Abstract: The article approaches Goethe’s understanding and criticism on modernity by the method of close reading. He thought modern times meant the age of large scale mechanized industry after the Middle Ages. He summarized the characteristics of the new age as Velocity. Velocity refers to quick pace of modern life and a rash for quick results of modern people under the pressure of competition. He thought the time spirit of Velocity was brought about by the industrial revolution and the French Revolution. The limitless progress of technology and speedy industrialization not only destroyed the nature, but also ruined human spirit. In addition, they caused the popularization of commercialized mass culture and the decaying of elite culture. The article also reveals influences of Goethe’s criticism on modernity on the cultural pessimism and technological pessimism of later ages by the studying method of history of thought. Through exploring Goethe’s idea of modernity and locating his criticism on modernity in the history of thought, the article fills the gap which has hitherto existed in the history of the concept of modernity.

Keywords: Goethe; modernity; industrialization; velocity; culture of leisure

摘要： 本文采用文本细读的方法，探讨了歌德对现代性的理解及其现代性批判。歌德认为，现代指的是中世纪之后的机器大工业时代，他将这个新时代的特性概括为“快速”，快速指的是现代生活的快节奏和现代人在竞争的压力下急于求成。他认为，快速的时代精神是由工业革命和法国大革命造成的，不受限制的科技进步和迅速的工业化不仅破坏了大自然，而且损毁了人的精神，导致了商业性的大众文化的普及和精英文化的衰落。凭借思想史的研究方法，本文还揭示了歌德的现代性批判对后世的文化悲观主义和技术悲观主义的影响。通过对歌德的现代性观念的发掘和对其现代性批判进行思想史上的梳理，本文填补了“现代性”概念史和西方思想史上的一个空白。

关键词: 歌德, 现代性, 工业化, 快速, 慢文化