March 4, 1930

Dear Solovine,

I needed some time to read through your Democritus, for I was burdened down with my own work and disturbed by other things. The first copy turned up in the interval.

I was elated on reading your Introduction. It seems to me that you handled Democritus’ relationship to his predecessors beautifully. To me at least it cast new light on one point: the reconciliation of the fixed absolute and formless change (atom and movement). Worthy of admiration in the original is the treatment of perceptible qualities. He goes to great lengths to defend his basic idea in his discussion of the sense of sight. A number of his moral aphorisms have real beauty, but many reek of philistine pettiness (ethical theory of herds of swine). The translation seems on the whole to be letter-perfect insofar as I can judge from my inadequate knowledge of French. Noteworthy is the firm belief in physical causality, which is not even stopped by the will of Homo sapiens. To my knowledge only Spinoza was so radical and so consistent.

My field theory is progressing smoothly. Cartan has done some good work in this area. I myself am working with a mathematician (W. Mayer of Vienna), a splendid fellow who would have been given a professorship long ago if he were not a Jew. I often think of the lovely Parisian days, but am satisfied with my relatively peaceful existence here. Do not hesitate to call on me if you think I can be of help in any way.

Cordial regards

A. Einstein