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Goethe was a figure I was introduced to in college courses, but that was a long time ago. The article was a good reminder of the absolute depth of genius he represented, and makes me interested in exploring the work again.
Mastering several diverse fields of knowledge in today's hyper-specialized world isn't so much esteemed, yet Goethe's abilities in such a broad array of domains remains remarkable and admirable. Succeeding in science, visual arts, poetry, writing for the stage, etc. is a luxury afforded very few of us, but gazing at his vast output might at least encourage us to make as full use as possible of our less lavish talents, and not forget to celebrate worthwhile achievements.
One element that the article does not mention that helped shape Goethe's views was the influence of Spinoza. Goethe was impressed with Spinoza's philosophy, though Spinoza was still considered "evil" by churches even well into the 18th century, nearly a hundred years after his death. Goethe was among the first to "defend" the Ethics, and incorporated its core ideas in his own developing spirituality.
That's a nicely concise survey. Looking from outside, I'd say it's hard to overestimate Goethe's importance to German speakers - he's their Homer/Virgil/Shakespeare, the German state sponsored schools for spreading their language and culture abroad are named Goethe Institut.
One particular bit not mentioned was the 'Farbenlehre' - if memory serves, Goethe got into a bit of a tiff with Newton about color theory, and although he had his supporters, did not come out on top.
It's weird that his color theory is such a minor thing in the article: I've recently read his "Conversations with Eckermann" (highly recommended: a long book of notes from Eckermann where he summarizes, well, myriad talks with Goethe. It's public domain.), you'll see that Goethe was convinced that his color theory was the major work of his life. He was quite bitter about the establishment rejecting his work (not Newton himself as he died 20 years before Goethe's birth) and couldn't let it go.
>»Auf alles, was ich als Poet geleistet habe,« pflegte er wiederholt zu sagen, »bilde ich mir gar nichts ein. Es haben treffliche Dichter mit mir gelebt, es lebten noch trefflichere vor mir, und es werden ihrer nach mir sein. Daß ich aber in meinem Jahrhundert in der schwierigen Wissenschaft der Farbenlehre der einzige bin, der das Rechte weiß, darauf tue ich mir etwas zugute, und ich habe daher ein Bewußtsein der Superiorität über viele.«
(my translation: I don't pride myself on anything I've done as a poet, there have been good poets alive with me, even better ones before me, and will be alive after me, but I'm proud to be the only one in this century who knows what's correct in the hard/difficult science of color theory, and therefore I feel superior to many)
He wrote several books about the theory and kept on researching it, roughly summarized according to him colors came into being by a mixture of light and shadow.
But he was quite blind about the failings of his theory - in another biography of Goethe (Safranski's) it even says that someone gifted him a prism which invalidates his theory as there's no shadow needed to make a rainbow, he just refused to use it.
An interesting related article, in German:
Related Trivia: The 8th largest conglomerate in South Korea, the "Lotte Group," is named after a character in Goethe's _The Sorrows of Young Werther_ [1]
If you ever stay at the Lotte hotel in Seoul, instead of finding a Gideons Bible in your nightstand you will find a copy of Goethe's novel. There is also a museum in the lobby which explains the whole story behind the name.
A truly great and inspiring man. He really knew what science was about, contrary to how we conduct science these days.
Read Conversations With Goethe