41. On Thomas Seebeck's Relationship to Goethe's Theory of Colors

From the recently published book: "Erinnerungen an Moritz Seebeck" by Kuno Fischer (Heidelberg 1886), we would like to cite a few points that shed a clear light on the attitude that the excellent physicist Thomas Seebeck (Moritz's father) observed towards Goethe's Theory of Colors. Just a few words may precede this. Seebeck, to whom we owe the epoch-making discovery of entoptic colors, was regarded by Goethe as an enthusiastic supporter of his color theory. The two spent a great deal of time together in Jena, particularly from 1802 to 1810, where they carried out joint experiments in the field of this science. In 1818 Seebeck was appointed a member of the Berlin Academy. There seem to have been quite a few obstacles in the way. After Seebeck's death, Zelter reported to Goethe: "how the minister had to work to get this important man into the academy, who had been devoted to the theory of colors, but who later proved to be a moderate in the office itself, if not an apostate, because he did not find himself strong in mathematics" (see Fischer, p. 11). Goethe also regarded him as an apostate after his appointment. He had done him an injustice. Seebeck had remained faithful until his death, as Fischer shows in his book. On page 19 he says: "As far as Seebeck's attitude to color theory is concerned, Goethe did not judge it correctly. Even as an academic, Seebeck neither changed nor concealed his opinion. We hear the full testimony of the academic memorial speech: "A common interest in the phenomena of color caused him and Goethe to often carry out experiments together, in which some differences were discussed in detail, but in the main relationships there was agreement in their views of the nature of color.... In the theory of color he was on Goethe's side and, like the latter, maintained the simplicity of white light." On page 13 ff., Fischer quotes the letter that Moritz Seebeck addressed to Goethe on the death of his father (December 20, 1831). It reads: "Your Excellency's writings of any content did not come from his (Seebeck's) desk, they were his favorite reading; he often said: "Among all living naturalists, Goethe is the greatest, the only one who knows what is important." We would like to see in Seebeck's relationship to Goethe's Theory of Colors the proof that there can no longer be any question of abandoning Goethe's deep understanding in someone who has really penetrated it to such an extent that he has found the point on which everything depends.