Theory of Colours [Paperback]

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1970

By closely following Goethe's explanations of the color phenomena, the reader may become so divorced from the wavelength theory—Goethe never even mentions it—that he may begin to think about color theory relatively unhampered by prejudice, ancient or modern.

Editorial Reviews

Review

By the time Goethe's Theory of Colours appeared in 1810, the wavelength theory of light and color had been firmly established. To Goethe, the theory was the result of mistaking an incidental result for an elemental principle. Far from pretending to a knowledge of physics, he insisted that such knowledge was an actual hindrance to understanding. He based his conclusions exclusively upon exhaustive personal observation of the phenomena of color.Of his own theory, Goethe was supremely confident: "From the philosopher, we believe we merit thanks for having traced the phenomena of colours to their first sources, to the circumstances under which they appear and are, and beyond which no further explanation respecting them is possible."Goethe's scientific conclusions have, of course, long since been thoroughly demolished, but the intelligent reader of today may enjoy this work on quite different grounds: for the beauty and sweep of his conjectures regarding the connection between color and philosophical ideas; for an insight into early nineteenth-century beliefs and modes of thought; and for the flavor of life in Europe just after the American and French Revolutions.The work may also be read as an accurate guide to the study of color phenomena. Goethe's conclusions have been repudiated, but no one quarrels with his reporting of the facts to be observed. With simple objects ;vessels, prisms, lenses, and the like ;the reader will be led through a demonstration course not only in subjectively produced colors, but also in the observable physical phenomena of color. By closely following Goethe's explanations of the color phenomena, the reader may become so divorced from the wavelength theory ;Goethe never even mentions it ;that he may begin to think about color theory relatively unhampered by prejudice, ancient or modern.

About the Author

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), a towering figure in German literature, was the author of The Sorrows of Young Werther, Faust, Italian Journey, The Theory of Colours (MIT Press edition, 1970), and many other works.

Product Details

• Paperback: 423 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (March 15, 1970)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262570211
• ISBN-13: 978-0262570213
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #730,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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112 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating introduction to Goethean science, August 5, 2000

By 

Frank Bierbrauer (Cardiff, Wales, UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Theory of Colours (Paperback)

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, probably the greatest of Germany's poets, was also an avid amateur scientist and displayed through his careful observations and his keen, what might now be called phenomenological, mind an ability to discern the depth of the phenomenon in question, in this case the origin of colours. In direct contradiction to Newton whose theory of colour formation, based on his earlier prism experiments and their interpretation, was the accepted theory of the time in all scientific circles and laymen alike, with one exception, that of painting and artistic use of colour.

Goethe, being fascinated by the colours generated from the prism conducted his own investigations and found to his great surprise that Newton's theory was, if not incorrect, but rather mechanical in nature and based on an "interpretation" of the phenomenon rather than the truth as it stands. Goethe through his investigations into natural phenomena gave rise to the idea of the archetypal phenomenon or Ur-phenomenon, in this case meaning the movement or active form present in the phenomenon which gives it its character rather than some static image such as a Darwinian ancestor. Goethe noted that it is possible to actually experience the fullness of the phenomenon ie the coming into being of the colours themselves and that the human being can not only theorise in the conventional sense of Kant but can in fact truly know the phenomenon as it is. Contemporary science as it also was then does not acknowledge such a possibility.

The book is basically a written account of experiments done by Goethe on the generation of colour in natural events and his own experiments to bring to the fore the ground of all colour generation. It displays great care in his observations and it gives a wide ranging explanation of colour in the sciences, the arts such as painting and also deals to some degree with the experience of colours in the physiological domain. It is all encompassing in its attempt to understand the colour phenomenon in all of its many incarnations. It is convincing in its comprehension of colours and yet at times leaves one dissatisfied because it lacks mathematical rigour or measurement that is characteristic of science today. This habitual way of thinking present in scientists is rather hard to dislodge even when the mind is open, the main reason for this being the hard edged practicality of such an approach.

I would think that Goethe's book can be looked at as an introduction to his way of doing science and as a first attempt to fathom the real depth of the phenomenon which is inherent in his approach and sorely lacking in "normal" science. Naturally, this does not mean scientists themselves haven't used similar approaches, the names of Faraday and his investigation of electromagnetism and Heisenberg in his description of the limitation induced by the scientific method to the investigation of natural processes, come to mind. It is the cutting down of the original "life" present in their investigations that is lacking today, perhaps a Goethean approach can lead back to the intensification of science that is needed.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Existential View of Colour and Sight, January 20, 2008

By 

David Hume (New York, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Theory of Colours (Paperback)

Clever, original, speculative.

Ideas like Goethe's are the wellspring of new fashions in thought, whether they are 'right' or not.

Maybe Newton was supported by better evidence in his analysis of light and colour, but Goethe's views are a study in how the inquisitive human mind speculates on fascinating topics and comes up with answers that demand consideration and respect - whether they are 'right' in reality or just useful as ideas in themselves.

This book will provide insights into how we think, not just how we explain phenomenon.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, partial translation, October 29, 2007

By 

Matei N. PLESU (Bucharest, RO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Theory of Colours (Dover Fine Art, History of Art) (Paperback)

Very solid, explicative (often clearer than the original text) translation of the "Didactical Part" of the "Theory of Colours".
Although, the complete "Theory of Colours" also includes a "Historical Part" and a "Polemical Part"...