SOF Discussion Reception: Goethe Past & Future
In collaboration with the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork, we will convene to hear Goethe scholar Frederick Amrine and Steven Wickes in conversation about Goethe Past & Future. Amrine, a professor at University of Michigan, and Wickes, author of Why Goethe? Why Aspen? Why 1949?, will discuss 18th century German philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the Goethe Bicentennial of 1949 that was held in celebration of his birth. Amrine and Wickes will explore the spirit of the conference and how it led to the founding of the Aspen Institute and offer insights into Goethe’s own life and him as a person, as Goethe scholars understand the philosopher today.
**If you are not currently a member of the Society of Fellows, and would like to join, please contact the SOF Hotline at sof@aspeninst.org or call (970)544-7980.
Speaker:
Frederick Amrine is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in German Studies at the University of Michigan. He has published widely, especially on Goethe, German Idealism, and Rudolf Steiner. Frederick has been an anthroposophist his entire adult life and has held several positions of responsibility within the Anthroposophical Society. A collection of his anthroposophical essays are available on Amazon as Threshholds. More recently, he has been intensely engaged in translating Steiner: these many projects are likewise available on Amazon. Frederick’s wife is a master Waldorf teacher, and he has been very involved in teacher training in the Waldorf movement.
Moderator:
Steven Wickes is the former Director of the Society of Fellows at the Aspen Institute. While working at the Institute, Steven also became a trained seminar leader, moderating seminars on The Great Books, The Great Conversation, and others. He is considered to be an expert on the history of the Aspen Institute and the true meaning of “The Aspen Idea.†Some of you may have seen Steven’s multi-media presentation on the birth of the Aspen Institute titled “Why Goethe? Why Aspen? Why 1949?” In this presentation Wickes tracks the connection between Goethe and the Aspen Institute. Of course, while profiling Goethe, he also mentions Goethe’s influence on Rudolf Steiner and Waldorf Education. A longtime Aspenite, Wickes has experience in both the business and nonprofit sectors of the Roaring Fork Valley. Wickes is a vocal champion of one of the founding ideals of the Aspen Institute: to encourage individuals to pause and reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good life and a good society.