Great Spirits Have Always

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On March 19, 1940, Albert Einstein wrote, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” He wrote this in a letter to Morris Raphael Cohen, a professor of philosophy at the City College of New York, defending the appointment of Bertrand Russell to a teaching position. Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, mathematician, historian, and social critic. The quote is stating that violent oppression is the actions taken by the establishment. Mediocre minds would be the bureaucrats staffing the establishment. In a sense, these are words of encouragement to those who would try to bring change.