Abstract

Goethe’s rejection of Newton’s theory of colors is an interesting example of the vulnerability of the human mind—however brilliant it might be—to fanaticism. After an analysis of Goethe’s persistent fascination with magic and occultism, of his education, existential experiences, influences, and idiosyncrasies, the authors propose an original interpretation of his anti-Newtonian position. The relevance of Goethe’s Farbenlehre to physics and physiology, from the perspective of modern science, is discussed in detail.

Details

Title
Goethe’s theory of colors between the ancient philosophy, middle ages occultism and modern science
Author
Barsan, Victor 1 ; Merticariu, Andrei 2 

 Department of Theoretical Physics, Horia Hulubei Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Aleea Reactorului nr. 30, Magurele, Bucharest, Romania 
 Ophthalmological Emergency Hospital, Piata Alexandru Lahovari nr. 1A, Bucharest, Romania 
Publication year
2016
Publication date
Dec 2016
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Ltd.
e-ISSN
23311983
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1860804507
Copyright
© 2016 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.