1973, 33).

2. 我們就好象一個進入一間巨大的充滿了各種不同語言藏書的圖書館的小孩。孩子知道有人想必寫了這些書，但不知道他們是如何寫的。他不懂這些語言。他朦朧地懷疑在排列這些書之間有某種秘密的順序，但不知道到底是什麼樣的順序。這些對我而言，正是即便最聰慧的人類面對上帝的態度。我們看到一個絕妙安排遵循一定規律的宇宙，但僅是含糊地理解這些規律。我們有限的心智無法領會該推動各星座運動的神秘的力量。

“We are in theposition of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in manydifferent languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. Itdoes not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they arewritten. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of thebooks, but doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude ofeven the most intelligent human being toward God. We see a Universemarvellously arranged and obeying certain laws, but only dimly understand theselaws. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that moves theconstellations.” (Einstein, as cited in Denis Brian, Einstein: A Life,New York, John Wiley and Sons, 1996, 186).

3. 如果某人清除猶太教和基督教的先知，尤其是那些牧師，正如耶穌基督曾反覆教導的那樣，那麼他就將離開那種能拯救人類社會所有弊病的教導。盡其所能，在他力所能及的範圍內，堅定地努力使該淨化人類的教導成為一種活的力量是每個仁善的人的責任。

“If one purgesthe Judaism of the Prophets and Christianity as Jesus Christ taught it of all subsequent additions, especiallythose of the priests, one is left with a teaching which is capable of curingall the social ills of humanity. It is the duty of every man of good will tostrive steadfastly inhis own little world to make this teaching of pure humanity a living force, sofar as he can.” (Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions, New York, BonanzaBooks, 1954, 184-185).

4. 總之，在猶太教與基督教之間的區別是否已被兩派中狂熱信徒跨大？我們雙方都是生活在上帝的應許之下，受到幾乎等同的精神力量的培育。無論猶太人或非猶太人，不論約束或自由，所有都是上帝自已擁有的。

“After all,haven’t the differences between Jew and Christian been over exaggerated byfanatics on both sides? We both are living under God’s approval, and nurturealmost identical spiritual capacities. Jew or Gentile, bond or free, all areGod’s own.” (Einstein, as cited in H.G. Garbedian, Albert Einstein: Maker ofUniverses, New York, Funk and Wagnalls Co., 1939, 267).

5. 凡是認真追求科學的任何人均會確信在自然規律中有某種明顯的精神，亦即某種遠遠高於人類的神靈存在，當我們依謙恭的力量面對該神靈時必須感到謙虛。依此方式追求科學引導至某種特殊的宗教感情，這種宗教感情確實與那些更為天真的宗教盲信者大不一樣。

“Every one whois seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a Spiritis manifest in the laws of the universe – a Spirit vastly superior to that ofman, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a specialsort, which is indeed quite different from the religiosity of someone morenaive.” (Einstein 1936, as cited in Dukas and Hoffmann, Albert Einstein: TheHuman Side, Princeton University Press, 1979, 33).

6. 人們越是深入瞭解自然的奧秘，也就對上帝越崇敬。

“The deeper onepenetrates into nature’s secrets, the greater becomes one’s respect for God.”(Einstein, as cited in Brian 1996, 119).

7. 我們能夠體驗的最美麗最深奧的情感乃是在感受神秘（通靈）時獲得。它是所有真正科學的種子。對於此種情感感到陌生的人而言，在敬畏之中他將無法繼續全神貫注，就好象死了般。那種深沉的情感使我深信有某種超凡的理性力量出現，揭示在不可理解的宇宙，構成我的上帝觀念。

“The mostbeautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of themystical. It is the sowe of all true science. He to whom this emotion is astranger, who can no longer stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. That deeplyemotional conviction of the presence of a superior Reasoning Power, which isrevealed in the incomprehensible Universe, forms my idea of God.” (Einstein, ascited in Libby Anfinsen 1995).


8. 我的宗教狂熱在於對無窮的高級神靈謙遜的讚美，該高級神靈自身顯示，用我們虛弱和瞬間的領悟力，幾乎無法領悟實在。

“My religiosityconsists in a humble admiration of the infinitely superior Spirit that revealsitself in the little that we, with our weak and transitory understanding, cancomprehend of reality.” (Einstein 1936, as cited in Dukas and Hoffmann 1979,66).

9.我越深入研究科學就越相信上帝。
“The more Istudy science the more I believe in God.” (Einstein, as cited in Holt 1997).

10. 麥克思教授認為愛因斯的名言：“科學沒有宗教是跛足的，宗教沒有科學是盲目的”可作為愛因斯坦宗教哲學的一種典型和典範。


Max Jammer(Professor Emeritus of Physics and author of the biographical book Einsteinand Religion, 2002) claims that Einstein’s well-known dictum, “Sciencewithout religion is lame, religion without science is blind” can serve asan epitome and quintessence of Einstein’s religious philosophy. (Jammer 2002;Einstein 1967, 30).

11. 猶太教和基督教的宗教傳統賦予了我們的志向、抱負和判斷的最高原則。它是一項非常高的目標，依我們微弱的力量，我們能抵達十分有限的目標，但該是最高原則賦予了我們的志向、抱負和價值某種穩固的基礎。

“The highestprinciples for our aspirations and judgments are given to us in theJewish-Christian religious tradition. It is a very high goal which, with ourweak powers, we can reach only very inadequately, but which gives a surefoundation to our aspirations and valuations.” (Albert Einstein, Out of MyLater Years, New Jersey, Littlefield, Adams and Co., 1967, 27).

12. 依我有限的人類心靈，我所能認識的如此和諧的宇宙（令人驚奇），仍有不少人說不存在上帝。但是真正令我憤怒不已的乃是他們竟引用我的話，說我支持此種不存在上帝的觀點。

“In view of suchharmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able torecognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makesme angry is that they quote me for the support of such views.” (Einstein, ascited in Clark 1973, 400; and Jammer 2002, 97).