When people think of the German born Albert Einstein (1879–1955) usually this would be as the theoretical physicist who is widely held as one of the most influential scientists in the world.
They would think of him being best known for developing the theory of relativity. Some would also be aware of his important contributions to quantum mechanics.
More people perhaps would be aware that he received the Nobel Prize in Physics over 100 years ago (1921).
What many would not know, however, was his strong commitment to humanity generally and to socialism specifically.
He lived in the United States for several years where he developed strong relationships with American socialists.
Albert Einstein’s feature article in foundation issue of ‘Monthly Review’
In 1949, six years before his death, he wrote the feature article for the first issue of the new (still going strong) socialist publication Monthly Review. Its succinct title was ‘Why Socialism’.
Sixty years later it was republished in the May 2009 issue of Monthly Review: Albert Einstein on why socialism. It provides insights that are relevant to Aotearoa New Zealand, even in 2024.
Trying to summarise Einstein
In summary, his argument was that:
- Societies in 1949 had not yet really overcome “the predatory phase” of human development.
- Socialism is directed towards a “social-ethical end” which science on its own can’t create (it can help enable).
- Individuals are dependent on society. While they are able to think, feel, strive, and work by themselves, they depend so much on society. It is impossible to think of individuals outside the framework of society.
- This dependence on society is at the heart of an existing state of crisis.
- Consequently “The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil.”
- Private capital becomes concentrated in a few hands. An “oligarchy of private capital” is created with such “enormous power” that it can’t be effectively checked even by formal political democracy.
- A planned socialist economy is needed but with the proviso that just being planned is not enough. Without an educated and participatory society, a planned economy on its own can lead to “enslavement”.
Profound conclusions that stand the test of time
Among his concluding paragraphs were the following:
Production is carried on for profit, not for use. There is no provision that all those able and willing to work will always be in a position to find employment; an “army of unemployed” almost always exists. The worker is constantly in fear of losing his job. Since unemployed and poorly paid workers do not provide a profitable market, the production of consumers’ goods is restricted, and great hardship is the consequence. Technological progress frequently results in more unemployment rather than in an easing of the burden of work for all. The profit motive, in conjunction with competition among capitalists, is responsible for an instability in the accumulation and utilization of capital which leads to increasingly severe depressions. Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste of labor, and to that crippling of the social consciousness of individuals which I mentioned before.
This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his [sic] future career.
His short opening sentence says so much: “Production is carried on for profit, not for use.” Profit arises from exchange values.
I have previously discussed the respective roles of use and exchange values in the context of capitalism in Political Bytes (12 August): Towards an economy based on provision of human needs.
“Crippling of individuals”
Einstein’s emphasis on the role of education systems contributing to the “evil” outcome of the “crippling of individuals” is pertinent in the context of the didactic Minister of Education Erica Stanford.
In effect she has banned the use of meaning to teach literacy to children by compelling schools to follow the rigid untested ‘structural literacy’ programme.
I have discussed this in two earlier Political Bytes posts (10 June and 9 July: Hegemony, meaning and structured literacy and How literacy rigidity flows from ideology.
In the process Stanford has also stopped the training of reading recovery programme on the grounds that it is inconsistent with ‘structured literacy’.
However, reading recovery is individualised teaching targeted at children with low literacy standards for their age.
Unfortunately even a successful remedial programme as reading recovery, which of itself was no threat to ‘structural literacy’, did not fit in with Stanford’s didactically crippling mindset.
Einstein 1949 and New Zealand 2024
In 2024 Einstein’s article remains as insightful as it did in both 1949 and 2009, both for the United States in particular but also capitalism generally.
As in 1949, in 2024:
- human development remains predatory;
- individuals continue to be dependent on society which is driven by the same economic system;
- “economic anarchy” prevails; and
- private capital remains concentrated in the hands of a few who still possess “enormous power.
Although Einstein was living in an economically developed country where the destructive impact of raw capitalism was most pronounced, it remains relevant to the understanding and future direction of Aotearoa today.
New Zealand needs a transformation from an economy served by its people to an economy planned to serve its people.
Most recent Political Bytes posts
- Careful what you ask for Labour Party (24 September).
- An email that almost says it all (3 September).
- Towards an economy based on human needs (12 August).
- What’s behind cruelty to annimals (1 August).
- Structured literacy; rigidity flows from ideology (9 July).
Political Bytes 
As a brilliant scientist, Einstein would have been deeply influenced by the evidence of the consequences of socialism. At the time of his death, however, the 100 million deaths caused by socialist systems and leaders had not yet occurred and or was attributed to “war” not the socialist system. Had he lived a few more decades he probably would have reached a different view.
I also suggest you review the evidence on “reading recovery”. The evidence is compelling and consistent. It is a failed experiment. The costs are high and any benefits low to non-existent. I am a school board member and looked at the evidence in 2020 when our school board decided to fund structured literacy teaching out of board funds and cease doing reading recovery.
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The socialism that Einstein (and I) support and advocate is not what is done in the falsified name of socialism by dictatorial Stalinist regimes. As I highlighted Einstein did not advocate ‘planned economies’ by authoritarian regimes.
I’m very well aware of reading recovery and not just from my wife who has specialised in the teaching of teachers in literacy. Structured literacy is largely whole class focussed; reading recovery is targeted at the small number of individuals whose literacy level is at the lower end of the class average. Its success has been to bring up many of those in the programme (not all) to that class average. Putting its flaws to one side, structured literacy is not a competing alternative to reading recovery.
Incidentally my six-year-old grandson has a reading level well above his age average and is now forced to go through an hour a day of boring phonic sounds instead of doing more challenging and expanding literacy,
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