amherst said:
1. Because Einstein found them significant enough to write what he did.
2. Because Einstein couldn't.
3. Because Einstein was impressed enough to write what he did.
4. You really don't give him much credit do you? I think that before Einstein wrote the favorable preface he most likely thought very deeply about what he had read.
5. Because Claus claimed his position was exactly what Einsteins was.
6. His agreement with Einstein. Again, Einstein found the results compelling enough to write what he did.
7&8. I've already explained why it is obvious that Einstein looked at the experiments favorably. You only have to read his preface to see that he did.
amherst
1. I don't think you can make assumptions about Claus's state of mind from what you believe Einstein's was. Just because Einstein thought them INTERESTING (in SOME respect, not necessarily the one YOU believe) doesn't mean that either he or Claus finds them "significant". For what it's worth, *I* also agree with what Einstein actually said, that if the experiments were NOT an example of "psi" then they should be of interest to psychologists because it appears that the honesty of the experimenter does not preclude the possibility of self-deception. THAT is of interest and may be of some significance to me personally. But I don't find anything otherwise "significant" about these experiments.
2. This doesn't make any sense at all. Einstein DID offer a mundane explanation - that it was self-deception. Ignoring that and pretending it doesn't exist is hardly a valid argument. And regardless of whether he did or not offer a mundane explanation it doesn't mean he COULDN'T do so. "Didn't" doesn't mean "couldn't".
3. Again what may have impressed Einstein doesn't necessarily impress Claus, (or me). And even if he was impressed, you can't say for certain WHAT he was impressed about: the possibility of psi or the possibility of self-deception in an honest man. Einstein leaves the point sufficiently ambiguous. The reason why is probably quite obvious, the guy was a friend of his and he didn't want to insult him, at the same time he didn't want to commit to something that could be seen as an endorsement of "psi". In fact, if you bothered to check Einstein out properly you would realise that "psi" is something that Einstein was implacably opposed to throughout his life. For example, one of Einstein's famous quotations:
From:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/einstein.htm
I close these expositions, which have grown rather lengthy, concerning the interpretation of quantum theory with the reproduction of a brief conversation which I had with an important theoretical physicist. He: "I am inclined to believe in telepathy." I: "This has probably more to do with physics than with psychology." He: "Yes."
Read the whole paper, it will give you a good insight into just how materialist/rationalist Einstein was.
You might also look up Einstein's famous criticism of quantum mechanics as "spooky action at a distance". He himself described the position of equating equating QM to "psi" was a case of reducing to absurdity. Hence he thought "psi" an absurdity.
4. I don't see your point. I never said or implied that Einstein didn't think deeply about what he said. Nor did I fail to give him any due "credit". Your argument has no relation to the facts. And what Einstein is LIKELY to have done is not necessarily exactly what he DID do.
5. Claus declared his position to be the same as Einstein's. So is mine. Your argument is predicated on the assumption that Einstein had no mundane explanation, which is obviously untrue because he GAVE such an explanation. And secondly, even if Claus (or I) agree with Einstein that the matter is "interesting", that in no way implies that ANY of us are unable to offer a mundane explanation. I have already offered one, so did Einstein and I can't remember if Claus did or not!
6. I guess we should clarify what is meant by "compelling". Compelling to WHAT is the question? Einstein did not say the evidence was compelling, you did. What Einstein said and what you THINK he was trying to say, are two different things. There is no evidence that Einstein found the results "compelling".
7&8. It is NOT obvious that Einstein found the experiments "favorable". You are simply constructing something that doesn't exist. Einstein found the experiments INTERESTING. That is precisely the word he used. He did NOT say, "compelling" or "favorable" or anything else. You are trying to put words into his mouth. And "interesting" is hardly an endorsement. I have read many books about psi etc. Many are interesting. But that doesn't mean that I believe a word of it or think that the material is in any way valid.
