Lot 381

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Description:

Einstein Science Letter "Ignorabimus [what we will never know]… the current state of the fundamentals of physics" to Famous Freudian Psychologist

TLS [in German], measuring 8.5" x 11", dated August 10, 1940, Saranac Lake, NY. A short correspondence from Albert Einstein addressed to Dr. Emil Oberholzer, Swiss-born Freudian psychologist, in which he discusses his thoughts on the fundamentals of physics and the concept of "ignorabimus", which in Latin refers to something we will not know. Most importantly Einstein extolls his scientific theory of limitless knowledge "but not to a fundamental limitation of our knowledge." Signed "A. Einstein" at the conclusion. Areas of foxing at lower right, with flattened letter folds and light edge toning throughout. Overall very fine - a fascinating letter!

Roughly translated in full:

"I have some copies of the requested talk at Princeton and will send you one as soon as I get back. In the meantime, however, I would like to tell you that the newspaper was very wrong in speaking of an "ignorabimus". My explanations in this regard only refer to the current state of the fundamentals of physics, but not to a fundamental limitation of our knowledge."

The Latin phrase Ignoramus et Inorabimus (meaning "what we do not know and will not know") was first popularized in 1872 by German physiologist Emil du Bois-Reymond, suggesting that scientific knowledge is limited. The theory has since been subject to debate, with contemporaries in the fields of mathematics and sociology arguing its pessimistic, or in some cases humbling, nature. Here, Einstein is speaking in dissent of an ignorabimus, at least in man's search for knowledge more generally, but perhaps suggests a current stagnation in the field of physics.

Dr. Emil Oberholzer (1883-1958) became an early practitioner of Freudian psychoanalysis following a personal analysis in 1913 from Freud himself. He would gain further notoriety as the assistant of Hermann Rorschach, and later trained American psychiatrists who subsequently introduced the Rorschach test in the United States.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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