Einstein Believed That Mankind Should Go Vegetarian
“Albert Einstein violin” by E. O. Hoppe (1878-1972). Published on LIFE -
Albert Einstein (1879-1955), one of histories most famous men, world renowned physicist and Nobel prize winner in 1921, but did you know that he went vegetarian? That’s right! One of the worlds greatest thinkers decided to move to a vegetarian diet at the ripe old age of 75, albeit in the last year or so of his life he was convinced it was the right thing to do for himself and mankind;
“Although I have been prevented by outward circumstances from observing a strictly vegetarian diet, I have long been an adherent to the cause in principle. Besides agreeing with the aims of vegetarianism for aesthetic and moral reasons, it is my view that a vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.” Translation of letter to Hermann Huth, December 27, 1930. Einstein Archive 46-756
Known best for his Special theory of relativity, the famous formula E=mc² and the discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect (a pivotal step in the theory of quantum theory), Einstein was most certainly a wise man to say the least so why make this transition? Simple;
“I have always eaten animal flesh with a somewhat guilty conscience.” - Einstein Archive 60-058
“So I am living without fats, without meat, without fish, but am feeling quite well this way. It always seems to me that man was not born to be a carnivore.” - excerpt from a letter written to Hans Muehsam, dated March 30, 1954, about 1 year before Einstein died.
Why he went veggie so late is uncertain and we can only presume his mind was occupied with other world changing theories and thoughts but we leave you with this early veggie thought that may have influence him;
“What is the meaning of human life, or, for that matter, of the life of any creature? To know an answer to this question means to be religious. You ask: Does it make any sense, then, to pose this question? I answer: The man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unhappy but hardly fit for life.” - Mein Weltbild, Amsterdam: Querido Verlag, 1934.