Q0471
“What you have inherited from your fathers, earn it in order to…” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Faust / Maxims)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Faust / Maxims. Theme: learning.
English
What you have inherited from your fathers, earn it in order to possess it.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Faust / Maxims 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.
How to read this passage
Education is not only information transfer; it is the shaping of attention and character. Confucian learning, Socratic midwifery, and Deweyan growth offer rival models. This passage enters that discussion through learning, responsibility.
Concepts in this quote
- Learning
- Learning is philosophy’s practical twin: how judgment is formed through study, error, dialogue, and habit.
- Responsibility
- Responsibility asks what we answer for—our choices, omissions, institutions, and the futures we help create.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. (n.d.). What you have inherited from your fathers, earn it in order to possess it. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0471
MLA: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. “What you have inherited from your fathers, earn….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0471.
Chicago: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. “What you have inherited from your fathers, earn….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0471.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “What you have inherited from your fathers, earn…”?
The passage is attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust / Maxims. The archive attributes this English wording to Faust / Maxims 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 learning?
Education is not only information transfer; it is the shaping of attention and character. Confucian learning, Socratic midwifery, and Deweyan growth offer rival models. This passage enters that discussion through learning, responsibility.