Goethe's Conception of the World
GA 6
Foreword to the New Edition
[ 1 ] The outline of Goethe's world-conception attempted in this book, was a task which I undertook in the year 1897, with the object of giving a comprehensive presentation of what a prolonged study of Goethe's mental life had given me. The Foreword to the First Edition describes what I then conceived to be my aim. If I were to re-write this Foreword to-day I should in no way change its content, but only its style. As, however, I see no reason to make any essential alterations in the book, it would not seem right to speak in a different way about the feelings with which I published it twenty years ago. Neither my further studies of Goethean Literature since the publication, nor the results of recent scientific research have modified the thoughts expressed in the book. I do not think that I lack understanding of the great progress made by scientific research in the last twenty years; neither do I think that this progress affords any ground for speaking of Goethe's world-conception at the present time in a sense other than I did in 1897. What I said at that time about the relation of Goethe's world-conception to the then current ideas of Nature, appears to me also to hold good in reference to the Natural Science of our day. The form of my book would in no way differ if I had written it now. The only thing which distinguishes the new edition from the old is the fact that I have elaborated several passages and made certain additions which seemed to me important.
[ 2 ] In the Afterword to this new edition I have referred to the fact that what I have for sixteen years been publishing about Spiritual Science has not in any way induced me to make any essential alterations in the contents of this book.
RUDOLF STEINER
Vorrede zur neuen Ausgabe
[ 1 ] Die in dieser Schrift versuchte Schilderung der Goetheschen Weltanschauung habe ich im Jahre 1897 unternommen als zusammenfassende Darstellung dessen, was mit die Betrachtung des Goethe'schen Geisteslebens im Laufe vieler Jahre gegeben hatte. Wie ich damals mein Ziel empfunden habe, davon gibt die «Vorrede zur ersten Auflage» ein Bild. Diese Vorrede würde ich, schriebe ich sie heute, keineswegs dem Inhalte, sondern nur dem Stile nach anders verfassen. Da aber kein mir ersichtlicher Grund vorliegt, ein Wesentliches an diesem Buche sonst zu ändern, so erschiene es mir als eine Unaufrichtigkeit, von den Empfindungen, mit denen ich vor zwanzig Jahren das Buch in die Welt sandte, heute in einer anderen Tonart zu reden. Weder hat, was ich seit seiner Veröffentlichung in der Literatur über Goethe habe verfolgen können, noch was an Ergebnissen die neueste Naturforschung erbracht hat, meine in dem Buche ausgesprochenen Gedanken geändert. Ich glaube nicht ohne Verständnis zu sein für die großen Fortschritte dieser Forschung in den letzten zwanzig Jahren. Daß durch sie ein Grund gegeben ist, über Goethes Weltanschauung gegenwärtig anders zu sprechen, als ich es 1897 getan habe, glaube ich nicht. Was ich über das Verhältnis der Goetheschen Weltanschauung zu dem damaligen Stand der allgemein anerkannten Natur-Ideen gesagt habe, scheint mir auch zu gelten mit Bezug auf die Naturwissenschaft unserer Tage. Die Haltung meines Buches wäre keine andere, wenn ich es in der Gegenwart erst geschrieben hätte. Nur mir wichtig erscheinende Erweiterungen und Ergänzungen an manchen Stellen unterscheiden die neue Ausgabe von der alten.
[ 2 ] Daß mich auch zu keiner wesentlichen Änderung des Inhalts drängen kann, was ich seit sechzehn Jahren über Geisteswissenschaft veröffentlicht habe, darüber habe ich mich in dem dieser Neuausgabe angefügten «Nachwort» ausgesprochen.
Rudolf Steiner
Preface to the new edition
[ 1 ] I undertook the description of Goethe's world view attempted in this work in 1897 as a summarizing account of what I had gained from the contemplation of Goethe's spiritual life over the course of many years. The "Preface to the first edition" gives a picture of how I felt about my aim at the time. If I were writing this preface today, I would by no means write it differently in terms of content, but only in terms of style. However, since there is no apparent reason for me to change anything essential about this book, it would seem to me to be dishonest to speak in a different tone today of the sentiments with which I sent the book into the world twenty years ago. Neither what I have been able to follow in the literature about Goethe since its publication, nor what the latest research into nature has produced, has changed the thoughts I expressed in the book. I believe I am not without sympathy for the great progress made in this research over the last twenty years. I do not believe that they give me a reason to speak differently about Goethe's world view than I did in 1897. What I have said about the relationship of Goethe's world view to the generally recognized ideas of nature at that time also seems to me to apply to the natural science of our day. The attitude of my book would be no different if I had written it in the present. The only difference between the new edition and the old one is what I consider to be important extensions and additions in some places.
[ 2 ] I have stated in the "Afterword" appended to this new edition that I cannot be forced to make any substantial changes to the content of what I have published on spiritual science over the past sixteen years.
Rudolf Steiner