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Chapter 35 - Goethe and Our Endangered Natural World

from Part VI - Goethe’s Lasting Significance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

By
Heather I. Sullivan
Edited by
Charlotte Lee
Charlotte Lee
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
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Summary

Chapter 35 examines Goethe’s awareness of the impact of human activity on the physical environment and his often prescient depictions of damage to natural systems. These are shaped by a range of perspectives and experiences, from Goethe’s work as a civil servant, to his scientific study, to his lifelong passion for nature. The chapter traces two themes in particular that run through his literary work: first, flooding, and second, fire and the destruction of forests. It also examines Goethe’s historical position, between the pre-industrial world and capitalist modernity.

Keywords

GoetheenvironmentnatureAnthropoceneindustrialisationmodernity
Type
Chapter
Information
Goethe in Context , pp. 341 - 349
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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