However, recall that at the same time in (1946) 1949, in his Autobiographical Notes 3.

3. Moszkowski's Conversations with Einstein on Inventiveness

Einstein said:11 "Gradually I despaired of the possibility of discovering the true laws
by means of constructive efforts based on known facts. The longer and the more In the final chapter of his book, Conversations with Einstein, Gesprächen mit
desperately I tried, the more I came to the conviction that only the discovery of a Einstein, Alexander Moszkowski wrote, "At first it staggered me to hear Einstein say"
universal formal principle […]". This is the conventional English translation by that "The use of the word 'Discovery' in itself is to be deprecated. For discovery is
Schillp. equivalent to becoming aware of a thing which is already formed; this links up with
proof, which no longer bears the character of 'discovery' but, in the last instance, of
Einstein wrote his Autobiographical Notes in German, and in German the above the means that leads to discovery". According to Moszkowski, Einstein "then stated at
paragraph is the following: "Nach und nach verzweifelte ich an der Möglichkeit die first in blunt terms, which he afterwards elaborated by giving detailed illustrations"
wahren Gesetze durch auf bekannte Tatsachen sich stützende konstruktive that "Discovery is really not a creative act!". 15
Bemühungen herauszufinden. Je länger und verzweifelter ich mich bemühte, desto
mehr kam ich zu der Überzeugung, dass nur die Auffindung eines allgemeinen According to Moszkowski, Einstein told him, "For it is not true that this fundamental
formalen Prinzipes uns zu gesicherten Ergebnissen führen könnte".12 principle occurred to me as the primary thought. If this had been so perhaps it would
be justifiable to call it a 'discovery'. But the suddenness with which you assume it to
Einstein used two words: "herauszufinden" (find out): Gradually I despaired of the have occurred to me must be denied. Actually, I was lead to it by steps arising from
possibility of finding out the true laws […]"; and: "Auffindung" (discovering): "I came the individual laws derived from experience". Moszkowski then says that Einstein
to the conviction that only the discovery of a universal formal principle […]". supplemented this by emphasizing the conception "invention" and ascribed
Einstein thus did not find out true laws using constructive efforts. Instead he considerable importance to it: "Invention occurs here as a constructive act. This does
discovered a universal principle, in this case, the principle of relativity. not, therefore, constitute what is essentially original in the matter, but the creation of a
method of thought to arrive at a logically coherent system… the really valuable factor
Alberto Martínez asks in his latest book Kinematics, "Was the formulation of the
is intuition!"16
special theory of relativity a discovery [Entdeckung] or an invention [Erfindung]?
Nowadays, many writers call it a 'discovery'. But throughout his life, Einstein Towards the end of his book, Moszkowski found a close analogy between
emphasized the importance of invention, when characterizing his theoretical technological inventiveness and scientific inventiveness; he used the notion
contribution."13 "invention" and connected it with patents and inventors (empirical and technical work
on machines and inventions). Moszkowski wrote: "In 1901, after living in Switzerland
John Stachel argues that according to Einstein, the process of thinking consists of two
for five years, he acquired the citizenship of Zürich, and this at last gave him the
stages. The first stage "invention", is a solitary activity, primary non-verbal in nature.
opportunity of rising above material cares. His University friend, Marcel Grossman
"Many of the crucial thought experiments Einstein later reports confirm the existence
lent him a helping hand by recommending him to the Swiss Patent Office, the director
of this stage of the thinking process, utilizing visual and muscular imagery" (e.g.,
of which was his personal friend. Einstein occupied himself here from 1902 to 1905
chasing a light ray at the speed of light, the magnet and conductor thought
as a technical expert, that is, as an examiner of applications for patents, and this
experiment). At a secondary stage, it was necessary for him to transform the results of
position gave him the chance of moving about in absolute in the realms of technical
this primary process into forms communicable to others. This led Einstein to search
science. Whoever has a strong predilection for discovery will perhaps feel estranged
throughout his early life for people to act as "sounding boards" for his ideas. These
to find Einstein so long in the sphere of 'invention', but, as Einstein himself
people were capable of understanding the things that he explained to them, and of
emphasizes very strongly, both regions make great demands on clearly defined and
asking intelligent questions that could help Einstein develop his own ideas, but were
accurate thought. He recognizes a definite relationship between the knowledge that he
not capable of any creative effort of their own. Einstein moved back and forth
between the two stages in the course of the development of his ideas.14

15
Moszkowski, Alexander (1921b), Einstein the Searcher His Works Explained from Dialogues with
11
Einstein, 1949, p. 49. Einstein, 1921, translated by Henry L. Brose, London: Methuen & Go. LTD; appeared in 1970 as:
12
Einstein, 1949, p. 48. Conversations with Einstein, London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1970, pp. 94-95; Moszkowski, Alexander
13
Martínez, Alberto, Kinematics. The Lost Origins of Einstein's Relativity, 2009, Baltimore: The John (1921a), Einstein, Einblicke in seine Gedankenwelt. Gemeinverständliche Betrachtungen über die
Hopkins University Press, p. 285. Relativitätstheorie und ein neues Weltsystem. Entwickelt aus Gesprächen mit Einstein, 1921, Hamburg:
14
Stachel, John, Einstein’s Miraculous Year. Five Papers that Changed the Face of Physics, Hoffmann und Campe/ Berlin: F. Fontane & Co, p. 100.
16
1998/2005, Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, p. xxxv, p. xxxviii. Moszkowski, 1921b, p. 96; Moszkowski, 1921a, p. 101.
gained at the Patent Office and the theoretical results that appeared at the same time
as products of intensive thought". 17

4. Hadamard's conversations with Einstein on his creativity

Einstein used to describe the process by which fundamental laws are obtained as "free
creation of the mind". In an unpublished opening lecture for a course on the theory of
relativity that Einstein gave in Argentina in 1925, he said, "Not only are fundamental
laws the result of an act of imagination that cannot be controlled, but so are their
ingredients, the ideas derived from those laws. Thus, the concept of acceleration was
in itself an act of free creation of the mind which, even if supported by the
observation of the motion of solid bodies, assumes as a precondition nothing less than
the infinitesimal calculus".18

Jacques Hadamard, while preparing his 1945 book, The Mathematical Mind, asked
Einstein some questions about the process by which his ideas developed, and
published Einstein's answers,19

Hadamard asked: "It would be very helpful for the purpose of psychological
investigation to know what internal or mental images, what kind of 'internal world'
mathematicians make use of; whether they are motor, auditory, visual, or mixed,
depending on the subject which they are studying". Einstein replied:20

"(A) The words or the language, as they are written or spoken, do not seem to play
any role in my mechanism or thought. The psychical entities which seem to serve as
elements in thought are certain signs and more or less clear images which can be
'voluntarily' reproduced and combined.

There is of course, a certain connection between those elements and relevant logically
connected concepts. […]

(B) The above mentioned elements are, in my case, of visual and some of muscular
type. Conventional words or other signs have to be sought for laboriously only in a
secondary stage, when the mentioned associative play is sufficiently established and
can be reproduced at will.

(C) According to what has been said, the play with the mentioned elements is aimed
to be analogous to certain logical connections one is searching for".

17
Moszkowski, 1921b, p. 229; Moszkowski, 1921a, pp. 226-227.
18
Einstein, Albert, "Unpublished Opening Lecture for the Course on the Theory of Relativity in
Argentina, 1925", translated by Alejandro Gangui and Eduardo L. Ortiz, Science in Context 21, 2008,
pp. 451-459; p. 453.
19
Hadamard, Jacques, The Mathematical Mind, 1945, New Jersey: Princeton Science Library, p. 140.
20
Hadamard, 1945, pp. 142-143.