The internet becomes a lot more fascinating if we slow down and dig deep. (2ND DRAFT)
We live in an age with more access to information than at any other point in history, and the sheer volume of information keeps expanding, all the time. As a basic function of survival, we have learned to have short and limited attention spans, and this seems to be reflected in many of the comment threads related to the articles. The issue is even further compounded by articles about articles,or even articles about articles about articles. Here is an example, which is an article about an article about an article about a book.
This article was written about this article, which itself about this article, which was about one small section of this book. At each stage, there's a bit of editorial commentary, which fed off the prior stage. Only one article made any attempt to add some historical context, and the bit that was added was cherry picked, or an opinion stated as fact, or an oversimplification, and its narrative breaks down upon closer inspection. There are more factors involved in this story than any of the article writers cared to delve into; I'd be surprised if any of the article writers actually read the book they are sourcing.
Full disclosure: I haven't read the entire book. I have read a lot about him and have an older biography, and have read the specific section the list finds itself in, in which a much involved and interesting picture is painted.
This list of conditions they are all talking about was during the time when he and Maric were arguing about remaining in Berlin or moving back to Zurich. Maric hated and very much wanted to move back to Zurich, and Albert very much did not. Albert was a Jew, and Maric had their sons baptised catholic. They were already sleeping in separate bedrooms. Maric was also dealing with the suicide of her best friend Clara Haber, and her own long-standing depression. The year these conditions were written (1914) was also the start of World War I and the beginning of him being the director of the KWIP, and his open pacifism was alienating him from many relationships, professional and otherwise, including his relationship with Maric. There was also possibly some professional jealousy involved, as well as Albert's wandering penis.
The full story is actually really interesting. I think cutting out a sliver of the story and representing it as the whole story doesn't do Albert or Maric any great service. Einstein was remarkably progressive and supportive of woman in physics and his record stands out against contemporaries (like Planck) who were very unsupportive. Good examples are the career help and advocacy he gave to Marietta Blau and Emmy Noether, and they aren't the only examples. That doesn't mean he's beyond reproach, of course. He was remarkably progressive *for his time*, but from today's standards he'd likely still have some work to do. There are more elements, like why it was expected of her to be a hausfrau when she was also a working physicist. Some of this could be cultural, some of this could be personal. In other words, Maric MIGHT have been of greater note as a physicist had she not had a baby at her hip, in Germany, in the early 1900's.
To be certain, the full story would be impossible to tell in a single article. However, where an article ends their reporting is probably the best indicator of whether their reporting is biases or balanced. In this case, all it takes is to read a paragraph or two past the list these articles focus on:
"Mari accepted the terms. When Haber delivered her response, Einstein insisted on writing to her again “so that you are completely clear about the situation.” He was prepared to live together again “because I don’t want to lose the children and I don’t want them to lose me.” It was out of the question that he would have a “friendly” relationship with her, but he would aim for a “businesslike” one. “The personal aspects must be reduced to a tiny remnant,” he said. “In return, I assure you of proper comportment on my part, such as I would exercise to any woman as a stranger.”
Only then did Mari realize that the relationship was not salvageable. They all met at Haber’s house on a Friday to work out a separatio agreement. It took three hours. Einstein agreed to provide Mari and his children 5,600 marks a year, just under half of his primary salary. Haber and Mari went to a lawyer to have the contract drawn up; Einstein did not accompany them, but instead sent his friend Michele Besso, who had come from Trieste to represent him."
This doesn't strike me as someone who was looking to enslave his wife, but rather as someone who was trying to get out of his relationship, and give his wife every reason to get out possible. I could be wrong. But either way, a balanced report of this story needs at least enough information to show the nuance of the situaton. It can't be gleaned by reading a quick blurb, factually sparse, and brimming with editorial commentary. It takes more research, deeper analysis, perhaps even buying the book, or at least reading the relevant context in a free online copy of the book, to be able to really appreciate the complexity and humanity of the situation. This can't be done in a few minutes, or even an hour. But but by going beyond the surface, beyond hyped-up, emotionally charged clickbait, and diving deep into a subject, we discover a richness and vibrance that just can't be found in quick quotes and blurbs.
In any event, what the hell is a website with the name of Business Insider doing posting an article about Einstein anyway?
(Spoiler alert: driving traffic to their website. That's pretty much all they are doing.)