Goethe's Conception of the World
Thoughts Concerning the Evolutionary History of the Earth
GA 6
X. Observations on Atmospheric Phenomena
[ 1 ] In the year 1815, Goethe became acquainted with Luke Howard's Essay on the Natural History and Physics of Clouds. This stimulated him to more penetrating thought concerning cloud formations and meteorological conditions. He had, indeed, already made and noted down many observations concerning these phenomena. He had, however, neither a general view nor an acquaintance with related branches of science which could have enabled him to correlate what he had observed. In Howard's Essay, the manifold cloud formations are traced back to certain basic forms. Goethe now finds an entry into meteorology, a science which had previously remained foreign to him because he could learn nothing from the way in which it was handled in his time. “It was impossible for my nature to comprehend the whole complex of meteorology, arranged as it is in a series of tabular signs and numbers; I was glad to find an integral part of it responding to my inclination and mode of life, and because in this infinite All everything stands in eternal, secure relation, one thing bringing forth or reciprocally brought forth by the other, I concentrated my attention on what the eyes can ‘lay hold of,’ and accustomed myself to bring the relations of atmospheric and earthly phenomena into harmony with the barometer and thermometer.”
[ 2 ] Since the barometric height stands in an exact relation to all meteorological conditions, it soon became, for Goethe, the central point of his observations on atmospheric conditions. The longer he continued these observations the more was he convinced that he found the rise and fall of the mercury in the barometer at different “places of observation, nearer or farther away, at different longitudes, latitudes and heights,” occurring in such a way that the rise or fall at one place corresponded to an almost equal rise or fall at all other places at the same time. From this regularity in barometric changes Goethe draws the conclusion that no influences outside the earth are able to affect them. Where such an influence is ascribed to the moon, the planets, or the seasons, and one speaks of an ebb and flow in the atmosphere, this regularity is not explained. All these influences would have to make themselves felt at the same times in the most diverse ways at different places. Goethe is of opinion that these changes are only explicable if the cause of them lies in the earth itself. Since, however, the height of mercury depends on the pressure of the air, Goethe imagines that the earth alternately presses and again expands the whole atmosphere. If the air is compressed its pressure increases and the mercury rises; the reverse takes place with expansion. Goethe ascribes this alternating contraction and expansion of the whole mass of air to a variation to which the attractive power of the earth is subject. He regards the increase and decrease of this force as inherent in a certain individual life of the earth, and compares it with the inbreathing and outbreathing of an organism.
[ 3 ] Accordingly Goethe does not conceive of the earth as being active in a merely mechanical sense. Just as little as he explains geological processes in a purely mechanical and physical sense does he do so in regard to barometric variations. His view of Nature stands in sharp contrast to that of modern times which seeks, in accordance with its general basic principles, to understand atmospheric processes physically. Differences of temperature in the atmosphere bring about a difference of air-pressure in different places, give rise to air-currents proceeding from warmer towards colder regions, increase or diminish the amount of moisture and give rise to cloud formations and condensation. The variations in air-pressure, and therewith the rise and fall of the barometer, are explained by such factors or by others similar to them. Goethe's conception of an increase and decrease in the force of attraction is also contrary to the concepts of modern mechanics. According to these the strength of this attractive force is always the same in one place.
[ 4 ] Goethe applies mechanical conceptions only to the extent to which observation appears to him to demand.
Betrachtungen über atmosphärische Erscheinungen
[ 1 ] Im Jahre 1815 lernt Goethe Luke Howards «Versuch einer Naturgeschichte und Physik der Wolken» kennen. Er wird dadurch zu schärferem Nachdenken über Wolkenbildungen und Witterungsverhältnisse angeregt. Zwar hat er schon früher mancherlei Beobachtungen über diese Erscheinungen gemacht und aufgezeichnet. Das Erfahrene jedoch zusammenzustellen fehlten ihm «Umsicht und wissenschaftliche Verknüpfungszweige». In dem Howardschen Aufsatze sind die mannigfaltigen Wolkenbildungen auf gewisse Grundformen zurückgeführt. Goethe findet nun einen Eingang in die Witterungskunde, die ihm bisher fremd geblieben ist, weil es seiner Natur unmöglich war, aus der Art, wie dieser Wissenszweig zu seiner Zeit behandelt wurde, etwas zu gewinnen. «Den ganzen Komplex der Witterungskunde, wie er tabellarisch durch Zahlen und Zeichen aufgestellt wird, zu erfassen ... war meiner Natur unmöglich; ich freute mich, einen integrierenden Teil derselben meiner Neigung und Lebensweise angemessen zu finden, und weil in diesem unendlichen All alles in ewiger, sicherer Beziehung steht, eins das andere hervorbringt oder wechselweise hervorgebracht wird, so schärfte ich meinen Blick auf das dem Sinne der Augen Erfaßliche und gewöhnte mich, die Bezüge der atmosphärischen und irdischen Erscheinungen mit Barometer und Thermometer in Einklang zu setzen...»
[ 2 ] Da der Stand des Barometers in genauem Bezug zu allen Witterungsverhälmissen steht, so tritt er auch bald für Goethe in den Mittelpunkt seiner Beobachtungen über atmosphärische Verhältnisse. Je länger er diese Beobachtungen fortsetzt, um so mehr glaubt er zu erkennen, da das Steigen und Fallen des Quecksilbers im Barometer an verschiedenen «näher und ferner, nicht weniger in unterschiedenen Längen, Breiten und Höhen gelegenen Beobachtungsorten» so geschieht, daß einem Steigen oder Fallen an einem Orte ein fast gleich großes Steigen oder Fallen an allen andern Orten zu gleichen Zeiten entspricht. Aus dieser Regelmäßigkeit der Barometerveränderungen zieht Goethe die Folgerung, daß auf dieselben keine außerirdischen Einflüsse wirken können. Wenn man dem Monde, den Planeten, den Jahreszeiten einen solchen Einfluß zuschreibt, wenn man von Ebbe und Flut in der Atmosphäre spricht, so wird die Regelmäßigkeit nicht erklärt. Alle diese Einflüsse müßten sich zu gleichen Zeiten in der verschiedensten Weise an verschiedenen Orten geltend machen. Nur wenn innerhalb der Erde selbst die Ursache für diese Veränderungen liegt, sind sie erklärbar, meint Goethe. Da nun der Stand des Quecksilbers von dem Druck der Luft abhängt, so stellt sich Goethe vor, daß die Erde abwechselnd die ganze Atmosphäre zusammenpreßt und wieder ausdehnt. Wird die Luft zusammengepreßt, so erhöht sich ihr Druck und das Quecksilber steigt; das Umgekehrte findet bei der Ausdehnung statt. Goethe schreibt diese abwechselnde Zusammenziehung und Ausdehnung der ganzen Luftmasse einer Veränderlichkeit zu, welcher die Anziehungskraft der Erde unterworfen ist. Das Vermehren und Vermindern dieser Kraft sieht er in einem gewissen Eigenleben der Erde begründet und vergleicht es mit dem Ein- und Ausatmen eines Organismus.
[ 3 ] Demnach denkt sich Goethe auch die Erde nicht in bloß mechanischer Weise wirksam. So wenig er die geologischen Vorgänge rein mechanisch und physikalisch erklärt, ebensowenig tut er dies bei den Barometerschwankungen. Seine Naturansicht steht in scharfem Gegensatz zu der modernen. Diese sucht, ihren allgemeinen Grundsätzen gemäß, die atmosphärischen Vorgänge physikalisch zu begreifen. Die Temperaturunterschiede in der Atmosphäre bewirken eine Verschiedenheit des Luftdrucks an verschiedenen Orten, erzeugen Luftströmungen von wärmeren nach kälteren Gebieten, vermehren oder vermindern den Feuchtigkeitsgehalt, bringen Wolkenbildungen und Niederschläge hervor. Aus solchen und ähnlichen Faktoren werden die Schwankungen des Luftdrucks und damit das Steigen und Fallen des Barometers erklärt. Auch widerspricht Goethes Vorstellung von einer Vermehrung und Verminderung der Anziehungskraft den modernen mechanischen Begriffen. Nach diesen ist die Stärke der Anziehungskraft an einem Orte stets dieselbe.
[ 4 ] Goethe wendet mechanische Vorstellungen nur so weit an, als es ihm durch die Beobachtung geboten erscheint.
Observations on atmospheric phenomena
[ 1 ] In 1815, Goethe became acquainted with Luke Howard's "Attempt at a Natural History and Physics of Clouds". This inspired him to think more deeply about cloud formations and weather conditions. He had already made and recorded a number of observations about these phenomena. However, he lacked "prudence and scientific connections" when it came to compiling his experiences. In Howard's essay, the manifold cloud formations are traced back to certain basic forms. Goethe now finds his way into meteorology, which had previously remained foreign to him, because it was impossible for him to gain anything from the way this branch of knowledge was treated in his time. "To grasp the whole complex of meteorology as it is tabulated by numbers and symbols ... was impossible to my nature; I was pleased to find an integrating part of it appropriate to my inclination and way of life, and because in this infinite universe everything stands in eternal, certain relationship, one producing the other or being produced alternately, I sharpened my gaze to that which can be grasped by the sense of sight and accustomed myself to harmonize the relationships of atmospheric and earthly phenomena with barometer and thermometer..."
[ 2 ] Since the position of the barometer is precisely related to all weather conditions, it soon became the focus of Goethe's observations of atmospheric conditions. The longer he continued these observations, the more he believed to recognize that the rise and fall of the mercury in the barometer at various "nearer and more distant, no less at different longitudes, latitudes and altitudes" occurs in such a way that a rise or fall at one place corresponds to an almost equal rise or fall at all other places at the same times. From this regularity of barometric changes Goethe draws the conclusion that no extraterrestrial influences can have an effect on them. If one ascribes such an influence to the moon, the planets, the seasons, if one speaks of ebb and flow in the atmosphere, then the regularity is not explained. All these influences would have to assert themselves at the same time in the most diverse ways in different places. Only if the cause of these changes lies within the earth itself can they be explained, says Goethe. Since the level of mercury depends on the pressure of the air, Goethe imagines that the earth alternately compresses and expands the entire atmosphere. If the air is compressed, its pressure increases and the mercury rises; the reverse takes place when it expands. Goethe attributes this alternating contraction and expansion of the entire air mass to a variability to which the gravitational pull of the earth is subject. He sees the increase and decrease of this force as being due to a certain life of the earth itself and compares it to the inhalation and exhalation of an organism.
[ 3 ] Accordingly, Goethe does not think of the earth as merely mmechanically effective. Just as he does not explain geological processes in purely mechanical and physical terms, neither does he do so with barometric fluctuations. His view of nature is in sharp contrast to the modern view. The latter, according to its general principles, seeks to understand atmospheric processes physically. Temperature differences in the atmosphere cause differences in air pressure in different places, generate air currents from warmer to colder areas, increase or decrease the moisture content, and produce cloud formation and precipitation. These and similar factors explain the fluctuations in air pressure and thus the rise and fall of the barometer. Goethe's idea of an increase and decrease in the force of attraction also contradicts modern mechanical concepts. According to these, the strength of the force of attraction is always the same in one place.
[ 4 ] Goethe only applies mechanical concepts to the extent that it appears to him to be required by observation.