ABSTRACT
The fruits of scientific research are nourished by many roots, including the earlier work of other scientists. Significantly, Albert Einstein himself characterized his work as the "Maxwellian Program." This chapter talks about Einstein's rebellious image in more detail, examines the contradictory element, and demonstrates how the paradoxical tension between Einstein's rebellious image and his contradictory side was put to constructive use in his work. It also examines the influence of this tension as he adopted with daring courage a set of personal presuppositions that had a history reaching back to antiquity—but for which, as he put it to Max Born, moral support came only from his own "little finger." The testimonials offered by either side will aid in understanding better the motivations behind Einstein's behavior—and his science. A side excursion into the terminology and social stratification of Einstein's milieu is necessary.
