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In July 1930, Rabindranath Tagore visited Albert Einstein in Caputh, near Berlin, at his summerhouse. The meeting of the two was not a formality of etiquette; rather, it was an intensely deep discussion on the nature of reality, truth, and human perception. Einstein, the physicist, viewed reality as a truth independent of humanity, to be comprehended through the lens of mathematics and objective reasoning, while Tagore’s poetry and philosophy focused on the human experience and consciousness. Their discussion thus examined whether reality existed independently of humankind or if it is inextricably linked with human perception and comprehension. The dialogue put into relief the scientific objectivism-philosophical humanism dichotomy, raising questions that remain so vividly relevant in contemporary thought.
Einstein and Tagore on how we see the universe
Einstein began by explaining two essentials of the conception of the universe. “This is a purely human conception of the universe,” says Einstein. One of the essentials regarded the universe as an independent entity, with laws and truths that exist and remain the same irrespective of human observation. The other conception also considered the universe as an intertwined entity with human awareness, giving meaning and significance to the universe. While Einstein adhered to the first conception as a result of the training he had as a scientist, he believed that the physical laws and truths, like the law of time and space, remained the same even if human beings were absent. Tagore, on the other hand, believed that the universe cannot exist without human awareness in the same manner.Tagore believed that reality can only materialise as a result of human experiences. Truth, beauty, and meaning are not something that exists independently of human experiences. They actually come into existence as a result of human experiences. They actually come into existence as a result of the convergence of the universe with human experiences. According to Tagore, science is essentially a human endeavour. It creates knowledge that is filtered through human logic and human experiences. Without human experiences, there can be no existence of the world that we know.
Tagore and Einstein on truth, beauty, and the human perspective
One of the major points of discussion in the meeting was the relationship that exists between beauty and truth. Tagore believed that the creation of beauty is the result of the universe being in harmony with humanity, and the discovery of truth is the function of the human intellect. Einstein believed that the concept of beauty was dependent on humanity, but he was not in agreement with Tagore’s view about the concept of truth. He believed that the concept of truth in the world of science was not dependent in the slightest on the presence of humankind, even if humankind was not there to witness it. Tagore was of the view that all the knowledge that humankind has of the concept of truth has to be accessed with the help of its experiences and consciousness.Tagore spoke about the distinction between science and religion. Science treats impartial truth, truth that can be common to all, while religion ties truth to human values and morals. Through religion, human beings can embody truth and give it meaning. In addition, Tagore addressed the issue of the eternal or universal human spirit, implying that human consciousness only represents an imperfect expression of the reality that underlies all human beings. Scientific and religious knowledge are, therefore, complementary approaches to reality, linking objectivity with subjectivity.
How Einstein’s scientific realism met Tagore’s philosophy of Brahman
Einstein confronted Tagore with a practical example: would a table exist if nobody were there? The answer, from scientific realism, was yes; Einstein believed in an objective reality independent of human observation. Tagore replied that while the table exists outside the individual mind, it does not exist outside all consciousness. Perception may be individual, but to exist is to be in a relation ofherence with something else, to a universal awareness. That was the signal of a deep-seated difference: Einstein insisted on the objectivity of the outside world, while for Tagore, reality received its significance from consciousness.Tagore fell back on Indian philosophy to elucidate his position, invoking Brahman, the ultimate truth that supersedes logic, language, and isolated thought. The truth cannot be captured by science, which relies on human reasoning. Scientific truth is a human-mediated appearance of reality, meaningful but always constrained by perception. He concluded with “My religion is in the reconciliation of the superpersonal man, the universal spirit, in my own individual being.”Disclaimer: The perspectives and interpretations presented in this article are based on the historical transcript of the 1930 conversation between Albert Einstein and Rabindranath Tagore, as shared by Queen’s University. While the article aims to summarise and explain their discussion on reality, truth, science, and human perception, some explanations have been adapted for clarity and readability.
