Seventy years since the Russell-Einstein Manifesto: Origins and enduring legacy
Journal title WELFARE E ERGONOMIA
Author/s Maurizio Gentilini
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/1
Language Italian Pages 25 P. 35-59 File size 103 KB
DOI 10.3280/WE2026-001003
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation
click here
Below, you can see the article first page
If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits
FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.
The essay examines the genesis of the 1955 Russell–Einstein Manifesto, the first and most authoritative document produced by the scientific community to address the threat posed to humankind by nuclear weapons. The Manifesto urged governments across the world to pursue peaceful methods for the resolution of international disputes, grounded in dialogue, cooperation, and a profound commitment to safeguarding the future of humankind. The study analyzes the principal features of Russell’s and Einstein’s pacifist thought, situating them within the historical contexts in which they matured, and identifies the major intellectual influences that contributed to their formation. Particular emphasis is placed on the international political landscape of the immediate postwar era, dominated by the tensions of the Cold War. Furthermore, the essay investigates the initial repercussions of the Manifesto within the scientific community, focusing on the initiatives undertaken to promote peace and, on the articulation, and evolution of the concept of “scientific diplomacy”. Finally, the essay engages with the concept of peace in the context of the Anthropocene, an era defined by the recognition of humanity and anthropogenic activity as ecological forces capable of transforming the fundamental laws of nature. This paradigm shift necessitates a reconfiguration of the relationship between the environment and human society, and, consequently, prompts a redefinition of the notion of “peace.”
Keywords: pacifism; science and peace; science diplomacy; antropocene.
Maurizio Gentilini, A settant’anni dal “Manifesto Russell-Einstein”: origini ed eredità di un documento in "WELFARE E ERGONOMIA" 1/2026, pp 35-59, DOI: 10.3280/WE2026-001003