EINSTEIN'S SKEPTICISM

Many read Einstein solely for physics, but I take him at a much broader level. He applied Greek skepticism. He analyzed every theory regardless of its popularity. He begins Relativity with this introduction:

PHYSICAL MEANING OF GEOMETRICAL PROPOSITIONS

In your schooldays most of you who read this book made acquaintance with the noble building of Euclid's geometry, and you remember -- perhaps with more respect than love -- the magnificent structure, on the lofty staircase of which you were chased about for uncounted hours by conscientious teachers. By reason of your past experience, you would certainly regard every one with disdain who should pronouce even the most out-of-the-way proposition of this science to be untrue. But perhaps this feeling of proud certainty would leave you immediately were some one to ask you: "What, then, do you mean by the assertion that these propositions are true?" Let us proceed to give this question a little consideration.

For Einstein, even the most basic theories were subject to question. To be true to Einstein's method, we must question every theory, even the Theory of Relativity.

Of course, Relativity has been confirmed countless times. Eddington confirmed it. Later, observation of muon decay confirmed it. It's confirmed in nuclear reactors every day. And that's only a partial list.

But at a philosophical level, Einstein questioned every theory. That's skepticism. It's only natural to follow Einstein and question every proposition, even Relativity.