Part X: Internationalism
1.
His conviction was that nationalism is not the answer, but internationalism. Said Einstein: “Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.”Internationalism only can and will save the world. Some think it is from nationalism that one should eventually enter into internationalism. They feel that first one has to know what one is in one’s little self, and then only one will be able to know what one is in one’s larger self. But the scientist felt that we should think only of our higher self, our better self, our more illumining and more fulfilling self, for there alone lies our abiding satisfaction. Think not of what you are, but of what you eventually can become: this is his philosophy. Him to quote: “I believe it is of utmost importance that everybody who is aware that necessity — not to speak of idealistic considerations — demands in the present condition of the world a greater unity of material and spiritual co-operation, should resolve never more to ask, ‘What can be done for my country?’ but much rather, ‘What must my country do to make it possible for the greater entity to exist?’”
Einstein firmly believed that it was essential to achieve oneness: “I hold it to be of extreme consequence that wherever the possibility arises, men of different languages, of different political and cultural ideas, should get in touch with one another across their frontiers — not with the feeling that something might be squeezed out of the other for their and their country’s benefit, but with a spirit of good will to bridge the gap between the spiritual groups in comparatively independent spheres. Only thus can we hope to accomplish such a political unity […] as will give us assurance of being able to survive economically and safeguard our spiritual existence. Only then will life be worth living.”
The scientist-prophet, humanity-lover and truth-server illumines the members of his world-family with his lovingly complete wisdom-authority. In an open letter to Sigmund Freud, Einstein said, “The quest of international security involves the unconditional surrender by every nation, in a certain measure, of its liberty of action, its sovereignty, that is to say, and it is clear beyond all doubt that no other road can lead to such security.”
