Commentator Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry Cites Goethe in Asserting German Incapacity for Self-Rule

Prominent conservative commentator Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry recently sparked discussion on social media with a tweet asserting that while "Germans are a wonderful people," they are "not capable of self-rule," attributing this perspective to the revered German polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The statement, shared on August 25, 2025, has drawn attention to historical interpretations of German national identity and governance.

Gobry, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a frequent contributor to various publications, is known for his incisive commentary on cultural, political, and religious matters. His public statements often provoke debate, and this particular tweet aligns with his pattern of offering strong, historically referenced opinions on societal characteristics.

The attribution to Goethe, however, requires careful contextualization. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who lived from 1749 to 1832, predated the unification of Germany in 1871 and held complex views on German collective identity and political organization. He was notably skeptical of burgeoning nationalism and mass movements, often emphasizing individual self-development over collective political action.

Historical records indicate Goethe's nuanced perspective on his countrymen. In a conversation from December 13, 1813, he reportedly expressed "bitter sorrow at the thought of the German people, which is so estimable in the individual and so wretched in the generality." This suggests a perception of Germans excelling individually but struggling as a collective, which could be interpreted as a form of "incapacity for self-rule" in a unified national sense. Another quote attributed to Goethe states, "It does not concern the German to remain united with his own, but to maintain himself for himself. Everyone, whoever they may be, possesses their own 'for themselves' that resists being taken away." This highlights a strong regionalism and individualism prevalent during his era, where collective unity was less prioritized than personal autonomy.

Gobry's tweet, by referencing Goethe, taps into a historical discourse about German national character and governance. While Goethe did not explicitly state that Germans were "not capable of self-rule," his known skepticism towards collective political movements and his observations on German individualism provide a basis for such an interpretation within certain analytical frameworks. The tweet serves as a contemporary example of how historical figures and their complex philosophies are invoked in modern political and cultural commentary.