How did Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s theory of colour differ from Isaac Newton’s theory?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s theory of colour differed fundamentally from Isaac Newton’s in its focus and interpretation of light.

While Newton’s work established the foundation of physical optics by demonstrating that white light is heterogeneous and can be analyzed into a spectrum of component colours through refraction, Goethe rejected this premise. Instead of viewing colour as a property of light itself, Goethe proposed that colour emerges from the interaction between light and darkness.12

The primary distinctions include:

• Nature of Light: Newton argued that light is complex and composed of material corpuscles that excite individual colour sensations. Goethe, conversely, viewed colour as a phenomenon requiring the cooperation of light's physical behavior and the human perceptual apparatus.12
• Scientific Approach: Newton’s theory is a mathematical and physical analysis of light. Goethe’s theory is more accurately described as a theory of vision, shifting the focus toward subjective perception rather than purely objective physical laws.12

Ultimately, while Newton’s analysis of the spectrum became the basis for modern physical optics, Goethe’s work is recognized for its originality in exploring the physiological and psychological aspects of how humans perceive colour.12