txt Induction and Deduction in Physics (English Edition)

The essay“Induktion und Deduktion in der Physik” (Induction and Deduction in Physics) was originally published on December 25, 1919, in the Berliner Tageblatt, at a decisive moment of transition for both science and European public life. By then, Einstein had already achieved international prominence, especially following the experimental confirmation of the general theory of relativity earlier that year, and he increasingly participated in public and philosophical debates. Written in the context of the intellectual and moral reconstruction that followed the First World War, the essay presents an epistemological reflection addressed not only to specialists but also to the educated general reader. Its aim is to clarify the nature of the scientific method while advocating a more sober, critical, and responsible intellectual attitude toward both science and politics.
In the essay, Einstein criticizes the naïve view that science advances primarily through induction, that is, through the mere accumulation and generalization of observed facts. He argues that the major advances in physics have in fact proceeded in the opposite direction: through the intuitive formulation of hypothetical fundamental principles or laws, from which consequences are deduced and only then tested against experience. Empirical observation remains indispensable, but not as the direct source of scientific laws; rather, it serves as the criterion by which theories are tested and corrected. No theory can ever be conclusively proven true; it can only be refuted or shown to be provisionally consistent with the known facts.
Finally, Einstein maintains that when two theories account equally well for the same empirical evidence, the choice between them ultimately rests on the scientist's intuitive judgment rather than on any absolute logical criterion. The ideal scientist, therefore, must master both facts and theories without becoming a dogmatic adherent of any particular system. In concluding the essay, Einstein connects this epistemological stance to a broader ethical and cultural perspective, suggesting that a dispassionate reflection on the common aims of humanity may contribute more to the political and spiritual renewal of his time than direct political declarations.