Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 – 1832
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, scientist, and the towering figure of German Classicism. His novel The Sorrows of Young Werther made him famous across Europe at twenty-five, and his lifelong labor on the verse drama Faust produced one of the great works of European literature. He served as a minister at Weimar, conducted original research in optics, botany, and morphology, and developed a distinctive philosophy of nature against Newton's. His friendship with Schiller and his conversations with Eckermann shaped the cultural and philosophical horizon of his age.
Key facts
- Nationality
- German
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Enlightenment, German Idealism
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.”
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”