#matthewbell — Public Fediverse posts

https://observer.co.uk/culture/books/article/goethe-the-radical-reactionary

Excellent review by Rowan Williams* of Matthew Bell’s "Goethe: A Life in Ideas", which I read fairly recently.

I was struck by the account of Goethe's immersion in Spinozist metaphysics facilitating the development of an anthropocentric naturalism quite at odds with Newtonian science. I am no expert on optics and have read neither Newton nor Goethe on this topic, but I suspect that Goethe's importance lies in the psychology of colour perception rather than the physics of light. I'm not sure about Bell's claim that Goethe's account of Newton's methods and reception makes him pioneer of science studies.

I also noted Bell's account of the continuing influence on Goethe of Rousseau's distinction between amour de soi and amour-propre. In spite of an overhasty tendency today to think of Rousseau as being "on the left", the significance of his thought for Goethe, a conservative but not a reactionary, should remind us of the dangers of attempting to pigeonhole thinkers of the pre-revolutionary past into the political categories of the post-revolutionary present.

I think I'm right in saying that in the UK Goethe is more often mentioned than read. In addition to the usual problems attendant on the translation of poetry and drama, perhaps the impact of the two world wars explains this marginalisation.

*If Anglican bishops were Kpop idols, Rowan Williams would be my bias.

#Goethe #MatthewBell #Spinozism #Rousseau #RowanWilliams #GermanCulture #History #IntellectualHistory

https://observer.co.uk/culture/books/article/goethe-the-radical-reactionary

Excellent review by Rowan Williams* of Matthew Bell’s "Goethe: A Life in Ideas", which I read fairly recently.

I was struck by the account of Goethe's immersion in Spinozist metaphysics facilitating the development of an anthropocentric naturalism quite at odds with Newtonian science. I am no expert on optics and have read neither Newton nor Goethe on this topic, but I suspect that Goethe's importance lies in the psychology of colour perception rather than the physics of light. I'm not sure about Bell's claim that Goethe's account of Newton's methods and reception makes him pioneer of science studies.

I also noted Bell's account of the continuing influence on Goethe of Rousseau's distinction between amour de soi and amour-propre. In spite of an overhasty tendency today to think of Rousseau as being "on the left", the significance of his thought for Goethe, a conservative but not a reactionary, should remind us of the dangers of attempting to pigeonhole thinkers of the pre-revolutionary past into the political categories of the post-revolutionary present.

I think I'm right in saying that in the UK Goethe is more often mentioned than read. In addition to the usual problems attendant on the translation of poetry and drama, perhaps the impact of the two world wars explains this marginalisation.

*If Anglican bishops were Kpop idols, Rowan Williams would be my bias.

#Goethe #MatthewBell #Spinozism #Rousseau #RowanWilliams #GermanCulture #History #IntellectualHistory