What is Goethe's perspective on color?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s perspective on color theory significantly diverged from the prevailing scientific views of his time, particularly those of Isaac Newton. Goethe believed that his scientific work, especially his color theory, was of greater importance than his literary contributions. He famously asserted that, in his time, he alone understood the truth about color, a sentiment reflecting his confidence and perhaps ego 1.

Goethe’s approach to color was phenomenological; he focused on the subjective experience and interaction of light and darkness, rather than the mechanistic or materialistic explanations of his contemporaries. Contrary to Newton’s particle theory of light, Goethe proposed that colors arise through the interaction of light and darkness. For example, he cited the red hues of a sunset and the blue of the sky as archetypal phenomena, where color emerges from this interplay 2.

Furthermore, Goethe rejected the idea that science’s task was to uncover the hidden mechanisms behind sensory experiences. Instead, he believed that understanding phenomena directly from within themselves was crucial. This view emphasizes honoring human experience, in contrast to the materialistic and mechanistic perspectives often adopted in science, which focus on underlying physical processes 3.