This page lists some of the all-time best Einstein quotes on free will. Enjoy!
Einstein Quotes on Free Will
“In a sense, we can hold no one responsible. I am a determinist. As such, I do not believe in free will … I believe with Schopenhauer: We can do what we wish, but we can only wish what we must. Practically, I am, nevertheless, compelled to act as if freedom of the will existed … I know that philosophically a murderer is not responsible for his crime; nevertheless, I must protect myself from unpleasant contacts. I may consider him guiltless, but I prefer not to take tea with him … My own career was undoubtedly determined, not by my own will but by various factors over which I have no control … Each explains in his own way the undeniable fact the that the human will is not free.”
This is a widely shared excerpt from Einstein:
- “A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue of true religion. Not to nourish it but to try to overcome it is the way to reach the attainable measure of peace of mind.”
However, this version is a closer English translation to Einstein’s original handwritten German:
- “A human being is a spatially and temporally limited fragment of the whole that we call the ‘universe.’ They perceive themselves and their feelings as separate from the rest—an optical illusion of their consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this illusion is the sole subject of true religion. It is not the nurturing of the illusion but only its overcoming that provides us with the attainable measure of inner peace.”
There are a few famous quotes from Albert Einstein on free will that I see all over the internet. So, I did a deep dive into one of them. Starting with the original German:
- “Ich glaube nicht an die Freiheit des Willens. Schopenhauers Wort: ‘Der Mensch kann wohl tun, was er will, aber er kann nicht wollen, was er will’, begleitet mich in allen Lebenslagen und versöhnt mich mit den Handlungen der Menschen, auch wenn sie mir recht schmerzlich sind. Diese Erkenntnis von der Unfreiheit des Willens schützt mich davor, mich selbst und die Mitmenschen als handelnde und urteilende Individuen allzu ernst zu nehmen und den guten Humor zu verlieren.” (My Credo)
- “I don’t believe in the freedom of the will. Schopenhauer’s words, ‘Man can do what he wills, but he cannot will what he wills,’ accompany me in all situations in life and reconcile me with human actions, even when they are quite painful. This realization of the lack of freedom of the will protects me from taking myself and my fellow human beings too seriously as acting and judging individuals and from losing my sense of humor.” (Google Translate of My Credo)
As published in a few different books:
- “I do not believe we can have any freedom at all in the philosophical sense, for we act not only under external compulsion but also by inner necessity. Schopenhauer’s saying—’A man can surely do what he wills to do, but he cannot determine what he wills’—impressed itself upon me in youth and has always consoled me when I have witnessed or suffered life’s hardships. This conviction is a perpetual breeder of tolerance, for it does not allow us to take ourselves or others too seriously; it makes rather for a sense of humor.” (Living Philosophies)
- “In human freedom in the philosophical sense I am definitely a disbeliever. Everybody acts not only under external compulsion but also in accordance with inner necessity. Schopenhauer’s saying, that ‘a man can do as he will, but not will as he will,’ has been an inspiration to me since my youth up, and a continual consolation and unfailing well-spring of patience in the face of the hardships of life, my own and others’. This feeling mercifully mitigates the sense of responsibility which so easily becomes paralysing, and it prevents us from taking ourselves and other people too seriously; it conduces to a view of life in which humour, above all, has its due place.” (The World As I See It)
- “I do not at all believe in human freedom in the philosophical sense. Everybody acts not only under external compulsion but also in accordance with inner necessity. Schopenhauer’s saying, ‘A man can do what he wants, but not want what he wants,’ has been a very real inspiration to me since my youth; it has been a continual consolation in the face of life’s hardships, my own and others’, and an unfailing well-spring of tolerance. This realization mercifully mitigates the easily paralyzing sense of responsibility and prevents us from taking ourselves and other people all too seriously; it is conducive to a view of life which, in particular, gives humor its due.” (Ideas and Opinions)
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