The morning call., 1893-10-07
THE POET GOETHE.
Herder'S Influence on His
Mind.
Professor GoebeI Lectures Before
the Geographical Society of
California.

DR.. Joseph Goebel, professor of Ger
m anic literature at the Leland Stanford
Jr. University. lectured at the Academy
of Sciences last evening before an appre-
ciative audience. his subject being "The
Geographical Conceptions of Goethe"
This lecture was the first of the regular
winter series to be given by the Geograph-
ical Society OF California, and Fred w.
d'Evelyn opened the meeting by brief
address on the scope and design OF the
organization, its past work and future
plans. Mr.. d'Evelyn concluded with an
earnest tribute TO the memory OF the late
Leland Stanford, one of the society's warm
est friends and best supporters. and then
introduced the speaker of the evening.
DR.. GoebePs lecture proved him to be
deep scholar and clear thinker, thor
oughly we'll informed on his chosen sub
ject. He spoke of Goethe's youth. his
studies and the mighty spiritual revolution
which made him the great poet, and sald
''the man who caused in him this revo-
luton, and who was al the same time the
founder of a deeper scientific conception
Of geography than had before existed, was
Herder."
DR.. Goebel traced Herder's influence
upon Goethe In much of the latter's
poetry and read: in excellent style, several
extracts from Faust" and The Prologue
in Heaven" which. he said. gives the
most complete artistic expression of
Goethe's geographical conception - geo.
graphical In the widest sense OF the term
Of HeTder ne said "there is no doubt
that he saw in the creation Of the earth
series of ascending forms and forces whose
commingling tended toward progression,
but it was a mistake hence TO designate
him the forerunner of Darwin in the usual
sense. Man, it is true, was to him the
most beautiful growth, the highest produc-
tion If our earth, sustaining the most In
innate relation with the planet, his home
and fatherlaDd. But in the precinct OF
man he saw sum OF spiritual forces,
which at the same time pointed above
nature to higher oDe."
OF the earth spirit or Erdgeist DR.. Goe-
bel spoke at some length and most inter-
estingly, saying that the cosmographlc
conceptions of the mystics of which
Goethe made a study were quite unani-
nous regarding it.
Goethe himself" he said, Thought Of
the spirit OF the earth as the eternally
creative power of nature which forms the
beautiful world, thus anticipating one OF
the most recent conceptions of natural
science"
Coming back strictly to his subject DR..
Goebel declared that sin the geographical
conce ptions of Gothe picture of the his
tory of geography in Germany is refiecte d.
From the period of dry dates and mar
Tow spritiess view OF science geography
became the instrument for solving the
roblem of the human race and for ascer-
tanning tue ultimate destiny of man."
In conclusion Dr. Goebel quoted some
remarks If both Herder and Goethe on
the geogr aphical situation of America as
viewed by them over 100 years ago. and
said that their ideas of having canal
from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific
Ocean seemed prophetic as did Goethe's
pre- diction that "thsre will in time spring
up along the entire Pacific Coast imDOr-
tant co commercial cities that will open up
lively intercourse between the United
States and China, as we'll as the East
Indes."