Oppenheimer’s Legacy: What Can We Learn from Oppenheimer Today?
‘Perspectives’ is a joint project of The Beautiful Truth and Leaders on Purpose. During the 6th annual Leaders on Purpose CEO Summit in September 2023, The Beautiful Truth conducted interviews with influential corporate leaders and thought leaders. The goal was to gain insight into their perspectives on purposeful business and answer the question: what actions should our businesses take in the current historical context?
Charles Oppenheimer is the grandson of Robert Oppenheimer, who was responsible for the research and design of the atomic bomb. He is also the founder of The Oppenheimer Project, a nonprofit committed to honouring Oppenheimer’s legacy and advancing a safer future in the face of technological change.
“My grandfather saw the effect of making this technology – it made war impossible and people had to get together in a new way.”
This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.
What is Robert Oppenheimer’s legacy?
One of my grandfather’s insights, when he made the atomic bomb, was that mankind must unite or we will perish. That message is as strong and as relevant as ever. The idea itself carries such weight; we’re asking ourselves, are we going to exist in humanity anymore? I feel I need to push that forward.
How have you dealt with being related to someone so well known?
Being related to a famous person sweeps you up into an area of fame that you don’t have control over. People have all these expectations for you, and so historically my family hasn’t involved itself in that.
I therefore didn’t deal with my grandfather’s legacy for much of my life; I pursued business, chasing profit within the software industry. But we all need to be driven by a fundamental purpose. It took asking myself: what would be the best use of my time? Because it’s so easy to get distracted and divert from that path.
Why is it so important to pursue your purpose?
It took me a while to get there, but only later in my life did I feel like I could deal with my grandfather’s legacy and talk about it publicly. More recently I’ve been able to pursue my family’s purpose – bringing people together for the greater good – it’s a heavy, burdensome one but I feel it has the most impact. I feel this purpose is limitless and has the potential to solve the world’s greatest problems.
“His values relate to most of the modern challenges that we have, which include dealing with the effects of the science and technology that we make.”
How are you using his legacy today?
I founded the The Oppenheimer Project in order to represent and carry on the voice of my grandfather’s views. Our nonprofit supports my grandfather’s vision of international cooperation and increased unity to address existential threats that arise from the growth of science and technology. My grandfather saw the effect of making this technology – it made war impossible and people had to get together in a new way.
I think it’s taken around 70 or 80 years for us to really understand this. Now if you say, “we need new levels of cooperation”, people believe that, especially when it comes to issues like climate change and reducing carbon. But he was talking about this idea of collaboration in 1945.
Why is it so important that we listen to your grandfather’s message?
I believe Oppenheimer’s legacy of collaboration can really help the world. His values relate to most of the modern challenges that we have, which include dealing with the effects of the science and technology that we make. I’ve found a huge level of purpose in pursuing this.
