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Spiritual Science, History, Reincarnation, Culture, Examples
GA 202

12 December 1920, Dornach

Translated by Hanna von Maltitz

I would like to devote in these considerations which will be continued next Friday, the possible all inclusive image on the one side of the link humanity has to the entire universe, to the cosmos, as well as the physical aspect to the spiritual cosmos, and on the other hand to show how we can gradually, through spiritual scientific studies arrive at an actual bridge between what can be called the order of nature and the moral world order. Today I want to offer a kind of Intermezzo which will show how, with reference to humanity itself, the spiritual must be linked to physicality, if it is to come to an all embracing examination including human evolution. That which prohibits the creation of a bridge between the physical and the spiritual also prevents, for the traditional world view in its various forms, reaching a total conception of what is working within human evolution. We can approach spiritual science in such a manner that it isn't an abstract theory, only a sum of imaginations which should solve the question of the immortality, the question of repeated earthly lives in an abstract form. We can't accept spiritual science in this way. It would be a misunderstanding to take it this way. We must imagine spiritual science as penetrating our lives and take what is given in the area of spiritual science in its specific abstract, theoretical form, and apply it quite concretely in our lives. From this I would like to give you an example which has certainly come from true spiritual scientific studies which one can not only refer to but which is verifiable in life itself.

The precursor is this: a spiritual researcher presents certain interrelationships. He expresses these interrelationships. He applies them to life. The course of every person's life can be externally observed. An impartial examination of life is then verified which the spiritual researcher offers from his observations. Something like this must be somewhat retained with such an example of spiritual scientific examination, which I'm presenting as reference to you today.

An historic angle on examination methods has actually strongly influenced what we call the natural scientific way of thinking today. Historical examinations have gradually been capitulated by scientific studies and it is believed that the historical progression of humanity as such should be discovered by the effects reverting back to the causes and then finding an interrelationship between historical causality and causes reflected in events of nature. When single historic examiners turn radical in this regard, the tendency, at least gradually, will direct history in a similar examination method as is applied to science.

In particular, when one observes the unfolding of everyday life and includes individuals in this unfolding from one generation to the next, one gradually arrives at considering things, I might say, merely from outside, as threads of scientific necessity. Even though for many it is somewhat depressing today, yet necessary as part of their appearance, we need to refer to physically inherited features. We are continuously considering how a person has more of this, or less of that, outer or inner physical or soul traits simply inherited from his forbearers and thus we create personal history daily. We extend our history with it. We look at it to a certain extent, as if we live within the present generation, and how this branches off from the foregoing, this again from what was before it and so on. We become accustomed to considering historic development by actually looking at the events of generations.

Let's take a region, say Central Europe. Let's examine it by considering the characteristics of the central European people in the last decades. Then go further back to previous decades and try where possible to get a feel for what we usually do with sensory examination, let's say regarding the characteristics of today's Germans, the characteristics of today's French and take these back to the Germans of the 18th century, the French to the 18th century and so on. We see to a certain extent a straight stream of mankind's development and we are content. The scientist would say the need for causality is satisfied when one finds spiritual-soul qualities in a particular human trait of the present day which can be traced back to spiritual-soul qualities of earlier generations of the same nation, the same race and so on, when therefore a specific causal relationship in the straight line of the course of time can be established.

How can the world view of those who in the course of time during the three to fourth century and even longer have developed and even remain religious, spiritual, yet, as soon as they are let free to abstractions, feel the soul-spiritual life tightly bound to the physical, how can such a method of examination rise above the pure progression of the generation line, the evolution of generations? Here we have to become serious regarding anthroposophic wisdom. From this viewpoint we need to not merely look back at people or the number of people in the present, insofar this person or these people directly have inherited characteristics from their forebears, but we need to be practical and clear that in every one of these people there is a soul-spiritual element which had lived for a long time in the soul-spiritual world before it came in to a particular physical body. When we have a person present in front of us, we need to say to ourselves: we look lovingly at him, he actually displays inherited qualities from previous generations. We also observe him soul-spiritually. He has a soul which has absolutely nothing directly to do with previous generations, which also have not had much to do with generations even further back, who in a much earlier time than now had been on the earth, and who, during an entire row of generations, developed in such a way that he didn't stand directly in relation to the earth's evolution, who, during the course of generations, had been in the soul-spiritual world. It is one-sided to consider mankind only according to inherited characteristics of generations. It is finally also only an illusion to consider mankind or historical origins this way. It is argued that one would understand these things, but in fact they are not understood at all in reality. There is theorizing about this and that, what mankind is doing at present, how they live there, the affect of this or that inherited quality. Yet if we could be sufficiently impartial we would in innumerable situations, yes, everywhere, say: what a person takes on from generation to generation of further developing physical qualities, is not by any means clear in one or other area, whether with individuals or with some kind of nation, or race type of relationship. If one wants to come to the reality, if one doesn't allow the continuation of abstraction, when one is also a materialist—which is after all only an abstraction, even a materialistic abstraction—then one must consider how someone living in the present had taken what had been in his bloodline, and be clear about the forces within his soul, which had lived for a long time in the spiritual world before his reincarnation into this body.

During recent years I have made indications regarding these things. I have made indications what, particularly in our time, before the disastrous events of the European peoples being intermixed, what the soul carried within itself from the first Christian decades. The world is however complicated and by giving such details, one only actually find a part. Such details must be taken further in order to gradually reach a total view. This may not at all be understood as when something previously stated in all truthfulness, even applied to several people, should now be corrected; so to add to this, the following must be said.

Relatively speaking it is not the greatest number of the central European population who carry souls who had lived in the first Christian decades, in the manner we imagine the common history of the first Christian decades to have been. Things are far more complicated. What appears through spiritual scientific research sometimes seem paradoxical; yet this is the way it is, and so things which appear for the spiritual scientific researcher only through real observation, which must be reached through real super sensible experience, will be piling error upon error when mere speculation is used, when one is given over to philosophising or speculating. The resulting experience is revealed in a different way and this is just that which the spiritual researcher finds so intensive: that he or she is actually surprised by the outcome. He expects nothing throughout, that this or that will be the result, but is surprised by the results.

To represent such results I would like your souls to glance back to those peoples who were in America during the time Europeans started their American conquest and continued ever more. You know it was a people which from a civilized European view was regarded as wild. One such a wild population in America, the Indians, was wild in comparison to the civilization designated as living in the last centuries in the European world, and yet there lived in them in relation to other soul forces which excludes the intellect, something the so-called civilized people would wish to have returned to them. Above all, the Indian population had an inherent regard for the spiritual forces of the world which actually, at closer inspection, presented something impressive. This population venerated a Great Spirit. This was already becoming decadent during the times of the conquests, but this decadent revelation pointed back to the veneration of a Great Spirit, which flowed and wove through everything and had its lower forces within separate elemental spirits.

Within this, let me say, religious pantheistic image lived this American people. Above all we must emphasize: this American folk had not participated in the outer sense in what the European population had participated in during the course of the so-called Christian development. What European Christianity brought had not been shared by the American Indians. The entire soul constitution of this folk developed intensive pantheistic feelings and based their behaviour on these impulses. In addition what developed in these souls was their ability to spend a relatively short time between death and a new birth. They needed no great period of time but it was intensive, unbelievably simple, elementary what these souls lived through in processing the spiritual world. So not only the souls of the Indian population, as they lived in the time of the conquest of the West—in this case nearly all—but also later souls, have already essentially returned into the western European population.

By studying—in reverse—the course of generations from the present time into the Middle Ages, we could discover physically inherited features. Taking this as the total reality, we lull ourselves into illusions. It is an abstract observation to say that the present western peoples of Europe are very far away from Central Europe and continuing to Eastern Europe and further, can only be examined so that we may say: these nations received their features from previous generations, and so on. This is actually not only the case, because these bodies carrying the ancestral blood have drawn western souls into them like the majority of the people; souls therefore, which through their inner development had not experienced the Christ impulse but in essence carried a kind of pantheistic impulse. Already in the first weeks of their upbringing spent in their environment—because even outer culture, outer civilization propagates in a straight line from generation to generation, but excluding inner soul impulses—these people outwardly adopt Christianity and then from outside they are moulded which we today often encounter as singular and unique. By our impartial observation these people may be seen, if our glance is penetrated thoroughly into its spiritual-intellectual-characteristic aspect, as if something is pulsing within them, something which had been conveyed by their soul from the past.

I said that things revealed through spiritual scientific research are often paradoxes. These things can't be solved by speculation. They have to come about through presented experiences and are often found in established literary methods. Whoever verifies this outwardly will find that light is shed on the outer world, based on knowledge like this.

We will now refer to people who lived during the time of migration in Europe; who emigrated from Europe. These souls were similar to those who had spread Christianity from the south to the north, they were souls who grew into the externalised Christianizing impulse. These souls who accepted Christianity like those living in Europe during the first century—and were quite different to those living with Christianity today—didn't incarnate again into the Central European population. These souls certainly needed longer to return after death into a new birth than did the American Indian souls; it involved souls who had gone through their physical existence earlier than those others who we considered as the last Indian souls, actually the Indian souls during the time of conquest. What the destiny of these earlier Indian souls was, we will not explore now. However, these souls who incarnated in the first Christian century in Europe and who were present in the cultural spread of Christianity from the south to the north, these incarnated now more towards Asia. What I am now describing reveals, particularly clear in these times, how the dreadful catastrophe of the second decade of the twentieth century is so closely stitched into it. In our study of the present earth civilisation now appears something extraordinarily meaningful, for we notice that these souls have incarnated into the Japanese population; that the kind of Christianising a soul had undergone through Europe's Christianizing, who now hear no sound of Christianity from infancy, who only through the subconscious carry a certain nuance of Asian decadence as a result of the then Christianising impulse which they still carry within them, now turn against the present Europe. It is essentially a result of the total decadence of declining oriental wisdom—which at one time was so great, as I have depicted for you—in harmony with the first primitive Christian impulses, how they originated when Christianity in Europe spread from the south to the north under the barbaric populations. This is how it was essentially in the major part of the population. Certainly it complicated things as a result, that this population was thus originated—the souls of the American ancient population like the Central European population both moving eastwards—intermixing into many unique bodies now occupied by souls who had lived during the first Christian centuries more towards the south. These are now right within the populations which originated in this way as I have described to you.

Then we have, when we study the present civilisation, a large number of souls who already in the first centuries AD lived before the founding of Christianity in Asia, in the near East, or in general over the entire Asia. This was not the time of great blossoming of the oriental culture of nature, but it was the time when ideas and concepts were being created which would help understand the Mystery of Golgotha. I'm talking about souls who stood far from the Mystery of Golgotha but who had a particular culture of wisdom which could not be transplanted into the West, and from which the Mystery of Golgotha could be understood as coming out of Hellenism, out of the Roman culture.

We must always differentiate between the Mystery of Golgotha, according to facts, and the various interpretations which have been brought about in the course of centuries. These facts can be interpreted in a different way in every age, and it would be nonsense to identify some or other teaching of the Mystery of Golgotha with the actual facts of this Mystery. I can explain this with a comparison. Imagine we have a very ingenious person. We also have a child, and next, a mediocre person, balancing everything out, somewhat middle class, even an average person, and thirdly a person with a disposition of brilliance. All three are presented with the same thing: the actual reality of the ingenious individual. The child will have some or other explanation of the genius' actions. The philistine who wants to balance everything out, will also have an explanation, and the person with a disposition of having ingenious qualities will have another explanation. All three are confronted with the same reality but their explanations are completely different and one is not justified to identify either the one or the other as the actual reality. In the same way one may not identify the teachings of the first Christians with the reality of Christianity. These teachings of the first Christian centuries came out of the Orient. One actually learnt what the teachings of oriental wisdom were and they were used to illuminate the Mystery of Golgotha. It is naturally terribly tyrannical when progressive churches take this teaching as the only valid interpretation of the Mystery of Golgotha, because it is nothing other than an interpretation according to the preconditions of a certain age. Other times could interpret the Mystery of Golgotha differently. We must explain it spiritual scientifically to justify the demands of the present time.

Therefore, what lived in the Christ teaching impulse in the first centuries, we find—but not applied to Christianity, rather more or less disregarding the Mystery of Golgotha—in the more contemporary intellectual people but less in the majority of people, the teaching studied in the Far East. Those souls who lived just before and also during the time of the Mystery of Golgotha and who were actual oriental souls, experienced a long stretch of time between their death and rebirth while the oriental culture, even in its decadent form, presented extraordinary images to these souls.

These souls appeared in the people who became the American nation, as a conquered people, while Europeans flooded America. The entire American culture with its materialistic aspect, essentially originated out of this appearance of souls who were essentially oriental souls during the time which I have just characterized for you, and who now penetrated bodies with the experience that this embodiment was strange, allowing themselves to be sucked into this embodiment which they did not understand, but took as primitively materialistic and appeared strange because they had basically lived in strong abstractions in their previous earthly life. They could not enter into themselves in their present incarnation but carried over from their previous life what had then been experienced as outer nature observation in an attitude of secluded, often sectarian religiosity. This exists in the denial of matter with Mrs Eddy, with the Scientologists and so on. Everything which appears in the outer world can verify these things, if we consider them with enough impartiality.

By adding what anthroposophic spiritual science offers to what outer anthropological methods of examination supply, we may obtain an image of reality. However we should be serious with what anthroposophic spiritual science can offer. We should not be satisfied with the mere theory of repeated earthly lives. We should observe reality, the outer reality, practically, in relation to this knowledge and then this knowledge can gradually carry its fruits into a practical social life.

We must consistently realize that those who cling to a viewpoint which only considers outer laws of nature, who direct people towards only considering the merely anthropological, only observing what is physically inherited from one generation to the next, that they will always face more and more riddles. Illusions can be entered into for a long time, regarding such riddles. We can believe in some understanding in the course of humanity but we only enter into such illusions while theory, crammed in from earliest youth, is taken as the basis, until we can gradually only observe what comes visibly to the eye, what expresses itself as physically inherited results. However it will probably eventually happen that someone says: yes, but there are facts after all which cannot be ignored, and which are inexplicable in the context of mere anthropological causality. We need to take into consideration that in some or other generation of some or other nation are souls at present who have come from somewhere else than from the great-great-great grandfathers of this nation. To the nation's egoism that might not sound very good but without it this egotism will dwindle when humanity goes through a similar development in future. It has been pointed out already that the largest part of the European population certainly had been propagated through their ancestral blood, but carry Indian souls amongst then, and that these souls lived here in Europe—a largest part of the same in the time of the Attilas—and who had embraced Christianity, which we now meet over in Asia. Even in some educated souls we can see this through unprejudiced examination. Certainly, so correct, so pedantically abstract as we are used to considering things today, they cannot be considered when we search for the reality as it is meant here. However, when we don't build our concepts as abstractly as we are used to, but if we want to come to the reality, then we must go out from such points of view which are mentioned here. Various things will be discovered which appear paradoxical but which actually clarifies reality.

It is for example curious, partly in the coquettish statements of Rabindranath Tagore to observe this strange flavour. One might say here is the possibility to grasp with spiritual hands the Christian descended soul and the oriental descended body. This provides an orientalising coquetry. That which appeared specifically as something well-meaning dribbling into the soul of Rabindranath Tagore, comes from having once sailed into a Christian soul but who did not become a Christian, while living in an outer, non-Christian civilization.

The Greek saying “Know Thyself” is not only directed at single people and above all not merely destined for trivial self contemplation but it is also directed at mankind. However, humanity finds this observation uncomfortable as a rule. Still, we won't make progress in our civilization, but go progressively backwards if we don't become serious about the Apollonian words “Know Thyself”. It is certainly something uncomfortable—such people as Kurt Leese, to whom I've referred in open lectures in Basel, found it “annoying” and “provocative” if one can't merely get to know a person according to what his nose looks like, what his mouth looks like, or how his eyes appear, but that one gets to know him by what his soul looks like. Will we practically accomplish an entry into a spiritual world view if we utter empty abstractions about repeated earthly lives and the repeated earthly lives expressed as destiny, and shrink back from the practical application in life when we can't learn any more about people than if they are blond or dark, have this or that form of eyebrow, this or that form of a nose? If we want to be serious about broadening our spiritual world view then everything indicating “Knowledge of Humanity” must be permeated by spiritual impulses, then we need not shrink from the discomfort in our soul qualities as well as those of others by really getting to know them. Then we need even so, as we did with the nose, look at the soul qualities and as a result the progress of humanity from the present into the future will be touched, for we don't merely look at the outer form of the nose but that soul-to-soul relationships develop between people, focussing on soul knowledge. What is called the social question is something more profound than is imagined by many. This social question can basically not be considered from afar if a study of mankind needs to be continued, which I stated yesterday at the end of my lecture, where the human being is completely missing and there is only arguments about private property and its cultivation, and of economizing machines. Since the decline, humanity has forgotten instinctive soul knowledge and today the social life is experienced by looking actually at one another externally. This drives the wildest instincts to the surface. Humanity would decline into the most savage instincts if the soul spiritual did not breathe through our human life directly. Added to this it is necessary to take note that besides the outer historic causality, the reality of earthly humanity being there throughout and right up to the present, and actually what follows is not merely their physicality brought forward, but that it also applies to the soul, which had lived in some or other soul-spiritual entity in this or that earlier time on the earth. This results in there being qualities in the reincarnated soul and in physical features which are truly expressed in the reality of the human civilization in the present time.

The previous reaction against a spiritual world view doesn't only apply to the mechanical materialistic way of thinking along scientific and theoretical lines but go much deeper. They justify themselves today also by directing their world view in a way which avoids everything soul-spiritual and only focuses on the physical-anthropological results of generations. A map of Europe will develop purely according to the blood relationships of peoples, purely according the chauvinistic, folk egotistic impulses. That is the practical social reaction against the soul spiritual world view coming in. One could say: By Europe accepting the rhetoric of Wilson based on the autonomy of blood related peoples it is declared: we want to know nothing about soul-spiritual impulses.—It is an opposition against the inclusion of the soul-spiritual.

This is not criticism but simply a description of the evidence because what makes itself valid is actually the social practice, the kind of racial opposition against the validity of the self in the soul-spiritual. This soul-spiritual however, by apprehending the fundamental attitude of people, also grips practical life. This is an urgent necessity which can't be seized quickly enough by people of the present day: those who start to understand something about the practical meaning of anthroposophically orientated spiritual science through transforming ideas of this spiritual science into vigorous business impulses for people, must make every effort, wherever possible, to work against that which is purely anthropological. We notice today how the world through anthropology—in the widest sense of anthropology—rattles into a decline. It must be shielded from this decline through Anthroposophy.

These are actually the two streams in the evolution of humanity, which must fight a hard battle between them. On the one side is the purely anthropological which goes through political measures even in its most diverse forms, and on the other, the Anthroposophical, which is still being frowned upon today. We see everywhere how contemporary people gradually need to develop themselves towards strong inner initiatives through which they can feel called into making a choice to the one or the other side. This choice is not to merely, I might say, be secluded in a little theory chamber, in a little world-view chamber, it needs to find its application throughout our world view in practice. In particular it is taken amiss that whoever can really not remain steady as an anthroposophical world view supporter to a certain degree, but who see the meaning of the spiritual specifically in the spirit as controlling matter, learning to dive into matter, everyday life is also seen from this same point of view. A real awakening of humanity—I have often said this—is necessary, such an awakening that humanity will develop inner courage to come to a decision. That is needed in humanity today.

In this regard real depressing impulses are to be found at the basis of so-called civilized humanity today. We have ample opportunity in the present time to notice how everything is still rejected when people are demanded to make some or other decision within themselves. We need not decline into some kind of convention when drawn into everyday life, but need to draw into everyday life that which will become the future signature of development directly before us, in order to examine it from a higher perspective.

Haven't we actually yet again seen an event which basically really elucidates the sleeping character of the present-day soul? I have not felt embarrassed for having referred for many years to the love of abstraction which has made the largest part of humanity into Wilsonians, and I have characterised what that really means at present. Now, we have lately experienced, also even with smaller populations, what to a certain extent belongs to civilization, that a decision should have been made. It is presented in many ways as problematic in character but which was needed by this nation to wake up to some extent. We have experienced, I might say, how through a real paradox this personality would be eliminated and the nation had decided to call for a nobody, a person regarded as a nothing to be their leader.

These things certainly affect the most everyday aspects, but this is it, something which is so close that one fails to grasp them as symptoms, that one disregards them with a cold heart and do not see what kind of symptoms of decline exist in humanity and how necessary it is to call up the forces which will enable humanity to wake up their souls. It has already been necessary for educated people today to research current events and take part in them with greater liveliness to what happens within them.

A person is not regarded as great by indifferently passing by these events which are so deeply symptomatic, but by allowing these events to show them what really works from within. How often have I pointed out how the ahrimanic powers currently course through humanity? This influence of ahrimanic powers through humanity can outwardly be seen when one is unprejudiced. But how can one penetrate to the truth when historical events which could verify outer truth, is indifferently and sleepily passed by and taken note of in this manner people are used to do today? Spiritual science will certainly not want to go according to convention; spiritual science must bear the reality of life within it. Today the world must be seen by how strong ahrimanic powers rise up in opposition to everything which is emphasized by the spirit. It is needed in these days—which of course include years—to decide if the Father was right, who abolished the Spirit in 869 during the Ecumenical Council, if it should remain like this or if the Spirit should again be included in the evolution of humanity. This however will not be enlivened again through mere theoretical observations but through it becoming a practice in life.

Achter Vortrag

[ 1 ] Es obliegt mir in diesen Betrachtungen, die ja nächsten Freitag fortgesetzt werden, ein möglichst umfassendes Bild zu geben auf der einen Seite von dem Zusammenhang des Menschen mit dem ganzen Universum, mit dem Kosmos, sowohl mit dem physischen wie mit dem geistigen Kosmos, und auf der anderen Seite zu zeigen, wie man allmählich durch eine geisteswissenschaftliche Betrachtung zu einer wirklichen Brücke kommen kann zwischen dem, was man Naturordnung nennt und dem, was man geistig-moralische Weltordnung nennen kann. Ich möchte heute gewissermaßen ein Intermezzo geben, das zeigen soll, wie in bezug auf die Menschheit selber das Geistige verbunden werden muß mit dem Physischen, wenn es zu einer Totalbetrachtung auch der menschheitlichen Entwickelung kommen soll. Denn dasjenige, was eben verhindert, in der universellen Weltbetrachtung die Brücke zu bauen zwischen dem Physischen und dem Geistigen, das verhindert auch für die traditionelle Weltanschauung in ihren verschiedenen Formen, zu einer Totalauffassung dessen zu kommen, was in der Menschheitsentwickelung wirksam ist. Wir können ja Geisteswissenschaft nicht so nehmen, daß sie eine abstrakte Theorie ist, eine Summe von Vorstellungen nur ist, welche aufklären soll über die Frage des Ewigen im Menschen, über die Frage der wiederholten Erdenleben eben in abstrakter Form. So können wir Geisteswissenschaft nicht aufnehmen. Wir würden sie mißverstehen, wenn wir sie so nehmen würden. Wir müssen uns Geisteswissenschaft durchaus als das Leben durchdringend vorstellen, und wir müssen dazu kommen, dasjenige, was ja allerdings auch auf dem Gebiete der Geisteswissenschaft in einer gewissen abstrakten Form, in einer theoretischen Manier gegeben werden muß, ganz konkret im Leben anzuwenden. Und davon will ich Ihnen zunächst ein Beispiel geben, das allerdings hergenommen ist aus wirklichen geisteswissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen, über die man eigentlich zunächst nur referieren kann, die aber am Leben selber verifiziert werden können.

[ 2 ] Der Vorgang würde der sein: Dem Geistesforscher ergeben sich gewisse Zusammenhänge. Er spricht diese Zusammenhänge aus. Er wendet sie auf das Leben an. Das Leben in seinem Verlaufe kann von jedem Menschen äußerlich betrachtet werden. Einer unbefangenen Betrachtung des Lebens bewahrheitet sich dann, was der Geistesforscher aus seinen schauenden Betrachtungen gibt. So etwa wird es sich verhalten müssen mit einem solchen Beispiel geisteswissenschaftlicher Betrachtung, wie ich es Ihnen heute referierend darstellen will.

[ 3 ] Man findet heute eine geschichtliche Betrachtungsweise, die eigentlich schon sehr stark beeinflußt ist von dem, was man naturwissenschaftliche Denkweise nennen kann. Die Geschichtsbetrachtung hat allmählich in einer gewissen Weise kapituliert vor der naturwissenschaftlichen Betrachtungsweise, und man denkt sich auch das geschichtliche Werden der Menschheit so, daß man Wirkungen aufsucht, diese auf Ursachen zurückführt und dann einen gewissen Kausalzusammenhang des geschichtlichen Lebens dem Kausalzusammenhang im Naturgeschehen nachbildet. Wenn auch erst vereinzelte historische Betrachter in dieser Beziehung radikal sind, so ist immerhin die Tendenz vorhanden, die Geschichte, allmählich wenigstens, einer der naturwissenschaftlichen Betrachtungsweise ähnlichen Methodik zuzuführen.

[ 4 ] Insbesondere dann, wenn man das alltägliche Leben in seinem Werden betrachtet und den einzelnen Menschen hineinstellt in dieses Werden der Menschheit von Generation zu Generation, kommt man immer mehr und mehr dazu, die Dinge bloß äußerlich, ich möchte sagen, am Faden naturwissenschaftlicher Notwendigkeit zu betrachten. Wie ist es für viele Menschen heute etwas Bedrückendes, aber doch wieder ihnen notwendig Erscheinendes, Eigenschaften, die der Mensch an sich trägt, zurückzuführen auf die physische Vererbung. Wir reden alle Augenblicke davon, daß der Mensch diese oder jene mehr oder weniger äußere oder innerliche, physische oder seelische Merkmale einfach von seinen Vorfahren vererbt hat, und wir übertragen auch das, was wir uns so im alltäglichen Leben bilden, auf das Geschichtliche. Wir dehnen es aus auf das Geschichtliche. Wir blicken gewissermaßen darauf hin, wie wir selbst innerhalb der gegenwärtigen Generation leben, wie diese abstammt von den vorhergehenden, diese wieder von den vorhergehenden und so weiter. Und man gewöhnt sich daran, das geschichtliche Werden so zu betrachten, daß man eigentlich die Generationenfolge betrachtet.

[ 5 ] Nehmen wir irgendein Stück der Erde, nehmen wir Mitteleuropa. Man betrachtet es so, daß man die Eigenschaften der mitteleuropäischen Menschen in den letzten Jahrzehnten betrachtet. Man geht dann zurück zu den früheren Jahrzehnten und versucht womöglich in Anlehnung an das, was man gewöhnt ist in der sinngemäßen Betrachtung, sagen wir die Eigenschaften der heutigen Deutschen, die Eigenschaften der heutigen Franzosen, zurückzuführen auf die Eigenschaften der Deutschen im 18. Jahrhundert, der Franzosen im 18. Jahrhundert und so weiter. Man betrachter gewissermaßen in geradliniger Strömung die Entwickelung der Menschheit, und man ist befriedigt. Naturwissenschafter würden sagen: Das Kausalitätsbedürfnis ist befriedigt, wenn man dasjenige, was sich als seelisch-geistige Qualitäten bei einer bestimmten Menschenart der Gegenwart findet, zurückführen kann auf geistig-seelische Qualitäten früherer Generationen desselben Volkes, derselben Rasse und so weiter, wenn man also einen gewissen Ursachenzusammenhang im geradlinigen Zeitenverlauf herstellen kann.

[ 6 ] Wie sollte denn auch eine Weltanschauung wie diejenige, die sich in dem Lauf der letzten drei bis vier Jahrhunderte und schon länger herausgebildet hat und die, selbst wenn sie noch so religiös-spiritualistisch ist, doch, sobald sie vom Abstrakten loskommt, praktisch das seelisch-geistige Leben eng an das physische gebunden fühlt, wie sollte denn eine solche Betrachtungsweise hinauskommen über dieses bloße Verfolgen der Generationenreihe, der Generationenentwickelung! Aber hier ist es gerade, wo Ernst gemacht werden muß mit dem, was uns die anthroposophischen Erkenntnisse geben. Von diesem Gesichtspunkte aus müssen wir ja nicht bloß hinblicken auf den Menschen oder auf eine Anzahl von Menschen der Gegenwart, insofern dieser Mensch oder diese Menschen die von den unmittelbar vorangehenden Generationen vererbten Merkmale haben, sondern wir müssen uns praktisch klar sein darüber, daß in jedem einzelnen Menschen ein Seelisch-Geistiges vorhanden ist, das ja eine lange Zeit in der geistig-seelischen Welt durchlebt hat, bevor es in diesen physischen Leib hereingekommen ist. So daß, wenn wir einen gegenwärtigen Menschen vor uns haben, wir uns sagen müssen: Wir sehen ihn leiblich an; da trägt er allerdings die vererbten Merkmale, von den früheren Generationen herrührend. Aber wir sehen ihn auch geistig-seelisch an. Da trägt er in sich eine Seele, die ja zunächst gar nichts zu tun hat mit den unmittelbar vorangehenden Generationen, die auch mit weiter zurückliegenden Generationen nicht viel zu tun hat, die in einer sehr viel früheren Zeit als die jetzige hier auf der Erde war, die also, während eine ganze Reihe von Generationen sich entwickelt hat, gar nicht im unmittelbaren Zusammenhange mit der Erdenentwickelung gestanden hat, die, während diese Generationen abgelaufen sind, in der geistig-seelischen Welt war. Es ist ja einmal eine Einseitigkeit, den Menschen nur nach den in der Generationenfolge vererbten Merkmalen zu betrachten. Es ist ja schließlich auch nur eine Illusion, wenn man den Menschen oder das geschichtliche Werden so betrachtet. Man redet sich eigentlich nur ein, daß man die Dinge verstünde; man versteht sie in Wirklichkeit gar nicht. Man theoretisiert darüber, das oder jenes, was die Menschen in der Gegenwart machen, wie sie sich darleben, das rühre von den oder jenen vererbten Qualitäten her. Aber würde man unbefangen genug sein dazu, so würde man an unzähligen Stellen, ja überall sich sagen müssen: Was man da annimmt als von Generation zu Generation sich fortentwickelnde physische Qualitäten, das erklärt irgendeine Lage der Gegenwart durchaus nicht, weder beim einzelnen Menschen, noch bei irgendeinem volks- oder rassenmäßigen Zusammenhang der Menschen. Wenn man zur Wirklichkeit kommen will, wenn man nicht in dieser Abstraktion stehenbleiben will, die, wenn sie auch materialistisch ist, dennoch nur eine Abstraktion ist — eben eine materialistische Abstraktion -, dann muß man Rücksicht darauf nehmen, wie dasjenige, was sich in der Gegenwart darlebt, neben dem, was in der Blutsströmung zurückliegt, sich erklärt aus dem, was in den Kräften der Seelen liegt, die eine lange Zeit hindurch in der geistigen Welt gelebt haben, bevor sie zur Wiederverkörperung in diese Leiber heruntergestiegen sind.

[ 7 ] Nun habe ich in bezug auf diese Dinge ja im Laufe der Jahre schon Andeutungen gemacht. Ich habe Andeutungen gemacht, wie in unserer Zeit, insbesondere in der Zeit, die vor den katastrophalen Ereignissen gelegen hat, namentlich die europäische Bevölkerung mit Menschen durchmischt worden ist, die Seelen in sich tragen aus den ersten christlichen Jahrhunderten. Die Welt ist jedoch kompliziert, und indem man solche Angaben macht, trifft man eigentlich immer nur ein Partielles. Solche Angaben müssen immer wieder erweitert werden, damit man allmählich einer totalen Ansicht näher rückt. Das darf durchaus nicht so aufgefaßt werden, als wenn irgend etwas Früheres, was gesagt worden ist und was durchaus richtig ist, sich aber eben auf eine Anzahl von Menschen bezieht, korrigiert werden sollte; sondern zur Ergänzung soll das Folgende gesagt werden.

[ 8 ] Es ist ein verhältnismäßig nicht allzugroßer Teil der mitteleuropäischen Bevölkerung, welcher unmittelbar Seelen birgt, die in diesen ersten christlichen Jahrhunderten, so wie wir uns diese ersten christlichen Jahrhunderte nach der landläufigen Geschichte vorstellen, gelebt haben. Die Dinge sind viel komplizierter. Da zeigt sich der geisteswissenschaftlichen Forschung etwas, was in mancher Beziehung paradox erscheinen wird; aber es ist schon einmal so, daß die Dinge, die für die geisteswissenschaftliche Forschung erscheinen sollen, eben nur aus der wirklichen Anschauung, aus der wirklichen übersinnlichen Erfahrung gewonnen werden müssen, und daß man in der Regel Irrtum auf Irrtum häuft, wenn man bloß spekuliert, wenn man sich bloß philosophischen oder sonstigen Spekulationen über die Dinge hingibt. Die Erfahrungstatsachen sprechen dann immer anders, und das ist ja gerade etwas, was der Geistesforscher so intensiv empfindet: daß er selber von seinen Resultaten eigentlich überrascht wird. Er erwartet zunächst durchaus nicht, daß dies oder jenes herauskommt, sondern er wird überrascht von seinen Resultaten.

[ 9 ] Um Ihnen einige von solchen Resultaten vorzuführen, möchte ich Ihren Seelenblick hinlenken auf diejenige Bevölkerung, welche in Amerika war in den Zeiten, als die Europäer die Eroberung Amerikas begonnen und dann immer fortgesetzt haben. Sie wissen, es war eine Bevölkerung, die man von dem zivilisierten Standpunkte Europas aus als eine wilde Bevölkerung bezeichnete. Aber eine solche wilde Bevölkerung, wie sie in Amerika war, die indianische, ist zwar wild in bezug - auf das, was in den letzten Jahrhunderten innerhalb der europäischen Welt als Zivilisation bezeichnet worden ist, aber es lebt doch in ihr in bezug auf andere Seelenkräfte, die nicht der Intellekt sind, zuweilen etwas, was sich der sogenannte zivilisiertere Mensch wohl zurückwünschen könnte. Vor allen Dingen lebte in der indianischen Bevölkerung eine Anschauung von den geistigen Mächten der Welt, welche eigentlich, wenn man näher auf sie eingehen kann, etwas Imponierendes hat. Diese Bevölkerung verehrte einen Großen Geist. Es war allerdings bei der Eroberung die Sache schon in der Dekadenz, aber diese dekadenten Erscheinungen weisen zurück auf die Verehrung eines Großen Geistes, der alles durchflutet, durchwebt, der in den einzelnen elementarischen Geistern seine Unterkräfte hat.

[ 10 ] Mit diesen, ich möchte sagen, religiös-pantheistischen Vorstellungen lebte diese amerikanische Bevölkerung. Vor allen Dingen aber müssen wir festhalten: Diese amerikanische Bevölkerung hatte im äußeren Sinne nichts mitgemacht von dem, was die europäischen Bevölkerungen mitgemacht hatten im Laufe der sogenannten christlichen Entwickelung. Was das Christentum der europäischen Bevölkerung gebracht hat, das haben die Generationen dieser amerikanischen indianischen Bevölkerung nicht mitgemacht. Die ganze Seelenkonstitution dieser Bevölkerung war so, daß sie intensiv pantheistische Gefühle entwickelte und aus Impulsen heraus, die mit diesen Gefühlen zusammenhingen, handelten auch diese Menschen. Aber es entwickelten sich diese Seelen so, daß sie verhältnismäßig nur kurze Zeit zubringen konnten zwischen dem Tode und einer neuen Geburt. Keiner langen Zeitdauer bedurfte dasjenige, was zwar intensiv, aber ungeheuer einfach, elementar diese Seelen durchlebten zur Verarbeitung in der geistigen Welt. So sind nicht nur die Seelen der indianischen Bevölkerung, wie sie gelebt haben zur Zeit der ersten Eroberungen des Westen — diese fast alle -, sondern auch spätere Seelen jetzt schon wiedergekommen, und zwar im wesentlichen in der westeuropäischen Bevölkerung.

[ 11 ] Wir können also die Generationenfolgen betrachten von der jetzigen Zeit ab bis ins Mittelalter zurückgehend; da bekommen wir die physisch vererbten Merkmale. Aber wenn wir das als die volle Wirklichkeit betrachten, wiegen wir uns in Illusionen. Wir haben ein Abstraktum, wenn wir die gegenwärtigen Westvölker Europas bis sehr weit herein in das Mitteleuropäische und, immer wiederum alles durchsetzend, sogar bis nach Osteuropa hinüber, nur so betrachten, daß wir sagen: Diese Nationen haben ihre Merkmale von den vorhergehenden Generationen und so weiter. Das ist eben nicht allein der Fall, sondern es sind in diese Leiber, die das Blut der Vorfahren in sich tragen, namentlich in das Gros der Bevölkerung eingezogen die westlichen Seelen; Seelen also, welche durch ihre innere Entwickelung noch nichts von dem christlichen Impuls hatten, die im wesentlichen eine Art pantheistischen Impulses in sich trugen. Durch die Erziehung in den ersten Wochen schon, die sie in ihrer Umgebung verbrachten — denn gerade die äußere Kultur, die äußere Zivilisation pflanzt sich in geradliniger Weise von Generation zu Generation fort, nicht aber die inneren Impulse der Seele -, nahmen diese Menschen von außen her das Christentum an; von außen her wurden sie geformt zu dem, als was sie uns heute oftmals einzig und allein erscheinen. Wer aber unbefangen ist und auf die Menschen hinsieht, wer sie betrachtet so, daß er mit seinem Blick sie wirklich charakterologisch durchdringt, der sieht in ihnen pulsieren, was mit den Seelen in sie herübergekommen ist.

[ 12 ] Ich sagte, die Dinge, die die geisteswissenschaftliche Forschung ergibt, sind vielfach paradox. Ausspekulieren kann man diese Dinge nicht. Sie müssen erfahrungsgemäß durch die Ihnen oftmals geschilderten und auch in der Literatur niedergelegten Methoden zustande kommen. Aber wer sie dann äußerlich verifiziert, der wird finden, wie die äußere Welt erklärlich wird dadurch, daß man solche Erkenntnisse zugrunde legt.

[ 13 ] Wir finden Menschen, welche zu der Zeit, die man in der Geschichte gewöhnlich die Zeit der Völkerwanderung nennt, in Europa gelebt haben und ausgewandert sind. Die Seelen dieser Bevölkerungen waren denen ähnlich, die das sich vom Süden nach dem Norden ausbreitende Christentum angenommen haben, Seelen also, die äußerlich in die Christianisierung hineinwuchsen. Diese Seelen, die das Christentum so angenommen haben, wie es in den ersten Jahrhunderten in Europa gelebt hat — und das ist sehr verschieden von dem, wie das Christentum heute lebt -, verkörperten sich nicht etwa wiederum in einer mitteleuropäischen Bevölkerung. Es waren Seelen, die allerdings länger brauchten, um von dem Tode zu einer neuen Geburt zu leben als die amerikanischen Indianerseelen; aber wir haben es ja dafür auch mit Seelen zu tun, die ihr physisches Dasein früher hier durchgemacht haben als jene anderen, die wir als die letzten Indianerseelen, eben die Indianerseelen zur Zeit der Eroberungen, betrachteten. So weit gehen wir dabei zurück. Was das Schicksal der früheren Indianerseelen war, das wollen wir dabei nicht berühren. Diejenigen Seelen aber, die in den ersten christlichen Jahrhunderten in Europa verkörpert waren, die dabei waren, als das Christentum sich kulturell ausgebreitet hat vom Süden nach Norden, die verkörperten sich jetzt mehr nach Asien hinüber. Es zeigt sich das, was ich jetzt beschreibe, besonders deutlich in den Zeiten, in denen die furchtbare Katastrophe des zweiten Jahrzehnts des 20. Jahrhunderts herangenaht ist. Und von ganz besonderer Bedeutung erscheint es der Betrachtungsweise unserer gegenwärtigen Erdenzivilisation, wenn wir sehen, daß namentlich im Japanervolke solche Seelen verkörpert sind; Seelen also, die die besondere Art der Christianisierung in Europa einmal durchgemacht haben, die aber jetzt von Kindheit auf keinen Laut vom Christentum hören, die nur aus dem Unterbewußten heraus eine gewisse Nuancierung des dekadenten Asiatentums durch die damaligen christlichen Impulse in sich tragen, die auch all das heute in sich tragen, was gegen das heutige Europa sich wendet. Es ist ja im wesentlichen ein Ergebnis der ganz in die Dekadenz verfallenen orientalischen Weisheit — die einstmals eine so große war, wie ich es Ihnen geschildert habe - im Zusammenklingen mit den ersten primitiven christlichen Impulsen, wie sie eben entstanden, als in Europa sich das Christentum vom Süden nach dem Norden unter den barbarischen Völkerschaften ausbreitete. So war es im wesentlichen in bezug auf das Gros der Bevölkerung. Allerdings kompliziert sich die Sache dadurch, daß in diese so entstandene Bevölkerung - die Seelen der amerikanischen Urbevölkerung sowie der mitteleuropäischen Bevölkerung zogen beide ostwärts — sich hineinmischten viele einzelne Leiber, die bewohnt wurden von Seelen, die in den ersten christlichen Jahrhunderten mehr südwärts lebten. Die sind nun auch mitten drinnen in der Bevölkerung, die auf diese Weise entstanden ist, wie ich es jetzt beschrieben habe.

[ 14 ] Dann haben wir, wenn wir die gegenwärtige Zivilisation betrachten, es zu tun mit einer großen Anzahl von Seelen, welche gerade in den Jahrhunderten, die der Begründung des Christentums vorangegangen sind, in Asien, in Vorderasien, oder überhaupt über das ganze Asien hin gelebt haben. Es war das natürlich schon nicht mehr die große Blütezeit orientalischer Weisheitskultur, aber es war diejenige Zeit, aus der sich herausgebildet haben die Begriffe, die Ideen, mit denen das Mysterium von Golgatha dann verstanden worden ist. Ich rede also jetzt von Seelen, die dem Mysterium von Golgatha ferne standen, die aber eine gewisse Weisheitskultur hatten, die sich dann nach dem Westen herüber verpflanzte, und von welcher das Mysterium von Golgatha zunächst aus dem Griechentum, aus dem Römertum heraus verstanden worden ist.

[ 15 ] Wir müssen ja immer unterscheiden zwischen dem Mysterium von Golgatha, wie es als Tatsache dasteht, und den verschiedenen Interpretationen, die es im Laufe der Jahrhunderte erfahren hat. Denn diese Tatsache kann von jedem Zeitalter in einer neuen Weise interpretiert werden, und es wäre Unsinn, irgendeine Lehre über das Mysterium von Golgatha zu identifizieren mit dem Tatsächlichen des Mysteriums von Golgatha. Ich brauche Ihnen das nur durch einen Vergleich klarzumachen. Denken Sie sich, wir hätten einen sehr genialen Menschen. Dann wäre da ein Kind, ferner ein mittelmäßiger, alles nivellierender, etwas spießiger Mensch, eben ein Mittelmensch, und drittens ein auch zur Genialität veranlagter Mensch. Alle drei haben dasselbe vor sich: Die reale Wirklichkeit des genialen Menschen. Das Kind wird irgendeine Erklärung haben für das, was der geniale Mensch tut. Der Philister, der alles nivellieren will, wird auch eine Erklärung haben, und der ebenfalls mit genialen Eigenschaften veranlagte Mensch wird eine andere Erklärung haben. Sie haben alle drei mit derselben Wirklichkeit zu tun, ihre Erklärungen sind aber ganz verschieden, und man ist nicht berechtigt, das eine oder das andere zu identifizieren mit der tatsächlichen Wirklichkeit. Ebenso darf man nicht die Lehren des ersten Christentums identifizieren mit der Tatsächlichkeit des Christentums. Diese Lehren der ersten christlichen Jahrhunderte waren herübergekommen aus dem Orient. Man hat eigentlich gelernt, was orientalische Weisheitslehren waren, und hat diese benützt, um das Mysterium von Golgatha zu erklären. Es ist natürlich nur eine furchtbare Tyrannis, wenn die sich fortentwickelnde Kirche diese Lehren als die allein gültigen ansieht, denn sie sind nichts anderes als das, wonach ein Zeitalter nach seinen Vorbedingungen das Mysterium von Golgatha erklärt hat. Andere Zeiten können dieses Mysterium von Golgatha anders erklären. Wir müssen es geisteswissenschaftlich erklären, um den Anforderungen der Gegenwart gerecht zu werden.

[ 16 ] Was also in den Lehren über den Christus-Impuls in den ersten Jahrhunderten lebte, das finden wir — aber nicht auf das Christentum angewendet, sondern mehr oder weniger absehend vom Mysterium von Golgatha - bei den damaligen Gebildeten mehr, bei dem damaligen überwiegenden Gros der Bevölkerung natürlich sehr viel weniger, im Orient ausgebildet. Diejenigen Seelen, die da unmittelbar vor dem Verlauf und auch während des Verlaufs des Mysteriums von Golgatha gelebt haben, die also orientalische Seelen waren, die haben eine lange Zeit durchzumachen gehabt zwischen dem Tod und einer neuen Geburt, weil die orientalische Kultur selbst noch in Dekadenz außerordentlich komplizierte Vorstellungen an die Seelen heranbrachte.

[ 17 ] Diese Seelen, sie erscheinen namentlich in derjenigen Bevölkerung, die die Bevölkerung Amerikas wird, als Erobererbevölkerung allmählich Amerika von Europa aus überflutend. Die ganze amerikanische Kultur, die eine materialistische Nuance hat, geht im wesentlichen daraus hervor, daß da Seelen erscheinen, die eigentlich orientalische Seelen waren in der Zeit, die ich charakterisiert habe, und die nun untertauchen in Leiber so, daß ihnen diese Leiblichkeit fremd ist, daß sie sich, ich möchte sagen, mit ihren damals schon sehr in der Dekadenz befindlichen Begriffen hineinsaugen in die Leiblichkeit, daß sie die Leiblichkeit nicht verstehen, sondern sie ziemlich primitiv materialistisch nehmen, mehr oder weniger eben an dem Menschen vorbeigehen, der ihnen fremd wird dadurch, daß sie im grunde genommen nach starken Abstraktionen gestrebt haben in ihrem vorigen Erdenleben. Sie können sich nicht hineinfinden in die gegenwärtige Inkarnation, tragen aber aus ihrem vorigen Erdenleben all das herauf, was dann lebt in der von der äußeren Naturbetrachtung abgesonderten, oftmals sektiererischen Religiosität. Das lebt sogar in der Leugnung der Materie bei der Mrs. Eddy, bei den Scientisten und so weiter. Alles das, was in der äußeren Welt hervortrat, kann diese Dinge verifizieren, wenn wir es nur unbefangen genug betrachten.

[ 18 ] Sie sehen, wenn man hinzufügt, was anthroposophische Geisteswissenschaft geben kann, zu demjenigen, was nur die äußere anthropologische Betrachtungsweise liefert, dann gewinnt man ein Bild der Wirklichkeit. Aber man muß Ernst machen mit dem, was anthroposophische Geisteswissenschaft geben kann. Man darf sich nicht genügen lassen mit dem Theoretischen, das nur auseinandersetzt, daß wir eben wiederholte Erdenleben haben. Man muß die Wirklichkeit, die äußere Wirklichkeit praktisch im Sinne dieser Erkenntnis anschauen, dann können diese Erkenntnisse auch allmählich in das sozial-praktische Leben hinein ihre rechten Früchte tragen. Es wird durchaus so sein müssen, daß diejenigen Menschen, die sich an eine Weltanschauung klammern, die nur auf die äußere Naturordnung Rücksicht nimmt, die also die Menschheit dazu führt, bloß anthropologisch zu sein, bloß dasjenige in Betracht zu ziehen, was von Generation zu Generation physisch sich weitervererbt, daß solche Menschen immer mehr und mehr vor Rätseln stehen werden. Man kann sich lange Zeit Illusionen hingeben über diese Rätsel. Man kann glauben, daß man irgend etwas versteht von dem Menschheitsverlaufe; aber man gibt sich solchen Illusionen nur hin, weil man die Theorien hat, die einem eingepaukt worden sind seit der frühesten Jugend, so daß man gewissermaßen nur auf das hinschaut, nur für das Augen hat, was in der physischen Vererbungsfolge sich äußert. Aber es werden doch die Menschen nach und nach dazu kommen, sich zu sagen: Ja, aber da gibt es doch Tatsachen, die nicht hinwegzuleugnen sind, und die durchaus nicht erklärbar sind im Sinne dieser rein anthropologischen Ursächlichkeiten. — Wir müssen eben darauf Rücksicht nehmen, daß in irgendeiner Generation irgendeines Volkes der Gegenwart Seelen sind, die von ganz woanders herkommen, als etwa von den Urururgroßvätern desselben Volkes. Dem Volksegoismus mag das nicht gerade außerordentlich angenehm klingen, aber dieser Volksegoismus muß ja ohnedies schwinden, wenn die Menschheit eine entsprechende Entwickelung in die Zukunft durch machen soll. Und es muß schon darauf hingewiesen werden, daß ein großer Teil der europäischen Bevölkerung allerdings das Blut der mittelalterlichen Vorfahren fortpflanzt, aber Indianerseelen in sich trägt, daß diejenigen Seelen, die hier in Europa gelebt haben - ein großer Teil derselben zu Attilas Zeiten -, und die damals das Christentum angenommen haben, daß die uns nun in Asien drüben entgegentreten. Bis in gewisse gebildete Seelen hinein kann ja das bei unbefangener Beobachtung durchschaut werden. Allerdings, so geradlinig, so pedantisch abstrakt, wie man es heute gewohnt ist, darf man die Dinge nicht anschauen, wenn man auf Wirklichkeiten, wie sie hier gemeint sind, kommen will. Aber wenn man eben nicht seine Begriffe so abstrakt bildet, wie man es heute gewöhnt ist, sondern wenn man auf die Wirklichkeit kommen will, dann muß man von solchen Gesichtspunkten ausgehen, wie sie hier erwähnt worden sind. Dann wird man Verschiedenes herausfinden, was zwar wiederum paradox erscheint, was aber eben doch diese Wirklichkeit erklärt.

[ 19 ] Es ist zum Beispiel eigentümlich, auch in den zum Teil koketten Äußerungen des Rabindranath Tagore dieses eigentümliche Aroma wahrzunehmen. Man hat dann, ich möchte sagen, die Möglichkeit, mit geistigen Händen zu greifen die christliche Abstammung der Seele und die orientalische Abstammung des Leibes. Diese liefert die orientalisierende Koketterie. Und dasjenige, was insbesondere dem Europäer als etwas warm Wohltuendes in die Seele träufelt gerade bei Rabindranath Tagore, das ist von einer ins Christentum einstmals hineinsegelnden Seele, die nur in dieser Inkarnation nicht christlich geworden ist, weil sie in einer äußeren, nicht christlichen Zivilisation lebt.

[ 20 ] Der griechische Gedenkspruch «Erkenne dich selbst» ist eben nicht nur an den einzelnen Menschen gerichtet und vor allen Dingen nicht bloß für eine triviale Selbstschau bestimmt, sondern er ist auch an die Menschheit gerichtet. Nur findet die Menschheit seine Beobachtung in der Regel unbequem. Aber wir kommen nicht vorwärts in unserer Zivilisation, wir kommen immer mehr und mehr abwärts, wenn wir nicht endlich mit dem Apollinischen Worte «Erkenne dich selbst» auch als Menschheit Ernst machen. Es hat ja allerdings etwas Unbequemes — solche Leute wie Kurt Leese, den ich im öffentlichen Basler Vortrage erwähnt habe, würden das «ärgerlich» und «aufreizend» finden -, wenn man den Menschen nicht bloß so kennenlernen soll, wie seine Nase aussieht, wie sein Mund aussieht, wie seine Augen aussehen, sondern wenn man ihn so kennenlernen soll, wie seine Seele aussieht. Aber würde sich denn der Einzug einer geistigen Weltanschauung in die Menschheit praktisch verwirklichen, wenn wir phrasenhaft in Abstraktionen reden würden von wiederholten Erdenleben und von dem sich durch die wiederholten Erdenleben verwirklichenden Schicksal, und dann zurückschrecken würden vor der praktischen Anwendung im Leben, wenn wir doch nichts anderes vom Menschen kennenlernen wollten, als ob er blonde oder schwarze Haare hat, ob er diese oder jene Form der Augenbrauen, diese oder jene Nasenform hat und so weiter? Wollen wir damit Ernst machen, daß eine geistige Weltanschauung sich in der Welt verbreite, dann muß dasjenige, was «Kennenlernen des Menschen» heißt, auch durchdrungen sein mit geistig-seelischen Impulsen, dann müssen wir uns nicht zurückhalten lassen von der Unbequemlichkeit, auch das Seelische des Menschen, unser eigenes und das der anderen Menschen, wirklich kennenzulernen. Dann müssen wir ebenso, wie auf die Nase, auf die seelischen Eigenschaften schauen, und darauf wird gerade der Menschheitsfortschritt von der Gegenwart aus in die nächste Zukunft beruhen, daß man nicht bloß auf die äußere Form der Nase sieht, sondern daß man von Seele zu Seele Beziehungen zwischen den Menschen gerade auf Seelenerkenntnis einrichtet. Was man die soziale Frage nennt, ist etwas viel Tieferes, als sich zahlreiche Menschen heute vorstellen. Diese Soziale Frage kann im Grunde genommen gar nicht einmal von ferne berührt werden, wenn man eine Menschenbetrachtung fortsetzen will, wie ich sie Ihnen gestern am Ende der Stunde angeführt habe, wo der Mensch völlig herausfällt und man nur redet von dem Privateigentum, das er bewirtschaftet, und von den wirtschaftenden Automaten. Weil man seit dem Rückgang der instinktiven Seelenerkenntnis verlernt hat, überhaupt hinzuschauen auf den Menschen, lebt sich heute das soziale Leben in dem menschlich Äußerlichsten aus. Das aber treibt an die Oberfläche gerade die Instinkte, die wildesten Instinkte. Die Menschheit würde in ein Leben der wildesten Instinkte verfallen, wenn nicht Geistig-Seelisches unser unmittelbares Menschenleben durchzöge. Dazu ist eben notwendig, daß wir neben der äußerlichen historischen Kausalität auch dasjenige sehen, was einfach in der Wirklichkeit der Erdenmenschheit dadurch da ist in der Gegenwart, daß die Nachkommen nicht bloß ihre physischen Vorfahren darleben, sondern auch die Seelen, die als diese oder jene seelisch-geistigen Entitäten zu dieser oder jener Zeit früher auf der Erde gelebt haben. In dieser Resultierenden, die sich ergibt durch die Eigenschaften der wiederverkörperten Seelen und der physischen Merkmale, lebt sich die menschliche Zivilisationswirklichkeit der Gegenwart wahrhaftig aus.

[ 21 ] Die Reaktion, die vorläufige Reaktion gegen eine geistige Weltanschauung macht sich ja nicht nur aus der mechanisch-materialistischen Denkweise der Naturwissenschaft auf dem Gebiete theoretischer Betrachtung geltend; die geht viel tiefer. Die macht sich heute auch dadurch geltend, daß man geradezu eine Weltenordnung einrichten will, welche absieht von allem Geistig-Seelischen und nur nach dem Physisch-Anthropologischen der Generationenfolge sich richtet. Eine Karte von Europa soll entstehen rein nach den Blutszusammenhängen der Völker, rein nach chauvinistischen, nach volksegoistischen Impulsen. Das ist die praktisch-soziale Reaktion gegen das Hereinkommen einer geistig-seelischen Weltanschauung. Man möchte sagen: Indem Europa die Deklamationen des Wilsonismus annimmt, die auf die Selbstverwaltung der blutsverwandten Völker gehen, erklärt es: Wir wollen nichts wissen von seelisch-geistigen Impulsen. — Es ist eine Opposition gegen das Hereinkommen des Seelisch-Geistigen.

[ 22 ] Das ist nicht eine Kritik, das ist einfach eine Beschreibung der Tatbestände; denn, was sich da geltend macht, ist eben die praktisch-soziale, die rassenmäßige Opposition gegen das Sich-Geltendmachen des Geistig-Seelischen. Dieses Geistig-Seelische aber, indem es ergreift die Gesinnung der Menschen, wird auch das praktische Leben ergreifen. Und das ist eine dringende Notwendigkeit, das ist eine Notwendigkeit, die gar nicht schnell genug die Seelen der Gegenwartsmenschen ergreifen kann: Diejenigen, die anfangen so etwas zu verstehen, die anfangen etwas zu verstehen von der praktischen Bedeutung anthroposophisch orientierter Geisteswissenschaft, von dem Umwandeln der Ideen gerade dieser Geisteswissenschaft in lebendige Handlungsimpulse für den Menschen, die müßten sich alle Mühe geben, wo sie nur immer können, entgegenzuwirken demjenigen, was das bloße Anthropologische ist. Wir sehen, wie heute die Welt durch Anthropologie — natürlich in dem weitesten Sinne — in den Niedergang hineinrasselt. Sie muß durch Anthroposophie vor diesem Niedergange bewahrt werden.

[ 23 ] Es sind das tatsächlich die zwei Strömungen der Menschheitsentwickelung, die heute einen harten Kampf miteinander führen müssen, die rein anthropologische, die auch diejenige ist, die durch die politischen Maßnahmen geht, wenn auch in den verschiedensten Formen, und die anthroposophische, die heute noch verpönt wird. Man sieht ja überall, wie der heutige Mensch sich erst nach und nach wird dazu entwickeln müssen, die starke innere Initiative zu gewinnen, durch die er sich aufgerufen fühlt zu einer Entscheidung nach der einen oder nach der anderen Seite hin. Das darf nicht bloß, ich möchte sagen, im Theorienkämmerlein, im Weltanschauungskämmerlein abgemacht werden, das muß durchaus bei der praktischen Weltbetrachtung seine Anwendung finden. Und da wird es ja insbesondere demjenigen übelgenommen, der nun wirklich nicht stehenbleibt als anthroposophischer Weltenbetrachter in einer gewissen Höhe, sondern der die Bedeutung des Geistigen gerade darin sieht, daß der Geist die Materie beherrschen lernt, untertauchen lernt in die Materie, so daß auch das alltägliche Leben von demselben Gesichtspunkte aus betrachtet wird. Ein wirkliches Erwachen der Menschheit - ich habe es oftmals gesagt — ist nötig, ein solches Erwachen, daß der Mensch den Mut innerlich in sich entwickelt, zu Entscheidungen zu kommen. Das ist der heutigen Menschheit notwendig.

[ 24 ] In dieser Beziehung stecken allerdings in den Untergründen der heutigen sogenannten zivilisierten Menschheit recht, recht bedrückende Impulse. Wir haben reichlich Gelegenheit in der gegenwärtigen Zeit, zu sehen, wie zunächst noch alles zurückgewiesen wird, was vom Menschen fordert, daß er innerlich sich für irgend etwas entscheidet. Man braucht ja nicht ins Parteimäßige zu verfallen, wenn man ins alltägliche Leben einführt, was eben auch ins alltägliche Leben eingeführt werden muß, denn das wird die Signatur der Entwickelung in die Zukunft hinein sein, daß man auch dasjenige, was man unmittelbar vor sich hat, von einem höheren Gesichtspunkte aus betrachten kann.

[ 25 ] Haben wir nicht eigentlich jetzt wiederum ein Ereignis gesehen, welches im Grunde genommen recht gründlich hineinleuchtet in den Schlafcharakter der gegenwärtigen Seelen? Ich habe mich ja nicht geniert, seit vielen Jahren hinzuweisen darauf, wie die Liebe für das Abstrakte einen großen Teil der Menschheit zu Wilsonianern gemacht hat, und ich habe charakterisiert, was das eigentlich in der Gegenwart bedeutet. Nun, wir haben ja neuestens, wenn auch nur bei einem kleineren Volke, das aber auch gewissermaßen zur Zivilisation gehört, erlebt, daß es Entscheidungen hätte treffen sollen. Es stand gegenüber einem vielleicht in vieler Beziehung problematischen Charakter, der aber dieses Volk genötigt hätte, aufzuwachen in einer gewissen Weise. Und wir haben es erlebt, daß, ich möchte sagen, auch wie durch ein reales Paradoxon diese Persönlichkeit eliminiert worden ist und das Volk sich entschlossen hat, eine Null, einen Menschen, der sich reichlich als Null erwiesen hat, wiederum an ihre Spitze zu rufen.

[ 26 ] Diese Dinge berühren allerdings das Alltäglichste, aber das ist es gerade, was einem heute so nahe geht, daß man diese Dinge nicht als Symptome ins Auge faßt, daß man kalten Herzens über diese Dinge hinweggeht und nicht sieht, was für Niedergangssymptome sie in der Menschheit sind, und wie es notwendig ist, daß die Kräfte aufgerufen werden, damit die Menschheit in den Seelen zum Wachen kommt. Es wäre schon notwendig, daß mit größerer innerer Lebendigkeit die gebildete Menschheit heute auch die äußeren Zeitereignisse verfolgte und Anteil nähme an dem, was sich innerlich abspielt.

[ 27 ] Man ist wahrhaftig nicht dadurch ein großer Geist, daß man an dem, was so tief symptomatisch zeigt, wohin die Ereignisse laufen, gleichgültig vorbeigeht, denn an den äußeren Ereignissen zeigt sich, was innerlich wirkt. Wie oft habe ich darauf hingewiesen, wie die ahrimanischen Kräfte gegenwärtig durch die Menschheit gehen. Dieses Gehen der ahrimanischen Kräfte durch die Menschheit, man kann es äußerlich sehen, wenn man nur unbefangen ist. Aber wie soll denn die Wahrheit durchdringen, wenn man an den historischen Ereignissen, die gerade die Wahrheit äußerlich verifizieren können, gleichgültig, schläfrig vorbeigeht und von ihnen Notiz nimmt, wie die Menschheit eben heute gewöhnt ist, von diesen Dingen Notiz zu nehmen. Geisteswissenschaft will gewiß nicht parteimäßig werden; aber Geisteswissenschaft muß Lebenswirklichkeit in sich tragen. Heute muß gesehen werden, wie die Welt starke ahrimanische Kräfte in Opposition aufstellt gegen alles, was den Geist betont. Aber es muß sich in diesen Tagen die natürlich Jahre umfassen — entscheiden, ob die Väter recht gehabt haben, die 869 am achten allgemeinen ökumenischen Konzil den Geist abgeschafft haben, ob es dabei bleiben soll, oder ob der Geist wiederum eingeführt werden soll in die Entwickelung der Menschheit. Das aber wird nicht durch bloße theoretische Betrachtungen in der Menschheit lebendig werden können, sondern allein dadurch, daß es Lebenspraxis wird.

Eighth Lecture

[ 1 ] In these reflections, which will be continued next Friday, it is my task to give as comprehensive a picture as possible, on the one hand, of the connection between human beings and the entire universe, with the cosmos, both physical and spiritual, and, on the other hand, to show how, through spiritual scientific observation, we can gradually build a real bridge between what we call the natural order and what we can call the spiritual-moral world order. Today, I would like to offer a kind of interlude to show how, in relation to humanity itself, the spiritual must be connected with the physical if we are to arrive at a comprehensive view of human development. For what prevents us from building a bridge between the physical and the spiritual in our universal view of the world also prevents the traditional worldview in its various forms from arriving at a comprehensive understanding of what is effective in human development. We cannot take spiritual science as an abstract theory, as a mere sum of ideas intended to enlighten us about the question of the eternal in human beings, about the question of repeated lives on earth, in abstract form. We cannot accept spiritual science in this way. We would misunderstand it if we took it this way. We must imagine spiritual science as permeating life, and we must come to apply in concrete life what must indeed be given in a certain abstract form, in a theoretical manner, in the field of spiritual science. And I would like to give you an example of this, which is taken from actual spiritual scientific research, about which one can really only report at first, but which can be verified in life itself.

[ 2 ] The process would be as follows: Certain connections become apparent to the spiritual researcher. He articulates these connections. He applies them to life. The course of life can be observed externally by every human being. An unbiased observation of life then confirms what the spiritual researcher has deduced from his contemplative observations. This is how it must be with an example of spiritual scientific observation such as I would like to present to you today.

[ 3 ] Today, we find a historical approach that is actually already very strongly influenced by what can be called scientific thinking. The study of history has gradually capitulated in a certain way to the scientific way of thinking, and people also conceive of the historical development of humanity in such a way that they look for effects, trace them back to causes, and then model a certain causal relationship of historical life on the causal relationship in natural events. Even if only a few historical observers are radical in this regard, there is nevertheless a tendency to gradually introduce a methodology similar to the scientific approach to history.

[ 4 ] In particular, when one considers everyday life in its development and places the individual human being in this development of humanity from generation to generation, one increasingly comes to view things merely externally, I would say, along the lines of scientific necessity. How oppressive it is for many people today, yet how necessary it seems to them, to attribute characteristics that human beings possess to physical heredity. We talk all the time about how human beings have simply inherited this or that characteristic, whether more or less external or internal, physical or mental, from their ancestors, and we also transfer what we form in our everyday lives to history. We extend it to history. We look, as it were, at how we ourselves live within the present generation, how it descends from the previous one, which in turn descends from the one before it, and so on. And we become accustomed to viewing historical development in such a way that we are actually looking at the succession of generations.

[ 5 ] Let us take any part of the earth, let us take Central Europe. We look at it by considering the characteristics of Central European people in recent decades. Then you go back to earlier decades and try, based on what you are accustomed to in your logical thinking, to trace the characteristics of today's Germans, for example, or the characteristics of today's French, back to the characteristics of Germans in the 18th century, of the French in the 18th century, and so on. One observes the development of humanity in a linear progression, so to speak, and one is satisfied. Natural scientists would say: The need for causality is satisfied when one can trace what are found to be spiritual qualities in a certain type of people in the present back to spiritual qualities of earlier generations of the same people, the same race, and so on, when one can establish a certain causal connection in a straight line of time.

[ 6 ] How could a worldview such as that which has developed over the last three to four centuries, and even longer, and which, even if it is still religiously spiritualistic, nevertheless feels the spiritual-soul life to be closely bound to the physical as soon as it departs from the abstract, feels that the soul-spiritual life is closely bound to the physical, how could such a view go beyond this mere tracing of the series of generations, of the development of generations! But this is precisely where we must take seriously what anthroposophical insights give us. From this point of view, we must not merely look at the human being or at a number of people of the present, insofar as this person or these people have characteristics inherited from the immediately preceding generations, but we must be practically clear that there is something spiritual and soul-like in every single human being that has lived for a long time in the spiritual-soul world before entering this physical body. So when we have a present human being before us, we must say to ourselves: We see him physically; he certainly bears the inherited characteristics of earlier generations. But we also see him spiritually and soulfully. He carries within himself a soul that initially has nothing to do with the immediately preceding generations, nor does it have much to do with generations further back, which was here on earth in a much earlier time than the present, which, while a whole series of generations developed, was not in any direct connection with the development of the earth, which, while these generations passed, was in the spiritual-soul world. It is, after all, one-sided to view human beings only in terms of the characteristics inherited in the succession of generations. After all, it is only an illusion to view human beings or historical development in this way. We are actually only convincing ourselves that we understand things; in reality, we do not understand them at all. We theorize that this or that which people do in the present, how they live their lives, stems from those or these inherited qualities. But if one were impartial enough, one would have to say in countless places, indeed everywhere: What one assumes to be physical qualities developing from generation to generation does not explain any situation in the present, neither in the individual human being nor in any ethnic or racial context of human beings. If one wants to get at reality, if one does not want to remain in this abstraction, which, even if it is materialistic, is still only an abstraction — a materialistic abstraction — then one must take into account how that which lives in the present, alongside that which lies behind in the bloodstream, is explained by that which lies in the forces of the soul, which have lived for a long time in the spiritual world before descending into these bodies for reincarnation.

[ 7 ] Now, I have already made hints about these things over the years. I have hinted that in our time, especially in the period before the catastrophic events, the European population has been mixed with people who carry souls from the first Christian centuries within them. However, the world is complicated, and when one makes such statements, one always touches only on a part of the truth. Such statements must be expanded again and again in order to gradually arrive at a complete picture. This should not be understood as if anything that has been said previously, which is entirely correct but refers to a number of people, needs to be corrected; rather, the following should be added as a supplement.

[ 8 ] It is a relatively small part of the Central European population that directly harbors souls who lived in those first Christian centuries, as we imagine those first Christian centuries to have been according to conventional history. Things are much more complicated. Spiritual scientific research reveals something that may seem paradoxical in some respects; but it is simply the case that the things that are to appear to spiritual scientific research can only be gained from real observation, from real supersensible experience, and that, as a rule, one piles error upon error if one merely speculates, if one merely indulges in philosophical or other speculations about things. The facts of experience always speak differently, and this is precisely something that the spiritual researcher feels so intensely: that he himself is actually surprised by his results. He does not expect this or that to come out at first, but is surprised by his results.

[ 9 ] To show you some of these results, I would like to draw your attention to the population that was in America at the time when the Europeans began and then continued their conquest of America. You know that it was a population that, from the civilized point of view of Europe, was described as a wild population. But such a wild population as that which existed in America, the Indian population, is indeed wild in relation to what has been called civilization in the European world in recent centuries, but it nevertheless lives in relation to other soul forces that are not the intellect, sometimes something that the so-called more civilized human being might well wish for. Above all, the Indian population had a view of the spiritual powers of the world which, if one can examine it more closely, is actually quite impressive. This population worshipped a Great Spirit. At the time of the conquest, this was already in decline, but these decadent manifestations point back to the worship of a Great Spirit who permeates and interweaves everything and has his subordinate powers in the individual elemental spirits.

[ 10 ] This American population lived with these, I would say, religious-pantheistic ideas. Above all, however, we must note that this American population had not experienced anything in the external sense of what the European populations had experienced in the course of so-called Christian development. What Christianity brought to the European population, the generations of this American Indian population did not experience. The entire soul constitution of this population was such that it developed intense pantheistic feelings, and these people also acted out of impulses connected with these feelings. But these souls developed in such a way that they could only spend a relatively short time between death and a new birth. What these souls experienced, which was intense but incredibly simple and elementary, did not require a long period of time to be processed in the spiritual world. Thus, not only the souls of the Indian population as they lived at the time of the first conquests of the West—almost all of them—but also later souls have now returned, mainly in the Western European population.

[ 11 ] We can therefore look at the succession of generations from the present time back to the Middle Ages; this gives us the physically inherited characteristics. But if we regard this as the whole reality, we are deluding ourselves. We have an abstraction when we consider the present Western peoples of Europe, extending far into Central Europe and, again permeating everything, even as far as Eastern Europe, only in such a way that we say: These nations have their characteristics from previous generations, and so on. That is not the only case, however. Western souls have entered these bodies that carry the blood of their ancestors, namely into the majority of the population; souls that, due to their inner development, had not yet been influenced by the Christian impulse and essentially carried a kind of pantheistic impulse within them. Through the education they received in the first weeks of their lives, which they spent in their environment—for it is precisely the outer culture, the outer civilization, that is passed on in a straightforward manner from generation to generation, but not the inner impulses of the soul—these people accepted Christianity from outside; they were shaped from outside into what they often appear to us today as being their sole characteristic. But anyone who is unbiased and looks at people, who observes them in such a way that their gaze truly penetrates their character, sees pulsating within them what has been passed on to them with their souls.

[ 12 ] I said that the findings of spiritual scientific research are often paradoxical. These things cannot be speculated away. Experience shows that they must come about through the methods often described to you and also laid down in literature. But anyone who then verifies them externally will find that the external world becomes explainable when such insights are taken as a basis.

[ 13 ] We find people who lived in Europe at the time commonly referred to in history as the Migration Period and who emigrated. The souls of these populations were similar to those who accepted Christianity as it spread from south to north, souls that outwardly grew into Christianization. These souls, who accepted Christianity as it was lived in Europe in the first centuries—and this is very different from how Christianity is lived today—did not reincarnate in a Central European population. These were souls that needed longer to live from death to a new birth than the American Indian souls; but then we are dealing with souls that went through their physical existence here earlier than those others whom we regarded as the last Indian souls, namely the Indian souls at the time of the conquests. That is how far back we go. We do not want to touch upon the fate of the earlier Indian souls. However, those souls that were embodied in Europe in the first Christian centuries, that were present when Christianity spread culturally from south to north, now embodied themselves more towards Asia. What I am describing now is particularly evident in the times leading up to the terrible catastrophe of the second decade of the 20th century. And it seems of particular significance for our view of our present earthly civilization when we see that such souls are embodied in the Japanese people in particular; souls, that is, who once underwent the particular kind of Christianisation in Europe, but who now hear nothing of Christianity from childhood onwards, who carry within themselves, only from their subconscious, a certain nuance of decadent Asianism through the Christian impulses of that time, who also carry within themselves everything that is turning against today's Europe. This is essentially a result of the completely decadent Oriental wisdom — which was once so great, as I have described to you — in harmony with the first primitive Christian impulses that arose when Christianity spread from the south to the north among the barbarian peoples of Europe. This was essentially the case for the majority of the population. However, the matter is complicated by the fact that this population, which came into being in this way — the souls of the American indigenous population and the Central European population both moved eastward — was mixed with many individual bodies inhabited by souls who lived further south in the first Christian centuries. These are now also in the midst of the population that came into being in the way I have just described.

[ 14 ] Then, when we look at the present civilization, we are dealing with a large number of souls who lived in Asia, in the Near East, or throughout Asia in general, in the centuries preceding the establishment of Christianity. Of course, this was no longer the great heyday of Eastern wisdom culture, but it was the period from which the concepts and ideas emerged that were then used to understand the mystery of Golgotha. I am therefore speaking now of souls who were far removed from the mystery of Golgotha, but who had a certain culture of wisdom that was then transplanted to the West, and from which the mystery of Golgotha was initially understood in Greek and Roman culture.

[ 15 ] We must always distinguish between the mystery of Golgotha as it stands as fact and the various interpretations it has undergone over the centuries. For this fact can be interpreted in a new way in every age, and it would be nonsense to identify any teaching about the mystery of Golgotha with the actual reality of the mystery of Golgotha. I need only make this clear to you by means of a comparison. Imagine that we have a very brilliant person. Then there is a child, then a mediocre, leveling, somewhat narrow-minded person, a middle-of-the-road person, and thirdly, a person who is also predisposed to genius. All three have the same thing before them: the real reality of the genius. The child will have some explanation for what the genius does. The philistine, who wants to level everything, will also have an explanation, and the person who is also predisposed to genius will have another explanation. All three are dealing with the same reality, but their explanations are completely different, and one is not entitled to identify one or the other with actual reality. Similarly, one must not identify the teachings of early Christianity with the reality of Christianity. These teachings of the first Christian centuries came over from the East. People actually learned what Eastern wisdom teachings were and used them to explain the mystery of Golgotha. It is, of course, a terrible tyranny when the evolving Church regards these teachings as the only valid ones, for they are nothing more than what an age, according to its preconditions, used to explain the mystery of Golgotha. Other times can explain this mystery of Golgotha differently. We must explain it spiritually in order to meet the demands of the present.

[ 16 ] What lived in the teachings about the Christ impulse in the first centuries, we find—but not applied to Christianity, rather more or less anticipating the mystery of Golgotha—more among the educated people of that time, and naturally much less among the vast majority of the population, educated in the East. Those souls who lived immediately before and during the course of the mystery of Golgotha, who were therefore Oriental souls, had a long time to endure between death and a new birth, because Oriental culture itself, still in decadence, imposed extremely complicated ideas on souls.

[ 17 ] These souls appear particularly in the population that becomes the population of America, as a conquering population gradually flooding America from Europe. The entire American culture, which has a materialistic nuance, essentially arises from the fact that souls appear there that were actually Oriental souls in the period I have characterized, and that now submerge themselves in bodies in such a way that this physicality is foreign to them, that they, I would say, suck themselves into physicality with their concepts, which were already very decadent at that time, so that they do not understand physicality, but take it in a rather primitive, materialistic way, more or less passing by the human being who becomes foreign to them because they have basically strived for strong abstractions in their previous earthly life. They cannot find their way into their present incarnation, but carry over from their previous earthly life everything that then lives in a religiosity that is separated from the observation of external nature and is often sectarian. This even lives in the denial of matter by Mrs. Eddy, by Scientologists, and so on. Everything that has emerged in the outer world can verify these things, if we only look at it with sufficient impartiality.

[ 18 ] You see, when you add what anthroposophical spiritual science can offer to what the external anthropological view provides, you gain a picture of reality. But you have to take seriously what anthroposophical spiritual science can offer. We must not be satisfied with theory that merely discusses the fact that we have repeated lives on earth. We must look at reality, external reality, practically in the sense of this insight, then these insights can gradually bear their rightful fruit in social and practical life. It will certainly be the case that those people who cling to a worldview that only takes into account the external natural order, which thus leads humanity to be merely anthropological, to consider only what is physically passed on from generation to generation, will increasingly be faced with mysteries. One can indulge in illusions about these riddles for a long time. One can believe that one understands something about the course of human history; but one indulges in such illusions only because one has theories that have been drummed into one since early youth, so that one looks only at what is expressed in the physical sequence of inheritance. But little by little, people will come to say to themselves: Yes, but there are facts that cannot be denied and that cannot be explained in terms of these purely anthropological causes. We must take into account that in some generation of some people today, there are souls that come from somewhere else entirely, not from the great-great-great-grandfathers of the same people. This may not sound particularly pleasant to national egoism, but this national egoism must disappear anyway if humanity is to undergo a corresponding development in the future. And it must be pointed out that a large part of the European population does indeed carry the blood of their medieval ancestors, but has Indian souls within them, that those souls who lived here in Europe—a large part of them in Attila's time—and who accepted Christianity at that time, are now facing us over in Asia. With unbiased observation, this can be seen even in certain educated souls. However, one must not look at things in such a straightforward, pedantic, abstract way as one is accustomed to today if one wants to arrive at realities as they are meant here. But if one does not form one's concepts as abstractly as one is accustomed to doing today, but wants to arrive at reality, then one must start from the points of view mentioned here. Then one will discover various things that may seem paradoxical, but which nevertheless explain this reality.

[ 19 ] It is peculiar, for example, to perceive this peculiar aroma even in the sometimes coquettish utterances of Rabindranath Tagore. One then has, I would say, the opportunity to grasp with spiritual hands the Christian ancestry of the soul and the Oriental ancestry of the body. This is provided by the orientalizing coquetry. And what particularly touches the soul of Europeans as something warm and soothing in Rabindranath Tagore is from a soul that once sailed into Christianity but did not become Christian in this incarnation because it lives in an external, non-Christian civilization.

[ 20 ] The Greek motto “Know thyself” is not only addressed to the individual human being and, above all, is not merely intended for trivial self-contemplation, but is also addressed to humanity. However, humanity generally finds this observation uncomfortable. But we will not advance in our civilization; we will descend further and further if we do not finally take the Apollonian words “Know thyself” seriously as a humanity. Admittedly, there is something uncomfortable about this—people like Kurt Leese, whom I mentioned in my public lecture in Basel, would find it “annoying” and “provocative”—when one is not supposed to get to know a person merely by the appearance of their nose, their mouth, or their eyes, but rather by getting to know their soul. But would the introduction of a spiritual worldview into humanity be practically realized if we were to talk in abstract phrases about repeated lives on earth and about destiny being realized through repeated lives on earth, and then shy away from practical application in life, when we wanted to know nothing else about human beings than whether they have blond or black hair, this or that shape of eyebrows, this or that shape of nose, and so on? If we want to be serious about spreading a spiritual worldview in the world, then what we mean by “getting to know human beings” must also be permeated with spiritual and soul impulses. We must not allow ourselves to be held back by the inconvenience of truly getting to know the soul of human beings, our own and that of other people. Then we must look at the soul qualities just as we look at the nose, and it is precisely on this that the progress of humanity from the present into the near future will be based, that we do not merely look at the outer form of the nose, but that we establish relationships between people from soul to soul, precisely on the basis of soul knowledge. What is called the social question is something much deeper than many people imagine today. This social question cannot even be touched upon if one wants to continue observing human beings as I described to you yesterday at the end of the lesson, where the human being is completely left out and one only talks about the private property that he manages and about the economic automatons. Because, since the decline of instinctive soul knowledge, we have forgotten how to look at human beings at all, social life today is lived out in the most external aspects of humanity. But this brings to the surface precisely those instincts, the wildest instincts. Humanity would degenerate into a life of the wildest instincts if it were not for the spiritual and soul aspects that permeate our immediate human life. To this end, it is necessary that we see, alongside external historical causality, that which simply exists in the reality of earthly humanity in the present, namely that descendants do not merely live out the lives of their physical ancestors, but also the souls that lived on earth at this or that time as these or those soul-spiritual entities. In this resultant, which arises from the properties of the reincarnated souls and the physical characteristics, the reality of human civilization in the present truly lives itself out.

[ 21 ] The reaction, the provisional reaction against a spiritual worldview, is not only evident in the mechanistic-materialistic way of thinking of natural science in the realm of theoretical consideration; it goes much deeper. Today, it also asserts itself in the desire to establish a world order that disregards everything spiritual and soul-related and is based solely on the physical and anthropological aspects of the succession of generations. A map of Europe is to be created based purely on the blood ties of peoples, purely on chauvinistic, nationalistic impulses. This is the practical social reaction against the emergence of a spiritual worldview. One might say: by accepting the declarations of Wilsonism, which aim at the self-government of blood-related peoples, Europe is declaring: we want nothing to do with spiritual impulses. It is opposition to the emergence of the spiritual.

[ 22 ] This is not a criticism, it is simply a description of the facts; for what is asserting itself here is precisely the practical-social, racial opposition to the assertion of the spiritual-soul. But this spiritual-soul aspect, by taking hold of people's minds, will also take hold of practical life. And that is an urgent necessity, a necessity that cannot take hold of the souls of contemporary human beings quickly enough: Those who begin to understand something of this, who begin to understand something of the practical significance of anthroposophically oriented spiritual science, of the transformation of the ideas of this spiritual science into living impulses for human action, must make every effort wherever they can to counteract what is merely anthropological. We see how the world today is hurtling toward decline through anthropology — in the broadest sense, of course. It must be saved from this decline by anthroposophy.

[ 23 ] These are indeed the two currents of human development that are engaged in a fierce struggle today: the purely anthropological current, which is also the one that finds expression in political measures, albeit in a wide variety of forms, and the anthroposophical current, which is still frowned upon today. One can see everywhere how modern man will first have to gradually develop the strong inner initiative that will prompt him to decide in favor of one side or the other. This cannot, I would say, be decided in the ivory tower of theory or in the chamber of worldviews; it must find its application in the practical observation of the world. And this is particularly resented by those who do not remain standing at a certain level as anthroposophical observers of the world, but who see the significance of the spiritual precisely in the fact that the spirit learns to master matter, learns to submerge itself in matter, so that everyday life is also viewed from the same perspective. A real awakening of humanity is necessary, as I have often said, an awakening such that human beings develop the inner courage to make decisions. This is necessary for humanity today.

[ 24 ] In this respect, however, there are very, very depressing impulses lurking in the undercurrents of today's so-called civilized humanity. We have ample opportunity in the present time to see how everything that demands that human beings make an inner decision for something is initially rejected. One does not need to fall into party politics when introducing into everyday life what must be introduced into everyday life, for it will be the hallmark of future development that one can view even what is immediately before one from a higher point of view.

[ 25 ] Have we not actually seen another event that basically shines a light on the sleepy nature of today's souls? I have not been shy for many years in pointing out how the love of the abstract has turned a large part of humanity into Wilsonians, and I have characterized what this actually means in the present. Now, we have recently experienced, albeit only among a small people, but one that also belongs to civilization in a certain sense, that it should have made decisions. It was faced with a character who was perhaps problematic in many respects, but who would have forced this people to wake up in a certain way. And we have seen that, I would say, as if by a real paradox, this personality has been eliminated and the people have decided to call a zero, a man who has proved to be a complete zero, back to their leadership.

[ 26 ] These things touch on the most everyday aspects of life, but that is precisely what makes them so poignant today, that we do not see them as symptoms, that we pass over them with a cold heart and do not see what symptoms of decline they are in humanity, and how necessary it is for forces to be called upon so that humanity may awaken in its souls. It would be necessary for educated humanity today to follow external events with greater inner vitality and to take an interest in what is happening internally.

[ 27 ] One is truly not a great spirit if one passes by indifferently what so deeply symptomatically shows where events are heading, for external events reveal what is at work inwardly. How often have I pointed out how the Ahrimanic forces are currently passing through humanity. This passing of the Ahrimanic forces through humanity can be seen externally, if one is only impartial. But how can the truth penetrate when one passes by the historical events that can verify the truth externally with indifference and sleepiness, and takes note of them as humanity is accustomed to taking note of such things today? Spiritual science certainly does not want to become partisan; but spiritual science must carry the reality of life within itself. Today we must see how the world is setting up strong Ahrimanic forces in opposition to everything that emphasizes the spirit. But these days, which naturally span many years, must decide whether the fathers who abolished the spirit at the Eighth Ecumenical Council in 869 were right, whether it should remain so, or whether the spirit should be reintroduced into the development of humanity. But this cannot be brought to life in humanity through mere theoretical considerations, but only by becoming a way of life.