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Religion and Science
by Albert Einstein

The following article by Albert Einstein appeared in the New York Times Magazine on November 9, 1930. It has been reprinted in Ideas and Opinions, Crown Publishers, Inc. 1954. It also appears in Einstein's book The World as I See It, Philosophical Library, New York, 1949.

Everything that the human race has done and thought is concerned with the satisfaction of deeply felt needs and the assuagement of pain. One has to keep this constantly in mind if one wishes to understand spiritual movements and their development. Feeling and longing are the motive force behind all human endeavor and human creation, in however exalted a guise the latter may present themselves to us. Now what are the feelings and needs that have led men to religious thought and belief in the widest sense of the words? A little consideration will suffice to show us that the most varying emotions preside over the birth of religious thought and experience. With primitive man it is above all fear that evokes religious notions - fear of hunger, wild beasts, sickness, death. Since at this stage of existence understanding of causal connections is usually poorly developed, the human mind creates illusory beings more or less analogous to itself on whose wills and actions these fearful happenings depend. Thus one tries to secure the favor of these beings by carrying out actions and offering sacrifices which, according to the tradition handed down from generation to generation, propitiate them or make them well disposed toward a mortal. In this sense I am speaking of a religion of fear. This, though not created, is in an important degree stabilized by the formation of a special priestly caste which sets itself up as a mediator between the people and the beings they fear, and erects a hegemony on this basis. In many cases a leader or ruler or a privileged class whose position rests on other factors combines priestly functions with its secular authority in order to make the latter more secure; or the political rulers and the priestly caste make common cause in their own interests.

As debates about the effects of fossil fuels on our climate and foreign policy intensify, the question of just how much longer we can depend on this finite source of energy becomes more and more pressing. This selection from Hubbert's Peak, the leading book on the limits of our oil supply, forecasts what the future will bring for fossil fuels and what the alternatives are likely to be.

Princeton Shorts are brief selections excerpted from influential Princeton University Press publications produced exclusively in eBook format. They are selected with the firm belief that while the original work remains an important and enduring product, sometimes we can all benefit from a quick take on a topic worthy of a longer book.

In a world where every second counts, how better to stay up-to speed on current events and digest the kernels of wisdom found in the great works of the past? Princeton Shorts enables you to be an instant expert in a world where information is everywhere but quality is at a premium. The Future of Fossil Fuels does just that.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Senator Nick Bennett believes that it should not stand. Disgusted with partisan politics, Nick calls for America to be split up by political ideology. The idea of living in separate utopias is wildly popular with Americans. The blue states form the Progressive States of America and the red states create the United States of Ronald Reagan. The two new governments are free to address foreign relations, economic policies and social laws without the interference of an opposition party.

While the P.S.A. thrives, the U.S.R.R. is crippled by the inanity of its conservative ideology. A generation of its citizens receives a terrible education and loses the right to privacy. Many are killed either by an abhorrent health care system or the preemptive wars their government starts. The dreadful conditions inside the U.S.R.R. enrage the conservative citizens. Revolution seems inevitable, and the conflict threatens to engulf the liberal country as well.

Abraham Lincoln's Lie contains political and social satire and is intended for a liberal audience.  The novel takes a humorous look at how fiercely debated ideas could actually be implemented by the two ideologies.