Q0397
“Two souls, alas, are dwelling in my breast.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Faust I)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Faust I. Theme: self.
English
Two souls, alas, are dwelling in my breast.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Faust I and files it under German Idealism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was Germany’s preeminent writer whose scientific and reflective works engage morphology, color, and the formation of life and character.
Interpretation
Goethe gives this to Faust at a moment of paralysis, and it describes a divided will rather than a moral failing. One impulse reaches beyond the limits of a human life; the other clings to what can be secured. Faust's tragedy is not that he has two souls but that the conflict prevents either from governing, so he neither commits nor rests. The line is diagnostic — Goethe is showing what the condition costs before offering any resolution.
Why it matters
It names a recognisable state: the exhaustion comes less from wanting two things than from the inability to choose, which turns either option into a loss.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. (n.d.). Two souls, alas, are dwelling in my breast. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0397
MLA: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. “Two souls, alas, are dwelling in my breast..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0397.
Chicago: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. “Two souls, alas, are dwelling in my breast..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0397.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Two souls, alas, are dwelling in my breast.”?
The passage is attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust I. The archive attributes this English wording to Faust I and files it under German Idealism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Johann Wolfgang von Goethe mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self.