Newton, Goethe and the process of perception: an approach to design

Abstract

Whereas Newton traced a beam of white light passing through a prism and fanning out into the colours of the rainbow as it was refracted, Goethe looked through a prism and was concerned with understanding what his eye subjectively saw. He created a sequence of experiments which produced what appeared to be anomalies in Newton's theory. What he was carefully illustrating concerns limitations accepted when following a scientifically objective approach. Newton was concerned with the description of ‘facts’ derived from the analysis of observations. Goethe was concerned with the synthesis of meaning. He then went on to describe subjective techniques for training ‘the mind's eye’ to work efficiently in the subjective world of the imagination. Derided as ‘not science’, what he was actually describing is the skill which is central to creative design.