Einstein and theory

I had thought that the much revered Albert Einstein had been a lowly clerk at the Swiss Patent Office. But apparently "his work involved evaluating technical innovations, familiarizing him with cutting-edge electrical technologies, and patent law. This practical engagement with technology influenced his thinking about time, synchronization, and relativity" which placed him in the midst of a vigorous "intellectual community, philosophical reflection, and practical engagement" (Weinstein, 2025, p. 3).

Apparently Einstein described "the supreme goal of all theory [as being] to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience" (Hooley et al., 2024, p. 70, citing Einstein, 1933), so theories take complex ideas and re-present them in the simplest way possible; while not mis-representing or over-simplifying.

But theory shouldn't confine us. Einstein apparently "remarked in 1916 [that] 'Concepts that have proven useful in ordering things easily achieve such authority over us that we forget their earthly origins and accept them as unalterable givens'" (Lucassen, 2021, p. xv, citing Feinman & Garraty, 2010). That is a good reminder that theory only remains useful as long as it doesn't become a sacred cow. We must remain able to question.

Once we put theory on the altar of worshipful holy-theoryness, we may lose our ability to have a critical discussion; and a repetitive contrary voice becomes tiresome quite quickly. It is important to keep our openness to experience and toc continue to pursue questioning and critique. How can we hone our ideas if we are not allowed to examine them rigorously?

A theory only remains useful while we can apply it; because it is simple enough to use as a rule of thumb. It is not an unquestioning sceptre to rule over us; but a light to guide us through the darkness until we can see the light for ourselves 😉

Sam

References:

Feinman, G. M., & Garraty, C. P. (2010). Preindustrial Markets and Marketing: Archaeological Perspectives. Annual Review of Anthropology, 39(1), 167–191. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.012809.105118

Hooley, T., Alexander, R., & Frigerio, G. (2024). The Career Development Handbook: The Foundations of Professional Career Practice. Career Development Institute/Trotman Publishing.

Lucassen, J. (2021). The Story of Work: A New History of Humankind. Yale University Press.

Weinstein, G. (2025). Einstein, Free Creations, and His Worldly Cloister. arXiv. Advance online publication, 1-28. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.09530.