Running head: EINSTEIN AND FREUD

Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud's Ideas

Introduction
Although they are not often compared due to the differing nature of their contributions to
science, both Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud added a great deal to science. However, there is
a greatly increased amount of attention placed on Einstein in comparison to Freud, and much of
this can be attributed to the greater prominence of Einstein during his heyday, such as his work
on the atomic bomb and his work on the famous Theory of Relativity. However, although Freud
is oftentimes pushed to the sidelines, it should be said that Freud's ideas are just as revolutionary
as Einstein's. This paper will take a look at some of these oftentimes clashing ideas and discover
just how and why Freud is actually just as revolutionary, from an ideological perspective, as
Einstein himself.
Data/Evidence
Many people do not understand the impact that Freud's work had on science in general,
especially psychology. According to the textbook, the ideas of Freud were actually as
revolutionary as Einstein's, in large part because Freud, like Einstein, constructed theories that
have stood the test of time. The only difference, in this regard, is the subject itself. While Freud
focused on psychology, Einstein focused on physics. Another source makes mention of some of
the accomplishments of Freud in comparison to Einstein, stating that Einstein had accumulated
315 scientific publications, while Freud had actually surpassed him, with 320 publications. This
means that, from a purely objective standpoint, Freud actually contributed more in regards to
journal entries and the like than even Einstein himself. Of course, this is merely looking at the
contributions of each scientist from a very specific viewpoint, and in general, the two scientists
tend to trade blows when it comes to actual contributions. Furthermore, another source mentions

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in detail the contributions of both scientists, stating that Einstein, at one point, actually petitioned
Freud for help, asking him for practical ways to apply psychological insight systematically to
domestic and international politics, which Einstein mentioned in his letter to Freud in 1932.
Analysis
These types of articles help to demonstrate that the comparison between Einstein and
Freud is not entirely in Einstein's favor, as many believe, and, in fact, Freud has contributed just
as much. Even Einstein himself, then, according to the source, acknowledges the unique
contributions of Freud to science, and how Einstein and Freud both contributed much in their
own way, yet Einstein did still rely on Freud at times. This is a testament to just how prolific the
work done by Freud was for the field of psychology. This was especially important, too, because
the field of psychology was one that was truly coming into its own around Freud's time, and it
was primarily because of the contributions of Freud to this field that psychology was able to
evolve and develop into the way that it is today. This is not to say that Einstein himself did not
contribute much to science. Obviously, he contributed a great deal as well, many of which, like
Freud's work, continues to persist in a practical way today.
Conclusion
Ultimately, both Einstein and Freud contributed their own unique research and findings
to science, yet at the same time Freud seems to have largely been left in the dust, so to speak.
This is because many of the contributions by Einstein occurred during a world war, and,
likewise, he became much more well-known as a result. On the other hand, Freud's contributions
to science were a bit less pressing, and less salient, yet this does not mean that they were any less
important, since they did, as history has demonstrated, contributed a great deal to psychology. It
essentially comes down to quantity versus quality: Einstein contributed less, but it was far more

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important, while Freud contributed more, but its importance is diminished. Either way, both
scientists are equals in terms of their overall contribution to science.

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4
References

Davidson, W. D., & Montville, J. V. (1981). Foreign policy according to Freud. Foreign Policy,
(45), 145-157.
Kantha, S. S. (1996). Scientific productivity of Einstein, Freud and Landsteiner. Medical
hypotheses, 46(5), 467-470.
World History (2015). Chapter 31: Years of Crisis. 897-899.