Einstein and Freud's 1932 Correspondence on War's Origins

In 1932, the League of Nations' Permanent Committee for Literature and Arts, established in 1931 to promote cultural exchange and peace, initiated a correspondence between Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud on the causes of war. Einstein, a committee member, readily agreed to participate. Their exchange, published as 'Why War?', explored the weakness of reason against primal instincts, presaging Europe's descent into conflict with the rise of the NSDAP in Germany. The committee, a precursor to the UN, sought to counter spreading nationalism through moral authority.