In an Unpublished and Defining Quotation, Einstein States the Purpose of Humanity’s Pursuit of Knowledge: Knowledge is Its Own Reward

Einstein states: “The greatest value of knowledge lies in knowledge itself”

 

We could not find a signed quotation more central to his knowledge, which knowledge was his scientific gift to humanity; it has been in a private collection for a generation

In 1905, while a young patent clerk and physicist in Bern, Switzerland, Albert Einstein obtained his doctorate and published a paper that explained his newly developed Special Theory of Relativity. This unlocked many mysteries of the universe, and introduced the world to “e=mc2,” equating mass and the speed of light with energy. It established that time and space are not fixed, and in fact change to maintain a constant speed of light regardless of the relative motions of sources and observers. Just 10 years later, in 1915, Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity, which described the universe as a four-dimensional continuum (with time added as the fourth dimension), where gravitational effects are explained by the warping of space-time. In this theory, Einstein incorporated gravity as a geometric property of space-time.The impact of Einstein’s work between 1905 and 1915 challenged many principles of physics that had been accepted for centuries. In 1921, he won the Nobel Prize for his work.

Einstein is considered the greatest scientist since Newton, and was voted the leading person of the 20th Century by scholars, historians and average people alike. His Theory of Relativity made possible much of modern science, and theories he promulgated but could not prove himself continue to be proven by his successors. He instinctively believed that there is a complete rationality to the universe, and that its perfect and logical order precluded its being random. It was up to man to unravel and understand the workings of this cosmic plan to further the progress and knowledge of mankind. His scientific mind saw the challenge, and he determined to take on the unheard-of task of finding that order.

His success in doing so raises important questions, such as what was the driving force behind his scientific work, and did he have a guiding principle? But beyond that: what is the purpose of learning and knowledge? Are these means to an end? Einstein had his feeling on the subject.

Autograph quotation signed, 1931, “The greatest value of knowledge lies in knowledge itself”. So the acquisition of knowledge is it’s own reward.

This quotation, which appears to be unpublished, is among the most important ever offered for sale and has been in a private collection for a generation.