The Will To Create : Goethe's Philosophy of Nature /
"Astrida Orle Tantillo offers the first comprehensive study of Goethe's natural philosophy, analyzing his work in such disciplines as physics, botany, morphology, zoology, and meteorology. She investigates the principles behind his conception of a will-driven nature, and analyzes their sig...
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| Author / Creator: | |
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| Other Corporate Authors / Creators: | Project Muse. distributor. |
| Format: | eBook Electronic |
| Language: | English |
| Imprint: | Pittsburgh, Pa. : University of Pittsburgh Press, 2002. |
| Series: | Book collections on Project MUSE.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Click here for full text at JSTOR |
| Summary: | "Astrida Orle Tantillo offers the first comprehensive study of Goethe's natural philosophy, analyzing his work in such disciplines as physics, botany, morphology, zoology, and meteorology. She investigates the principles behind his conception of a will-driven nature, and analyzes their significance for such philosophical issues as objectivity, scientific method, and the status of natural law in general. Tantillo also critically examines Goethe's attempts to challenge the basic tenets of Newtonian and Cartesian science and his efforts to found a new natural philosophy."--Jacket. "Renowned for his contributions to the literary world. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) believed his greatest accomplishments were in the fields of science and natural philosophy. In fact, Goethe predicted his scientific works would spark a revolution, eclipsing the theories of Newton and Enlightenment science." Better known as a poet and dramatist, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749--1832) was also a learned philosopher and natural scientist. Astrida Orle Tantillo offers the first comprehensive analysis of his natural philosophy, which she contends is rooted in creativity.Tantillo analyzes GoetheÆs main scientific texts, including his work on physics, botany, comparative anatomy, and metereology. She critically examines his attempts to challenge the basic tenets of Newtonian and Cartesian science and to found a new natural philosophy. In individual chapters devoted to different key principles, she reveals how this natural philosophy--which questions rationalism, the quantitative approach to scientific inquiry, strict gender categories, and the possibility of scientific objectivity--illuminates GoetheÆs standing as both a precursor and critic of modernity.Tantillo does not presuppose prior knowledge of Goethe or science, and carefully avoids an overreliance on specialized jargon. This makes The Will to Create accessible to a wide audience, including philosophers, historians of science, and literary theorists, as well as general readers. |
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| Item Description: | Description based on print version record. |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource: illustrations |
| ISBN: | 9780822970644 0822970643 |
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