This first assignment this term asks you to write a short essay analysing the biography we are using as a textbook this term. It is Matthew Stanley, Einstein’s War : How Relativity Triumphed Amid the Vicious Nationalism of World War I (New York, New York: Dutton, 2019). This biography, as the author explains, follows Einstein’s life and ideas into and out of World War One. Assess the purpose of this framework. Is the book’s focus on the impact of war on Einstein and others trying to convince us that science and scientists are more political than we imagine? Or, is the book’s focus on the impact of war on Einstein and others trying to convince us that, ultimately, science is beyond politics (after all, Einstein did succeed in finding his calculations for general relativity)? Or, neither?
Criteria for Evaluation:
Participation in tutorial discussion on the biography to develop this essay.
Level of your understanding of the biography’s arguments about science, scientists and politics.
A clear argument that responds to the question, above, supported with evidence from the book.
Writing style, including good paragraph structure, clarity, and organizational structure.
Correct grammar and essay-mechanics (title, spelling, punctuation)
Ability to follow presentation instructions for format.
Format:
1. Your work should be typed, double-spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman font.
2. Use 1-inch margins, and number your pages.
3. Submit a doc or docx file – if you use another format for writing, like Google Docs, you must convert it before submitting.
4. Submit to the 1911 website by the deadline with your doc or docx file properly labelled: last name first name, course name, assignment name and date.
E.g “LastnameFirstname1911Assignment62022.doc”
5. Follow University of Chicago format for any quotations, as with your other assignments.
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