The Subconscious Forces
GA 159
9 May 1915, Vienna
Translator Unknown
My dear friends,
Our spiritual-scientific world-conception should not only further the, development and rise of individual souls, hut above all it should really help us to gain new aspects for a conception of life. In the present time we should take it to heart that such encompassing aspects have to be gained in order to judge life. Of course, it is a great and also a significant task for the individual to further his own development by what he can win as a fruit of spiritual-scientific self-education. Only the fact that individuals progress, enables individual souls to cooperate in the development of mankind. Our attention should, however, not only be turned to this fact, but as followers of the anthroposophical world-conception we should also be able to experience the great events of our time from a high standpoint, from a truly spiritual standpoint. When judging the things which are taking place, we should really be able to transfer ourselves, as it were, to a higher standpoint. To-day it may perhaps be appropriate to advance a few aspects connected especially with the great events of the present time, because, my dear friends, our meeting is being held in a fateful time, fraught with destiny.
Let us now set out from something which closely affects us as human beings. At certain times people are seized by illness. As a rule, illness is looked upon as something which injures the organism. But this, generally adopted view is not always justified. There are indeed certain illnesses which must be judged from this standpoint, which invade our organism, as it were, like a foe, but this is not always the case. It does not even apply to the majority of illnesses, for as a rule illness is something quite different. Illness is generally not an enemy, but a friend of the human organism. What is inimical to the organism generally precedes illness, it develops in us before the external, visible illness breaks out. Opposing forces are in the organism, and the illness which breaks out at a certain moment is an attempt on the part of our body to defend itself against these opposing forces which had remained unnoticed. When an illness breaks out, the organism frequently begins a work of healing. Through illness the organism fights against the inimical influences which precede the illness. Illness is the last form of the whole process and it implies a battle of the sound fluids in the organism against the forces which are lurking below. Illness exists for the sake of driving out what is lurking below. Only if the majority of illnesses is looked upon in this light, can a right conception of the pathological process be reached. Illness therefore indicates that something preceded its outbreak, something which must be expelled from the organism by the illness itself.
It is easy to discover what has just been said, if such phenomena of life are viewed in the right light. The causes may lie in many different spheres. But as explained, the essential point is to view illness as a defence of the organism against forces which must be driven out.
I do not think that it is possible to make a better comparison in regard to the whole complex of the significant and deeply incisive events in a great part of the world which are taking place since the beginning of August 1914,—I do not think that a better comparison can be found between these events and a pathological process affecting the whole human development. What should strike us above everything else is that these war-events really constitute a pathological process. But it would be wrong to think that we can deal with it by grasping it wrongly, as so many other pathological processes are grasped, namely by considering it as something inimical to the organism. The cause which we must envisage, precedes the pathological process.
Particularly in the present time it may strike us how little inclined people are to envisage truths which are immediately evident to these who take in a spiritual-scientific world-conception not only with their intellect, but also with their feeling.
We have had to pass through many painful experiences during the past 9 months—painful experiences connected with people's lack of judgment. When reading the books and articles which are most popular to-day and which are spread in many different countries of the world, do we not find that those who judge the present events admit that everything began, say in July 1914? The most distressing experience which we had to pass through in addition to all the other painful things, was to see that particularly the people who counted, most, that is to say, those who write newspaper articles and form public opinion, regally do not know anything about the development of events and only bear in mind the things which lie closest! This gave rise to endless discussions, to entirely useless discussions on the real cause of the present war.
Again, and again people ask: Is this or that party responsible for it? and so forth. But in every case, they omit to go back further than. July, or June 1914 at the incest. I mention this because it really characterizes our materialistic age. One generally thinks that materialism only brings with it a materialistic way of thinking. But this is not true. Materialism does not only produce a materialistic way of thinking, but also short-sightedness; materialism produces laziness of thinking and lack of insight. The materialistic way of thinking leads to the opinion that one can prove and believe anything. The self-training implied by Anthroposophy, if this is grasped in the right way, also enables us to recognise that it is possible to prove and to believe anything if one remains in the field of materialism. Let us take an example:
You see, in the past years, when one brought forward the spiritual-scientific world-conception in this or in that place and certain people thought that they had to assert their own views in the face of the spiritual-scientific world-conception, one could frequently hear the following argument: Kant has already proved by his philosophy that there are limitations to man's knowledge; human knowledge cannot reach the spheres which the spiritual-scientific world-conception tries to reach. Then they bring forward certain interesting things showing how Kant is supposed to have proved that human knowledge cannot reach the spiritual world. If spiritual science was upheld in spite of all, then they came along and said: This person rejects everything that has been proved by Kant! Of course, this more or less implied: What a foolish person he must be, for he rejects strictly proved facts!
But this is not the case: The spiritual scientist does not deny that Kant is absolutely right, for it is evident that he demonstrated this clearly. But my dear friends, suppose that someone had stated that the plant consists of minute cells, at a time when the microscope had not yet been invented, but that these cells could not be found because human eyes are unable to see them. It might have been proved that the cells do not exist and this would have been quite correct, for the constitution of the human eye does not permit us to penetrate into the plant's organism to the extent of seeing these tiniest cells. The proof would be absolutely correct and it could not be overthrown. Yet in the course of human development the microscope was discovered as an aid to the human eye, so that in spite of the strictest proof to the contrary, people were able to recognise the existence of these tiniest cells.
When people will grasp that proofs are useless for the attainment of truth, that proofs may be correct, but that they do not mean anything special if we wish to progress in the attainment of truth, then it will be possible to stand upon the right foundation. For then it will be possible to know: Though proofs may be correct, they cannot lead us to the truth, this is not their task!
Bear in mind the comparison which I made, for it will show you that the proof according to which the human power of vision is unable to reach the plant's cell is just as valid as the proof that, according to Kant, human knowledge is unable to reach the supersensible worlds. These proofs may be absolutely correct, yet real life transcends them. This too is something which we obtain, as it were, along the path of spiritual research, for by extending our horizon we really reach the point of appealing to. something which is not only limited to the human, intellect and its proofs.
Those who restrict themselves to materialistic ideas are really led to an unbounded belief in proofs; if they have a proof in their pocket, they are convinced of the truth. But spiritual science shows us that in reality it is possible to prove either the one or the other thing; intellectual proofs are however meaningless for the attainment of real truth. It is therefore an accompanying symptom of our materialistic age that people should fall into this intellectual short-sightedness. And if this is mingled with passions, it gives rise to something which we do not only see in the armed conflict of European nations, but also in the hostile attitude consisting in the fact that one accuses the other, without any outlook (I distinctly say, without any outlook, for this does not only apply to the present time of war) of their ever convincing each other. These who naively think that a neutral country might perhaps arbitrate in the case of diverging statements between two hostile countries, are really simple minded! Of course, the facts advanced by one side may be just as well supported by proofs as the facts advanced by the other side. Insight, my dear friends, can only be gained by penetrating into the deeper foundations of the whole human development.
In my lecture-cycle on the Folk-Souls of Europe and their influence on the individuals belonging to the different nations, which I gave a few years before the outbreak of the present war, I already tried to throw some light upon the reciprocal relations of the different nations and I tried to show that different forces are at work in the various, nations.1See Rudolf Steiner: The Mission of the Folk-Souls in Relation with the Germanic-Nordic Mythology. Let us complete this to-day by drawing in some new aspects.
Our materialistic age has far too abstract a way of thinking; Above all it does not consider the fact that in life there is a real course of development and that man should allow that which is in him to mature, so that it gradually ripens into real judgment. We know—for this has been set forth sufficiently clearly in The Education of the Child that the human being passes through a course of development; during the first seven years he develops above all his physical body, from the seventh to the fourteenth year his etheric body, and so forth. Little attention is paid to this progressive course in mans individual development, and less still to the parallel phenomenon, to the equivalent course of development in mankind.
The processes which take place in the nations and their connections are guided (we all know this through spiritual science) by the Beings belonging to the higher Hierarchies. We speak of FOLK-SOULS, or FOLK-SPIRITS in the true meaning of the word. We know, for example, that the Folk-Soul of the Italian nation inspires what we designate as Sentient Soul; the French Folk-Soul inspires what we call the Intellectual Soul; the inhabitants of the British Isle are inspired through their consciousness soul; in Central Europe the inspiration takes place through what we designate as the human Ego.
This does not imply any verdict in regard to the individual value of the different nations, it simply states the facts. It states for example, that the inspiration of the nation which inhabits the British Isle is based on the fact that it has to bring into the world influences produced by the inspiration of the Consciousness Soul through the Folk-Soul.
It is strange how nervous people get on this subject. During the war I once more emphasized in this or in that place certain things which I had already explained in the above-mentioned cycle of lectures. Yet some people almost considered it as an insult to the British nation to say that it had the task to inspire the Consciousness-Soul, whereas, the Folk-Soul pertaining to the German nation has to inspire the human Ego. It is just as if it were taken as an insult to say that salt is white and Cayenne pepper red! It is a plain characteristic, the description of an existing truth, and it has to be accepted as such, to begin with.
It will be much easier to deal with the connections existing between the single members of human nature if we bear in mind the characteristics of the various nations, if we do not mix everything together, as is done by the modern materialistic conception. Of course, the individual rises above that which he receives from, his Folk-Soul, and it is pre-eminently the task of our Anthroposophical Society to lift the individual out of the Group-Soul life into the life of humanity as a whole. But nevertheless, there remains the fact that in so far as the individual stands within his own nation he is inspired in a certain direction; the Italian Folk-Soul speaks, for example, to the Sentient soul; the French Folk-Soul to the Intellectual Soul, the British Folk-Soul to the Consciousness Soul. We should therefore imagine that the Folk Soul soars above that which individuals do within single nations.
But in the same way in which we can see a course of development in individual life and are able to say in the case of individual people that the Ego reaches a certain stage of development at a definite moment in life, so it is also possible to speak of a development, a real development in the case of the Folk-Soul. But this development of course differs somewhat from that of individual human beings.
Let us single out, for example, the Italian nation. There we. have this nation and the Folk-Soul belonging to it. You see, the Folk Soul is a Being of the supersensible world, it belongs to the world of the higher Hierarchies. It inspires the Sentient Soul, and this until the nation, the Italian nation, lives (we are speaking of this particular nation), yet it inspires the Sentient Soul at different times in a different way.
There are times in which the Folk-Souls inspire the members of single nations in such a way, that their inspiration is, as it were, one of the soul. The Folk-Soul soars in higher regions of the spirit, and its inspiration is of such a kind that it only transmits soul qualities. Then there are times in which the Folk-Souls descend and engage mere strongly the individual members of the nations; their inspiration is so strong, that they do not only send it down into the soul and its qualities, but right down into the bodily qualities, so that people depend on their Folk-Souls even bodily. As long as a nation submits to the influence of its Folk-Soul so as to receive only soul-spiritual qualities, the national type is not so distinct. The forces of the Folk-Soul do not yet work in such a way as to seize the whole human being, right down into the blood. Then comes a time when one can gather by the way in which a person looks about, by the characteristic shape of his head and his physiognomy, how the Folk-Soul influences him. The influences are so strongly marked, because the Folk-Soul has descended deeply; it claims the whole human being in a strong and intensive way.
You see, in the case of the Italian nation, the middle of the 16th century, around the year 1550, was the period mentioned by me, when the Folk-Soul came down and worked in such a way that its mark may be found in the individual people. Then the Folk-soul soared back, as it were, and these influences were transmitted to the descendants by heredity. The most intensive union of the Italian nation with its Folk-Soul was around the year 1550. It was the time when the Italian Folk-Soul descended most deeply, when the Italian nation acquired its definite character. If we go back to the time before 1550, we see that the characteristic traits are not so clearly traced, they do not confront us so clearly as after 1550, Only in that epoch began the characteristic essence which we know as Italian character. At that time the true marriage took place between the Italian Folk-Soul and the Sentient Soul of. individual people belonging to the Italian nation.
In the case of the French nation (you see, I am not speaking of individual men, who can rise above the nation) a similar moment, when the Folk-Spirit descended most deeply and permeated the whole nation, set in around the year 1600, at the beginning of the 17th century. There the Folk-Soul seized the whole Intellectual Soul.
In the case of the British nation this moment arose in the middle of the 17th century, around the year 1650. Then the British nation obtained as it were its external British expression.
Many things will be clear to you if you know such facts, for now you can, for example, face quite differently the question: “What about Shakespeare and his connection with England?” Shakespeare worked in England before the time when the British Folk-Soul exercised its strongest influence upon the English nation. Shakespeare lived before that time. This explains why he was not completely understood in England. We all know that there are Shakespeare editions in England which suppress everything that is not quite in keeping with the taste of governesses. Shakespeare has often been moralized, so to speak, in the most extreme sense. We know that the deepest, understanding for Shakespeare is not to be found in England, but in the Central European, development of spiritual life.
You will now ask: When did the Folk-Soul come into contact with the members of the Central-European nation? There matters stand as follows: Through the fact that the Ego is the essential thing in Central Europe, that the Folk-Soul soars down and withdraws, again soars down and withdraws—through this fact, we have repetitions. Thus we have a descent of the Folk-Soul, when it unites with the individual souls, around the time in which the wonderful Parsifal legends arose, the legends of the Holy Grail. Then the Folk-Soul withdrew and its next descent is between the years 1750 and 1830. At that time Central-European life is most deeply seized by the Central-European Folk-Soul. Since 1830 it has withdrawn again.
You may therefore see why Jacob Böhme lived, for example, in an epoch in which he could obtain little from the German Folk-Soul. For it was not a time in which the Folk Soul united with the individual souls of the nation. Although Jacob Böhme is called the “Teutonic Philosopher,” he is therefore a man who, in regard to the time in which he lived, is not dependent on his Folk-Soul; he faces us, as it were, like one who is not rooted in his time, like something eternal.
If we take Lessing, Schiller, and Goethe, they are German philosophers who are deeply rooted in the German Folk-Soul. It is a characteristic fact that these thinkers who live between 1710 and 1830 are deeply rooted in their Folk-Soul. This is their characteristic trait.
You therefore see that it is not only essential to know that
in the Italian nation, the Folk-Soul works through the Sentient Soul,
in the French nation, it works through the Intellectual Soul,
in the British nation, through the Consciousness-Soul,
in the Central-European nation, through the Ego—
but that it is also essential to know that they exercise their influences at given times. The events which take place can only be grasped from a historical aspect, if we really know these things. The nonsense pursued in the form of science, where documents are taken and events are enumerated in sequence, with the conclusion that one must be deduced from the other—this nonsense of historical investigation does not lead to real history, to an understanding of human development, but only—one might say—to a falsification of the forces working in human history.
If we now see in how many different ways the forces which drive the nations work upon each nation (of course, other nations might also be characterized), we discover the contrasting things which are there. We then see that the events which are taking place in the present time have not only arisen during the. past few years, but that they prepared themselves throughout the centuries.
Let us look across to the East, to the region which is the home of Russian culture. Russian culture is characterised by the fact that it can only unfold when the Russian Folk-soul will have united with the Spirit-Self. (This too is mentioned in the cycle of lectures The Mission of the Folk-Souls). That is to say; A future epoch must come in which the characteristic qualities of the European East will take on a definite form. This will be entirely different from what takes place in Western or in Central Europe. To begin with, however, it is clear that what pertains to Russian culture does not exist as yet, for Russian culture is connected with tin Spirit-Self in the same way in which the individual human being is now connected with it, that is to say, it must always look up to it. Individual Russians, even the deepest Russian philosophers, do not speak in the same way Central Europeans when they express the loftiest things, but in an entirely different way. Here we come across something very characteristic.
You see, we must ask: What is the most characteristic trait of the spiritual life of Central Europe? You all know that there was a time in which the great mystics lived; Meister Eckhart,Tauler,and others were active then, and others too. With their feeling soul they all sought the Divine Essence contained in the human soul; they looked for the God within them, ... they sought to find within their own soul “the little spark in feeling,” as Eckhart expressed himself. Within the soul (they said), within the soul there must be something where; the Godhead is present in a direct way. This gave rise to the striving to unite the human Ego with the Godhead within the human soul. This Divine Essence, this Godhead, was to be striven for; it called for an active striving, for development.
This characterizes the whole life of Central Europe. Think of the infinite soul-depth and feeling of a man who stands in a completely international way in Central European culture, in the spiritual life of Central Europe. Angelus Silesius, who says in one of the beautiful mottoes contained in his Cherubinisher Wandersmann: “When I die, it is not I who die, but God in me.” Consider the great profundity of these words! The man who uttered them, had a living grasp of the idea of immortality and he felt that when death comes to the individual human being, it is because he is filled by the Godhead. Death is a phenomenon which is not connected with man, but. with God, and since God cannot die, death must only be an illusion. Death can therefore not mean a destruction of life. A person who can say, “When I die, it is not I who die, but God in me,” knows of the existence of the immortal soul. This infinitely profound feeling lived in Angelus Silesius. It is a result of the fact that the inspiration passes through the Ego.
When the inspiration passes through the sentient soul, something may arise which appeared, for example, in Giordano Bruno: This friar penetrated with greatest passion into everything discovered by Copernicus and he felt that the whole world was filled with life. If you read anything by Giordano Bruno you will find the confirmation of the fact that in so far as he grew out of the Italian nation, he proves that the Italian Folk-soul is inspired through the sentient soul.
Cartesius (Descartes) was born at that characteristic moment of French development when the French Folk-soul completely united itself with the French nation. Read a page by Cartesius, the French philosopher; you will find everywhere the confirmation of the truth discovered by spiritual science, namely that the inspiration of the Folk-Soul influences the Understanding Soul.
Read Locke or Hume, or any other English philosopher up to Mill and Spencer,—everywhere you will come across the inspiration of the Consciousness Soul.
When you read Fichte, who strives within the Ego itself, you will find that the Folk-soul inspires the Ego.
It is characteristic that the Central European Folk-Soul is experienced in the Ego, so that the Ego is the truly striving part, the Ego with all its strength and errors, with all its mistakes and victories. A man of Central Europe who has to find the path to Christ, must give birth to Him within his own soul.
Try to find in the spiritual life of Russia the idea (it should not be taken over superficially from the civilisation of western Europe) that Christ or God should be experienced within the soul. You will not be able to find it; Russians always expect that the forces which penetrate into the historical course of events penetrate into it like a “miracle,” to use Solovioff's expression. The spiritual life of Russia is very much inclined to look for the resurrection of Christ in the spiritual world, to worship th influence of an inspiring, power, yet this inspiring power speaks as if man were below and as if the inspiring element soared on high above mankind like a cloud, as if it did not penetrate into the human Ego. This intimate union of the Ego with its God, or if Christ is thought of, with Christ, this desire that Christ should be born within one's own soul, can only be found in Central Europe. If the culture of Eastern Europe will one day reach the stage of development which is appropriate to it, it will appear in a civilisation soaring above man, setting forth a kind of Group-soul life, but upon a higher stage than in the past. At present we must find it natural that Russians, and even Russian thinkers, should always speak of a spiritual world soaring above the world of man, of a spiritual world which they can never approach as intimately as Central Europeans approach it, when their Ego seeks to draw nigh to the Divine Essence surging and weaving through the world. On many occasions, when I myself spoke of the Godhead that surges and weaves through the world, my words were inspired by the feelings of a Central European, for no other nation in Europe can grasp such truths in the way in which Central Europeans grasp it. This characterizes the Central European nation.
These are the forces that live in the different nations and that confront one another in such a way as to compete with each other again and again. Sudden explosions must occur, resembling the discharge of clouds which bring lightning and storm.
But do we not see (this is how one might express it now) how a word resounded in the East of Europe, which was like a watchword and was also meant to act as such, just as if the civilisation of Eastern Europe were beginning to overspread the unworthy west of Europe, overflooding it? Do we not observe the rise of Slavophils, of Panslavs and Panslavism, particularly in men of Dostojevski's kind, and similar ideas? Dostojevski came forward with the special points of his programme staging; “You western Europeans, the whole lot of you, have a culture which is rotten to the core; it must be supplanted by the impulses coming from Eastern Europe.” A whole theory was set up, which culminated above all in the fact that people said: In the West, everything has grown rotten and decadent, and it must be replaced by the fresh forces of the East. We have our good orthodox religion which we do not oppose, we accept it like the cloud of the Folk-soul soaring above the people ... and so forth. Very clever theories were thus built up, dealing with what might already constitute the principles, the aims of the ancient Slav life, and stating that from the East the Truth should begin to spread over Central and Western Europe.
I said that the individual may rise above his nation. In a certain sphere, Solovioff, the great Russian philosopher, was such an individual. Although every line he writes reveals that he writes as “Russian,” he nevertheless stands above his nation. In his youth Solovioff was, one might say, a Panslav. But he penetrated more deeply into the ideas which the Panslav and Slavophils set up as a kind of philosophy of nations, as a kind of world-conception of nations. And what did Solovioff discover? What did Solovioff, the Russian find? He asked, himself: Does that which constitutes the true Russian-being really exist in the present time? Is it to be found among those who represent Panslavism, who follow the Slavophils?—He did not rest until he discovered the truth. What did he discover? He investigated the statements of the Slavophils, to whom he himself had belonged in the past, he pressed upon them. And he discovered that the majority, of the thought-forms, statements and intentions had been taken from the French philosopher de Maistre, who sympathized with the Jesuits; he was the great teacher of the Slavophils in the field of a world-conception. Solovioff himself proved that these ideas had not grown out of Russian soil, but that these Panslav and Slavophil thoughts had been taken from de Maistre. And he proved other things besides. He unearthed a long-forgotten German book, from the 15th century, unknown to everyone in Germany. The Slavophils copied whole portions of it in their literature.
What is the strange phenomenon which confronts us here? People believe that from the East come impulses which are of Eastern origin, whereas they are a purely western importation. They came from the West and were then sent back again to the western people. The western people become acquainted with their own forms of thought ... because the East does not yet possess its own forms of thought.
When things are closely investigated, one always finds the confirmation of the statements made by spiritual science. They prove to be correct. We therefore have something elemental in the forces, which come rolling towards us from the East, something which will unfold one day if it will absorb the forces which developed in Central Europe with the same love with which Central Europe once absorbed the Greek and Latin life coming from the South.
In the course of mankind's development, the later epochs absorb what was contained in the past epochs. And the FAUST mentality of Central Europe, which I described in my public lecture [Lecture of May 8th, 1915. “Man's Destiny in the Light of a Knowledge of the Spiritual Worlds.”] when I spoke of the year 1770, was felt by Goethe as a Faustic striving and he expressed it in the words:
Habe nun, ach! Philosophie,
Juristerei und Medizin,
Und, leider, auch Theologie!
Durchaus studiert mit heißem Bemühen.
Da steh' ich nun, ich armer Tor!
Und bin so klug als wie zuvor.(Alas! Philosophy, law, and medicine,
and unfortunately, also theology
I studied with hot endeavour.
But there I stand now, poor fool!
and am as clever as I was before.)
There arose in Germany an immensely rich life of the spirit, an immensely intensive rich striving in the spiritual life of Germany.—But if Goethe had written his Faust 40 years later, he would certainly not have begun with: “Habe nun ach, Philosophie ...” I have, alas! studied philosophy, etc. ... and have become the wise man of all ages ... but he would have described his Faust exactly as he did in 1770.
This living striving comes from the Folk-soul's inspiration, of the Ego, from that intimate connection of the Ego with the Folk-soul. This is a fundamental quality of the Central-European civilisation of the spirit. And the civilisation of eastern Europe must unite with it warmly and lovingly. The forces which bad to flow into Central Europe were once absorbed, received from the civilisation of the South. To-day it is not otherwise, and if the elemental wave of development comes rolling along from the East, it is just as if the pupil were furious with his teacher because he must learn something from him and wants to whip him for it. The comparison is somewhat trivial, but it is one which explains things precisely.
Groups, masses of people endowed with entirely different forces of development live together in Europe. These different forces of development must actively compete against each other; they must assert themselves in different ways. The opposing forces, those which come into conflicts with the others, prepared themselves long, long ago. Particularly when studying the fine nuances, we see everywhere the truths revealed by spiritual science.
Do we. not find it expressed in a wonderful way that the wave of European development should concentrate itself so as to show the whole of mankind, symbolically as it were, how Central Europe must feel the life-union between the Ego and the spiritual world, how God should be experienced in the “sparklet within the soul,” how Christ should be experienced in “the small spark within the soul?” Christ himself must become active within the human Ego. For this reason, in Central Europe the. whole development tends towards what we call the Ego, the “Ich.” And Ich means “I, C, H” : ICH. The Ich—Jesus Christ, faces us in Central Europe like a mighty symbol, intimately working together with, what can be the soul's holiest possession, intimately working together with the soul itself!
This is how the Folk-soul works, he inspires the nation and expresses the underlying facts in characteristic words. I know that some people laugh when such things are said, when one gives expression to the truth that the Folk-soul worked for centuries in order to give rise to the word ICH, which is so symbolically full of meaning. But let them laugh! After a few decades they will no longer laugh, and call such things more significant than what people now designate as “laws of Nature.” The influence of this wave of development was very characteristic. Only a very small portion of the truth sometimes rises up in human consciousness; but the forces which are active in the sub-conscious depths express themselves in a far more truthful way.
We speak, for example, of the Germanic peoples. The working Genius of Speech forms the words. One part of the inhabitants of Central Europe calls itself “German.” But when we speak of the Germanic races we must include Germany Austria, Holland, the Scandinavian nations and also the inhabitants of the British Isles. The word “Germanic” has a very wide meaning and embraces a large field. But the inhabitant of Great Britain rejects it. To him a “German” is an inhabitant of Germany. In English there is no special word for “Germane” (Germanic). The German language embraces a far larger field with that word. The German language as such is inclined to set the word at the service of selflessness; The German does not only call himself Germanic, but he includes the others in it. But the Briton rejects it.
Try to penetrate into the wonderful essence of the Genius creating speech, and you will discover the truly wonderful element in it. Maya, the great illusion, arises in connection with that which lives in the consciousness of men. But the forces, which work, in the subconscious depths are far more true. They express something immensely significant and profound.
Compare now the intimate way in which we must work in order to understand the European play of forces, compare this inmate way of working with the coarse way in which one generally views the reciprocal connections of the European nations. It will show you the devastation in the human power of judgment resulting from the materialistic age. The fact that people have begun to think that “matter carries and supports, everything” is not the worst; the worst thing of all is that people have become short-sighted, that they are unable to see the fundamental facts and do not even make one step to reach the world which lies behind that veil which is woven over truth as Maya; this is really a calamity.
Materialism very skilfully prepared its aims. Here too genius was at work, but the genius who is the leading power in materialism is Ahriman. He exercised a powerful influence during the past centuries, a very powerful influence indeed!
Let me now refer to a chapter which people perhaps prefer to ignore to-day. But I must draw attention to it, even though people may look upon this as a special form of insanity.
You see, the easiest, way of influencing people is to drip into the soul and thoughts of still youthful persons forces which will develop later in life. Older people can very seldom be taught anything thoroughly. Consequently, Ahriman could never have a better chance of preparing souls in a genuinely materialistic way than by dripping into the souls of young children and youthful persons certain forces which will continue to work in their sub-consciousness. By absorbing materialistic forms of thought at an age, when one does not yet think materialistically, people are taught to think materialistically. When materialism is implanted into the souls of children, people learn to think in a materialistic way.
Ahriman did this by inspiring a writer of the materialistic age to write Robinson Crusoe. If our spirit is clear-sighted and submits to Robinson's influence, we shall see that ideas which are completely materialistic are at work in Robinson. This may not appear at once, yet the whole … the way in which the book is built up, the way in which Robinson is led to all kinds of outer experiences in his adventurous life, until finally even religion grows out of the soil like cabbage,—all this prepares the child's soul excellently for a materialistic way of thinking.
And if we consider that at a certain time there existed a Bohemian, a Portuguese, a. Hungarian, etc., etc. Robinson, in imitation of the original Robinson Crusoe, we must admit that the work was done very thoroughly. The reading of Robinson books contributed greatly to the development of materialism.
In contrast to such phenomena we should point out that there is something which children should take in until late in life: namely the fairy-tales of Central Europe, above all those collected by the brothers Grimm. This is far better reading for children than Robinson Crusoe.
And if to-day the terrible, difficult, fateful events among the nations of Europe are looked upon as a warning to study more closely the whole way in which things occur in the present time by developing out of the hidden depths of events, it will be possible to recognise above all that in reality the essential thing doe s not lie in the fact that a few German scientists sent back their decorations and titles to England!
If the warning of the present time is strong enough to enable us to recognise the whole significance of the materialistically inspired consciousness-soul of the British nation, we shall also recognise what it means to let children read Robinson-books and we shall extirpate the whole Robinson literature. If the warnings of the present time are really taken into consideration in the right way we shall work far more thoroughly, far more radically.
You see, I began to interpret Goethe 35 years ago by explaining his spiritual-scientific task. I tried to explain that Goethe's theory of evolution really contains a truly great theory of evolution, in keeping with spiritual views. The time must come in which larger circles of people recognise this. For Goethe gave us a great, powerful theory of evolution, which is truly spiritual. People found it difficult to understand. In the materialistic age, Darwin was far more successful for he gave in a coarser, materialistic form the truths contained in a fine, spiritual form in Goethe's theory of evolution. A thorough Anglicising took hold of Central Europe. Consider how tragic it is that the most English scientist in Germany, Ernst Haeckel, who swore by Darwin, should have felt such a furious hatred against everything English, and when this war broke out he was one of the first who returned the decorations and titles which had been given him in England. He will have been too old to send back the English-tinted Darwinism, but this would have been the important, essential fact.
The things which matter, lie deeply concealed and are immensely significant. And they are connected with the necessary spiritual deepening of our epoch. If one day we shall recognise the immensely greater depth of Goethe's Colour Theory in comparison with Newton's Colour Theory, and the immensely greater depth of Goethe's Theory of Evolution in comparison with Darwin's, we shall recognise the forces concealed in the spiritual life of Central Europe also in regard to these highest subjects.
By explaining to you all these things, I wish to awaken in your souls a feeling for the great warning which we must see in the present difficult and fateful events. It is a warning to work, to bethink ourselves of what lies concealed in the spiritual life of Central Europe, to undertake the responsibility of drawing out these forces. This is what I meant in my public lecture, yesterday, when 1 said that the spiritual life of Central Europe contains seeds which must unfold into flowers and fruits.
If we recognise again and again that the conscious life of the soul lies on the surface and that below it lies all the things explained to you in these days, we may turn our thoughts towards the fact that also in the present time the impulses of many people contain forces besides those of which they are conscious. Do not think that the people in the West and in the East who have to. defend the great fortress of Central Europe are only fighting for something which lives in their upper consciousness. You should envisage above all the impulses of which so many men who are now passing through blood and death are not conscious,—nevertheless these impulses exist. When we look to the East and to the West, spiritual science should give us the feeling that the impulses of the men who bring these sacrifices contain forces which the future will bring to birth in external life, although the fighting men are hardly conscious of this. Only if we consider the present events in this light, we are filled with the true feelings, with the feelings enabling us to grasp them.
But let us consider how many souls involved in these events—so great in their warlike character that they cannot be compared with anything else in the conscious history of mankind—let us consider how many souls are now passing through blood and death and let us remember that they will look down upon the death which they were condemned to suffer by the present time. Let us remember that in the meaning off what I told you yesterday, youthful etheric bodies fill the spiritual atmosphere of the earth. Let us consider that in the spiritual world will exist not only the souls, and the individualities of these men, but that useful impulses going out from these young etheric bodies will permeate the spiritual atmosphere. Let us set out from this point and try to bear in mind the warning calls which must be heard by those who remain behind on the earth. Indeed, each individual soul that passed through the portal of death reminds us of the great tasks which must be fulfilled in the civilisation of Europe. These warning calls must be heard. Out of the depths of spiritual life, we must be willing to draw feelings born out of knowledge, which show us the true nature cf the world in which we live. And one day, when we shall feel that each soldier who fell on the battlefield is a warner calling for mankind's spiritualization in the civilisation of Europe, we shall have grasped the events in their true meaning. Not only an abstract knowledge should go out from centres such as Dornach, the knowledge that man consists of physical body, etheric body, astral body and Ego, that he passes through many incarnations, that he has a Karma and so forth, but the souls who belong to our spiritual-scientific movement should be stirred in their innermost depths to that feeling life of which I have just spoken, enabling them to experience in the near future the warning calls of those who died in young years. The most beautiful experience which followers of spiritual science can win is that of the living stream which should pass like a breath through the ranks of those who count themselves as belonging to our movement. Not the mere knowledge of this fact, not only its recognition, but its life, the realisation of this life.
Indeed, recently several of our members have left the physical plane. Among them, a young helping friend, our dear FRITZ MITSCHER. Karma brought it about that I had to speak at the cremation in Basle, I had to send certain words to the departing soul. Among other things which I said to this soul, were the words that we know that he will remain a helping friend also now that he has passed through the threshold of death. I had to say this, guided by the consciousness of the fact that the truths which animate every one of us do not only stand before us as a theory, but that these truths uttered as if they were theoretical thoughts, must fill our whole soul with life, full life.
In that case, our attitude towards those who passed through the threshold of death must be the same as towards those who still live here on earth. Indeed, we should not hesitate, to say: Those who still live in the physical body are handicapped in many ways, so that they cannot live a full spiritual lire, they cannot live it to the fill. How many handicaps can be observed in people during their physical life on earth, when it is a question of recognising the truly great tasks of evolution—and still more, when it is a question of FULFILLING THEM! We may rely far more on the dead.
This feeling, that the dead live among us, of a special mission entrusted to them, guided me, when p spoke the parting words for our fried, Fritz Mitscher, who passed through the portal of death so early in life. The words spoken for him apply to many others who crossed the threshold of death. In the dead we have our beat and most important helpers and you will not misunderstand me when I say: In our spiritual work we may rely far more upon the dead than upon the living.
But in order to be able to say this, we should stand in a living way within that which our spiritual movement can give us. I rely on the fact that those who crossed the threshold of death are—particularly in the external field—our most important helpers in the spiritualization of human civilisation in the future, for they look back upon death, and death will be their great teacher. Many people to-day need stronger teachers than those whom life can give them. Many examples prove this.
Let me give you one example (though many others can be given): A few years ago, a sensational article directed against the spiritual science I represent, appeared in Hochland, a periodical published in South-Germany. This article caused a real sensation. It convinced many people, because it was written by a very famous philosopher. The editor of Hochland accepted the article, so that he propagated—at least he thought so—a very conspicuous article on this mad spiritual science.
You see, it is not important to defend ourselves against such things with external measures. It is quite comprehensible that clever modern people should think that spiritual science is foolish ... But since the outbreak of war something else occurred. The editor of that paper is a staunch German, a man with German feelings. The author of the article which had been accepted, addressed certain letters to him and these were printed in the Sueddeutschen Monatsheften for the publisher was guided by, let us say, his blessed “innocence.” Try to read these articles. They are full of venom against the spiritual culture of Central Europe; the letters which that very same philosopher wrote to the editor of Hochland are full of venom, so that the editor felt obliged to say: “In Central Europe, men with such ideas can only be found in a mad-house.”
Consider the immense significance of this criticism. There is a man who edits a paper in South-Germany. He accepts an article winch he considers important as a weapon for the destruction of spiritual science and he says: “Here, at last, we have a good article on spiritual science written by a famous thinker!” After a while, the same author sends him letters which he must designate as coming from a person who should be in a mad-house.
If one arrives at conclusions by a truly living logic, one would have to say: That man is a fool now, consequently he must have been a fool before! The editor simply did not recognise that he had to deal with a fool, when that man first wrote against spiritual science. This is living logic, life-logic. Sometimes, however, people cannot wait until this logic works and shows its effects. Nevertheless, it is active in life and so we may sometimes experience things of this kind.
The article in question was directed against my spiritual science. People read it and said: “O, that article was written by a famous philosopher and Platonist and he is a very clever man!” The editor thought: “An article on spiritual science written by such a clever man, must be a specially good article.” But after a while that same editor had to admit: “That man is a fool.” First, however, he needed proofs for this, as described.
Such things may occur among those who live on the earth. People who do not have a very firm ground under their feet, as in the case of the editor of that South-German periodical, have to be taught their lessons by the recent events which come from the spiritual world and are offered by life itself, in a far deeper meaning than one generally likes to admit.
You will therefore understand me, when I add the following remark to what I already explained to you: There are many opposing forces in the present time, and it is permissible to designate war as a disease. This war is the result of something which was enacted long ago, and it is a healing force eradicating many evils which would gradually harm the life of our whole, civilisation. By designating war as a disease in this meaning, but by looking upon disease as a self-defence, we can understand it, and the fateful events of the present with its significant hints and admonishments. In that case we experience it with all the inner forces of our soul, so that we can direct our attention towards the souls who passed through the threshold of death and look ahead into the near future, the souls who really grasp the inspiration which they are able to send into the hearts of those who are willing to listen to them, namely that a spiritual deepening must take hold of them, it must penetrate into them for the sake of human progress and salvation which the future needs.
If your souls can rightly take in the meaning which I wish to convey with these words, you will really be followers and upholders of our spiritual-scientific world-conception in the full meaning of the word. If you can make up your minds to become souls who turn their attention to the messages whispered from above by those who passed through the portal of death as a result of the fateful events of our times, you will be true followers of spiritual science.
In the near future, spiritual science will have to build a bridge connecting the living with the dead, a line of communication for the inspiring elemental forces of those who in the present time made the great sacrifice of their life, a path along which their messages can reach us.
For this reason, I wished to give you these explanations, by appealing to your souls and by stimulating certain feelings. These should be expectant, listening feelings, able to grasp what the difficult, fateful present reveals to human souls.
In this meaning, let me again conclude with the words already spoken the day before yesterday; they should work in our souls like a Mantram, transforming them into expectant souls, ready to receive the inspirations which come from the dead, from souls filled with a growing life in the Spirit:
From the courage of the fighters,
From the blood shed in battles,
From the sorrow of the abandoned,
From the nation's deeds of sacrifice,
Will spring forth a spiritual fruit,
If souls, spiritually conscious, turn
Their senses towards the Spirit-realm.
Der Krieg, Ein Krankheitsprozess Mitteleuropa Und Der Slawische Osten Die Toten Als Helfer Des Menschheitsfortschrittes
Nicht nur darf unsere geisteswissenschaftliche Weltanschauung sich wenden an die Entwickelung und das Emporkommen der einzelnen Seelen, sondern sie muß auch vor allen Dingen wirklich uns helfen, weitere Gesichtspunkte zu gewinnen für die Anschauung des Lebens. Und in unserer Zeit muß es uns ganz besonders nahegehen, solche weiteren Gesichtspunkte für die Beurteilung des Lebens zu gewinnen. Gewiß, es ist eine große und auch bedeutungsvolle Aufgabe für den einzelnen Menschen, durch dasjenige, was er als die Frucht der geisteswissenschaftlichen Selbsterziehung gewinnen kann, sich selbst weiterzubringen. Und nur dadurch, daß sich die einzelnen Menschen wirklich weiterbringen, können sie mitarbeiten an der Entwickelung der Menschheit überhaupt. Aber nicht allein darauf soll unser Augenmerk gerichtet sein, sondern wir sollen wirklich als Bekenner der anthroposophischen Weltanschauung auch die großen Ereignisse der Zeit von einem hohen Gesichtspunkte, einem wirklich geistigen Gesichtspunkte aus empfinden können. Wir sollen uns wirklich auf einen höheren Standpunkt versetzen können bei der Beurteilung dessen, was geschieht. Und einige Gesichtspunkte gerade mit Bezug auf die großen Ereignisse unserer Zeit mögen heute angegeben sein, weil unsere gegenwärtige Zusammenkunft in dieser schicksaltragenden Zeit liegt.
Gehen wir von etwas aus, was uns als Menschen naheliegen kann. Menschen werden zu gewissen Zeiten von Krankheiten befallen. Krankheiten betrachtet man gewöhnlich als dasjenige, was unseren Organismus schädigt, was wie ein Feind in unseren Organismus eindringt. Nun ist ein solcher allgemeiner Gesichtspunkt keineswegs immer gerechtfertigt. Gewiß, es gibt Krankheitserscheinungen, die von diesem Gesichtspunkte aus beurteilt werden müssen, wo gewissermaßen die Krankheit wie ein Feind hereindringt in unseren Organismus. Aber nicht immer ist es so. Es ist sogar nicht einmal in den meisten Fällen so, sondern die Krankheit ist in den meisten Fällen ganz etwas anderes. Die Krankheit ist in den meisten Fällen nicht der Feind, sondern gerade der Freund des Organismus. Dasjenige, was der Feind des Organismus ist, geht in den meisten Fällen der Krankheit voran, entwickelt sich im Menschen, bevor die äußerlich sichtbare Krankheit zum Ausbruch gekommen ist. Da sind einander widerstrebende Kräfte im Organismus darin, und die Krankheit, die zu irgendeiner Zeit ausbricht, ist der Versuch des Organismus, sich zu retten vor den einander widerstrebenden Kräften, die vorher nicht bemerkt worden sind. Die Krankheit ist oftmals der Beginn in der Arbeit des Organismus, die Heilung gerade herbeizuführen. Die Krankheit ist das, was der Organismus unternimmt, um die feindlichen Einflüsse, die der Krankheit vorangehen, zu bekämpfen. Die Krankheit ist die letzte Form des Prozesses, aber sie bedeutet den Kampf der guten Säfte des Organismus gegenüber demjenigen, was da unten lauert. Sie ist da, um das herauszutreiben aus dem Menschen, was da unten lauert. Nur dann, wenn wir die weitaus größte Anzahl der Krankheiten so ansehen, dann kommen wir zu einem richtigen Auffassen des Krankheitsprozesses. Es deutet also die Krankheit darauf hin, daß etwas vorgegangen ist vor dem Ausbruch der Krankheit, das gerade durch die Krankheit aus dem Organismus herauskommen soll. Wenn manche Erscheinungen des Lebens im richtigen Lichte gesehen werden, dann kommt man ganz leicht auf das, was eben gesagt worden ist. Die Ursachen können auf den verschiedensten Gebieten liegen. Worauf es ankommt, das ist das, was ich eben angedeutet habe: daß wir die Krankheiten ansehen als etwas, was ein Sich-zur-Wehr-Setzen des Organismus ist gegen die Dinge, die ausgetrieben werden sollen.
Nun glaube ich nicht, daß es einen Vergleich gibt, der wirklich so zutreffend sein kann als der Vergleich einer solchen Summe von bedeutsamen, tief eingreifenden Ereignissen, wie wir sie jetzt seit dem Beginn des August 1914 über einen großen Teil der Erde hin erleben, mit einem Krankheitsprozeß des Menschenwerdens. Gerade das muß uns auffallen, daß diese kriegerischen Ereignisse wirklich ein Krankheitsprozeß sind. Aber falsch wäre es, zu glauben, daß wir damit fertig werden, wenn wir einfach diesen Krankheitsprozeß in dem unrichtigen Sinne auffassen würden, wie eben mancher Krankheitsprozeß aufgefaßt wird: als wenn er der Feind des Organismus wäre. Was als Ursache vorliegt, geht voraus dem Krankheitsprozeß. Nun kann uns gerade in unserer Zeit ganz besonders auffallen, wie wenig die Menschen in der Gegenwart geneigt sind, solche Wahrheiten zu berücksichtigen, die sich demjenigen unmittelbar als einleuchtend erweisen müssen, der geisteswissenschaftliche Weltanschauung nicht bloß in den Verstand, sondern auch in die Empfindung aufnimmt.
Wir haben ja vieles unendlich Schmerzliche erfahren müssen gerade im Laufe der letzten, sagen wir, neun Monate — Schmerzliches erfahren müssen mit Bezug auf die Urteilsfähigkeit der Menschen. Ist es denn nicht eigentlich so, wenn man das, was schließlich doch durch die Literatur, die am meisten gelesen und von den verschiedensten Ländern der Erde verbreitet wird, liest, ist es denn nicht so, als wenn die Menschen, die urteilen über die heutigen Ereignisse, annehmen würden, daß im Juli 1914 eigentlich die Geschichte ihren Anfang genommen hat? Das war die traurigste Erfahrung, die wir neben allem andern Schmerzlichen haben mitmachen müssen, daß sich gezeigt hat, wie gerade die tonangebenden oder vielmehr artikelangebenden Menschen, die die öffentliche Meinung machen, im Grunde nichts von dem Werden der Ereignisse wissen und nur auf das Allernächste hinschauen. Daher sind die unendlichen Diskussionen, diese ganz hinfälligen Diskussionen entstanden. Wo liegt die Ursache zu den gegenwärtigen kriegerischen Konflikten? Immer wieder und wiederum hat man gefragt: Hat der die Schuld? Hat jener die Schuld? - und so weiter. Immer ist man kaum weiter zurückgegangen als bis zum Juli, höchstens Juni 1914. Ich erwähne das aus dem Grunde, weil ja das, was ich sage, wirklich ein Charakteristikum unserer materialistischen Zeit ist. Man glaubt gewöhnlich, der Materialismus bringe nur materialistische Denk weise, materialistische Weltanschauung zustande. Das ist nicht so. Der Materialismus bringt nicht nur diese zustande, sondern er bringt auch Kurzsichtigkeit zustande; der Materialismus bringt Denkfaulheit, bringt Einsichtslosigkeit zustande. Dasjenige, was materialistische Denkweise ist, führt dazu, daß man zum Schlusse alles beweisen und alles glauben kann. Und es gehört wirklich zu jener Selbsterziehung, die uns wahrhaft richtig gemeinte Anthroposophie geben muß, daß wir das einsehen, daß man, wenn man bloß auf dem Gebiete des Materialismus stehenbleibt, alles beweisen und alles glauben kann.
Nehmen wir ein einfaches Beispiel. Wenn man in den letzten Jahren da oder dort die geisteswissenschaftliche Weltanschauung vorgebracht hat und der oder jener glaubte, gegenüber der geisteswissenschaftlichen Weltanschauung seine Ansicht geltend machen zu müssen, konnte man oftmals hören: Ja, Kart hat doch schon durch seine Philosophie bewiesen, daß der Mensch Grenzen des Erkennens habe, und daß man da nicht hinkommen kann, wo die geisteswissenschaftliche Weltanschauung hinkommen will im Erkennen. — Dann wurden angeführt die gewiß sehr interessanten Sachen, wodurch Kant bewiesen haben soll, daß man nicht in die geistige Welt hineindringen könne mit dem menschlichen Erkennen. Wenn man nun dennoch Geisteswissenschaft vertrat, dann kamen die Menschen und glaubten: Der leugnet ja alles, was Kant bewiesen hat! Und selbstverständlich steckte darin so etwas von der Behauptung: das müsse also ein besonders törichter Mensch sein, denn er leugne ja das streng Bewiesene.
So ist es gar nicht. Der Geisteswissenschafter leugnet gar nicht, daß das absolut richtig ist, was Kant bewiesen hat, sondern es ist klar, daß das ganz gut bewiesen ist. Aber nehmen Sie einmal an, irgend jemand hätte in der Zeit, in welcher das Mikroskop nicht gefunden war, streng bewiesen, daß es kleinste Zellen in der Pflanze gäbe, aber man könne diese niemals finden, weil die menschlichen Augen nicht dazu eingerichtet seien. Das hätte sich streng beweisen lassen, und der Beweis wäre absolut richtig, denn das menschliche Auge, so wie es eingerichtet ist, kann niemals in den Organismus der Pflanze bis zu diesen kleinsten Zellen hineindringen. Ein absolut richtiger Beweis, der niemals umgestoßen werden kann. Doch das Leben hat sich so entwickelt, daß zum Menschenauge das Mikroskop gefunden worden ist, und daß trotz des strengen Beweises die Menschen zum Erkennen der kleinsten Zellen gekommen sind. Erst wenn einmal eingesehen wird, daß für die Erringung der Wahrheit Beweise ganz wertlos sind, daß Beweise richtig sein können, aber im Grunde nichts besonderes bedeuten für den Fortschritt der Wahrheitserkenntnis, erst dann wird man auf dem richtigen Boden stehen. Dann wird man wissen: Die Beweise können natürlich gut sein, aber die Beweise haben gar nicht die Aufgabe, wirklich zur Wahrheit zu führen. Denken Sie nur einmal an den Vergleich, den ich gegeben habe, dann werden Sie sehen, daß ebenso, wie absolut strikte der Beweis sein kann, daß die menschliche Sehfähigkeit nicht zur Zelle reicht, auch strikte sein kann der Beweis, die menschliche Erkenntnis könne, wie Kant sagt, nicht zu übersinnlichen Welten reichen. Die Beweise waren absolut richtig, aber das Leben geht über Beweise hinaus. Das ist nämlich auch etwas, was einem auf dem Wege der Geistesforschung gegeben wird, daß man seinen Gesichtskreis erweiternd wirklich dazukommt, an ein anderes zu appellieren als an den menschlichen Verstand und seine Beweise. Und derjenige, der sich auf materialistische Vorstellungen beschränkt, wird tatsächlich zu einem unbändigen Glauben an Beweise geführt. Wenn er einen Beweis in der Tasche hat, ist er überhaupt von der Wahrheit überzeugt. Geistesforschung wird uns gerade zeigen, daß man im Grunde das eine und das andere recht gut beweisen kann, daß aber Verstandesbeweise für die Erringung der wirklichen Wahrheit keine Bedeutung haben. Und so ist es denn eine Begleiterscheinung unserer materialistischen Zeit, daß die Leute in Verstandeskurzsichtigkeit verfallen. Und wird diese Verstandeskurzsichtigkeit auch noch von den Leidenschaften durchsetzt, so kommt das zustande, was wir heute nicht nur in den mit den Waffen kämpfenden europäischen Völkern sehen, sondern was wir sehen in der Befehdung der europäischen Völker gegenseitig, wo einer über den andern alles mögliche vorbringt und im Grunde keine Aussicht besteht, daß der eine den andern jemals — nicht nur während des Krieges — überzeugen könnte. Und wer den Glauben hat, daß ein neutraler Staat zwischen den Behauptungen zweier feindlicher Staaten etwa jemals wählen könnte, der hätte einen naiven Glauben. Selbstverständlich läßt sich das, was auf dem einen Boden gesagt wird, ebensogut vertreten, ja belegen durch allerlei Beweise wie dasjenige, was auf dem andern Boden gesagt wird. Einsicht bekommt man nur, wenn man sich einläßt auf die tieferen Grundlagen der ganzen menschlichen Entwickelung.
Nun habe ich schon einige Jahre vor Ausbruch dieses Krieges versucht, durch den Zyklus über die einzelnen Volksseelen und ihre Wirkung auf die einzelnen Menschen in den verschiedenen europäischen Gebieten ein wenig Licht zu werfen darauf, wie sich die einzelnen Nationen gegenüberstehen, und daß da wirklich verschiedene Kräfte bei den verschiedenen Völkern herrschen. Heute wollen wir dasjenige, was dort gesagt ist, noch durch ein paar andere Gesichtspunkte ergänzen.
Unsere materialistische Zeit denkt allzu abstrakt. Vor allen Dingen wird so etwas in unserer materialistischen Zeit gar nicht berücksichtigt, daß es im Leben eine wirkliche Entwickelung gibt, daß der Mensch heranreifen lassen muß dasjenige, was in ihm ist, damit es eben nach und nach reif werde zum wirklichen Urteil. Der Mensch - das wissen wir ja und es ist genügend ausführlich dargestellt in «Die Erziehung des Kindes vom Gesichtspunkte der Geisteswissenschaft» — macht eine Entwickelung durch so, daß ungefähr in den ersten sieben Jahren sein physischer Leib, vom siebenten bis zum vierzehnten Jahre der Ätherleib und so weiter ihre besondere Entwickelung finden. Wird schon dieser Fortschritt in der Entwickelung des einzelnen Menschen wenig berücksichtigt, so wird die parallele Erscheinung, die gleichbedeutende Erscheinung noch viel weniger berücksichtigt. Die Vorgänge, die sich innerhalb der einzelnen Volkszusammenhänge abspielen, werden ja gelenkt und geleitet — das wissen wir schon alle aus der Geisteswissenschaft - von Wesenheiten der höheren Hierarchien. Wir sprechen im wahren Sinne des Wortes von Volksseelen, von Volksgeistern. Und wir wissen, daß zum Beispiel der Volksgeist des italienischen Volkes inspiriert dasjenige, was wir Empfindungsseele nennen; daß der französische Volksgeist inspiriert dasjenige, was wir Verstandes- oder Gemütsseele nennen, daß die Bewohner der britischen Insel inspiriert werden durch die Bewußtseinsseele; in Mitteleuropa wird inspiriert dasjenige, was wir das menschliche Ich nennen. Damit wird nun aber kein Werturteil gefällt über die einzelnen Nationen, sondern es wird nur gesagt, daß das so ist. Daß zum Beispiel eine Inspiration des Volkes, das die britische Insel bewohnt, darin beruht, daß es als Nation alles das in die Welt hereinbringt, was durch Inspiration der Bewußtseinsseele von seiten des Volksgeistes bewirkt wird. Es ist merkwürdig, wie nervös geradezu auf diesem Gebiet die Menschen werden. Als das da oder dort während der kriegerischen Ereignisse von mir wiederum betont wurde, was, wie gesagt, in dem erwähnten Zyklus schon früher ausgesprochen worden ist, ja, da hat es Menschen gegeben, die es geradezu aufgefaßt haben wie eine Art Beschimpfung des britischen Volkes, daß gesagt worden ist, sie hätten die Aufgabe, die Bewußtseinsseele zu inspirieren, während die Volksseele, welche die deutsche Volksseele ist, das menschliche Ich zu inspirieren hat. Es war das gerade so, als wenn man es als Schimpf auffassen würde, wenn man sagt: Salz ist weiß, Paprika ist rot. — Es ist eine einfache Charakteristik, die Darstellung einer Wahrheit, die besteht, und als eine solche Wahrheit hat man das zunächst hinzunehmen. Man wird viel besser zurechtkommen mit dem, was waltet zwischen den einzelnen Gliedern der Menschheit, wenn man hinschaut auf die Eigentümlichkeiten, welche die einzelnen Völker haben, und nicht, wenn man alles durcheinanderrührt, wie es die heutige materialistische Anschauung macht. Selbstverständlich, der einzelne Mensch erhebt sich über dasjenige, was ihm durch seine Volksseele wird, und das ist ja gerade die Aufgabe unserer anthroposophischen Gesellschaft, daß sie den einzelnen Menschen heraushebt aus der Gruppenseelenhaftigkeit, daß sie ihn zum allgemeinen Menschentum erhebt. Aber dabei bleibt doch bestehen, daß der einzelne Mensch, insofern er in einem Volkstum steht, von diesem Volkstum in der Richtung inspiriert wird, daß zum Beispiel der italienische Volksgeist zu der Empfindungsseele spricht, der französische Volksgeist zu der Verstandes- oder Gemütsseele, der britische Volksgeist zu der Bewußtseinsseele. Wir haben uns also vorzustellen, daß gleichsam über dem, was die einzelnen Menschen in den einzelnen Nationen beginnen, der Volksgeist schwebt. Aber wie wir sehen, daß beim Menschen schon eine Entwickelung vorhanden ist, wie man beim einzelnen Menschen sagen kann: Das Ich kommt in einer gewissen Weise zur Entwickelung, zu einer besonderen Entwickelung in einem bestimmten Zeitraum des Lebens, so kann man auch mit Bezug auf die Volksseele im Verhältnis zu ihrem Volk von einer Entwickelung sprechen, richtig von einer Entwickelung. Nur ist diese Entwickelung etwas anders als beim einzelnen Menschen.
Nehmen wir zum Beispiel herausgreifend das italienische Volk. Da haben wir also dieses Volk, und dann die zu diesem Volke gehörige Volksseele. Die Volksseele ist ein Wesen aus der übersinnlichen Welt, ist der Welt der höheren Hierarchien angehörig. Sie inspiriert die Empfindungsseele, und das geschieht nun immer, solange das Volk lebt, das italienische Volk - weil wir von diesem Volk sprechen -, aber sie inspiriert die Empfindungsseele in den verschiedenen Zeiten in der verschiedensten Weise. Es gibt Zeiten, in denen die Volksseelen die Angehörigen der einzelnen Nationen so inspirieren, daß diese Inspiration gleichsam seelisch geschieht. Da schwebt die Volksseele in höheren Regionen des Geistes, und ihre Inspiration geschieht so, daß sie nur in seelische Eigenschaften hinein inspiriert. Dann gibt es Zeiten, wo die Volksseelen weiter herunterschweben und stärker in Anspruch nehmen die einzelnen Angehörigen der Nationen, wo sie sie so stark inspirieren, daß nicht nur der Mensch sie in seine seelischen Eigenschaften hereinbekommt, sondern wo sie so stark wirken, daß bis in die körperlichen Eigenschaften hinein der Mensch von den Volksseelen abhängig wird. Solange ein Volk unter dem Einflusse der Volksseele so steht, daß sie nur die seelisch-geistigen Eigenschaften inspiriert, ist noch der Typus des Volkes nicht so ausgeprägt. Da wirken die Kräfte der Volksseele nicht so, daß der ganze Mensch bis in das Blut hinein ergriffen wird. Dann kommt eine Zeit, wo man’ gleichsam schon in der Art, wie der Mensch aus den Augen schaut, aus den Zügen, die sein Gesicht trägt, entnehmen kann, wie der Volksgeist heineinwirkt. Das prägt sich aus, daß die Volksseele sich tief herabgesenkt hat; sie nimmt stark und intensiv den ganzen Menschen in Anspruch.
Beim italienischen Volke war es so, daß der Zeitpunkt, von dem ich gesprochen habe, wo der Volksgeist sich tief heruntersenkt, wo er so hineinwirkt, daß man in einzelnen Menschen den Abdruck finden kann, in der Mitte des 16. Jahrhunderts ungefähr war, so um 1550 herum. Dann wiederum schwebte die Volksseele gleichsam zurück, und von dieser Zeit an vollzieht sich das durch Vererbung auf die Nachkommen. Man kann also sagen: Das intensivste Zusammensein des italienischen Volkes mit seiner Volksseele war um 1550 herum. Da hat sich die italienische Volksseele am tiefsten heruntergesenkt, da hat dieses Volk der italienischen Halbinsel seinen präzisesten Charakter bekommen. Gehen wir zurück in die Zeit vor 1550, da sehen wir, daß die Charakterzüge durchaus nicht so ausgeprägt sind, daß einem das so stark entgegentreten könnte, wie von 1550 an. Da beginnt eigentlich erst das Charakteristische, was wir eben als Italienertum kennen. Da ist sozusagen die eigentliche Ehe erst geschlossen worden zwischen der italienischen Volksseele und der Empfindungsseele des einzelnen Menschen, der der italienischen Volkheit angehört.
Für das französische Volk - ich rede also nicht von dem einzelnen Menschen, der sich über das Volkstum erheben kann - trat der ähnliche Zeitpunkt, wo also der Volksgeist sich am tiefsten heruntersenkte und das Volk ganz durchdrang, ungefähr um 1600 ein, im Beginne des 17. Jahrhunderts. Da ergriff der Volksgeist ganz die Verstandes- oder Gemütsseele.
Für das britische Volk trat der Zeitpunkt ein in der Mitte des 17. Jahrhunderts, etwa um 1650 herum. Da bekam erst das britische Volk seinen äußerlichen britischen Ausdruck.
Wenn Sie solche Dinge wissen, dann wird Ihnen manches erklärlich sein, denn Sie können jetzt zum Beispiel in einer ganz andern Weise die Frage aufwerfen: Wie ist es mit Shakespeare in England? — Shakespeare hat in England gewirkt, bevor der britische Volksgeist am intensivsten gewirkt hat auf das englische Volk. Daher ist es, daß er nicht in England ordentlich verstanden wird. Bekanntlich gibt es dort Ausgaben, in denen alles ausgemerzt ist, was nicht ganz im Geschmack der Gouvernanten ist. Es ist Shakespeare sehr häufig im alleräußersten Sinne moralisiert. Und wir wissen ja, daß das tiefste Verständnis Shakespeares herbeigeführt worden ist nicht in England, sondern in der mitteleuropäischen Geistesentwickelung.
Nun werden Sie die Frage aufwerfen: Wann war denn diese Berührung des Volksgeistes mit den Angehörigen des mitteleuropäischen Volkes? — Da ist es allerdings so: Dadurch, daß in Mitteleuropa das Ich das maßgebende ist, daß wirklich eine Art Herabschweben des Volksgeistes stattfindet, dann ein Wiederzurückgehen, dann wieder ein Herunterschweben, wieder ein Zurückgehen, da finden Wiederholungen statt. Und so haben wir in der Zeit ungefähr, in der die wunderbare Sagenwelt des Parzival, des Gral entstanden ist, ein solches Heruntersteigen des Volksgeistes, ein Sich-Vereinigen mit den einzelnen Seelen, ein Wiederzurückgehen und ein nächstes Herunterschweben ungefähr zwischen den Jahren 1750 und 1830. Da wird am tiefsten ergriffen dasjenige, was in Mitteleuropa lebt, von dem, was mitteleuropäischer Volksgeist ist. Seither ist wiederum ein Zurückgehen des Volksgeistes. So sehen Sie, wie eigentlich es ganz begreiflich ist, daß, sagen wir, Jakob Böhme in einer Zeit gelebt hat, in der er gerade wenig vom deutschen Volksgeist haben konnte. Da war nicht die Zeit, in der der Volksgeist sich verband mit den einzelnen Seelen des Volkes. Jakob Böhme ist daher, obwohl er der «Teutonische Philosoph» genannt wird, ein Mensch, der zeitlich unabhängig ist von dem, was sein Volksgeist ist; der gleichsam wie eine entwurzelte Erscheinung dasteht, wie eine ewige Erscheinung innerhalb seiner Zeit. Wenn wir Lessing, Schiller, Goethe nehmen, das sind auch deutsche Philosophen, die wurzeln ganz im deutschen Volksgeiste. Und das ist gerade das Charakteristische, daß diese in der Zeit zwischen 1750 und 1830 lebenden Philosphen im Volksgeiste ganz darin wurzeln. So sehen Sie also, daß es nicht bloß darauf ankommt, daß man nur weiß: Beim italienischen Volke wirkt der Volksgeist durch die Empfindungsseele, beim französischen Volke wirkt der Volksgeist durch die Verstandesseele, beim britischen Volke wirkt der Volksgeist durch die Bewußtseinsseele, beim mitteleuropäischen Volke wirkt der Volksgeist durch das Ich -, sondern daß man auch wissen muß, daß dieses in gewissen Zeitpunkten geschieht. Und die Ereignisse, die sich abspielen, werden geschichtlich nur erklärbar, wenn man solche Dinge wirklich weiß. Jener Unfug, der als Wissenschaft getrieben wird, wo man die Dokumente hernimmt und nacheinander die Ereignisse aufzählt und sagt, eines müsse man aus dem andern herleiten, dieser Unfug der Geschichtsforscher führt allerdings nicht zu einer wirklichen Geschichte, zu einem Verständnis des Menschwerdens, sondern eben nur, man kann sagen, zu einer Fälschung desjenigen, was in der Menschengeschichte waltet und wirkt.
Und wenn man nun sieht, wie in ganz verschiedener Weise auf die einzelnen Völkerschaften - es könnten ja noch andere charakterisiert werden — dasjenige wirkt, was als Kraft diese Völkerschaften treibt, dann sieht man die gegensätzlichen Dinge, die da sind. Und man sieht, daß das, was heute geschieht, wahrhaftig nicht erst in den letzten Jahren geschehen ist, sondern in den Jahrhunderten sich eben vorbereitet hat.
Schauen wir hinüber nach dem Osten, nach dem Gebiet, das die russische Kultur trägt. Das ganz Eigentümliche der russischen Kultur ist dieses, daß die russische Kultur erst dann zur Entfaltung kommen kann, wenn einmal der Zeitpunkt eintreten kann, wo die russische Volksseele sich verbindet mit dem Geistselbst — das ist auch schon ausgesprochen in dem genannten Zyklus. Das heißt, es muß ein späterer Zeitraum kommen, in dem dasjenige, was Charakteristik dieser Eigentümlichkeit des europäischen Ostens sein kann, sich erst ausprägen wird. Und das wird dann ganz verschieden sein von demjenigen, was im Westen von Europa oder in der Mitte von Europa sich abwickelt. Vorläufig aber ist es ganz erklärlich, daß dasjenige, was der russischen Kultur zugeteilt ist, überhaupt noch gar nicht da ist, sondern daß die russische Kultur — wie der einzelne Mensch - so zum Geistselbst steht, daß sie sich immer nach oben wendet. Der einzelne Angehörige des russischen Volkes und selbst tiefsinnige russische Philosophen sprechen nicht so, wie in Mitteleuropa das Größte gerade gesagt wird, sondern sie sprechen in ganz anderer Weise.
Da finden wir etwas höchst Charakteristisches. Was ist denn ein Eigentümlichstes dieses mitteleuropäischen Geisteslebens? Sie wissen alle, daß es eine Zeit der großen Mystiker gegeben hat, in der Meister Eckart, Johannes Tauler und andere gewirkt haben. Sie alle haben im menschlichen Gemüte das gesucht, was in diesem menschlichen Gemüte selber enthalten ist als das Göttliche. Sie haben gesucht, den Gott in der eigenen Brust, in der eigenen Seele zu finden, «das Fünklein im Gemüte», wie Eckart sich ausdrückte. Dadrinnen, so sagten sie, muß es etwas geben, wo die Gottheit unmittelbar anwesend ist. Und so entstand jenes Streben, wo das Ich sich zusammenschließen wollte mit seiner Gottheit in sich selbst. Erkämpft sein wollte diese Gottheit; im Werden erkämpft sein wollte die Gottheit. Das geht als ein Zug durch das ganze mitteleuropäische Wesen hindurch. Denken Sie, wie unendlich gemütstief es ist, wenn derjenige, der ganz, ich möchte sagen, international auf dem Boden der mitteleuropäischen Kultur und des mitteleuropäischen Geisteslebens steht, Angelus Silesius, wenn der in einem seiner schönen Sprüche «Cherubinischer Wandersmann» sagt: Wenn ich sterbe, so sterbe nicht ich, sondern Gott stirbt in mir. - Denken Sie, wie unendlich tief das ist! Denn der das sagt, er ergriff lebendig die Idee der Unsterblichkeit, denn er fühlte: Wenn der Tod eintritt im einzelnen Menschen, so ist das, weil der Mensch durchdrungen ist von der Gottheit - diese Erscheinung des Todes ist nicht eine Erscheinung des Menschen, sondern des Gottes, und da der Gott nicht sterben kann, so kann der Tod nur eine Täuschung sein. Der Tod kann also keine Zerstörung des Lebens sein. Er weiß, daß eine unsterbliche Seele besteht, wer da sagt: Wenn ich sterbe, so sterbe nicht ich, sondern Gott stirbt in mir. — Es ist eine ungeheuer tiefe Empfindung, die bei Angelus Silesius lebt. Das ist eben durchaus eine Folge dieses Umstandes, daß hier die Inspiration im Ich geschieht.
Wenn die Inspiration in der Empfindungsseele geschieht, kann das eintreten, was zum Beispiel bei Giordano Bruno eingetreten ist. Der Mönch fühlt sich mit aller Leidenschaft ein in das, was Kopernikus gefunden hat, fühlt die ganze Welt belebt. Lesen Sie eine Zeile bei Giordano Bruno, und Sie werden bestätigt finden, daß er, insofern er aus dem italienischen Volkstum herausgewachsen ist, gerade den Beweis dafür darstellt, daß da die Volksseele inspiriert die Empfindungsseele.
Cartesius, Descartes, ist geradezu an dem charakterisierten Punkt der französischen Entwickelung geboren, wo der französische Volksgeist sich so recht vereinigte mit dem französischen Volk. Lesen Sie eine Seite bei Cartesius, dem französischen Philosophen, Sie werden finden, daß er auf jeder Seite bestätigt, was Geisteswissenschaft findet: Daß da die Inspiration des Volksgeistes auf die Verstandesseele wirkt.
Lesen Sie Locke oder Hume oder einen andern englischen Philosophen, bis Mill und Spencer, überall Inspiration der Bewußtseinsseele.
Lesen Sie Fichte in seinem Ringen im Ich selber, dann haben Sie die Inspiration des Ich durch die Volksseele. Das ist gerade das Eigentümliche, daß diese mitteleuropäische Volksseele im Ich erlebt wird, und daß daher das Ich das eigentlich Strebende ist, das Ich, ich möchte sagen, mit all seiner Stärke und all seinen Irrtümern, mit all seinen Irrwegen und auch mit all seinen Überwindungen. Wenn dieser mitteleuropäische Mensch zum Christus den Weg finden soll, so will er ihn in der eigenen Seele gebären.
Versuchen Sie einmal nur irgendwie zu suchen — wenn es nicht äußerlich von der westeuropäischen Kultur übernommen ist -, in dem russischen Geistesleben diese Idee, den Christus oder einen Gott im Inneren zu erleben. Sie können es nicht finden. Da wird überall erwartet, daß dasjenige, was hereintritt in die Geschichte, wirklich so hereintritt, daß es, wie Solowjow sagt, wie ein «Wunder» hereintritt. Das russische Geistesleben ist sehr geneigt, im Übersinnlichen die Auferstehung des Christus anzuschauen, äußerlich das Hineinspielen einer inspirierenden Macht zu verehren, aber diese spricht so, wie wenn der Mensch darunter wäre, wie wenn sich das Inspirierende wie eine Wolke über die Menschheit hinbewegte, nicht wie wenn es hineinginge in das menschliche Ich. Dieses intime Beisammensein des Ich mit seinem Gott, oder auch, wenn es sich um Christus handelt, mit dem Christus, dieses Verlangen, daß der Christus im eigenen Gemüt geboren werde, das ist nur in Mitteleuropa zu finden. Und wenn einmal die ost-europäische Kultur zu der Entwickelung, die ihr angemessen ist, kommen wird, so wird sich das dann dadurch zeigen, daß jene Kultur begründet werden wird, die wie über den Menschen schwebt, die wiederum eine Art von Gruppenseelenhaftigkeit darstellt, nur auf einer höheren Stufe, als die alte Gruppenseelenhaftigkeit war. Vorläufig müssen wir es ganz naturgemäß finden, daß in der Art und Weise, wie selbst der russische Philosoph spricht, überall gesprochen wird von etwas, was wie die geistige Welt über der Menschenwelt schwebt, dem man aber nie so intim nahen kann, wie der mitteleuropäische Mensch mit seinem Ich sich dem nähern will, was das Göttliche ist, dem, was als Göttliches durch die Welt wallt und webt.
Und wenn ich oftmals davon sprach, daß die Gottheit durch die Welt wallt und webt und wogt, so ist das aus der Empfindungswelt des mitteleuropäischen Menschen heraus und würde gar nicht verstanden werden können in derselben Weise, wie es vom mitteleuropäischen Gemüt aufgenommen werden kann, von irgendeinem andern Volkstum in Europa. Das ist das Charakteristische, das Eigentümliche des mitteleuropäischen Volkes.
Das sind die Kräfte, die da leben in den einzelnen Völkern, und die sich gegenüberstehen, die daher immer wieder und wiederum in Wettstreit treten müssen, die sich gewaltsam entladen müssen, wie Wolken sich entladen und Blitze und Gewitter bewirken.
Aber sehen wir denn nicht, so könnte man jetzt sagen, wie im Osten von Europa ein Wort ertönt hat, das gewissermaßen wie ein Losungsruf war und so wirken sollte, wie wenn die Kultur von Osteuropa etwa jetzt beginnen sollte, sich über das wenig wertvolle Westeuropa auszudehnen, es zu überströmen? Sehen wir denn nicht, wie die Slawophilen, die Panslawisten, der Panslawismus auftrat, besonders auch in Geistern wie Dostojewskij und ähnlichen, wie er auftrat mit den besonderen Punkten seines Programms, wie da gesagt wurde: Ihr Westeuropäer allzusammen, ihr habt eine faulgewordene Kultur, die muß ersetzt werden von Osteuropa. - Dann wurde eine ganze Theorie aufgebaut, eine 'Theorie, die vor allen Dingen gipfelte darin, daß gesagt wurde: Im Westen ist alles faul geworden, das muß ersetzt werden durch die frischen Kräfte des Ostens. Wir haben die gut orthodoxe Religion, die wir nicht bekämpfen, sondern die wir hingenommen haben eben wie die über den Menschen schwebende Wolke des Volksgeistes und so weiter. Und da wurden dann geistvolle "Theorien aufgebaut, ganz geistvolle Theorien, was jetzt schon die Grundsätze, die Intentionen des alten Slawentums sein könnten, wie vom Osten jetzt schon die Wahrheit sich über Mittel- und Westeuropa ausbreiten müsse.
Ich sagte, der einzelne kann sich über sein Volkstum erheben. Solch ein einzelner war auf einem bestimmten Gebiet auch Solowjow, der große russische Philosoph. Obwohl man auch bei ihm in jeder Zeile merkt, daß er als russischer Mensch schreibt, so steht er doch über seinem Volkstum. In der ersten Zeit seines Lebens war Solowjow Panslawist. Aber er hat sich genauer befaßt mit dem, was die Panslawisten und Slawophilen als eine Art Völkerphilosophie, Völkerweltanschauung aufgestellt haben. Und was hat Solowjow, der Russe, gefunden? Er hat sich gefragt: Ist denn wirklich dasjenige, was das Russentum ist, schon in der Gegenwart da? Ist das vielleicht schon enthalten bei denjenigen, die den Panslawismus vertreten, die das Slawophilentum vertreten? - Und siehe da, er ruhte nicht, bis er auf das Richtige kam. Was hat er gefunden? Er hat die Behauptung der Slawophilen, zu denen er vorher gehört hatte, nachgeprüft, er ist ihnen zu Leibe gerückt, und da hat er gefunden, daß ein großer Teil der Denkformen, der Behauptungen, der Intentionen, hergenommen ist von dem jesuitenfreundlichen französischen Philosophen de Maistre, daß er der große Lehrer der Slawophilen auf dem Gebiete der Weltanschauung ist. Solowjow hat selbst bewiesen, daß das nicht auf eigenem Boden gewachsen ist, was Slawophilismus ist, sondern von de Maistre herstammt. Und er hat noch mehr bewiesen. Er hat aufgestöbert ein längst vergessenes deutsches Buch aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, das in Deutschland kein Mensch kennt. Ganze Partien desselben haben die Slawophilen abgeschrieben in ihrer Literatur. Was ist da für eine eigentümliche Erscheinung eingetreten? Man glaubt, vom Osten komme etwas, was im Osten entstammt sein soll, und es ist rein westlicher Import. Es ist herübergekommen aus dem Westen und dann den westlichen Menschen wieder entgegengeschickt. Die westlichen Menschen werden mit ihren eigenen Gedankenformen bekanntgemacht, weil die eigenen Gedankenformen im Osten noch nicht vorhanden sind.
Gerade wenn man den Dingen genau zu Leibe geht, bestätigt sich überall das, was Geisteswissenschaft zu sagen hat. So daß man es schon in dem, was sich vom Osten heranwälzen will, mit etwas zu tun hat, was noch elementar ist, mit etwas, was erst seine Entwickelung finden wird, wenn es ebenso liebevoll aufnimmt dasjenige, was in Mitteleuropa sich entwickelt hat, wie dieses Mitteleuropa einmal liebevoll aufgenommen hat das griechische und lateinische Wesen vom Süden her. Denn so geschieht die Entwickelung der Menschheit, daß das Spätere das Frühere aufnimmt. Und das, was ich in dem öffentlichen Vortrag als die faustische Denkweise Mitteleuropas charakterisieren konnte durch die Worte: Es gab ein Jahr 1770 - Goethe empfand es als ein faustisches Streben, als er sagte:
Habe nun, ach! Philosophie,
Juristerei und Medizin,
Und leider auch Theologie
Durchaus studiert mit heißem Bemühn.
Da steh ich nun, ich armer Tor,
Und bin so klug als wie zuvor!
Da kam ein ungeheuer reiches, deutsches Geistesleben, ein ungeheuer intensives, reiches Streben im deutschen Geistesleben. Aber wenn Goethe seinen «Faust» vierzig Jahre später geschrieben hätte, gewiß hätte er nicht angefangen: «Habe nun, ach! Philosophie... .» und so weiter studiert und bin nun der für alle Zeiten weise Mann geworden -, sondern er hätte genau ebenso seinen «Faust» geschrieben wie 1770. Dieses lebendige Streben kommt eben her von der Inspiration der Volksseele in das Ich hinein, von jenem intimen Zusammensein des Ich mit dem Volksgeiste. Das ist eine Grundeigentümlichkeit der mitteleuropäischen Geisteskultur. Und mit dieser muß sich die osteuropäische Kultur liebevoll verbinden, muß sie aufnehmen. Dasjenige, was einfließen mußte nach Mitteleuropa, es wurde einmal von der südlichen Kultur empfangen, aufgenommen. Jetzt aber ist es nicht anders, wenn vom Osten her die elementare Entwickelungswelle sich wälzt, als wenn der Schüler auf seinen Lehrer wütend ist, weil er von ihm etwas lernen soll und ihn deshalb durchprügeln will. Es ist ein etwas trivialer Vergleich, aber es ist doch ein Vergleich, der durchaus präzise die Sache gibt. Menschenmassen mit ganz verschiedenen inneren Entwickelungskräften wohnen in Europa zusammen. Diese verschiedenen Entwickelungskräfte müssen in gegenseitige Konkurrenzwirksamkeit kommen, sie müssen sich in verschiedener Weise behaupten. Was da ist an widerstrebenden Kräften, an Kräften, die ins Widerspiel kommen, das hat sich lange, lange entwickelt. Und gerade wenn man auf die Feinheiten sieht, so findet man, wie sich darin überall dasjenige ausspricht, was Geisteswissenschaft zu sagen hat.
Ist es denn nicht so wundervoll ausgesprochen, drängt sich nicht die Welle der europäischen Entwickelung so zusammen, daß gleichsam symbolisch vor die ganze Menschheit hingestellt wird, wie in Mitteleuropa empfunden werden muß das intime Zusammenleben des Ich mit der geistigen Welt; wie der Gott erlebt werden soll im «Fünklein im Gemüte», wie der Christus erlebt werden soll im «Fünklein im Gemüte»! Der Christus selber muß im menschlichen Ich wirksam lebendig werden. Daher neigt sich in Mitteleuropa wie in keiner andern europäischen Sprache allmählich die ganze Entwickelung dem zu, daß das «Ich» genannt wird. Und Ich ist «I-C-H». Wie ein mächtiges Symbolum im intimen Zusammenwirken dessen, was dem Gemüte das Heiligste sein kann mit diesem Gemüte selber, steht das da in Mitteleuropa: Ich = I-CH - Jesus Christus! Jesus Christus und zugleich das menschliche Ich. So wirkt der Volksgeist, inspirierend das Volk, um in charakteristischen Worten auszudrücken, was die zugrunde liegenden Tatsachen sind. Ich weiß wohl, daß die Menschen lachen, wenn so etwas gesagt wird; wenn ausgesprochen wird, daß jahrhundertelang der Volksgeist gearbeitet hat, damit die Bezeichnung Ich zustande gekommen ist, die so symbolisch bezeichnend ist. Aber lassen wir die Menschen lachen! Nur noch wenige Jahrzehnte, und sie werden nicht mehr lachen, sondern sie werden das dann viel bedeutender nennen, als was die Leute heute Naturgesetze nennen.
Was so wirkte als Entwickelungswelle, das wirkte recht charakteristisch. Das Bewußtsein sagt manchmal nur einen ganz geringen Teil der Wahrheit; aber was in den unterbewußten Tiefen wirkt, das spricht sich viel, viel wahrer aus. Wir sprechen zum Beispiel von Germanen. Worte bilden sich durch den wirkenden Sprachgenius. Ein Teil der Bewohner Mitteleuropas nennt sich «Deutsche». Wenn er aber von Germanen spricht, so rechnet er dazu Deutschland, Österreich, Holland, die skandinavischen Völker, aber auch die Bewohner der britischen Insel. Er dehnt das Wort Germanen über ein weites Gebiet aus. Der Bewohner der britischen Insel aber weist das zurück. Er nennt bloß den Deutschen «German» — Germane. Er selbst hat nicht das Wort Germane für sich. Die deutsche Sprache umgreift mit dem Wort einen viel größeren Kreis. Sie ist als solche geneigt, das Wort in den Dienst der Selbstlosigkeit zu stellen; er nennt nicht bloß sich Germane, der Deutsche, er umfaßt die andern mit. Der andere, der Brite, weist das zurück. Gehen Sie einmal auf das Wunderbare im sprachschöpferischen Genius ein, dann werden Sie sehen, daß darin wirklich Wunderbares ist. Mit Bezug auf das, was die Menschen im Bewußtsein haben, entsteht die Maja, die große Täuschung. Was in unterbewußten Tiefen waltet, das wirkt viel, viel wahrer. In dem spricht sich ungeheuer Bedeutsames und Tiefes aus.
Und jetzt vergleichen Sie mit der Art, wie man intim zu Werke gehen muß, um die europäischen Kräftespiele zu verstehen, vergleichen Sie mit dieser intimen Art die grobklotzige Art, mit der man heute die Verhältnisse der europäischen Völker zueinander ansieht, und Sie werden erst einsehen können, welche Verwüstung in der menschlichen Urteilskraft das materialistische Zeitalter angerichtet hat. Daß man angefangen hat zu denken, die Materie trägt und hält alles, ist noch nicht das Schlimmste, sondern daß man kurzsichtig geworden ist, daß man auf die Hauptsache nicht sehen kann, nicht auch nur einen Schritt hinter den Schleier tut, der als Maja über die Wahrheit gewoben ist, das ist das eigentlich Schlimme.
Der Materialismus hat gut vorbereitet, was er gewollt hat. Und auch da hat der Genius gewirkt, nur ist der Genius, der den Materialismus als der höchste Anführer bewirkt hat, Ahriman. Er hat einen mächtigen Einfluß gehabt in den letzten Jahrhunderten, einen recht mächtigen Einfluß. Und ich möchte noch kurz auf ein Kapitel hinweisen, auf das man vielleicht nicht gerne heute hinweist. Wenn es geschieht, betrachtet man es als eine besondere Verrücktheit. Man kommt dem Menschen am leichtesten bei, wenn man ihm, wenn er noch jung ist, in sein Vorstellungsvermögen, in sein Gemüt dasjenige hineinträufelt, was dann in ihm auswachsen soll. Im späteren Leben ist ja den wenigsten Menschen noch etwas gründlich beizubringen. Nie hätte Ahriman daher eigentlich bessere Aussichten, die Seelen richtig materialistisch zu präparieren, als wenn er in die jugendlichen, die kindlichen Seelen schon hineinträufelt, was dann selber weiter wirkt im Unterbewußten. Wenn in dem Zeitraum, wo der Mensch noch nicht mit Verstandeskräften nachdenkt, schon die materialistischen Denkformen aufgenommen werden, dann werden die Menschen gründlich materialistisch denken lernen, wenn der Materialismus schon in die kindlichen Gemüter gepflanzt wird! Das hat Ahriman in der Form getan, daß er einen Schriftsteller der materialistischen Zeit mit der Idee des «Robinson Crusoe» inspiriert hat. Wer nämlich wirklich sehenden Geistes den «Robinson» auf sich wirken läßt, der wird dadrin sehen, wie im «Robinson» gründlich die materialistischen Vorstellungen wirken. Es sieht nicht so aus, aber das Ganze - wie der «Robinson» aufgebaut ist, wie er in diesem Abenteurerleben im äußeren Erleben zu allem getrieben wird, bis zuletzt selbst die Religion wie Kohlköpfe auf Feldern aufwächst — das alles präpariert das kindliche Gemüt sehr gut zum materialistischen Denken. Und wenn man bedenkt, daß es in einem gewissen Zeitraum — im 16., 17., 18. Jahrhundert - einen böhmischen, einen portugiesischen, einen ungarischen und so weiter Robinson als Nachahmung des «Robinson Crusoe» gegeben hat, so muß man sagen: die Arbeit ist gründlich geleistet worden, und der Anteil, den die «Robinson»-Lektüre an der Ausbildung des Materialismus gehabt hat, ist etwas Ungeheures.
Gegenüber solchen Erscheinungen muß daraufhingewiesen werden, daß es auch etwas anderes gibt, was die Kinder in ihr Verständnis bis spät ins Leben aufnehmen sollen: das sind die Märchen, die in Mitteleuropa leben, und besonders die Märchen, welche die Brüder Grimm gesammelt haben. Das ist eine viel bessere Literatur für die Kinder als der «Robinson». Und wenn in unserer Zeit dasjenige, was zwischen den europäischen Völkern in so furchtbarer, so schwerer, schicksaltragender Weise geschieht, als eine Mahnung aufgefaßt wird, etwas genauer hinzusehen auf die Art und Weise, wie sich in dem Untergrund der Ereignisse entwickelt hat dasjenige, was sich in die Gegenwart hineinerstreckt, dann wird man vor allen Dingen erkennen, daß es schließlich wirklich nicht darauf ankommt, ob nun ein paar deutsche Gelehrte ihre Orden und Diplome nach England zurückschicken! Wenn sich die Mahnung der Zeit so stark erweist, daß man die materialistisch inspirierte Bewußtseinsseele des britischen Volkes in ihrer Bedeutung erkennt, so wird man auch die Bedeutung der «Robinson»-Lektüre durchschauen und den ganzen Robinson einmal ausmerzen. Viel gründlicher, viel radikaler wird zu Werke gegangen werden müssen, wenn man die Mahnungen unserer heutigen Zeit einmal im richtigen Sinne wird berücksichtigen können.
Es ist jetzt fünfunddreißig Jahre her, daß ich angefangen habe, Goethe zu interpretieren, gerade in seiner geisteswissenschaftlichen Aufgabe. Ich habe versucht zu zeigen, wie in der Goetheschen Entwickelungslehre eine wirklich große, geistgemäße Entwickelungslehre gegeben ist. Es muß die Zeit kommen, wo das in weiteren Kreisen eingesehen wird. Denn Goethe hat eine große, gewaltige Entwickelungslehre gegeben, die geistgemäß ist. Das war den Menschen schwierig, zu verstehen. Da hat dann im materialistischen Zeitalter Darwin besser wirken können, der in vergröberter, materialistischer Weise das gegeben hat, was Goethe in feiner, geistiger Weise als Entwicklungslehre gegeben hat. Es war eine gründliche Verengländerung, die Mitteleuropa ergriffen hat. Nun denken Sie sich die Tragik, die eigentlich darin liegt, daß der englischste Naturforscher in Deutschland, Ernst Haeckel, der ganz schwor auf Darwin, auftreten mußte mit seinem wütenden Haß gegen das Engländertum, und als dieser Krieg ausbrach, einer der ersten war, die an England die erhaltenen Orden und Diplome zurückschickten. Um den englisch gefärbten Darwinismus zurückzuschicken, wird er wohl schon zu alt gewesen sein, das aber wäre das Wesentliche, das Wichtigere.
Die Dinge, um die es sich handelt, liegen ungeheuer tief, sie sind ungeheuer bedeutungsvoll, und sie hängen zusammen mit der notwendigen geistigen Vertiefung unserer Zeit. Wird man einmal einsehen, wie unendlich tiefer die Goethesche Farbenlehre ist als die Newtonsche Farbenlehre, wie unendlich tiefer die Goethesche Entwicklungslehre ist als die Darwinsche Entwicklungslehre, dann wird man sich erst bewußt sein dessen, was das mitteleuropäische Geistesleben birgt, auch mit Bezug auf solche höchste Gebiete.
Ich will durch alles dies in Ihren Seelen nur eine Empfindung hervorrufen, welche Mahnung uns die gegenwärtigen schweren, schicksaltragenden Ereignisse sein müssen. Eine Mahnung zu arbeiten, die uns dahin führen soll, uns zu besinnen auf das, was da steckt im mitteleuropäischen Geistesleben und was gewissermaßen eine Verpflichtung ist, es heraus- und hervorzuholen. Das meinteich auch, alsich gestern in dem öffentlichen Vortrag sprach davon, daß dieses mitteleuropäische Geistesleben Keime enthält, die zu Blüten und Früchten führen müssen.
Und wenn wir immer wieder und wiederum bekennen: das bewußte Seelenleben, es geht an der Oberfläche vor sich, darunter liegt aber all das, wovon in diesen Tagen gesprochen worden ist, dann dürfen wir auch schon unsere Gedanken hinlenken darauf, daß in den Impulsen zahlreicher Menschen auch in der Gegenwart noch etwas ganz anderes lebt als das, dessen sie sich bewußt sind. Glauben wir nicht, daß die Menschen im Westen und Osten, die die mitteleuropäische große Festung zu verteidigen haben, nur für das kämpfen, dessen sie sich bewußt sind im Oberbewußtsein. Blicken wir vor allen Dingen hin auf die Impulse, die vielen unbewußt sind, die heute durch Blut und Tod gehen, aber da sind sie, die Impulse, vorhanden sind sie, und wir sollten aus der Geisteswissenschaft die Empfindung herausschöpfen können, indem wir nach Ost und West schauen, wie in den Impulsen derjenigen, die da die Opfer verrichten, dasjenige lebt, was erst die Zukunft noch für das äußere Erleben herausgebären muß, wovon vielleicht selbst die Kämpfenden kaum eine Ahnung in ihrem Bewußtsein haben. Dann erst, wenn wir es also betrachten, durchdringt sich uns dasjenige, was da geschieht, mit dem rechten Gefühl, mit der rechten Empfindung.
Aber bedenken wir, wie viele Seelen in diesen Ereignissen, mit denen an kriegerischer Größe sich ja nichts vergleichen läßt, was jemals da war in der bewußten Menschheitsgeschichte, bedenken wir, wie viele Seelen durch Blut und Tod gehen, und bedenken wir, daß diese Seelen herunterschauen werden auf den Tod, der durch die großen Ereignisse der Zeit über sie verhängt worden ist. Bedenken wir, daß im Sinne des vorgestern Gesagten die jugendlichen Ätherleiber die geistige Atmosphäre durchziehen. Bedenken wir, daß nicht nur die Seelen, die Individualitäten, in der geistigen Welt sein werden, sondern daß Brauchbares aus den jugendlichen Ätherleibern die geistige Atmosphäre durchziehen wird. Versuchen wir, von da ausgehend, auf die Mahnungen zu sehen, welche die Menschen haben sollen, die übrigbleiben hier auf der Erde. Ja der einzelne, der durch die Pforte des Todes gegangen ist, mahnt an die großen Aufgaben, die in der europäischen Kultur zu vollziehen sind. Und diese Mahnungen müssen gehört werden. Und geneigt müssen die Menschen werden, aus der Tiefe des Geisteslebens heraus sich Empfindungen, erkennende Empfindungen zu verschaffen, wie das eigentlich beschaffen ist, in dem wir darin leben. Wenn man einmal in diesem Sinne empfinden wird: mit jedem, der heute in der Blüte seiner Jahre draußen auf dem Schlachtfelde bleibt, steht ein Mahner, ein Rufer nach Spiritualisierung der Menschheit in der europäischen Kultur, dann wird man es richtig verstanden haben. Und nicht allein das möchte man, daß von solchen Stätten, wie die ist, an der wir stehen, nur ausgehe ein abstraktes Erkennen: der Mensch besteht aus physischem Leib, Ätherleib, Astralleib und Ich, der Mensch geht durch viele Inkarnationen, der Mensch hat ein Karma und so weiter —, sondern das möchte man, daß die Seelen, die teilnehmen an unserem geisteswissenschaftlichen Leben, in ihren innersten Tiefen aufgerüttelt werden zu dem Empfindungsleben, das eben angedeutet worden ist, zu dem Miterleben desjenigen, was Mahnrufe der Frühverstorbenen in der nächsten Zukunft sein werden. Das Schönste, was wir uns erwerben können als Bekenner der Geisteswissenschaft, es ist das lebendige Leben, welches wie ein Hauch durch die Reihen derer gehen soll, die sich zu uns rechnen. Nicht das Wissen, nicht die Erkenntnis allein, sondern dieses Leben, das Wirklichwerden dieses Lebens.
In den letzten Zeiten sind uns gerade mehrere Mitglieder vom physischen Plan hinweggegangen. Auch ein junger Mitarbeiter, unser lieber Fritz Mitscher. Und ich hatte, auch durch das Karma veranlaßt, die Aufgabe, bei der Einäscherung in Basel zu sprechen. Ich hatte der enteilenden Seele gewisse Worte nachzusprechen. Unter mancherlei anderem enthielten diese Worte, die ich zu der Seele sprach, daß wir das Bewußtsein haben, sie werde ein Mitarbeiter bleiben, auch nachdem sie durch die Pforte des Todes gegangen. Ich mußte dieses sprechen aus dem Bewußtsein heraus, daß das, was uns alle belebt, nicht nur wie eine Theorie dasteht, sondern daß das, was wir wie eine Theorie aussprechen, die ganze Seele mit vollem Leben erfüllen muß. Dann aber müssen wir zu denen, die durch die Pforte des Todes gegangen sind, stehen wie zu denen, die hier noch im Leben stehen. Ja, wir müssen nicht anstehen, uns zu sagen: Die im physischen Leibe Lebenden sind durch die mannigfaltigsten Umstände verhindert, voll auszuleben das geistige Leben. Was alles können wir doch in diesem physischen Erdenleben an Hemmungen bei den Menschen bemerken, wenn es sich darum handelt, die wirklich großen Aufgaben der Entwickelung zu erkennen —- und dann auch zu erfüllen! Aber auf die Toten können wir uns vielfach besser verlassen. Dieses Empfinden, daß sie in unseren Reihen sind, dieses Übertragen einer besonderen Mission ließen mich in entsprechender Weise den Nachruf sprechen für unseren Freund Fritz Mitscher, der als Frühverstorbener durch die Pforte des Todes gegangen ist. Und das, was für ihn gesagt ist, bezieht sich auf viele andere, die durch die Pforte des Todes gegangen sind. Wir sehen in ihnen unsere wichtigsten Mitarbeiter, und es wird nicht mißverstanden werden, wenn ich sage: Viel mehr als auf die Lebendigen können wir uns bei unseren geistigen Arbeiten auf die Toten verlassen.
Aber damit wir überhaupt so etwas aussprechen können, müssen wir ganz lebendig darinstehen in dem, was unsere spirituelle Bewegung uns geben kann. Ich baue darauf, daß gerade auch nun auf dem äußeren Felde für die Spiritualisierung der Menschenkultur der Zukunft die durch die Pforte des Todes Gegangenen in unserer schicksalschweren Zeit die wichtigsten Mitarbeiter sind. Denn dieser Tod, auf den jene zurückschauen, die durch die Pforte des Todes gegangen sind, er wird ein großer Lehrmeister sein. Und mancher braucht heute einen stärkeren Lehrer, als das Leben geben kann. Das kann man an mancherlei Beispielen sehen.
Ich möchte ein Beispiel anführen — manches andere könnte angeführt werden: Ein aufsehenerregender Artikel, gegnerisch gegen die von mir vertretene Geisteswissenschaft, erschien vor mehreren Jahren in einer Zeitschrift, die in Süddeutschland herauskommt, im «Hochland». Dieser Artikel hat sehr viel Aufsehen gemacht. Er hat vielen eingeleuchtet, weil er von einem ganz berühmten Philosophen geschrieben war. Der Herausgeber jener Zeitschrift «Hochland» hat diesen Artikel aufgenommen. Er hat also eigentlich propagiert, wie er meint, eine solche sehr in Betracht kommende Anschauung über diese vertrackte Geisteswissenschaft. — Sehen Sie, es kommt wahrhaftig nicht darauf an, mit äußeren Mitteln sich dagegen zu wehren. Es ist durchaus begreiflich, daß die ganz gescheiten Leute der Gegenwart Geisteswissenschaft töricht finden. Aber nachdem der Krieg ausgebrochen war, hat sich etwas anderes ereignet. Der Herausgeber der genannten Zeitschrift ist ein guter Deutscher, ein sich deutsch fühlender Mensch. Der Mann, dessen Artikel er dazumal aufgenommen hat, hat jenem Herausgeber jetzt Briefe geschrieben, und dieser hat sie nun auch, nun, sagen wir, in seiner besonders begnadeten «Unschuld» in den «Süddeutschen Monatsheften» abgedruckt. Versuchen Sie einmal, sie zu lesen, so werden Sie sehen, was alles an Gift und Galle gegen die mitteleuropäische Geisteskultur jener selbe Philosoph an den Herausgeber des «Hochland» schreibt, so daß jener Mann, also der Herausgeber, sich veranlaßt fühlt zu sagen: Wer so etwas denkt, den könnte man in Mitteleuropa nur in Irrenhäusern finden. — Denken Sie sich, was für eine unendlich bedeutsame Kritik! Es gibt einen Herausgeber einer süddeutschen Zeitschrift. Dieser Herausgeber nimmt einen Artikel auf, den er für maßgebend hält zur Vernichtung der Geisteswissenschaft, von dem er sagt: Das ist einmal ein guter Artikel über die Geisteswissenschaft von einem berühmten Philosophen! — Nach einiger Zeit bekommt der Herausgeber Zuschriften von demselben Mann, die er dann bezeichnet als herrührend von einem Menschen, der ins Irrenhaus gehört. Also müßte man nicht, mit Lebenslogik schließend, nun fortfahren und sagen: Wenn der Mann jetzt ein Narr ist, so war er auch früher ein Narr, und der gute Herausgeber hat es dazumal nur nicht erkannt, daß er es mit einem Narren zu tun hat, als er gegen Geisteswissenschaft schrieb. — Das ist Lebenslogik. Man kann manchmal nicht abwarten, bis solche Lebenslogik wirkt, aber sie waltet schon in unserem Leben, und so kann man manchmal etwas nach diesem Rezept erleben. Dazumal ist der Artikel erschienen gerade gegen meine Geisteswissenschaft. Man hat ihn gelesen. Man hat gesagt: Ja, das ist ein berühmter Philosoph und Platoniker, er ist also besonders gescheit. - Der Herausgeber hat sich gesagt: Wenn jemand, der so gescheit ist, über die Geisteswissenschaft schreibt, ist das ein bedeutender Artikel. - Es vergeht eine Zeit, und derselbe Herausgeber sagt: Der Mann ist ein Narr. — Aber er brauchte erst den Beweis auf die eben angeführte Weise. Ja, so geht es bei den Lebenden zu. Solche Menschen, die so wenig festen Boden unter den Füßen haben wie jener Herausgeber der süddeutschen Zeitschrift, haben schon nötig, daß sie belehrt werden durch Ereignisse, die in viel tieferem Sinne durch das Leben der letzten Zeiten von der geistigen Welt her gegeben werden, als es genehm ist.
Und so werden Sie verstehen, wenn ich zu dem vorhin Gesagten zurückkehre: Unsere Zeit hat viele widerstrebende Kräfte gehabt, und wenn wir den Krieg eine Krankheit nennen — wir können das tun -, so ist das eine Krankheit, die herbeigeführt wurde durch etwas, was längst vorher sich abspielte, und er ist da zur Gesundung, damit manches ausgemerzt wird, was zur Schädigung des Lebens der ganzen Kultur nach und nach führen mußte. Wenn wir ihn in dem Sinne als Krankheit bezeichnen, wenn wir aber die Krankheit als ein Sich-zurWehr-Setzen anschauen, dann verstehen wir diesen Krieg und die schicksaltragenden Ereignisse der Gegenwart, verstehen ihn auch in seinen bedeutsamen Winken und Mahnungen. Dann erleben wir ihn mit allen inneren Kräften unserer Seele, so daß wir recht aufmerksam werden können auf diejenigen, die durch die Pforte des Todes gegangen sind und die hinschauen auf die nächste Zukunft und wirklich das gelernt haben werden, was sie dann in die Seelen, die sie hören wollen, hineininspirieren können: daß spirituelle Vertiefung, die zum Menschenheil und Menschenfortschritt in der nächsten Zukunft notwendig ist, in sie hineinkommen muß.
Und wenn Ihre Seelen dasjenige, was ich mit diesen Worten sagen möchte, in der rechten Weise aufnehmen können, dann sind Sie erst im vollen rechten Sinne Bekenner unserer geisteswissenschaftlichen Weltanschauung. Wenn Ihre Seelen den Entschluß fassen können, zu solchen Seelen zu werden, die Aufmerksamkeit zuwenden werden dem, was heruntergeraunt wird von jenen, die durch unsere schicksaltragenden Ereignisse durch die Pforte des 'Todes gegangen sind.
Eine Verbindungsbrücke soll durch die Geisteswissenschaft geschlagen werden gerade für die nächste Zukunft zwischen den Lebendigen und den Toten, eine Verbindungslinie, durch welche die inspirierenden Elementarkräfte derer, welche die großen Opfer in unserer Zeit dargebracht haben, den Weg herüber werden finden können.
Deshalb wollte ich in diesen Tagen, lehrend zu Ihren Seelen sprechend, Empfindungen anregen. Diese Empfindungen sollen wie erwartende Empfindungen sein dessen, was den Seelen gesagt wird durch die Wirkungen unserer schicksalschweren Zeit.
In diesem Sinne sei auch heute wiederum mit den Worten geschlossen, die ich schon vorgestern hier sprach, die wie ein Mantram in unseren Seelen wirken sollen, damit unsere Seelen Erwartende werden, Erwartende der Inspiration, die da kommen wird von den Toten, im Geiste aber ganz besonders lebendig Werdenden:
Aus dem Mut der Kämpfer,
Aus dem Blut der Schlachten,
Aus dem Leid Verlassener,
Aus des Volkes Opfertaten
Wird erwachsen Geistesfrucht
Denken Seelen geistbewußt
Ihren Sinn ins Geisterreich.
War, a disease process Central Europe and the Slavic East The dead as helpers of human progress
Not only must our spiritual worldview address the development and advancement of individual souls, but it must also, above all, truly help us to gain further perspectives for viewing life. And in our time, it must be particularly important to us to gain such further perspectives for assessing life. Certainly, it is a great and also significant task for the individual human being to advance himself through what he can gain as the fruit of spiritual self-education. And only by truly advancing themselves can individuals contribute to the development of humanity as a whole. But our attention should not be focused solely on this. As adherents of the anthroposophical worldview, we should also be able to perceive the great events of our time from a higher perspective, a truly spiritual perspective. We should be able to place ourselves on a higher plane when judging what is happening. And some points of view, particularly in relation to the great events of our time, may be indicated today, because our present gathering is taking place in this fateful time.
Let us start from something that is close to us as human beings. At certain times, people are afflicted by illnesses. Illnesses are usually regarded as something that damages our organism, something that invades our organism like an enemy. Now, such a general point of view is by no means always justified. Certainly, there are symptoms of illness that must be judged from this point of view, where the illness invades our organism like an enemy, so to speak. But this is not always the case. In fact, it is not even the case in most instances; in most cases, illness is something completely different. In most cases, illness is not the enemy, but rather the friend of the organism. What is the enemy of the organism usually comes before the illness, developing in the person before the outwardly visible illness breaks out. There are opposing forces in the body, and the illness that breaks out at some point is the body's attempt to save itself from the opposing forces that weren't noticed before. Illness is often the beginning of the organism's work to bring about healing. Illness is what the organism does to combat the hostile influences that precede it. Illness is the final form of the process, but it represents the struggle of the organism's healthy juices against what lurks beneath. It is there to drive out of the human being what lurks beneath. Only when we view the vast majority of illnesses in this way can we arrive at a correct understanding of the disease process. Illness therefore indicates that something happened before the onset of the illness, which is now trying to leave the organism through the illness. When certain phenomena of life are seen in the right light, it is very easy to arrive at what has just been said. The causes can lie in a wide variety of areas. What matters is what I have just indicated: that we regard diseases as something that is a defense mechanism of the organism against the things that need to be expelled.
Now, I do not believe that there is any comparison that can be as apt as that between such a sum of significant, deeply affecting events as we have been experiencing since the beginning of August 1914 over a large part of the earth, and the disease process of human becoming. We must realize that these warlike events are truly a disease process. But it would be wrong to believe that we can deal with them by simply understanding this disease process in the incorrect sense in which many disease processes are understood: as if it were the enemy of the organism. The cause precedes the disease process. Now, in our time, we can see particularly clearly how little people today are inclined to take into account truths that must be immediately apparent to anyone who takes a spiritual scientific view of the world not only with their intellect but also with their feelings.
We have had to experience many infinitely painful things, especially in the last, let us say, nine months — painful things with regard to people's ability to judge. Is it not actually the case that, when one reads what is ultimately published in the most widely read literature and disseminated throughout the most diverse countries of the world, it seems as if the people who judge today's events assume that history actually began in July 1914? That was the saddest experience we had to go through, apart from all the other painful things, that it became apparent how the people who set the tone, or rather the people who write articles and shape public opinion, basically know nothing about the development of events and only look at the immediate future. That is why these endless discussions, these completely futile discussions, have arisen. What is the cause of the current armed conflicts? Again and again, people have asked: Is he to blame? Is he to blame? And so on. People have hardly gone back further than July, or at most June 1914. I mention this because what I am saying is truly characteristic of our materialistic age. People usually believe that materialism only produces materialistic thinking and a materialistic worldview. That is not the case. Materialism not only produces these things, it also produces short-sightedness; materialism produces laziness of thought and a lack of insight. The materialistic way of thinking leads to the conclusion that everything can be proven and everything can be believed. And it is really part of the self-education that true anthroposophy must give us to realize that if one remains solely in the realm of materialism, one can prove everything and believe everything.
et us take a simple example. In recent years, when the spiritual scientific worldview has been put forward here and there, and someone has felt compelled to assert their opinion against it, one has often heard: Yes, Kant has already proven through his philosophy that human beings have limits to their knowledge and that it is impossible to arrive at the level of knowledge that spiritual science aims to attain. Then they cited the certainly very interesting things through which Kant is said to have proven that it is impossible to penetrate the spiritual world with human knowledge. If one nevertheless defended spiritual science, people would come and believe: He denies everything Kant proved! And of course there was something in this assertion that suggested that he must be a particularly foolish person, because he denied what had been strictly proven.
That is not the case at all. The spiritual scientist does not deny that what Kant proved is absolutely correct; it is clear that it has been proven quite well. But suppose that, at a time when the microscope had not yet been invented, someone had strictly proven that there were tiny cells in plants, but that these could never be found because the human eye was not equipped to see them. This could have been strictly proven, and the proof would have been absolutely correct, because the human eye, as it is designed, can never penetrate the organism of a plant down to these smallest cells. An absolutely correct proof that can never be overturned. But life has developed in such a way that the microscope was invented for the human eye, and that despite the strict proof, humans have come to recognize the smallest cells. Only when it is understood that proofs are completely worthless for the attainment of truth, that proofs can be correct but basically mean nothing special for the progress of truth-recognition, only then will we stand on the right ground. Then we will know that proofs may well be good, but they do not have the task of actually leading to the truth. Just think of the comparison I gave, and you will see that just as the proof that human vision cannot reach the cell can be absolutely strict, so too can the proof that human knowledge cannot reach supersensible worlds, as Kant says. The evidence was absolutely correct, but life goes beyond evidence. This is also something that is given to us through spiritual research, that by broadening our horizons we can truly appeal to something other than the human mind and its evidence. And those who limit themselves to materialistic ideas are actually led to an unbridled belief in evidence. If they have proof in their pocket, they are completely convinced of the truth. Spiritual research will show us that, basically, one can prove both sides quite well, but that intellectual proofs have no significance for the attainment of real truth. And so it is a concomitant of our materialistic age that people fall into intellectual short-sightedness. And when this intellectual short-sightedness is also interspersed with passions, the result is what we see today not only among the European peoples fighting with weapons, but also in the mutual hostility of the European peoples, where one side accuses the other of all sorts of things and there is basically no prospect that one side will ever be able to convince the other — not only during the war. And anyone who believes that a neutral state could ever choose between the claims of two hostile states would be naive. Of course, what is said on one side can be just as well defended, and indeed proven, by all kinds of evidence as what is said on the other side. Insight can only be gained by delving into the deeper foundations of human development as a whole.
Now, for several years before the outbreak of this war, I have tried, through the cycle on the individual national souls and their effect on individual people in the various European regions, to shed a little light on how the individual nations relate to one another and that there really are different forces at work among the different peoples. Today we want to supplement what has been said there with a few other points of view.
Our materialistic age thinks too abstractly. Above all, our materialistic age does not take into account that there is a real development in life, that human beings must allow what is within them to mature so that it gradually becomes capable of real judgment. Human beings—as we know, and as is described in sufficient detail in The Education of the Child from the Perspective of Spiritual Science—undergo a development in which, roughly speaking, the physical body develops during the first seven years, the etheric body from the seventh to the fourteenth year, and so on. If this progress in the development of the individual human being is already given little consideration, then the parallel phenomenon, the equivalent phenomenon, is given even less consideration. The processes that take place within individual communities are guided and directed — we all know this from spiritual science — by beings of the higher hierarchies. We speak in the true sense of the word of national souls, of national spirits. And we know, for example, that the national spirit of the Italian people inspires what we call the sentient soul; that the French national spirit inspires what we call the intellectual or emotional soul; that the inhabitants of the British Isles are inspired by the consciousness soul; and that in Central Europe, what we call the human ego is inspired. This is not a value judgment about individual nations, but simply a statement of fact. For example, the inspiration of the people who inhabit the British Isles is based on the fact that, as a nation, they bring into the world everything that is brought about by the inspiration of the consciousness soul on the part of the folk spirit. It is remarkable how nervous people become in this area. When I emphasized this again here and there during the war, which, as I said, had already been stated earlier in the cycle, there were people who took it as a kind of insult to the British people when it was said that they had the task of inspiring the consciousness soul, while the folk soul, which is the German folk soul, had the task of inspiring the human ego. It was just as if one were to take it as an insult to say: Salt is white, paprika is red. — It is a simple characteristic, the statement of a truth that exists, and as such a truth one must first accept it. One will get along much better with what prevails between the individual members of humanity if one looks at the peculiarities of the individual peoples and does not mix everything together, as the materialistic view of today does. Of course, the individual human being rises above what is given to him through his national soul, and it is precisely the task of our anthroposophical society to lift the individual human being out of the group soul and raise him to the level of universal humanity. But it remains true that the individual human being, insofar as he stands within a national culture, is inspired by that culture in such a way that, for example, the Italian national spirit speaks to the sentient soul, the French national spirit to the intellectual or emotional soul, and the British national spirit to the conscious soul. We must therefore imagine that the national spirit hovers, as it were, above what individual human beings begin in individual nations. But as we see that there is already a development in human beings, as we can say of the individual human being: The ego develops in a certain way, undergoes a particular development during a certain period of life, so we can also speak of a development in relation to the soul of a people in relation to its people, and rightly so. Only this development is somewhat different from that of the individual human being.
Let us take the Italian people as an example. So we have this people, and then the national soul belonging to this people. The national soul is a being from the supersensible world, belonging to the world of the higher hierarchies. It inspires the sentient soul, and this happens continuously as long as the people lives, the Italian people — because we are talking about this people — but it inspires the sentient soul in different ways at different times. There are times when the folk souls inspire the members of individual nations in such a way that this inspiration occurs, as it were, in the soul. The folk soul hovers in higher regions of the spirit, and its inspiration occurs in such a way that it inspires only the soul qualities. Then there are times when the folk souls descend further and make greater demands on the individual members of the nations, inspiring them so strongly that not only do human beings absorb them into their soul qualities, but they also have such a powerful effect that human beings become dependent on the folk souls even in their physical qualities. As long as a people is under the influence of the national soul in such a way that it only inspires the soul-spiritual qualities, the type of the people is not yet so pronounced. The forces of the national soul do not work in such a way that the whole human being is affected down to the blood. Then a time comes when one can already see, as it were, in the way a person looks out of their eyes, in the features of their face, how the national spirit is working within them. It becomes apparent that the national soul has sunk deeply; it takes hold of the whole person strongly and intensely.
With the Italian people, the time I spoke of, when the spirit of the people sank deeply and had such an effect that one could find its imprint in individual people, was around the middle of the 16th century, around 1550. Then the soul of the people rose again, as it were, and from that time on, this process was passed on to their descendants. One can therefore say that the most intense period of unity between the Italian people and their national soul was around 1550. That was when the Italian national soul sank to its lowest point and the people of the Italian peninsula acquired their most precise character. If we go back to the time before 1550, we see that the character traits are not at all so pronounced that they strike us as strongly as they did from 1550 onwards. It is only then that the characteristic features we know as Italianness really begin to emerge. It was then, so to speak, that the actual marriage was concluded between the Italian national soul and the soul of the individual who belongs to the Italian people.
For the French people — I am not talking about the individual who can rise above the national character — the similar moment came when the national spirit sank to its lowest point and permeated the entire people, around 1600, at the beginning of the 17th century. Then the national spirit completely took hold of the intellectual or emotional soul.
For the British people, this moment came in the middle of the 17th century, around 1650. It was then that the British people first acquired their outward British expression.
If you know such things, then many things will become clear to you, because you can now ask the question in a completely different way: What about Shakespeare in England? — Shakespeare was active in England before the British national spirit had the most intense effect on the English people. That is why he is not properly understood in England. As is well known, there are editions in which everything that is not entirely to the taste of the governesses has been removed. Shakespeare is very often moralized in the most extreme sense. And we know that the deepest understanding of Shakespeare was brought about not in England, but in the intellectual development of Central Europe.
Now you will ask the question: When did this contact between the folk spirit and the people of Central Europe take place? — It is indeed the case that, because the ego is the decisive factor in Central Europe, there is a kind of descent of the folk spirit, then a return, then another descent, then another return, and so on. And so, at about the time when the wonderful legends of Parzival and the Grail arose, we have such a descent of the folk spirit, a uniting with the individual souls, a return, and a subsequent descent, roughly between the years 1750 and 1830. At that time, what lives in Central Europe, what is the Central European folk spirit, is most deeply affected by what is happening in the world. Since then, there has been another return of the folk spirit. You see how it is actually quite understandable that, let us say, the what lives in Central Europe, what the Central European folk spirit is. Since then, there has been a decline in the folk spirit. So you see how it is actually quite understandable that, say, Jakob Böhme lived at a time when he could have little of the German folk spirit. It was not a time when the folk spirit was connected with the individual souls of the people. Jakob Böhme, therefore, although he is called the “Teutonic philosopher,” is a person who is temporally independent of what his folk spirit is; he stands, as it were, like an uprooted phenomenon, like an eternal phenomenon within his time. If we take Lessing, Schiller, and Goethe, they are also German philosophers who are deeply rooted in the German national spirit. And it is precisely characteristic of these philosophers who lived between 1750 and 1830 that they are deeply rooted in the national spirit. So you see that it is not enough to know that the spirit of the Italian people works through the soul of feeling, the spirit of the French people works through the soul of understanding, the spirit of the British people works through the soul of consciousness, and the spirit of the Central European people works through the ego — but that one must also know that this happens at certain points in time. And the events that take place can only be explained historically if one really knows such things. That nonsense which is peddled as science, where one takes documents and lists events one after the other and says that one must be deduced from the other, this nonsense of historians does not lead to a real history, to an understanding of the becoming of man, but only, one might say, to a falsification of what prevails and works in human history.
And when you see how the force that drives these peoples—and other peoples could be characterized in the same way—affects them in very different ways, then you see the contradictions that exist. And one sees that what is happening today has not really happened only in recent years, but has been preparing itself over the centuries.
Let us look over to the East, to the region that is the cradle of Russian culture. The distinctive feature of Russian culture is that it can only unfold once the moment arrives when the Russian national soul connects with the spirit self — this has already been expressed in the cycle mentioned above. This means that a later period must come in which the characteristics of this distinctive feature of the European East will first become apparent. And this will then be quite different from what is happening in Western Europe or in the center of Europe. For the time being, however, it is quite understandable that what is assigned to Russian culture is not yet there at all, but that Russian culture — like the individual human being — stands in such a relationship to the spirit that it is always turning upward. Individual members of the Russian people, and even profound Russian philosophers, do not speak in the same way as the greatest minds in Central Europe, but in a completely different way.
Here we find something highly characteristic. What is the most distinctive feature of this Central European spiritual life? You all know that there was a time of great mystics, when Meister Eckhart, Johannes Tauler, and others were active. They all sought in the human mind that which is contained in the human mind itself as the divine. They sought to find God in their own hearts, in their own souls, “the spark in the mind,” as Eckhart put it. There, they said, there must be something where the divinity is directly present. And so arose that striving in which the ego wanted to unite with its divinity within itself. This divinity wanted to be fought for; it wanted to be fought for in becoming. This runs like a thread through the whole of Central European being. Think how infinitely profound it is when someone who stands, I would say, entirely on the ground of Central European culture and Central European spiritual life, Angelus Silesius, says in one of his beautiful sayings, “Cherubinischer Wandersmann” (Cherubic Wanderer): When I die, it is not I who die, but God dies in me. Think how infinitely profound that is! For the one who says this has grasped the idea of immortality, because he felt that when death comes to the individual human being, it is because the human being is permeated by the divine — this phenomenon of death is not a phenomenon of the human being, but of God, and since God cannot die, death can only be an illusion. Death cannot therefore be the destruction of life. He who says, “When I die, it is not I who die, but God dies in me,” knows that an immortal soul exists. It is an enormously profound feeling that lives in Angelus Silesius. This is precisely a consequence of the fact that inspiration occurs here in the I.
When inspiration occurs in the sentient soul, what happened to Giordano Bruno, for example, can occur. The monk feels with all his passion what Copernicus has discovered, feels the whole world animated. Read a line by Giordano Bruno, and you will find confirmation that, insofar as he grew out of Italian folklore, he is precisely the proof that the soul of the people inspires the sentient soul.
Cartesius, Descartes, was born at the very point in French development where the French national spirit was so closely united with the French people. Read a page by Cartesius, the French philosopher, and you will find that he confirms on every page what spiritual science finds: that the inspiration of the national spirit acts upon the intellectual soul.
Read Locke or Hume or any other English philosopher up to Mill and Spencer, and everywhere you will find inspiration of the conscious soul.
Read Fichte in his struggle within the self, and you will find the inspiration of the self through the national soul. This is precisely what is unique about the Central European soul: it is experienced in the ego, and therefore the ego is what actually strives, the ego, I would say, with all its strength and all its errors, with all its wrong turns and also with all its victories. If this Central European human being is to find the way to Christ, he wants to give birth to him in his own soul.
Try to search somehow — if it has not been adopted externally from Western European culture — for this idea of experiencing Christ or a God within oneself in Russian spiritual life. You will not find it. Everywhere it is expected that what enters into history really enters in such a way that, as Soloviev says, it enters as a “miracle.” Russian intellectual life is very inclined to see the resurrection of Christ in the supernatural, to venerate the external intervention of an inspiring power, but this speaks as if man were beneath it, as if the inspiring power were moving like a cloud over humanity, not as if it were entering into the human ego. This intimate communion of the ego with its God, or, in the case of Christ, with Christ himself, this longing for Christ to be born in one's own mind, can only be found in Central Europe. And once Eastern European culture has reached the stage of development that is appropriate for it, this will become apparent in the establishment of a culture that hovers above human beings, which in turn represents a kind of group soul, only on a higher level than the old group soul. For the time being, we must find it quite natural that even the Russian philosopher speaks in a way that refers to something that hovers above the human world like the spiritual world, but which can never be approached as intimately as the Central European human being with his ego wants to approach what is divine, what flows and weaves through the world as the divine.
And when I have often spoken of the deity flowing and weaving and surging through the world, this comes from the world of feeling of the Central European human being and could not be understood in the same way as it can be taken up by the Central European mind by any other people in Europe. This is the characteristic, the peculiarity of the Central European people.
These are the forces that live in the individual peoples and that oppose each other, that must therefore compete with each other again and again, that must discharge themselves violently, like clouds discharge themselves and cause lightning and thunderstorms.
But can we not see, one might now say, how a word has sounded in Eastern Europe that was, in a sense, a rallying cry and was intended to have the effect of the culture of Eastern Europe now beginning to spread over and flood the less valuable Western Europe? Do we not see how the Slavophiles, the Pan-Slavists, Pan-Slavism emerged, especially in minds such as Dostoevsky and others like him, how it emerged with the specific points of its program, as it was said: All of you Western Europeans, you have a culture that has become rotten and must be replaced by Eastern Europe. Then a whole theory was constructed, a theory that culminated above all in the assertion that everything in the West had become rotten and had to be replaced by the fresh forces of the East. We have the good orthodox religion, which we do not fight against, but which we have accepted as the cloud of the national spirit hovering over the people, and so on. And then ingenious 'theories' were constructed, very ingenious theories about what the principles and intentions of the old Slavic culture might be, and how the truth must now spread from the East to Central and Western Europe.
I said that the individual can rise above his ethnicity. Such an individual in a certain field was Solovyov, the great Russian philosopher. Although one can see in every line that he writes as a Russian, he nevertheless stands above his ethnicity. In the early part of his life, Solovyov was a Pan-Slavist. But he took a closer look at what the Pan-Slavists and Slavophiles had established as a kind of philosophy of the peoples, a worldview of the peoples. And what did Solovyov, the Russian, find? He asked himself: Is what constitutes Russianness really already present in the present? Is it perhaps already contained in those who represent Pan-Slavism, who represent Slavophilism? And lo and behold, he did not rest until he found the right answer. What did he find? He examined the claims of the Slavophiles, to whom he had previously belonged, he got to the heart of the matter, and there he found that a large part of their ways of thinking, their claims, their intentions, had been taken from the Jesuit-friendly French philosopher de Maistre, who was the great teacher of the Slavophiles in the field of worldview. Solovyov himself proved that Slavophilism did not grow on its own soil, but originated with de Maistre. And he proved even more. He unearthed a long-forgotten German book from the 19th century that no one in Germany knows about. The Slavophiles copied entire passages of it in their literature. What is this peculiar phenomenon? People believe that something is coming from the East that is supposed to have originated in the East, but it is purely a Western import. It came over from the West and was then sent back to Westerners. Westerners are being introduced to their own thought forms because their own thought forms do not yet exist in the East.
When one gets to the heart of the matter, what spiritual science has to say is confirmed everywhere. So that even in what is coming from the East, one is dealing with something that is still elementary, with something that will only find its development when it lovingly accepts what has developed in Central Europe, just as Central Europe once lovingly accepted the Greek and Latin essence from the South. For this is how the development of humanity takes place: the later takes up the earlier. And what I was able to characterize in the public lecture as the Faustian way of thinking in Central Europe with the words: There was a year 1770—Goethe felt it as a Faustian striving when he said:
Now, ah! Philosophy,
Law and medicine,
And, alas, theology too,
Studied thoroughly with ardent effort.
Here I stand, poor fool,
As wise as I was before!
Then came an immensely rich German intellectual life, an immensely intense, rich striving in German intellectual life. But if Goethe had written his “Faust” forty years later, he certainly would not have begun: “Now, alas! Philosophy... .” and so on, and now I have become a wise man for all time — but he would have written his Faust exactly as he did in 1770. This lively striving comes from the inspiration of the soul of the people into the ego, from that intimate togetherness of the ego with the spirit of the people. This is a fundamental characteristic of Central European intellectual culture. And Eastern European culture must lovingly connect with this, must take it in. That which had to flow into Central Europe was once received and absorbed by the southern culture. But now, when the elemental wave of development is rolling in from the East, it is no different than when a student is angry with his teacher because he is supposed to learn something from him and therefore wants to beat him up. It is a somewhat trivial comparison, but it is nevertheless a comparison that accurately describes the situation. Masses of people with very different inner forces of development live together in Europe. These different forces of development must come into competition with each other; they must assert themselves in different ways. The conflicting forces, the forces that come into opposition, have developed over a long, long period of time. And when one looks at the subtleties, one finds that what spiritual science has to say is expressed everywhere in them.
Is it not wonderfully expressed, does not the wave of European development surge together in such a way that it is symbolically placed before all of humanity, showing how the intimate coexistence of the I with the spiritual world must be felt in Central Europe; how God must be experienced in the “spark in the mind,” how Christ must be experienced in the “spark in the mind”! Christ himself must become alive and effective in the human ego. That is why, in Central Europe as in no other European language, the whole development is gradually tending toward what is called the “I.” And I is “I-C-H.” Like a powerful symbol in the intimate interaction between what can be most sacred to the mind and the mind itself, this stands in Central Europe: I = I-CH—Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ and at the same time the human I. This is how the spirit of the people works, inspiring the people to express in characteristic words what the underlying facts are. I know well that people laugh when something like this is said; when it is stated that for centuries the spirit of the people has worked to bring about the designation “I,” which is so symbolically significant. But let people laugh! Only a few decades more, and they will no longer laugh, but will call it something much more significant than what people today call the laws of nature.
What appeared to be a wave of development had a very characteristic effect. Consciousness sometimes reveals only a very small part of the truth; but what works in the depths of the subconscious speaks much, much more truthfully. We speak, for example, of Germanic peoples. Words are formed by the genius of language. Some of the inhabitants of Central Europe call themselves “Germans.” But when they speak of Germanic peoples, they include Germany, Austria, Holland, the Scandinavian peoples, but also the inhabitants of the British Isles. They extend the word Germanic over a wide area. The inhabitants of the British Isles, however, reject this. They call only the Germans “German” — Germanic. They do not use the word Germanic for themselves. The German language encompasses a much larger circle with this word. As such, it is inclined to place the word in the service of selflessness; the German does not merely call himself German, he includes others as well. The other, the Briton, rejects this. If you consider the marvelous nature of the genius of language creation, you will see that there is truly something marvelous in it. With reference to what people are conscious of, the Maja, the great deception, arises. What reigns in the depths of the subconscious has a much, much greater effect. Something immensely significant and profound is expressed in this.
And now compare this with the intimate approach required to understand the European power games, compare this intimate approach with the crude way in which people today view the relationships between the European peoples, and you will begin to understand the devastation wrought on human judgment by the materialistic age. That people have begun to think that matter carries and holds everything is not the worst thing, but that they have become short-sighted, that they cannot see the main thing, that they do not take even one step behind the veil that is woven like a veil over the truth, that is the real evil.
Materialism has prepared well for what it wanted to achieve. And here too, genius has been at work, only the genius who brought about materialism as the supreme leader is Ahriman. He has had a powerful influence in recent centuries, a very powerful influence. And I would like to briefly refer to a chapter that people may not like to refer to today. When it happens, it is regarded as a particular form of madness. The easiest way to influence people is to instill in them, while they are still young, what is to grow within them later on. In later life, very few people can be taught anything thoroughly. Ahriman would therefore never have better prospects of preparing souls for materialism than by instilling in young, childlike souls what will then continue to work in the subconscious. If materialistic ways of thinking are already absorbed during the period when human beings do not yet think with their intellectual faculties, then people will learn to think thoroughly materialistically if materialism is already planted in the minds of children! Ahriman did this by inspiring a writer of the materialistic age with the idea of “Robinson Crusoe.” For anyone who truly lets “Robinson” work on them with a seeing mind will see how thoroughly materialistic ideas work in “Robinson.” It does not appear so, but the whole thing — the way Robinson is constructed, the way he is driven to everything in his adventurous life in the outer world, until finally even religion grows like cabbages in a field — all this prepares the child's mind very well for materialistic thinking. And when one considers that during a certain period — in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries — there was a Bohemian, a Portuguese, a Hungarian, and so on Robinson as imitations of Robinson Crusoe, one must say: the work has been thoroughly done, and the contribution that reading Robinson Crusoe has made to the development of materialism is enormous.
In contrast to such phenomena, it must be pointed out that there is something else that children should absorb into their understanding late in life: the fairy tales that live in Central Europe, especially those collected by the Brothers Grimm. This is much better literature for children than Robinson. And if, in our time, what is happening among the European peoples in such a terrible, difficult, and fateful way is taken as a warning to look more closely at the way in which what is extending into the present has developed in the background of events, then we will realize above all that it really does not matter whether a few German scholars send their medals and diplomas back to England! If the warning of the times proves so strong that one recognizes the significance of the materialistically inspired consciousness of the British people, then one will also see through the significance of reading Robinson and eradicate Robinson altogether. Much more thorough, much more radical measures will have to be taken if we are ever to take the warnings of our time seriously.
It is now thirty-five years since I began to interpret Goethe, particularly in his spiritual-scientific work. I have tried to show how Goethe's theory of evolution is a truly great theory of evolution in accordance with the spirit. The time must come when this will be recognized in wider circles. For Goethe gave us a great, powerful theory of evolution that is spiritual in nature. This was difficult for people to understand. In the materialistic age, Darwin was then able to have a greater impact, presenting in a crude, materialistic way what Goethe had presented in a subtle, spiritual way as a theory of evolution. It was a thorough Anglicization that took hold in Central Europe. Now consider the tragedy that actually lies in the fact that the most English natural scientist in Germany, Ernst Haeckel, who swore by Darwin, had to appear with his furious hatred of England, and when this war broke out, he was one of the first to send back the orders and diplomas he had received from England. He was probably too old to send back the English-influenced Darwinism, but that would have been the essential thing, the more important thing.
The issues at stake are enormously profound, they are enormously significant, and they are connected with the necessary spiritual deepening of our time. Once one realizes how infinitely deeper Goethe's theory of colors is than Newton's, how infinitely deeper Goethe's theory of evolution is than Darwin's, then one will become aware of what Central European intellectual life has to offer, even in such lofty realms.
Through all this, I want to evoke in your souls only one feeling, which must be a warning to us in the face of the present difficult and fateful events. A warning to work, which should lead us to reflect on what lies hidden in Central European spiritual life and what is, in a sense, an obligation to bring out and highlight. This is also what I meant yesterday in my public lecture when I said that this Central European spiritual life contains seeds that must lead to blossoms and fruits.
And if we repeatedly profess that conscious spiritual life takes place on the surface, but that beneath it lies everything that has been discussed in recent days, then we can also direct our thoughts to the fact that in the impulses of many people, even today, there is something quite different at work than what they are aware of. Let us not believe that the people in the West and East who have to defend the great fortress of Central Europe are fighting only for what they are conscious of in their superconsciousness. Let us look above all at the impulses that are unconscious to many who are going through blood and death today, but there they are, the impulses, they exist, and we should be able to draw the feeling out of spiritual science by looking to the East and West and seeing how, in the impulses of those who are making the sacrifices, there lives that what the future must still bring forth for our outer experience, of which perhaps even those who are fighting have hardly any idea in their consciousness. Only then, when we look at it in this way, does what is happening permeate us with the right feeling, with the right sense.
But let us consider how many souls are involved in these events, which cannot be compared to anything in the conscious history of humanity in terms of their military grandeur, let us consider how many souls are passing through blood and death, and let us consider that these souls will look down upon the death that has been imposed on them by the great events of the time. Let us consider that, in the sense of what was said the day before yesterday, the youthful etheric bodies permeate the spiritual atmosphere. Let us consider that not only the souls, the individualities, will be in the spiritual world, but that useful elements from the youthful etheric bodies will permeate the spiritual atmosphere. Let us try, starting from this point, to see the warnings that should be given to the people who remain here on earth. Yes, the individual who has passed through the gate of death warns of the great tasks that must be accomplished in European culture. And these warnings must be heard. And people must become inclined to gain feelings, knowing feelings, from the depths of their spiritual life, about what it is actually like in which we live. Once we feel in this way, that with every person who today remains on the battlefield in the prime of life, there stands a warning voice, a call for the spiritualization of humanity in European culture, then we will have understood correctly. And it is not only that we want such places as the one where we stand to be the source of abstract knowledge: that human beings consist of a physical body, an etheric body, an astral body, and an I; that human beings go through many incarnations; that human beings have karma, and so on. Rather, we want the souls who participate in our spiritual scientific life be shaken in their innermost depths to the life of feeling that has just been indicated, to the co-experience of what will be the warning calls of those who died prematurely in the near future. The most beautiful thing we can acquire as confessors of spiritual science is the living life that should pass like a breath through the ranks of those who count themselves among us. Not knowledge, not insight alone, but this life, the becoming real of this life.
In recent times, several members have passed away from the physical plane. Among them was a young colleague, our dear Fritz Mitscher. And I had the task, also prompted by karma, of speaking at his cremation in Basel. I had to repeat certain words to the departing soul. Among other things, these words that I spoke to the soul contained the message that we are aware that she will remain a co-worker even after she has passed through the gate of death. I had to say this out of the awareness that what animates us all is not just a theory, but that what we express as a theory must fill the whole soul with full life. But then we must stand by those who have passed through the gate of death as we stand by those who are still here in life. Yes, we must not hesitate to say to ourselves: Those who live in the physical body are prevented by the most diverse circumstances from living the spiritual life to the full. How many obstacles can we observe in human beings in this physical earthly life when it comes to recognizing the truly great tasks of evolution—and then fulfilling them! But we can rely on the dead much better in many ways. This feeling that they are among us, this transfer of a special mission, led me to speak the eulogy for our friend Fritz Mitscher, who passed through the gates of death at an early age. And what has been said about him applies to many others who have passed through the gates of death. We see them as our most important co-workers, and it will not be misunderstood if I say: In our spiritual work, we can rely on the dead much more than on the living.
But in order to be able to say such a thing at all, we must be fully alive in what our spiritual movement can give us. I am counting on the fact that, especially now, in the outer field of the spiritualization of human culture in the future, those who have passed through the gates of death in our fateful time are our most important co-workers. For this death, which those who have passed through the gate of death look back upon, will be a great teacher. And many today need a stronger teacher than life can provide. This can be seen in many examples.
I would like to give one example—many others could be cited: Several years ago, a sensational article opposing the spiritual science I represent appeared in a magazine published in southern Germany called Hochland. This article caused quite a stir. It made sense to many because it was written by a very famous philosopher. The editor of Hochland accepted this article. He was thus propagating what he believed to be a very valid view of this complicated spiritual science. You see, it really does not matter whether one defends oneself against this with external means. It is perfectly understandable that the very intelligent people of today find spiritual science foolish. But after the war broke out, something else happened. The editor of the magazine is a good German, a person who feels German. The man whose article he published at the time has now written letters to the editor, and the latter has now, let's say, in his particularly gifted “innocence,” printed them in the Süddeutsche Monatshefte. Try reading them, and you will see all the venom and bile that the same philosopher writes to the editor of Hochland against the intellectual culture of Central Europe, so that the editor feels compelled to say: Anyone who thinks such things can only be found in madhouses in Central Europe. Imagine what an infinitely significant criticism that is! There is an editor of a South German magazine. This editor publishes an article which he considers decisive for the destruction of the humanities, saying: “This is a good article on the humanities by a famous philosopher!” After some time, the editor receives letters from the same man, which he then describes as coming from a person who belongs in a madhouse. So, using the logic of life, one would have to continue and say: If the man is now a fool, then he was also a fool before, and the good editor simply did not recognize at the time that he was dealing with a fool when he wrote against the humanities. — That is the logic of life. Sometimes one cannot wait for such logic to take effect, but it already prevails in our lives, and so one can sometimes experience something according to this recipe. At that time, the article appeared precisely against my spiritual science. People read it. They said: Yes, he is a famous philosopher and Platonist, so he is particularly clever. The editor said to himself: If someone so clever writes about the humanities, it must be an important article. Some time passes, and the same editor says: The man is a fool. — But he first needed proof in the manner just described. Yes, that's how it is with the living. People who have as little solid ground under their feet as the editor of the South German magazine need to be taught by events that, in a much deeper sense, are given by the spiritual world through the life of recent times, more than is acceptable.
And so you will understand when I return to what I said earlier: Our time has had many conflicting forces, and if we call war a disease—which we can do—then it is a disease that was brought about by something that happened long before, and it is there for healing, so that many things that would gradually have led to the destruction of the whole culture can be eradicated. If we describe it as a disease in this sense, but if we view the disease as a form of self-defense, then we understand this war and the fateful events of the present, and we also understand its significant signs and warnings. Then we experience it with all the inner powers of our soul, so that we can become truly attentive to those who have passed through the gate of death and who are looking toward the near future and will have truly learned what they can then inspire into the souls that want to hear them: that spiritual deepening, which is necessary for human salvation and progress in the near future, must enter into them.
And if your souls can take in what I am trying to say with these words in the right way, then you are only then, in the full sense of the word, confessors of our spiritual scientific worldview. If your souls can make the decision to become such souls, they will pay attention to what is whispered down from those who have passed through the gate of death through our fateful events.
A connecting bridge is to be built through spiritual science, especially for the near future, between the living and the dead, a connecting line through which the inspiring elemental forces of those who have made the great sacrifices in our time will be able to find their way over.
That is why I wanted to inspire feelings in you these past few days, teaching and speaking to your souls. These feelings should be like anticipatory feelings of what is being said to the souls through the effects of our fateful times.
In this sense, let us conclude today with the words I spoke here the day before yesterday, which should work like a mantra in our souls, so that our souls become expectant, expectant of the inspiration that will come from the dead, but who will become especially alive in spirit:
From the courage of the fighters,
From the blood of battles,
From the suffering of the forsaken,
From the sacrifices of the people
The fruit of the spirit will grow
Souls will think spiritually
Their meaning into the realm of spirits.