The Mission of Folk-Souls
GA 121
Preface
In these lectures, which were given at Christiania in June 1910, I ventured to give a sketch of the psychology of the development of peoples. The lectures are based upon the principles of anthroposophical spiritual science laid down in my books Theosophy, An Outline Of Occult Science, The Riddle of Man, Riddles of the Soul, etc. I was able to build upon this foundation because my hearers were acquainted with the scientific views set forth in my works. In addition to this outer reason for the choice of the point of view there is, however, an inner one: the ordinary scientific study of anthropology, ethnology or even history cannot provide a sufficient foundation for a true psychology of the various folk-characters. With the knowledge provided by this science we cannot penetrate any further, just as by means of anatomy and physiology we cannot arrive at the knowledge of the inner psychic life of man. If we wish to learn the inward life of an individual being we must pass from the body to the soul, and if we desire to gain real knowledge of the characters of the various peoples we must penetrate to the soul and spirit in them. This soul and spirit is, however, not a mere co-operation of the several human souls in that people, but it is one that is higher than these. Modern science is not accustomed to study this higher soul and spirit; before its forum it is paradoxical to speak of Folk-souls as real beings, in the same way as we speak of the real thought, feeling and will of individual human beings. It is also paradoxical before this forum to connect the development of peoples on the earth with the forces of the heavenly bodies in space. But the matter is no longer paradoxical or strange when we remember that no-one tries to find the forces which make the needle of a magnet lie in the direction North-South in the needle itself. He ascribes it to the action of the magnetism of the earth. He seeks in the cosmos the reason for the direction of the needle. May we not therefore seek in the cosmos the reason for the development of folk-characters, for the migrations of peoples, etc., outside those peoples themselves? Apart from the anthroposophical view, for which higher spiritual beings are a reality, something else comes into consideration in our studies. In these lectures a higher spiritual reality is placed at the foundation of the development of the peoples, and the forces that give this development a certain direction are sought in this reality. Then we descend to the facts manifested in the life of the peoples and it is seen that these facts are thereby explained. The conditions in the life of the various peoples can thus be clearly understood, as well as their mutual relations, whereas without this foundation there is no true knowledge on this subject. One must seek a foundation for the psychology of peoples in a spiritual reality or renounce such a psychology altogether.
I have not shrunk from using for the higher spiritual beings the names customary in the early centuries of Christianity. An Oriental would choose different names. And although the application of these names may now be considered not very ‘scientific’ it seems to me better not to be afraid of using them; first of all we thus accommodate ourselves to the fundamentally Christian character of our western civilization, and again we shall be more readily understood than if entirely new names were chosen or if designations were taken from the Orient whose real meaning could only be fully comprehended by one who is at home in that civilization. It seems to me that one who wishes to penetrate into these spiritual connections, if he does not reject the matter as such, will not take offence at names like Angel, Archangel, Throne, etc., any more than he does in physical science at designations like positive and negative electricity, magnetism, polarized light, etc.
If the contents of these lectures are considered in connection with the painful trials of civilized humanity at the present time it will be found that what was then said throws a great deal of light upon what is now taking place. Were I to give these lectures now it could well be thought that the present state of affairs in the world demanded such studies. Thus for example on page three of the first lecture you will read, ‘It is especially important’—that just in our times one should speak quite impartially on what we call the Mission of Individual Folk-souls—‘because the fate of humanity in the near future will bring men together much more than has hitherto been the case, to fulfill a common mission for humanity.’ But the individuals belonging to the several peoples will only be able to bring their free, concrete contributions to this joint mission, if they have, first of all, an understanding of the folk to which they belong, an understanding of what we might call “the Self-knowledge of the Folk.” Presumably the time has now come when the fate of humanity itself teaches the truth of this view.
Perhaps this subject of the ‘Folk-souls’ is exactly one which shows how spiritual observation of the really super-sensible part of existence provides at the same time the really practical view of life which throws light upon the various questions of life. This cannot be done by a view of life which in the study of the nature and development of peoples only uses concepts applicable to the things of natural science. This mechanical physical science has done great service in producing the mechanical physical chemical means of culture; as an agent for the spiritual life of humanity we require a science which deals with the spiritual. Our age demands such a science.
Berlin, 8th February, 1918
Eine Vorrede
Nachträglich geschrieben zu diesen vor mehr als sieben Jahren gehaltenen Vorträgen
In diesen Vorträgen, die im Juni 1910 in Christiania gehalten worden sind, habe ich den Versuch gewagt, die Psychologie der Völkerentwikkelung zu zeichnen. Als Grundlage der Betrachtung hat gedient, was ich über anthroposophisch orientierte Geisteswissenschaft (in meinen Büchern «Theosophie», «Geheimwissenschaft», «Vom Menschenrätsel», «Von Seelenrätseln» und anderen) dargestellt habe. Ich durfte auf dieser Grundlage aufbauen, weil meine Zuhörer bekannt waren mit der wissenschaftlichen Anschauung, die in meinen Büchern gekennzeichnet wird. Es kommt aber zu diesem äußeren Grund für die Wahl des Gesichtspunktes noch ein innerer. Für eine wirkliche Psychologie der Völkercharaktere kann die anthropologische, ethnographische, selbst die historische Betrachtung der gewöhnlichen Wissenschaft keine ausreichende Grundlegung geben. Man kommt mit dem von dieser Wissenschaft Gebotenen nicht weiter als man mit der Anatomie und Physiologie kommt für eine Erkenntnis des Seelenlebens des Menschen. Wie man bei dem einzelnen Menschen vom Leibe zur Seele fortschreiten muß, wenn man sein inneres Leben kennen lernen will, so muß man für die Völkercharaktere zu dem ihnen zugrunde liegenden Seelisch-Geistigen vordringen, wenn man eine wirkliche Erkenntnis derselben anstrebt. Dieses Seelisch-Geistige ist aber nicht ein bloßes Zusammenwirken der Einzel-Seelen der Menschen, sondern es ist ein diesen übergeordnetes Seelisch-Geistiges. Ein solches zu betrachten, ist der gegenwärtigen Wissenschaft ganz ungewohnt. Vor ihrem Forum ist es paradox von Volksseelen als von wirklichen Wesenheiten zu sprechen, wie man vom wirklichen Denken, Fühlen und Wollen des einzelnen Menschen spricht. Und ebenso paradox ist es vor diesem Forum, die Völker-Entwickelung auf der Erde in Zusammenhang zu bringen mit den Kräften der Himmelskörper des Weltraumes. Man braucht aber, um die Sache nicht mehr paradox zu finden, sich nur zu erinnern, daß niemand die Kräfte, welche eine Magnetnadel in der Nord-Süd-Richtung einstellen, innerhalb der Magnetnadel selbst suchen wird. Er schreibt sie der Wirkung des Erdmagnetismus zu. Er sucht die Gründe für dieRichtung der Nadel im Kosmos. Wird man also nicht die Gründe für die Entwickelung von Volkscharakteren, Volkswanderungen usw. außerhalb der Volkszusammenhänge im Kosmos suchen dürfen? Von der anthroposophischen Anschauung ganz abgesehen, für die höhere geistige Wesenheiten eine Wirklichkeit sind, kommt für den Inhalt dieser Vorträge noch ein ganz anderes in Betracht. Dieser Inhalt legt allerdings eine höhere geistige Wirklichkeit der Völker-Entwickelung zugrunde, und er sucht die Kräfte, welche dieser Entwickelung die Richtungen geben, in einer solchen Wirklichkeit. Allein die Betrachtung steigt dann herab zu den Tatsachen, die im Leben der Völker zutage treten. Und da zeigt es sich, daß diese Tatsachen durch diese Grundlegung verständlich werden. Man kann dadurch die Lebensverhältnisse der einzelnen Völker sowohl, wie auch ihre gegenseitigen Beziehungen durchschauen, während es ohne eine solche Grundlegung ein wahres Erkennen auf diesem Gebiete nicht gibt. Man muß entweder auf eine Völkerpsychologie verzichten, oder man muß für sie eine Grundlegung in einer geistigen Wirklichkeit suchen.
Ich habe mich nicht gescheut, für die höheren geistigen Wesenheiten die Namen anzuwenden, welche in den ersten christlichen Jahrhunderten üblich waren. Der Orientale würde andere Namen wählen. Doch wenn man auch heute das Anwenden solcher Namen wenig «wissenschaftlich» finden kann, so scheint es mir doch richtig, vor solcher Anwendung nicht zurückzuschrecken; erstens wird dadurch dem christlichen Grundcharakter unserer abendländischen Kultur Rechnung getragen, zweitens ist dadurch doch noch eher eine Verständigung möglich, als wenn völlig neue Namen gewählt würden, oder wenn orientalische Bezeichnungen übernommen würden, deren wahrer Inhalt doch nur demjenigen gegenwärtig sein kann, der in dem entsprechenden Kulturzusammenhang seelisch darinnen steht. Mir schwebt doch die Möglichkeit vor, daß derjenige, welcher in diese geistigen Zusammenhänge eindringen will, sich, wenn er die Sache als solche nicht ablehnt, an Namen wie Engel, Erzengel, Throne usw. ebensowenig stoßen wird, wie er dies in der physischen Wissenschaft gegenüber Benennungen wie positive und negative Elektrizität, Magnetismus, polarisiertes Licht usw. tut.
Wer den Inhalt dieser Vorträge zusammenhält mit den schmerzlichen Prüfungen der Kulturmenschheit in diesen Tagen, der wird finden können, daß das damals Gesagte manches Licht verbreitet über jetzt Geschehendes. Hielte ich diese Vorträge jetzt, so könnte man glauben, daß der augenblickliche Stand der Weltereignisse solche Betrachtungen herausforderte. So steht zum Beispiel auf Seite 3 des ersten Vortrages: «Es ist... von einer ganz besonderen Wichtigkeit..., daß gerade in unserer Zeit in unbefangenster Weise auch gesprochen wird über dasjenige, was wir die Mission der einzelnen Volksseelen der Menschheit nennen..., weil die nächsten Schicksale der Menschheit in einem viel höheren Grade als das bisher der Fall war, die Menschen zu einer gemeinsamen Menschheitsmission zusammenführen werden. Zu dieser gemeinsamen Mission werden aber die einzelnen Volksangehörigen nur dann ihren entsprechenden freien, konkreten Beitrag liefern können, wenn sie vor allen Dingen ein Verständnis haben für ihr Volkstum, ein Verständnis für dasjenige, was man nennen kann Selbsterkenntnis des Volkstums.› » Die Zeiten sind wohl nun da, in denen die Schicksale der Menschheit selber lehren, daß in einer solchen Anschauung Wahrheit ist.
Vielleicht ist gerade das Thema von den «Volksseelen» ein solches, das zeigt, wie geistige Betrachtung, die auf die wirkliche übersinnliche Wesenheit des Daseins geht, zugleich die wahrhaft praktische Lebensanschauung gibt, die Licht wirft auch auf die einzelnsten Fragen des Lebens. Eine Lebensbetrachtung, die für die Entwickelung und das Wesen der Völker nur solche Vorstellungen gebraucht, die für die Naturwissenschaft mit Recht geltend gemacht werden, kann das nicht. Diese mechanistisch-physische Wissenschaft hat ihr Großes geleistet in der Hervorbringung mechanisch-physikalisch-chemischer Kulturmittel; für die Kulturmittel des geistigen Lebens der Menschheit bedarf es einer auf das Geistige hingeordneten Wissenschaft. Unsere Zeit bedarf einer solchen Wissenschaft.
Berlin, 8. Februar 1918.
Rudolf Steiner
A Preface
Written retrospectively on these lectures given more than seven years ago
In these lectures, which were given in Christiania in June 1910, I attempted to outline the psychology of the development of peoples. The basis for my considerations was what I had presented in my books on anthroposophically oriented spiritual science (Theosophy, The Secret Science, The Mystery of Man, The Mystery of the Soul, and others). I was able to build on this foundation because my audience was familiar with the scientific view presented in my books. However, there is an inner reason for choosing this point of view in addition to this external one. The anthropological, ethnographic, and even historical observations of ordinary science cannot provide a sufficient foundation for a true psychology of national characters. What this science offers us is no more useful for understanding the soul life of human beings than anatomy and physiology are. Just as we must proceed from the body to the soul in the individual human being if we want to know his inner life, so we must penetrate to the soul-spiritual foundation of peoples if we want to gain a real understanding of their character. This soul-spiritual element, however, is not merely the interaction of the individual souls of human beings, but is a soul-spiritual element superior to them. To consider such a thing is completely unfamiliar to present-day science. In its forum, it is paradoxical to speak of national souls as real entities, just as one speaks of the real thinking, feeling, and willing of the individual human being. And it is just as paradoxical in this forum to connect the development of peoples on earth with the forces of the heavenly bodies in space. However, in order to no longer find this paradoxical, one need only remember that no one will look for the forces that set a magnetic needle in the north-south direction within the magnetic needle itself. They attribute them to the effect of the Earth's magnetism. They seek the reasons for the direction of the needle in the cosmos. So, are we not allowed to seek the reasons for the development of national characters, migrations of peoples, etc., outside the context of peoples in the cosmos? Quite apart from the anthroposophical view, for which higher spiritual beings are a reality, something else entirely comes into consideration for the content of these lectures. This content is based on a higher spiritual reality of the development of peoples, and it seeks the forces that give direction to this development in such a reality. But then the consideration descends to the facts that come to light in the life of peoples. And there it becomes apparent that these facts become understandable through this foundation. This makes it possible to understand both the living conditions of individual peoples and their mutual relationships, whereas without such a foundation there can be no true knowledge in this field. One must either renounce a psychology of peoples or seek a foundation for it in a spiritual reality.
I have not shied away from using the names that were common in the early Christian centuries for higher spiritual beings. Orientals would choose other names. But even if the use of such names seems little “scientific” today , it seems right to me not to shy away from using them. Firstly, this takes into account the fundamental Christian character of our Western culture. Secondly, it makes understanding easier than if completely new names were chosen or if Eastern terms were adopted, whose true meaning can only be understood by those who are spiritually attuned to the corresponding cultural context. I believe that those who wish to penetrate these spiritual connections, if they do not reject the matter as such, will find names such as angel, archangel, throne, etc., just as unobjectionable as they find terms such as positive and negative electricity, magnetism, polarized light, etc., in physical science.
Anyone who connects the content of these lectures with the painful trials of cultural humanity in these days will find that what was said then sheds some light on what is happening now. If I were to give these lectures now, one might believe that the current state of world events called for such considerations. For example, on page 3 of the first lecture, it says: “It is... of very special importance... that, especially in our time, we speak in the most unbiased way about what we call the mission of the individual souls of the peoples of humanity... because the immediate destinies of humanity will, to a much greater degree than has been the case up to now, bring people together in a common mission for humanity. However, the individual members of a people will only be able to make their corresponding free and concrete contribution to this common mission if they have, above all, an understanding of their own culture, an understanding of what can be called self-knowledge of their culture.” The time has now come when the fate of humanity itself teaches us that there is truth in such a view.
Perhaps the subject of the “national soul” is precisely one that shows how spiritual contemplation, which goes to the real supersensible essence of existence, at the same time provides a truly practical view of life that sheds light on even the most individual questions of life. A view of life that uses only those ideas for the development and essence of peoples that are rightly claimed by natural science cannot do this. This mechanistic-physical science has achieved great things in the production of mechanical-physical-chemical means of culture; for the means of culture of the spiritual life of humanity, a science oriented toward the spiritual is needed. Our time needs such a science.
Berlin, February 8, 1918.
Rudolf Steiner