1898: ‘The simultaneity of two events or the order of
their succession, as well as the equality of two time
intervals, must be defined in such a way
that the statement of the natural laws be as
simple as possible. In other words,
all rules and definitions are but the result of
unconscious opportunism.’
1904: ‘the principle of relativity, according to which the
laws of physical phenomena should be the same
whether for an observer fixed or for an
observer carried along by uniform movement or
translation.’
‘Perhaps likewise, we
should construct a whole new mechanics, …
where, inertia increasing with the velocity, the velocity
of light would become an impassible limit.’