"Of course, Einstein was a very great scientist indeed, and I have enormous respect for him, and great admiration for the discoveries he made. But he was very committed to a view of the objectivity of the physical world"

John Polkinghorne is expressing his affection for Albert Einstein and the discoveries he made. He acknowledges that Einstein was a terrific scientist and that he has an excellent respect for him. Nevertheless, he also acknowledges that Einstein was very committed to the concept of the real world being objective. This indicates that he thought that the physical world was not affected by the observer, and that it was the same for everybody. This view of the physical world is still extensively accepted today, and it is a testament to Einstein's genius that he had the ability to develop such an innovative concept. Polkinghorne's quote is an excellent reminder of the significance of Einstein's work and the impact it has actually had on the scientific community.