Albert einstein letter to phyllis

In 1936, Albert Einstein wrote the following letter to a sixth-grade student, Phyllis Wright, in response to her questions: Do scientists pray? And if so, what do they pray for? Although Einstein does not “answer” Phyllis directly at all, but rather returns the question to her by offering different ways to think about the nature of science and religion. SOAPS is a mnemonic device which stands for Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, and Speaker. Using SOAPS, analyze the rhetorical situation in the following speech. Complete the SOAPS graphic organizer on the second page that dissects the letter.

January 24, 1936

Dear Phyllis,

I will attempt to reply to your question as simply as I can. Here is my answer:

Scientists believe that every occurrence, including the affairs of human beings, is due to the laws of nature. Therefore a scientist cannot be inclined to believe that the course of events can be influenced by prayer, that is, by a supernaturally manifested wish.

However, we must concede that our actual knowledge of these forces is imperfect, so that in the end the belief in the existence of a final, ultimate spirit rests on a kind of faith. Such belief remains widespread even with the current achievements in science.

But also, everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that some spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe, one that is vastly superior to that of man. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is surely quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive.

With cordial greetings,

your A. Einstein

Subject

The explicit subject here is whether scientists pray and, if so, what they pray for. Implicitly, the subject is the nature of faith. Einstein establishes what the factual nature of science and the “laws of nature” science must abide by, contradicting the “supernaturally manifested wish” that ultimately defines what Einstein believes a prayer is from Phyllis’ perception. However, Einstein contradicts the introduction to his answer with how the “nature also rests on a sort of faith,” establishing that some prayer is necessary in a scientific world. Einstein ultimately returns the question to Phyllis by offering different ways to think about the nature of science and religion and the way spiritual and scientific perspectives interact.

Occasion:

What is the occasion that the speaker is addressing? How does this effect his/her response? What is the context of the text in relation to the author’s purpose behind the text?

Audience

Who is the listener, viewer, or reader of the text/speech but it is important to understand that a message/text may have multiple audiences.

Purpose (think of this beyond answering Phyllis’ question, expand on the purpose behind Einstein wanting to write this letter)

Identify the intent behind the writing and the goal the speaker wants to achieve.

Speaker

Who is the speaker? How do they prove to have credibility in the subject-matter of the text?