When Morality Is Hard to Like; February/March 2008; Scientific American Mind; by Jorge Moll and Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza; 6 Page(s)

On August 2, 1939, as the specter of the second World War loomed, Albert Einstein wrote President Franklin D. Roosevelt a letter he knew could affect the war and the future of humanity. The subject was the possibility of developing nuclear weapons. "Certain aspects of this situation," Einstein wrote, ...seem to call for watchfulness and, if necessary, quick action on the part of the Administration. I believe therefore that it is my duty to bring to your attention the following facts and recommendations....

Einstein's letter encapsulates key aspects of moral judgment: moral sentiment (his concern about the outcome of World War II); recognition of a moral dilemma (whether to disclose scientific evidence that could lead to a fearsomely lethal new weapon) and a utilitarian calculus (Would more lives be spared if America rather than Germany eventually built such a weapon?). It must have been a terrible struggle deciding whether to write that letter.