“How can it be that mathematics, being, after all, a product of human thought which is independent of experience, is so admirably appropriate to the objects of reality? Is human reason, then, without experience, merely by taking thought, able to fathom the properties of real things?”
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Source: Sidelights on Relativity (1922)
About this quote
This source-reviewed Einstein quotation develops a complete idea around mathematics, product, human. The wording "How can it be that mathematics, being, after all, a…" is tied to Sidelights on Relativity (1922), so readers can connect its themes of science and honesty to a documented context rather than a detached slogan.
When to use it
- Use "How can it be that mathematics, being, after all, a…" in a science discussion, then ask which concrete claim the wording makes.
- Compare its treatment of mathematics with product in a lesson, essay, or editorial note before drawing a conclusion.
- When publishing or narrating it, retain the documented source trail to Sidelights on Relativity (1922) so the quotation stays connected to its original context.