
In 1931, when asked about "free will", Einstein replied that human's sense that their "will" is free is the same as the moon's belief, supposing it was a conscious thinking thing, that it is freely moving about the earth, by its own will (compare: Johannes Kepler's belief that the moon was pushed in its orbit by an angel flapping its wings), yet at the same laughing at the humans, seen from above, moving in predictable daily orbitals (see: human molecular orbital theory), on the earth's surface, falsely believing that they are moving by the freedom of the will or their own free will.

In 1931, when asked about "free will", Einstein replied that human's sense that their "will" is free is the same as the moon's belief, supposing it was a conscious thinking thing, that it is freely moving about the earth, by its own will (compare: Johannes Kepler's belief that the moon was pushed in its orbit by an angel flapping its wings), yet at the same laughing at the humans, seen from above, moving in predictable daily orbitals (see: human molecular orbital theory), on the earth's surface, falsely believing that they are moving by the freedom of the will or their own free will.

In genius queries, Einstein on free will refers to stated and or published opinions by German-born American physicist Albert Einstein on the question of the freedom of the will, i.e. whether people have such a thing as “free will”, namely the ability to freely “choose” between one or more alternatives, in a way that is free or so-to-say above, beyond, or outside the laws of nature.

Moon | Free will
In 1931, Einstein, in response to questions about belief in free will, responded with the following comparison of the will of the moon:

“If the moon, in the act of completing its eternal way around the earth, were gifted with self-consciousness, it would feel thoroughly convinced that it was traveling its way of its own accord…. So would a being, endowed with higher insight and more perfect intelligence, watching man and his doings, smile about man’s illusion that he was acting according to his own free will.”

This quote, according to British analytical philosopher Galen Strawson (2015), is said to be “at one” with Nietzsche’s views on: being, becoming, power, law, force, will, energy, cause, necessity, and fate. [7]

In 2014, physicist George Ellis, in interview with John Horgan, was shown the Einstein moon quote (above), and then asked if he believed in believed in free will, to which he responded with: [6]

“Yes. Einstein is perpetuating the belief that all causation is bottom up. This simply is not the case, as I can demonstrate with many examples from sociology, neuroscience, physiology, epigenetics, engineering, and physics. Furthermore if Einstein did not have free will in some meaningful sense, then he could not have been responsible for the theory of relativity – it would have been a product of lower level processes but not of an intelligent mind choosing between possible options. I find it very hard to believe this to be the case – indeed it does not seem to make any sense. Physicists should pay attention to Aristotle’s four forms of causation – if they have the free will to decide what they are doing. If they don’t, then why waste time talking to them? They are then not responsible for what they say.”

Ellis, similar to Terrence Deacon (2011), who also reacts against American physicist Philip Anderson’s 1972 “More is Different”, here is trying to sell god in coded repackaged scientifically-sounding form via a mix Aristotelian causation and emergence talk, similar to what Deacon and others have attempted.

Murphy | Schopenhauer

See main: Einstein-Murphy dialogue

In circa 1932, Einstein, during an interview with Irish science translator James Murphy, digressed on questions of the of free will and freedom via recourse to Arthur Schopenhauer's 1840s human chemical theory based freedom of the will logic; the gist of which is as follows:

“Man can do what he will, but cannot will what he wills.”

— Arthur Schopenhauer (1839), rendition recalled by Einstein, circa 1930 [4]

Einstein made this logic part of his 1932 credo, quoted below, and shown adjacent.


A Philosopher.eu text pic (Ѻ) of Einstein’s famous 1932 statement on free will, namely that of “will” defined by Arthur Schopenhauer.

A Philosopher.eu text pic (Ѻ) of Einstein’s famous 1932 statement on free will, namely that of “will” defined by Arthur Schopenhauer.

Quotes
The following are related quotes:

“In living through this ‘great epoch’, it is difficult to reconcile oneself to the fact that one belongs to that mad, degenerate species that boasts of its free will. How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those who are wise and of good will! In such a place even I should be an ardent patriot!”
— Albert Einstein (1914), “Letter to Paul Ehrenfest”, early Dec [1]

“I am a determinist. As such, I do not believe in free will. The Jews believe in free will. They believe that man shapes his own life. I reject that doctrine philosophically. In that respect I am not a Jew.”
— Albert Einstein (1928), “Interview with George Viereck” [2]

“I do not believe in free will. Schopenhauer's words: 'Man can do what he wants, but he cannot will what he wills,' accompany me in all situations throughout my life and reconcile me with the actions of others, even if they are rather painful to me. This awareness of the lack of free will keeps me from taking myself and my fellow men too seriously as acting and deciding individuals, and from losing my temper.”
— Albert Einstein (1932), “My Credo”, Aug [5]

“Objectively, there is, after all, no free will.”
— Albert Einstein (1946), "Letter to Otto Juliusburger", Apr 11

“I have never admired any system that encourages a herd nature in man by suppressing his free will to choose for himself. . . . I said that Marx sacrificed himself for the ideal of social justice, but I didn't say that his theories are right. As for Lenin, I don't believe he liked me. How can I be called a communist when I have fought so long for freedom of thought, of expression, freedom from the military boot, and freedom from automation?”
— Albert Einstein (1954), when queried if he had communist sympathies [3]

See also
● Einstein on god
● Einstein on love
● Einstein on purpose
● Einstein on religion
● Einstein on the soul

References
1. Einstein, Albert. (1914). “Letter to Paul Ehrenfest” (Ѻ), early Dec; in: Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Vol 8, Doc. 39; in: The New Quotable Einstein (by Alice Calaprice) (pg. 3), Publisher, 2005.
2. (a) Einstein, Albert. (1928). “Letter to Paul Ehrenfest”, shortly before 50th birthday.
(b) Isaacson, Walter. (2007). Einstein: His Life and His Universe (pg. 387). Simon and Schuster.
3. (a) Einstein, Albert. (1954). “Conversation with William Hermanns” (Ѻ)
(b) Hermanns, William. (1983). Einstein and the Poet: In Search of the Cosmic Man (pg. 131). Publisher, 1983.
4. (a) Schopenhauer, Arthur. (1839). On the Freedom of the Will (Über die Freiheit des menschlichen Willens). Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences.
(b) Einstein, Albert. (c.1930). "Conversation with James Murphy", in: Where is Science Going? (by Max Planck; introduction by James Murphy) (quote, pg. 201). Allen & Unwin
(c) Zucker, Morris. (1945). The Philosophy of American History: The Historical Field Theory (pg. 531). Arnold-Howard Publishing Co.
(d) Arthur Schopenhauer – Wikiquote.
(e) On the Freedom of the Will – Wikipedia.
5. Einstein, Albert. (1932). “My Credo” (Ѻ), Aug, for a recording by order and to benefit the German League of Human Rights.
6. Horgan, John. (2014). “Physicist George Ellis Knocks Physicists for Knocking Philosophy, Falsification, Free Will” (Ѻ), Scientific American, Jul 22.
7. (a) Strawson, Galen. (2015). “Nietzsche’s Metaphysics?” (Ѻ), in: Nietzsche on Mind and Nature (editors: Manuel Dries, Peter J. E. Kail) (§2:10-36; quote, pg. 34). Oxford University Press.
(b) Galen Strawson – Wikipedia.