Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quotes About History

• The deepest, the only theme of human history, compared to which all others are of subordinate importance, is the conflict of skepticism with faith.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  History, Political, Conflict

• Not all that is presented to us as history has really happened; and what really happened did not actually happen the way it is presented to us; moreover, what really happened is only a small part of all that happened. Everything in history remains uncertain, the largest events as well as the smallest occurrence.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  History, Events, Way

• The work of art may have a moral effect, but to demand moral purpose from the artist is to make him ruin his work.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Art, Philosophy, History

• The best government is that which teaches us to govern ourselves.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Freedom, Government, History

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (2015). “Maxims and Reflections”, p.99, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

• All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Love, Marriage, Being Yourself

  Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1949). “The Sorrows of Young Werther”

• Sin writes histories, goodness is silent.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Writing, History, Sin

  "Mitteilungen ueber GoetheBo". Book by Friedrich Wilhelm Riemer, II. 9, 1810.

• The best benefit we derive from history is the enthusiasm it excites.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  History, Benefits, Enthusiasm

• I can promise to be sincere, but I cannot promise to be impartial.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  History, Promise, Sincere

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (19??). “Gleams From..: Being Passages Selected and Translated from the Prose Writings of Goethe and from His Converstaions with Eckermann”

• Writing history is a method of getting rid of the past.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Writing, Past, History

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1897). “Criticisms, reflections, and maxims of Goethe: Tr., with an introduction”

• All our knowledge is symbolic.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Art, Philosophy, History

• We can stand only a certain amount of unhappiness; anything beyond that annihilates us or passes us by, leaving us apathethetic.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Art, Philosophy, History

• Every situation--nay, every moment--is of infinite worth; for it is the representative of a whole eternity.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Inspirational, Art, Philosophy

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Peter Eckermann (2014). “Conversations of Goethe with Johann Peter Eckermann”, p.53, Ravenio Books

• We all of us live upon the past, and through the past we are destroyed.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Past, History, Destroyed

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, W. B. Rönnfeldt (1898*). “Goethe's Criticisms, Reflections, and Maxims”

• He who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Hands, Years, History

• The history of mankind is his character.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Character, History, Historical

• The thinker makes a great mistake when he asks after cause and effect. They both together make up the indivisible phenomenon.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Art, Philosophy, Mistake

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (2015). “Maxims and Reflections”, p.139, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

• Sin writes histories, goodness is silent.
  [Ger., Das Uebel macht eine Geschichte und das Gute keine.]

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Writing, History, Sin

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