"Einstein's Reply to Criticisms" (1949), The World As I See It (1949)
Context: What is the meaning of human life, or of organic life altogether? To answer this question at all implies a religion. Is there any sense then, you ask, in putting it? I answer, the man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unfortunate but almost disqualified for life.
As quoted in LIFE magazine (December 1988) http://www.humancondition.info/Beyond/ScienceReligion.html
Man's Search for Meaning (1946; 1959; 1984)
Source: Beyond This Horizon (1948; originally serialized in 1942), Chapter 2, “Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief—”, p. 35; see also pages 31, 33
Source: Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism
“The real question today is not when human life begins, but, What is the value of human life?”
1980s, First term of office (1981–1985), Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation (1983)
“Life would be unbearably dull if we had answers to all our questions.”
Source: Death Masks
Ode interview (2009)
Context: A lot of the arguments about religion going on at the moment spring from a rather inept understanding of religious truth … Our notion changed during the early modern period when we became convinced that the only path to any kind of truth was reason. That works beautifully for science but doesn't work so well for the humanities. Religion is really an art form and a struggle to find value and meaning amid the ghastly tragedy of human life.
