O encontro do espírito com a natureza em Goethe: a alma do mundo e a recuperação cósmica do divino

Abstract

This work aims to present the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's perspective on science, art, and religion, against the backdrop of the possibility of restoring the cosmic unity between human beings and the world. We will take a historical approach, seeking to contextualize the poet's ideas in his time and place—late 18th- and early 19th-century Germany—and relate his thought to that of the great figures who influenced him. As we will see, Goethe proposes a holistic science that considers the various dimensions of the human being and is based on totality. In the realm of aesthetics, the effort at synthesis is represented by the attempt to reconcile the classical and romantic styles, as well as the development of a theory of art that unifies art and nature. Thus, by practicing science and art, Goethe also develops his own personal religion, and contact with the immanent God, the universal substance, or soul of the world (anima mundi), permeates his works. The poet advocates for an education that considers not only intellectual development but also sensitivity, intuition, and spirituality. Thus, through commitment to the process of self-cultivation of human capacities and contact with culture, it becomes possible to overcome the limitations of opposites and achieve self-realization, becoming freer and more whole people.