DOC.
649
NOVEMBER
1918
691
and had
not
the
least
perception
that
it
was
based
on psychological grounds
that
had
become
increasingly
unstable.
People of
the
likes
of
Godin, Ruskin, Friese,
Merton,
and
Abbe,
who strove with all
their
might
toward
new
grounds[4]-as
was
necessary
within the
foreseeable future
for
a
worker-dominated
population,
even
with tolerable
management
and without the
convulsions
brought
on
by
war–
remained
solitary
voices.
Today
one
would be
prepared
to sacrifice
anything
in
that
line,
of
course:
but
not
only
does it
seem
to be
late
for that,
there
is
also
a
complete
lack
of
psychological
preparation.
One
is just
as
little
acquainted
with
the
functions
that had
sufficed
for the
foregoing
social
organs
to be able
to
attend
to
the
emotional conditions
for
a new
creation and for
a recognition
of
things
in
the
making.
This
was
certainly
the
case everywhere
to almost
the
same
degree-the
advantage
that
West and
East
had with
regard
to directness in
human
relations,
as
well
as
the
West’s
advantage
with
regard
to
the
development
of
the
communal
will through
the
counsel
of
equals,
are
probably
hardly adequate
to
prevent
the
encroachment
of
this movement.
Perhaps,
if
we are
still alive in
three
or
four
years,
the
time
will
have
come
when social and
political development
will
be
seeking
intellectual
crystallization
centers and
there
will
be
something
for
us
to do
as
well.
In
the
meantime, erstwhile,
like
Archimedes,
we are
plagued
by
the
missing
red shift
and,
on
the small
scale, by
the still
open
explanation
of
Ehrenhaft’s
experiments.[5]
Affectionately yours,
Michele
On
the Ehrenhaft
experiments:
I
initially
thought I
understood
clearly
that
as
soon as
the
velocities
coming
into consideration
in
Brownian motion-maybe
mv/M,
not
mv2/M
-become
large against
the directed
motion,
the
mobility
would
rapidly
become smaller.
But
I cannot
succeed
in
fixing
the
idea
quantitatively:
it
seems
to
be
something
more
deeply
seated
than that.
16
November
1918.
After
a
few
days
of
stress,
I
am
happily
back in Zurich.
May
the
regrouping
in
Germany
come
out
well,
which
really
can
be of immense
significance
to
the
whole of
mankind![6]
In
your family
home all
is well
and in
good order;
the
children
are
in excellent
shape.
The
day
before
yesterday
little
Albert
came over
for Vero’s
birthday.
17
November
1918:
I
just
saw
little Albert
and
Tete-in
good
health.