The scientific work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) represents a style of learning and understanding which is largely ignored today. Modern science tends to break objects down in a purely analytical way; by contrast, Goethe was interested in the 'whole' of a phenomenon, and in particular the relationship between the object and the observer.

In this illuminating study, Henri Bortoft examines the phenomenological and cultural roots of Goethe's approach to science. He argues that Goethe's insights, far from belonging to the past, represent the foundation for a future science respectful of nature.