"Einstein and Philosophy"
Einstein was a man that shared many similarities with the philosophers in Alain de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy. The one-time aspiring teacher of philosophy has been through many of the same hardships that the philosophers in the book have gone through. One can only imagine what wonderful philosophical teachings would've sprung forth from such an intelligent man. His life was not a typical one, and as with many of the philosophers, not always easy. But his life nonetheless has made an impact on today's society.
Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879 to Hermann and Pauline Einstein. Pauline was a strong-minded stay at home mother who was very passionate about music. His father, Hermann, was a not so savvy business man who was in charge of running an electrochemical business. Due to bad business skills and the persuasion of his younger brother Jacob, the Einsteins moved to Munich to start a new life.
In Munich, Albert was joined by a new addition to the family, his sister Marie, or as they called her Maja. Albert and his sister were said to be always at odds with each other during their younger years. Albert developed a very bad temper early and was said to throw the nearest thing at the slightest annoyance. This annoyance was usually caused by his sister. This "war" continued throughout their childhood. Of course, as with most children, the "battles" that were fought between brother and sister transformed into a close knit relationship that one could only develop by quarrelling with each other for a number of years.
Albert's education started out when he was around 4 years old. At this time he was sent to a nearby Catholic s ...