Hilbert's "World Equations" and His Vision of a Unified Science
- Others:
- Kox, A. J.
- Eisenstaedt, Jean
Abstract
In the history of unified field theory, many contributors may be identified, Goldstein and Ritter (2003), Goenner (2004) among them certainly, and perhaps foremost, Einstein. Hilbert's place in the history of the unified field theory program is also well recognized (see, e.g., the discussion of his work in Vizgin's study, Vizgin (1994)). But we tend to view the history of physics in which Einstein was involved through that scholarship which has focussed exclusively, or at least predominantly, on Einstein's work as such. For the case of Einstein's "later journey," we believe that many physicists as well as historians would subscribe to Pais's verdict that "his work on unification was probably all in vain" (Pais 1982, p. 329). The dismissal of Einstein's efforts over three decades is to some extent supported by Einstein's own self-image, in his later years, as the "lonesome outsider" working without real appreciation in his golden Princeton cage. Einstein was an original thinker and an influential voice in the debate, and for this reason understanding Einstein's obsession with the problem of a unified field theory over the last thirty years of his life presents as much of a challenge to the historian as understanding the achievements of his early work.
Additional Information
© 2005 The Center for Einstein Studies. One of us (T.S.) would like to thank Jim Ritter for illuminating discussions about Einstein and the unified field theory program during our common stay at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. We also thank Diana Buchwald, Dan Kennefick, and Stephen Speicher for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. Hilbert's lectures are quoted with kind permission of the Niedersächsisdie Staats—Und Universitätsbibliothek (Handschriftenabaterlung).Attached Files
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 103807
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20200609-153340834
- Created
-
2020-06-09Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-11-16Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Series Name
- Einstein Studies
- Series Volume or Issue Number
- 11