Goethe …

• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) is known as one of the greatest German writers in history.
• He is considered by some to be one of the latest and greatest 'Renaissance Men' of modern times. He wrote great drama (Faust), poetry, literature, spiritual pieces, and even science.
• He is only slightly known as having contributed to Science. But in his own opinion, his ideas in science are among the most important things he felt he accomplished.
• Darwin learned from Goethe's ideas on how plants appear to change from one species into another - in his writings on Morphology.
• Goethe challenged Newton by writing his own Theory of Colours.
• "Before you can do something, you must first be something."
• "Divide and rule, a sound motto. Unite and lead, a better one."
• "If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses."
• Goethe believed that if you watched what nature does - the phenomena - you can read what nature wants to tell you.
• He advocated for seeing the wholeness of nature by paying attention to everything.
• His idea of an experiment was to pay so much attention to a natural phenomenon that it told you a secret.
• Goethe proposed method of doing science was:
  1. observe something - suspending thought,
  2. re-create it inside yourself - imagine it in detail.