[(Goethe's Way of Science: A Phenomenology of Nature)] [Author: David Seamon] published on

by David Seamon

Though best known for his superlative poetry and plays, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) also produced a sizable body of scientific work that focused on such diverse topics as plants, color, clouds, weather, and geology. Goethe's way of science is highly unusual because it seeks to draw together the intuitive awareness of art with the rigorous observation and thinking of science. Written by major scholars and practitioners of Goethean science today, this book considers the philosophical foundations of Goethe's approach and applies the method to the real world of nature, including studies of plants, animals, and the movement of water. Part I discusses the philosophical foundations of the approach and clarifies its epistemology and methodology; Part II applies the method to the real world of nature; and Part III examines the future of Goethean science and emphasizes its great value for better understanding and caring for the natural environment.

Genres: Philosophy, Science

Unknown Binding

First published March 1, 1998

Reviews

[mahatmanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

he..he..ini buku lama tapi asyik shg perlu aku tulis dikit di goodreads sini.
ternyata, goethe itu bisa dibilang sebagai pemikir fenomenolgi, meski hidup lebih kuna dibanding huserl yang sering disebut sebagai bapak fenom. itu karena metoda penelitian goethe yang khas fenom itu baru ketahuan belakangan. yaitu metoda meneliti benda-benda langsung dari bendanya sendiri, lalu merunut ke situs tempat ia tumbuh dan dibesarkan.
dengan membanding-bandingkan daun dari suatu spesies yang tumbuh di tempat-tempat yang berbeda didapat kesimpulan bahwa memang ada relasi akrab antara spesies dengan situsnya.

[Mia Kalef · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for the budding phenomenologist or fan of intuitive practices. Goethe was best known as a playwright (Faust), but was also a genius scientist. He developed a theory for colour that contested Newton's at the time, and also developed scientific protocols for understanding trees and their deep soul natures.
I loved reading this and found myself wishing the world was more like his.
It takes a while to order this book because it is from a University Press, but it's worth the wait!