Claims that Albert Einstein once said, "Two things inspire me to awe – the starry heavens above and the moral universe within."
Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. The starry heavens represent the physical world. Kant’s moral law evokes an inner stirring. "Gesetz" usually translates as "law," but it can also mean "act." Clearly, as a moral response arising within me, it describes my will. Despite his count of "zwei Dinge" or "two things," Kant’s quote actually points to a 3rd elementary impenetrable as well. Notice how the quote moves from universal references to mind (Gemüt) and thoughtful reflection (Nachdenken) over to the highly personal "starry heavens above me" (über mir) and "moral law within me" (in mir). The power of his expression derives from his personal position midway between physical and ethical space. Likewise, I find myself positioned between the physical world and the will inside me.