steiner fichte.odt

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The Spirit of Fichte Present in our Midst

Schmidt Number: S-3166

On-line since: 23rd October, 211

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let us transport ourselves in imagination toRammenau in Oberlausitz, a spot not far from

Kamenz in Saxony, the birthplace of Lessing. he year is !"#$. % house of no great size

stands beside a broo&. he generations inhabiting this house, as records sho', had been

engaged in the ribbon('eaving industry, from father to son, ever since the period of the hirty

)ears* +ar. he standard of life prevailing at this time in the house 'as not even as high as

tolerable comfort, indeed it 'as very near to poverty. y the broo& that flo'ed past the house,

in this year of !"#$, stood a seven(year(old boy, fairly small, rather sturdily built for his age,

'ith red chee&s and expressive eyes, that at this moment 'ere sho'ing signs of deep distress.

he boy had -ust thro'n into the broo& a boo& that 'as floating a'ay. %t this -uncture his

father appeared on the scene from the house and must have spo&en to the boy more or less to

the follo'ing effect /+hy, Gottlieb, 'hatever are you thin&ing of0 )ou are flinging into the

'ater 'hat your father bought for you 'ith hard(earned money to give you pleasure12 he

father 'as very angry, for -ust before this he had given the boo& as a present to his son

Gottlieb, 'ho till then had had no ac3uaintance 'ith boo&s apart from the ible and the hymn

boo&. 4 5o' 'hat had really happened0 6itherto young Gottlieb had received 'ith the most

serious attention 'hatever had been taught him of the contents of the ible and hymn boo&,

and he 'as a boy good at his lessons at school. +ishing to please him, his father bought him

one day for a present the boo& of fol& tales called Der Gehrnte Siegfried 7The Horned

Siegfried8. Gottlieb plunged deeply into the study of this boo&, 'ith the result that he had to bescolded for his forgetfulness and inattention to all his lessons, 'hich he had till then found so

interesting. hat 'ent to the boy*s heart. 6e 'as so fond of the Gehrnte Siegfried, his ne'ly

ac3uired boo&9 it aroused in him such deep interest and sympathy. ut on the other hand this

thought 'as vividly present to his mind /)ou have neglected your duty.2 Such 'ere the

thoughts in the mind of the seven(year(old boy. So he 'ent off to the broo& and forth'ith

flung the boo& into the 'ater. 6e 'as punished for it, because though he could tell his father

the facts, he could not explain the real underlying reason.

Let us no' follo' the boy Gottlieb at this stage of his life into other situations. :or

instance, 'e catch sight of him one afternoon on a lonely moor far a'ay from his parents*

house, standing there from ; o*cloc& on'ards and gazing into the distance, utterly absorbed inthe vie' of the solitary spaces surrounding him. %nd thus he 'as still standing at five and at

six o*cloc& and even 'hen the bell sounded for evensong. hen a shepherd came by, and

seeing the boy standing there, gave him a cuff and told him to come along home.

'o years after this time, in !""!, aron von


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free and outspo&en language.

hus Gottlieb in these early years imbibed from this Anti-Goezeall that it 'as able to give

him. >t 'as not only the ideas 'hich he appropriated, indeed that 'as the least important part9

he also made his o'n the manner of approach to'ards the highest things and the attitude

to'ards various vie's of the 'orld.

%nd so Gottlieb*s schooldays 'ent by at Schulpforta. +hen he had to 'rite his

examination thesis on leaving, he chose a literary sub-ect. >t 'as a remar&able piece of 'or&.

>t 'as altogether lac&ing in the 3uality characteristic of many young people 'ho introduce all

&inds of philosophical ideas into their school compositions. his essay contained no trace of

philosophy or of philosophical ideas and notions. On the other hand it already betrayed the

fact that the young man made it his special aim to observe human beings, to loo& into the

depth of their heart9 and it 'as this ac3uired &no'ledge of men 'hich found expression above

all in this school essay.

>n the meantime his benefactor aron von t 'as hard for him to secure any teaching position 'hich he thought himself

able to fill. 6e occupied himself 'ith correcting 'or&, 'ith tutoring, but this life became very

hard for him. %nd above all he found himself in the course of it unable to ma&e any progress'ith his o'n intellectual aims. 6e 'as already t'enty(six, and these 'ere hard times for him.

One day he had no more resources left and no prospect of securing anything during the next

fe' days9 no prospect either that, if things 'ere to go on in the same 'ay, he could ever secure

entry to even the most modest profession 'hich he had set himself as an aim. 6is people at

home could support him only to a very meagre extent9 for, as > have said, it 'as a family

abundantly blessed 'ith children.

%nd so one day he stood at the edge of an abyss and in his soul, li&e a desperate

temptation, the 3uestion arose /6ave > no prospects for this life of mine02 hough it may not

have been 3uite present to his consciousness, yet in the bac&ground of his mind 'as the idea

of a voluntary death. hen, -ust at the opportune moment, appeared the 'riter +eisse, 'hohad become one of his friends. +eisse offered him a post as tutor at Burich and too& steps to

ensure that he should really be able to ta&e up this post 'ithin three months. %nd so from the


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autumn of !"CC on'ards 'e find our :ichte at Burich. Let us try once more to picture him

'ith the mind*s eye, as he stood in the pulpit in the Burich need not

d'ell upon the peculiar feelings 'ith 'hich :rau Ott read this epistle. 6o'ever, the incident

'as passed over, and up to the spring of !"$E, that is for about eighteen months, :ichte 'as

able to pursue a fruitful activity in the Ott household at Burich.

ut :ichte 'as not by any means the man to circumscribe 'ithin the limits of his

profession the thoughts 'hich filled his soul. >t 'as not in his nature to avert his attention

from the spiritual processes ta&ing place around him. hrough his inner zeal and the close

interest he felt for all the spiritual changes going on around him, he became closely absorbed

also in 'hat 'as going on in his o'n environment. here in S'itzerland his thoughts turned

to the ideas 'hich 'ere then filling the minds of all men, to the mental reactions provo&ed by

the outbrea& of the :rench Revolution. +e can, so to spea&, overhear him discussing at Olten,

'henever he found any specially gifted people to tal& to, the 3uestions 'hich 'ere then

dominating :rance and the 'orld 'ith their imperious significance9 ma&ing up his mind that

those 'ere the ideas 'hich deserved primary attention, and associating all the preoccupations

derived from his deep religious feeling and acute intellect 'ith the ne' ideas of human

happiness, human rights and the high ideals of humanity.

:ichte 'as no egoist, capable only of developing his soul rigidly from 'ithin. his soul of

his gre' in communion 'ith the outer 'orld. 6is soul &ne' unconsciously the duty ofexisting for something beyond one*s self, of standing as a personification of the 'orld*s

purpose in the age in 'hich one lives. hat 'as one of :ichte*s deepest convictions. %nd thus,

-ust at the period 'hen his spirit 'as most sensitively a'are of the processes at 'or& in his

environment, he developed in close communion 'ith the S'iss element. %nd 'e al'ays find

that this German(S'iss element left a permanent mar& on the 'hole personality of :ichte in

his later life and 'or&.

>t is necessary to understand the deep(seated difference bet'een S'iss life, and life a little

further north, in Germany, in order to grasp the impression 'hich the S'iss environment, the

S'iss character and endeavour made upon :ichte. :or example, this S'iss element is

distinguished from other forms of German life especially by the 'ay in 'hich it infuses a &indof self(conscious element into all the intellectual life, so that all cultural activity ac3uires a

political expression9 everything is so conceived that the current conceptions serve to put the


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individual into touch 'ith immediate action, 'ith the 'orld. :or this German(S'iss character

art, science, literature are only separate tributaries of the 'hole river of life.

>t 'as this element 'hich appealed so happily to :ichte*s o'n spiritual character. 6e too

'as a man 'ho could not conceive any human activity or any human endeavour in isolation.

:or him too every individual factor had to be lin&ed 'ith the entirety of man*s action,

meditation and feeling and 'ith man*s 'hole philosophy.


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'orld and on the 'ay in 'hich the mysteries of this guidance have been revealed throughout

eternity to man&ind 4 all this 'as blended 'ith 'hat he learned and heard from Kant. %nd he

pro-ected all that arose in his soul into a 'or& 'hich he entitled Kritik aller Offenbarung7A

Critiue of all Re!elation8. his 'as in !"$, 'hen :ichte 'as thirty years of age. hen a

remar&able thing happened. Kant immediately recommended a publisher for the boo&, 'hich

aroused his enthusiasm. >t 'ent out into the 'orld 'ithout the author*s name, and nobody

supposed it to be anything but a 'or& by >mmanuel Kant himself. hus favourable criticisms'ere sho'ered upon it from every 3uarter.


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%nd no' let us -ust attempt to vie' him in imagination as he discharges the duties of his

ne' appointment. 6e desired to transmit to those 'ho no' from !"$; on'ards 'ere his

pupils, the outloo& on the 'orld 'hich had formed itself 'ithin him. ut :ichte 'as not a

teacher li&e any other. Let us first consider the results of his spiritual evolution. >t 'ould ta&e

too long to explain this in his o'n 'ords, but it can be characterized out of his o'n spirit as

follo's. 6e aspired to'ards a supreme ideal of such a &ind that the human spirit might

apprehend the stream and mystery of the 'orld at a point 'here the spirit is directly one 'iththis stream and mystery. So that man gazing into this mystery of the universe might be able to

lin& his o'n existence 'ith it, that is to say, to &no' it. his result could not be attained in any

exterior sensuous existence. >t could not be reached by any eye, any ear, any other sense, nor

by everyday human understanding either. :or all that can be apprehended out'ardly by the

senses must first be co(ordinated by human intelligence9 it has its existence in the outer 'orld.

>t can only be considered as real 'hen its existence is, so to spea&, confirmed by the

observations of the senses. ut that is no real existence9 or at least no opinion can be formed at

first about the real existence of 'hat is only apprehended by the senses. he source of all

&no'ing must rise in the depth of the Dgo itself. hat cannot be a something complete in its

existence, for a completed existence in the inner self 'ould be e3ual to 'hat appears as

completed existence 'ithin the outer senses. >t must be a $reating realit. his is the)goitself, that Dgo 'hich recreates itself every moment, that Dgo 'hich is grounded not on a

completed being, but on an in'ard activity. his Dgo cannot be deprived of its being, since

that being consists in its creation9 in its self(creation. %nd into this self(creation flo's

everything that has real being. %'ay then 'ith this Self out of the 'orld of the senses, and into

those spheres 'here the spirit moves and has its being, 'here the spirit 'or&s as creator9 'e

must lay hold of this spiritual life and act from the point 'here the Dgo unites 'ith the

spiritual processes of the 'orld. +e must plunge into that current 'hich is not external

complete being, but 'hich from the source of the divine 'orld( existence creates the Dgo, first

as Dgo and then as human ideals, as the great conceptions of Auty.

Such 'as the form 'hich the Kantian philosophy had assumed in :ichte*s soul. %nd thus

he did not 'ant to present his hearers 'ith a ready(made doctrine9 'ith that this man 'as not

concerned. +ith :ichte it 'as not a lecture li&e another lecture, a doctrine li&e another

doctrine. 5o9 'hen this man too& his place at the lecturer*s des&, then 'hat he had to say

there, or rather to dothere, 'as the fruit of a long meditation of many hours during 'hich in

thought he sa' in'ardly the divine being, the divine spiritual ebb and flo' streaming through

the 'orld, and permeating in its course the Dgo 'hich ever recreates itself, by a sublime

process above and beyond all sensuous existence. %fter having brooded long in self(imposed

debate as to 'hat the 'orld*s spirit had to impart to the soul about 'orld mysteries, then, and

only then, did he come before his audience. ut then he 'as not concerned to convey his

message, but to create an atmosphere of communion bet'een himself and his hearers. 6isendeavour 'as that 'hat had come to life in his soul concerning the 'orld mysteries should

come to life li&e'ise spontaneously in the souls of his listeners. 6is purpose 'as to a'a&en

spiritual activity and spiritual being. :rom the souls of his hearers, as they hung upon his

'ords, he sought to call forth a self(rene'ing spiritual activity. 6e did not merely

communicate ideas. he follo'ing is an instance of 'hat he sought to give to his hearers9 one

day he 'as attempting to illustrate this self(rene'ing faculty of the Dgo, ho' all mental

activity can arise in the Dgo and ho' man can only reach a real grasp of 'orld mysteries by

laying hold of this self(rene'ing faculty 'ithin himself9 and 'hen he 'as attempting to

illustrate this, entering the spiritual 'orld 'ith his hearers, and, as it 'ere, ta&ing each one by

the hand to guide him into the spiritual 'orld, he said /5o' may > as& you -ust to fix your

attention for a moment upon the 'all. +ell, you have no', > hope, formed a mental picture ofthe 'all. he 'all is no' present in your minds as an image. %nd no' thin& of a person

thin&ing of the 'all. Aetach your minds altogether from any thought of the 'all itself. :ix


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your attention entirely on the person thin&ing of the 'all.2

his direct manner, this direct relation 'hich :ichte sought to establish 'ith his hearers

made many of them uneasy, but at the same time impressed them profoundly. he spirit at

'or& in :ichte had to come to grips 'ith the spirit of his hearers.

hus for several years the man 'or&ed on, never repeating the same lecture, butcontinually creating ane'. :or he did not care about imparting in sentences this or that

information, but strove ever and again to a'a&en a ne' response in his hearers. his is evident

from his oft(repeated assertion />t matters nothing that 'hat > have to say to men should be

repeated by this person or that, but rather the essential is that > succeed in &indling a flame in

men*s souls, a flame 'hich shall induce every one to thin& for himself. Let no one repeat my

'ords after me, but let each one be stimulated by me to deliver his o'n message.2 :ichte*s

aim 'as to produce, not pupils, but original thin&ers. >f 'e follo' out the history of :ichte*s

influence, 'e can understand ho' it 'as that this man, the most German of the German

philosophers, did not train any real students of philosophy. 6e founded no school of

philosophy. ut the direct relationship 'hich he established 'ith his pupils again and again

produced men of mar&.

5o' :ichte 'as a'are 4 inevitably, since he sought to lead the minds of men up to a

direct contact 'ith creative spiritual reality 4 he 'as a'are that he must spea& in 3uite a

special 'ay. :ichte*s 'hole style 'as indeed hard to follo'. 5one of those 'ho attended any

of his courses at @ena had ever come into contact 'ith such teaching before. Schiller himself

'as astonished at it, and :ichte once discussed 'ith Schiller ho' his, :ichte*s, teaching

activity and his manner of presentation appeared to himself. :or example, :ichte remar&ed9

/Of course, if people -ust read 'hat > have said, then it is impossible, as people read to(day,

that they should comprehend 'hat > am trying to say.2 hen, ta&ing up one of his boo&s, he

attempted to illustrate ho', in his -udgment, his 'or& should be read aloud. hen he said to

Schiller /)ou see, people no'adays do not &no' ho' to recite in'ardly. ut people can only

grasp the inner meaning of my lectures by really reciting them mentally, other'ise it is lost.2

=ertainly :ichte*s o'n rendering of his lectures 'as no mere reading, it 'as direct speech

itself. herefore even to(day 'e ought in studying :ichte to re$ite his ords 'entallagainst

the bac&ground, as it 'ere, of his 'hole spiritual life, 'hich merits our attention as

representing the spiritual life of the 'hole German people. Dven to(day 'e ought still to train

ourselves in reciting and listening in'ardly to those passages of :ichte 'hich other'ise seem

so dry and so bare.

+e have no' revie'ed in our minds :ichte*s spiritual development and reached one of the

pea&s of his spiritual life. >t is right therefore to glance bac& for a moment over thisremar&able evolution. +e first visualised :ichte as he stood before aron von n him 'e have an example of a soul

gro'n to maturity 'holly out of the midst of the German people, 'ithout at first receiving any

culture other than that 'hich belongs to the common every(day life of the German people. +e

have follo'ed this spirit through difficult phases9 this spirit 4 'hose ideal it really is to

remain 'ithin the people, but yet is bound to yield to the deepest motives of his being 4 can

be follo'ed in his course as he rises to the loftiest heights of inner spiritual gro'th and 'or&,

until at last he becomes, as 'e have been able to illustrate, a moulder of men. +e are

follo'ing the road traversed by a German spirit gro'ing directly out of the people andclimbing by its o'n strength alone to the topmost pea&s of spiritual being.


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hus up to the spring of !"$$ :ichte discharged the duties of his teaching post at @ena.

Dven before that time all sorts of dissensions had arisen, for it must be admitted that :ichte

'as not by any means the &ind of man 'ho is easy in intercourse, the &ind of man 'illing for

the sa&e of friendly relations to use roundabout methods and facile gestures in his dealings

'ith other people. ut here 'e come to an important point, 'hich has significance for the

'hole of the German life of that epoch.

One person in particular felt deep satisfaction 4 a feeling 'hich Goethe also shared 4 at

having been able to call :ichte to his Iniversity at @ena this person 'as the Au&e, Karl

August.%nd 'e may 'ell, > thin&, record here the singular tolerance sho'n by Karl %ugust in

calling to his Iniversity the man 'ho had most freely applied the Kantian philosophy in

criticism of revealed religion9 and moreover in inviting to his Iniversity the man 'ho had

most boldly and outspo&enly ta&en a stand for the freest ideals of human development. >t

'ould be, > feel, a failure to do -ustice to Karl %ugust, that noble spirit, if 'e passed on

'ithout pointing out 'hat unusual broad(mindedness this German prince must then have

needed, in calling :ichte into his service. his invitation 'as described by Goethe as a piece

of audacity9 and > should li&e to remind you of the 'orld of pre-udices 'hich Karl %ugust and

Goethe, 'ho in the nature of things 'ere bound to be the chief authors of this invitation, hadto face in ta&ing it on themselves to bring :ichte to @ena. %s > say, it 'ould be almost an

in-ustice not to point out Karl %ugust*s remar&able freedom from all pre-udice. %nd to

illustrate this > should li&e to read out a passage from :ichte*s boo& entitled Suggestions for

the )nlighten'ent of &ubli$ O*inion on the +ren$h Re!olution/

/hey 7:ichte is referring to the Duropean princes, including those of Germany8 are for

the most part brought up in indolence and ignorance, or if they &no' anything it is a &ind

of &no'ledge specially concocted for them9 it is a notorious fact that once they are on the

throne they neglect to go on 'ith their education, that they read no ne' 'or&s except

perhaps shallo' sophistries and that they are invariably behind their times by at least as

many years as they have reigned.2

hat passage is from the last boo& 'hich :ichte had then 'ritten 4 yet the Au&e Karl

%ugust invited this man to his Iniversity1

%nyone 'ho gives a little attention to the 'hole situation of :ichte and those 'ho had sent

for him 'ill come to this conclusion that those people 'ho held the vie' of the great and

magnanimous Karl %ugust and Goethe had underta&en a campaign against the people of their

immediate circle, 'ho 'ere altogether and absolutely in disagreement 'ith the idea of sending

for :ichte. %nd this 'as a campaign 'hich 'as not easy to underta&e9 for as already stated, it

'as not possible 'ith :ichte to ma&e use of manoeuvres such as are so generally practised inthe 'orld. :ichte 'as a man 'ho by his a'&'ardness, by his bluntness often offended the

very people 'hom it 'as most desirable to avoid offending. 6e 'as not a man to ma&e

smooth gestures he 'as a man 'ho, if something did not please him, 'ould stri&e out 'ith

his fist against the 'orld. %nd the manner in 'hich :ichte 'as then using his 'hole energy to

impart his message to the 'orld 'as admittedly such as to cause Goethe and Karl %ugust

some distress9 it 'as not easy for them, it 'as very hard for them to put up 'ith it, and they

'ere distressed.

%nd so little by little the storm(clouds gathered. :irst of all, :ichte 'anted to give a course

of ethical lectures, those 'hich are printed under the title /0e$tures on the 1oralit of the

S$holar.2 he only suitable hour that he could find 'as on Sunday. ut this 'as a shoc&ingsuggestion to all 'ho held that it 'ould be a profanation of the holy day to address the @ena

students on a Sunday on the sub-ect of morality as :ichte conceived it. %nd protests of every


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sort and &ind poured in upon the +eimar Government, upon Goethe and Karl %ugust. he

'hole Senate of @ena Iniversity passed a unanimous resolution to the effect that a deplorable

sensation and infinite mischief 'ould result if :ichte 'ere to deliver lectures on morals in the

Iniversity on Sundays 4 he had selected the hour of the afternoon church service. >n this

affair Karl %ugust 'as forced for the time being to leave :ichte*s adversaries in possession of

the field. ut once again it 'ould not be right to pass on 'ithout dra'ing attention to the

manner in 'hich he did it. he follo'ing is an extract from the letter sent by Karl %ugust tothe Iniversity of @ena 4

/>n accordance 'ith your re3uest 'e have resolved that the above(mentioned Jrofessor

:ichte shall be permitted to continue his moral lectures on Sunday only after the close of

the afternoon church service.2 6o'ever, Karl %ugust 'as brought to this decision only on

account of /a circumstance so unusual as the arrangement of lectures of this &ind during

the hours appointed for Aivine Service.2 >n the official decree sent by the Au&e to the

Iniversity Senate he 'rote in reference to these lectures 4 /+e have been glad to assure

ourselves that if his 7:ichte*s8 moral lectures resemble the accompanying admirable essay

from his pen, they may 'ell prove to be of the highest value.2 See Rudolf Steiner Sonderdruc&aus dem Goethe(@ahrbuch, fnfzehnter and !C$; 5eue


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departure1 %nd 'henever :ichte 'rote about matters of this &ind he 'rote as he spo&e. >t used

to be said of him that he had a sharp tongue 'hen necessary9 and in correspondence too he

could be cutting to'ards anybody, 'hoever it might be. hus the authorities had no

alternative, unless everything 'ere to be turned upside do'n at @ena, but to accept the

resignation 'hich :ichte had not really meant to tender, for his private letter had been treated

as an official communication. %t any rate that 'as ho' it came about that :ichte had to give

up his post as teacher at @ena, 'hich had been blessed 'ith such fruitful influence.

Shortly after'ards 'e see him appear at erlin. 6e has no' approached from a fresh

angle the position of the Dgo in the ever(moving stream of the 'orld(spirit. he boo& 'hich

he then 'rote 7and 'hich can no' be bought cheaply in Re&lam*s Iniversal Library8 'as

calledDie "esti''ung des 1ens$hen2The Destin of 1an8. >nto the composition of this 'or&

he thre' his 'hole being and energy. >n it he strove to sho' ho' those 'ho only vie' the

'orld of the senses from outside, co(ordinating it 'ith the understanding, can only point the

'ay to'ards a meaningless vie' of the 'orld. he gist of Jart > is to sho' ho' in this fashion

one arrives only at a dream(reflection of life. he ob-ect of Jart >> is to sho' ho' the mind

thus comes to regard the 'orld as a chain of exterior necessities. %nd in Jart >>> 'e come to

the en3uiry as to ho' the soul fares 'hen it see&s not merely an image but a directparticipation in that great creative process of all existence. %fter putting the finishing touches

to the 'or&, :ichte 'rote to his 'ife, 'hom he had then left behind at @ena /> have never

before loo&ed so deeply into religion as during the composition of the last part of this 'or&,

The Destin of 1an.2

%part from a short interval in !CEM, 'hich he spent at the Iniversity of Drlangen, :ichte

passed the remainder of his life in this 'orld at erlin. %t first he gave private lectures at the

various houses in 'hich he lived, lectures of an impressive character9 subse3uently he 'as

invited to assist in the ne'ly(founded Iniversity, to 'hich 'e must no' turn our attention.

%s > said, apart from the short interlude in !CEM at Drlangen, his 'or& no' lay in erlin.

6e 'as still dra'ing from ever fresh sources in his soul the ideas 'hich he had to impart to

the public. So at Drlangen, continually recasting his ideas in a fresh mould, he presented his

theory of &no'ledge, his outloo& on the 'orld. Strangely enough, 'hereas at @ena he had

from the beginning of his course a fair audience 'hich steadily increased, and similarly in

erlin, the number of his hearers in Drlangen d'indled by one half in the course of the term.

Dveryone &no's ho' professors generally ta&e such a falling(off9 anyone 'ho has any

experience &no's that they simply have to accept it. ut :ichte did not react to it in that 'ay.

One day 'hen his audience at Drlangen had diminished to one half, he referred to it, ta&ing for

granted that his 'ords 'ould reach also those 'ho had stayed a'ay, in one of those

thundering tirades in 'hich he demonstrated to people that, if they 'ould not hear 'hat he hadto say, then they 'ere good only for external historical &no'ledge, not for intellectual

&no'ledge. %nd after going on to discuss 'hat a man should become in life if in his spiritual

strivings he re-ected this intellectual &ind of &no'ledge, he continued as follo's 4 /5o' as

to the time of my lectures. > have heard ho' much dissatisfaction is felt at the choice of time. >

'ill not consider this strictly according to principles 'hich are really self(evident and 'hich

'ould have to be applied here. > 'ill ta&e it that the persons concerned are only misinformed,

and 'ill try to put them right. 5o doubt they may say that there is a tradition in this matter

dating from long ago. Supposing that this 'ere the fact, > should have to reply that grave

abuses must have existed in the university from the earliest times. ... > myself have held at

@ena from six to seven o*cloc& in summer and 'inter a course such as this, attended by

hundreds, 'hose numbers used to increase considerably to'ards the close. > must say openlythat 'hen > arrived here > selected this hour because no other 'as available. 5o' that > have

realised the point of vie' adopted to'ards it, > shall select it deliberately for the coming


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summer.

/%t the bac& of all these difficulties 'e find a deep(seated incapacity in people to occupy

themselves and a great deal of shallo'ness and ennui, so that after a meal has been ta&en, by

God*s grace, at midday, people find it unendurable to stay any longer in the to'n. %nd even if

you 'ere to give me proofs 4 'hich > hope it 'ould be impossible to supply 4 that such has

been the custom at Drlangen since its foundation, in the 'hole of :ranconia, indeedthroughout South Germany, then > 'ould not hesitate to ans'er that in that case shallo'ness

and futility must have made their head3uarters at Drlangen and the 'hole of South Germany.2

+hatever one may thin& of such outbursts as this, it is truly characteristic of :ichte as regards

his intense concentration on the spiritual message 'hich he 'as trying to deliver to man&ind.

+henever he spo&e he did not see& merely to say something but to dosomething for men*s

souls, to lay hold on them9 thus every soul 'ho stayed a'ay 'as a real loss, not for himself

but for the purpose 'hich he 'as trying to realise for man&ind. :or :ichte the 'ord 'as also

an act. Since he himself d'elt 'ithin the spiritual 'orld, it 'as possible for him through

spiritual communion to gather others around him 'ithin that 'orld, because he 'as himself

'ithin it and 'as no mere theoretical champion of the principles he professed 'hen he said

/Reality is not in the outer 'orld of the senses but in the spirit9 and 'hoever &no's the spiritcan perceive behind all sensuous existence the spiritual reality.2

%nd to him this 'as no mere theory, it 'as also a practical reality, as 'as proved at a later

date at erlin by the follo'ing incident. One day 'hen his audience 'as assembled in the

lecture hall, 'hich 'as near the Spree =anal, a terrible message 'as brought. Some children,

'ith :ichte*s son among them, had been playing do'n there9 a boy had fallen into the 'ater

and it 'as thought to be :ichte*s son. :ichte and a friend set out, and in the presence of all his

students, they pulled the boy out of the 'ater. %lthough the boy bore a close resemblance to

:ichte*s son, it 'as not in fact he. )et for a moment :ichte had been convinced that it 'as his

son. 6e did 'hat he could for the child, 'ho ho'ever 'as dead 'hen ta&en from the 'ater.

%nybody 'ho &no's the intimate family affection in :ichte*s household bet'een him, his

'ife @ohanna and their only son, 'ill realise something of 'hat :ichte 'ent through at that

moment9 the terrible shoc& that he under'ent and then the transition from this shoc& to the

deepest -oy 'hen he 'as able to clasp his son in his arms. +hen he had done this and changed

his clothes, he proceeded to deliver the remainder of his t'o(hour lecture -ust as he al'ays

did, that is, 'holly intent on his sub-ect.

his 'as not a uni3ue instance. Often and often did :ichte give similar proofs of his

integral loyalty to the 'orld of the spirit. :or example, it 'as at this period at erlin that he

delivered public lectures 'hich 'ere intended as a criticism and a severe indictment of his

age. 6e passed in revie' one by one the various epochs of history. ut it 'as, he said, the agein 'hich he lived, 'hich had brought selfishness to the extreme limit. %nd in that age of

selfishness he found himself confronting the personality of 5apoleon, in 'hom, in his vie',

this selfishness 'as incarnate. Auring all this period 'hen the 5apoleonic chaos 'as

enveloping north and central Germany, :ichte never in his heart vie'ed himself other'ise

than as 5apoleon*s spiritual antagonist. %nd so 'e get his character study of 5apoleon, of

'hich it may be said that an image of the Dmperor, profoundly German in its approach and in

its vigour and based on the loftiest philosophical standpoint, had shaped itself in the mind of

this German thin&er 'ho had gro'n out of that peasant boy in a blue smoc& of 'hom earlier

'e had a glimpse. +e have come no' to a state of human existence at the present time, said

:ichte, in 'hich people have lost their consciousness of the spiritual influence 'hich pulsates

through the 'orld and also through human existence and evolution, and 'hich, in the form ofthe moral impulses, carries man&ind for'ard from epoch to epoch9 of the truth that in the

march of history man is only of value in so far as he is sustained by 'hat is permanent from


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age to age in the moral impulses and the moral order of the 'orld. Of all this people no longer

&no' anything. +e have arrived at an epoch in 'hich 'e see one generation succeed another

li&e lin&s in a chain. Dven the best minds, said :ichte, have forgotten the moral principles

'hich must pervade these lin&s. %nd in such a 'orld 'e encounter the personality of

5apoleon, an inexhaustible source of energy indeed, but a man 'ho, though he may have had

in his soul occasional glimpses of freedom, has never formed any true notion of the real all(

embracing ideal of freedom as it 'or&s from age to age in men*s moral aspirations and in themoral frame'or& of the 'orld. %nd from this fundamental deficiency that a personality 'hich

is only a shell, 'ithout any true spiritual core, can yet 'ield such immense force, from this

phenomenon :ichte traced the personality, the 'hole /catastrophe2 as he expressed it 4

5apoleon.

>n mentioning this and in placing side by side these t'o personalities 4 :ichte, the most

forceful exponent of the German outloo& 'ith his vie' of 5apoleon, and on the other side

5apoleon himself 4 reference should be made to an observation attributed to 5apoleon at St.

6elena, after his do'nfall9 for it is only in this light that the 'hole situation can be clearly

grasped. %t St. 6elena, after his do'nfall, 5apoleon expressed himself as follo's

/Dverything 'ould have gone all right. > should not have fallen before all the Jo'ers 'hichranged themselves against me. +ith one factor only did > fail to rec&on, and it is this that

really brought about my do'nfall, namely 4 the German philosophers12 Let narro' minds

say 'hat they 'ill about the value of philosophy9 this piece of self(revelation from 5apoleon*s

o'n lips has more 'eight, > thin&, than all the ob-ections that might be raised against :ichte*s

idealism, 'hich indeed had a thoroughly practical aspect.

:inally, it is possible to adduce another proof, a proper historical proof, that it is not so

difficult for an idealist such as :ichte to be practical 'hen occasion demanded. >t had become

necessary for him to enter as a partner into his father*s business, 'hich had no' been ta&en

over by his brothers. +e see him accordingly as a partner in the family ribbon('eaving

business. 6is parents 'ere still alive9 and 'e may note that he proved to be a good and

prudent business man, capable of lending valuable assistance to his brothers, 'ho had

remained simply men of business. % man such as :ichte has many critics 'ho say /Oh these

idealists, they d'ell in a dream('orld, they understand nothing of practical life12 ut it may

'ell be imagined that :ichte from the depth of his being, and especially in his lectures on Die

"esti''ung des Gelehrten7The 3o$ation of the S$holar8, had something to say 'hich cannot

be too often repeated in the face of those 'ho point to the unpractical nature of idealism, of

the spiritual 'orld altogether. >n the introduction to this course of lectures :ichte made the

follo'ing observations 4

/hat ideals cannot be demonstrated in the actual 'orld is a fact 'hich 'e &no'perhaps as 'ell as our critics, perhaps better. +e merely assert that reality must be -udged

'ith reference to these ideals and must be modified by those 'ho feel in themselves the

strength to do so. Supposing ho'ever that our critics cannot even concede so much9 'ell,

seeing that they are 'hat they are, this inability 'ill mean small loss to them, and none to

the 'orld. >t 'ill simply mean that they do not count in the process to'ards the

ennoblement of man&ind, 'hich any'ay 'ill go for'ard 'ithout any doubt9 as to these

others, may &indly nature have them in her &eeping, granting them in God*s good time

rain, sunshine, 'holesome nourishment and proper circulation of the blood, and, in

addition to all these 4 right thoughts12

he significance of ideals, the significance also of practical life, 'as something already3uite clear to the mind of this German. ut then :ichte*s 'as a nature 'hich stood by itself.

6e may be called one(sided9 but this one(sidedness must occur sometimes in life, -ust as there


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are certain forces 'hich must occasionally overshoot the mar& in order to achieve the best

results.

Indoubtedly :ichte*s behaviour often had a rough side to it, as 'hen apart from his

lectures on the principles of morality, he attempted to ta&e practical steps at @ena against the

tyranny of routine, and against drin&ing and loafing 'ays among the students. 6e had by no'

a certain follo'ing in student circles. :urther, as a result of his influence, petitions had beenpresented to the authorities as&ing for the abolition of this or that society 'hich 'as

particularly given to disorder. %s 'e have seen, :ichte 'as a rugged nature, not s&ilful in

ma&ing smooth gestures, but 3uite li&ely, metaphorically of course, to stri&e out fiercely 'ith

his fist no' and then9 and indeed matters came to such a pass that the ma-ority of the @ena

students 'ere altogether opposed to :ichte and his practical moral influence. So they banded

themselves together and smashed his 'indo's. o Goethe, though he respected :ichte and

'as respected by him, the incident suggested a humorous comment. /+hy yes,2 said Goethe,

/that is the philosopher 'ho derives everything from the Dgo1 >t is truly an inconvenient 'ay

of being assured of the existence of the non(ego, to have one*s 'indo's smashed9 that 'as not

'hat one assumed as the contrary of the Dgo.2

%ll this, ho'ever, does not mean that there 'as any lac& of harmony bet'een :ichte*s and

Goethe*s philosophical outloo&. %nd :ichte 'as profoundly right in the feeling he expressed in

a letter to Goethe on !st @une, !"$;, soon after the beginning of his lectures at @ena, 'hen

sending to Goethe the proofs of his 'or& on the Theor of Knoledge

/> regard you, and have al'ays done so, as representing the purest spirituality of

feeling at the point so far reached by human progress. Jhilosophy rightly turns to'ards

you, for your feeling is its best criterion.2

%nd Goethe 'rote to :ichte, after receiving the pages of the Theor of Knoledge /hereis nothing in your 'or& 'hich is not altogether in line 'ith my o'n customary 'ay of

thin&ing.2 %gain, in another letter to :ichte, referring also to the Theor of Knoledge /hese

ideas are indeed no' in harmony 'ith nature9 but men*s minds must also come into harmony

'ith them and > believe that you 'ill be able to present them in the right 'ay.2 %nd if anyone

to(day should assert that he finds this Theor of Knoledge, as then published by :ichte, dry

and unli&e Goethe, or that Goethe 'ould have had no taste for such things, one must reply to

this criticism as > replied 'hen publishing the letters of :ichte to Goethe, in the +eimar

Schiller(and(Goethe %rchives, in the Goethe )ear(oo& of !C$;. See Rudolf Steiner Reprint fromthe Goethe )ear(oo&, ?ol. !M, !C$; :urther =ommunications9 Seven Letters from :ichte to Goethe9 'oLetters from :ichte to Schiller. hat Goethe 'as &eenly interested in :ichte*s philosophy and by no meansadopted a negative attitude to'ards it, is proved by a passage in a letter to :ichte of ;th @une, !"$;, in 'hich he

says about the first sheets of the Theor of Knoledge /here is nothing in the pages you have sent me 'hich >do not understand or at least believe that > understand, nothing 'hich cannot be easily assimilated to myaccustomed 'ay of thin&ing.2 :urther evidence of this can be seen in the fact that Goethe made long extracts

from this 'or&, still preserved in the Goethe %rchives.N >n the Goethe(Schiller %rchives there are

extracts from :ichte*s Theor of Knoledgein Goethe*s o'n hand, accompanied sentence by

sentence by the ideas inspired in him reading :ichte9 and after all it is intelligible that Goethe,

one of the most German among Germans, out of the pure spirituality of feeling 'ith 'hich he

sought for a fresh outloo& on the 'orld, should inevitably hold out his hand to the man 'ho as

the most German of all Germans 'as in 3uest of a philosophical outloo& based on the force of

pure reason alone. Goethe once also, by the 'ay, expressed very aptly his relationship to'ards

the philosophy of Kant. +hat he said 'as 4 not 'ord for 'ord, but in substance 4 as

follo's Kant had argued that, by turning his attention out'ard upon the 'orld, man can onlyarrive at sense(&no'ledge. ut his sense(&no'ledge is nothing but appearance, merely

something 'hich man himself by his point of vie' introduces into the 'orld. Kno'ledge must


15/19

be deposed from its seat, for it is only by a belief that it is possible to arrive at freedom, at

infinity, at a conception of the divine spiritual existence. %nd this attempt to arrive not at a

belief, but at a direct insight into the spiritual 'orld, this attempt to bring the individual

creative process into communion 'ith the creativeness of the divine 'orld spirit, this attempt

'hich Kant believes to be impossible, 'ould be, as he terms it, the /venture of reason2 and

Goethe*s comment on this is /?ery 'ell then, an attempt must certainly be made to underta&e,

undaunted, this venture of reason1 %nd assuming that a man has no doubts of the spiritual'orld but believes in freedom and immortality in God, 'hy should he not face this venture of

reason and 'ith the creative element of the soul transport himself into the heart of the creative

process 'hich ebbs and flo's through the 'orld02 >n :ichte, Goethe found a conception of

the same venture, only imagined in another 'ay.

%nd indeed it had to emerge sooner or later, albeit in a rugged form, this urge to'ards

spirituality, to'ards the apprehension of the all(creating 'orld(intelligence, to'ards the state

'here the creative Dgo ind'ells in the creative 'orld(being and is one 'ith it. %nd in :ichte*s

vie' the impulse in this direction 'as to be given by his Theor of Knoledge. >n this theory

the very spirit of the German people produced before the 'orld 'hat it had to utter about life

and the 'orld and the aims of man&ind9 it 'as as it 'ere a direct gesture from the Germanpeople, from out of 'hich 'e see :ichte*s soul mount up'ards to the heights. >ndeed he

himself 'as a'are that his philosophy 'as al'ays rooted in his living intercourse 'ith the

spirit of the German people. his spirit found here, it is true, only such expression as it could,

seeing that it had first to emerge through the medium of such a rough(he'n personality as

:ichte*s. 5o, truly, his 'as not a personality easy to deal 'ith. Of this 'e find again another

illustration in the follo'ing connection. +hen a Iniversity 'as to be founded at erlin, and it

fell to :ichte to 'or& out a scheme for it, his plan, 'or&ed out to the smallest details, sho'ed

'hat his conception of a Iniversity 'as li&e. %nd 'hat 'as his idea0 >n this Iniversity to be

started at erlin he 'anted to build something so fundamentally novel, especially for the

beginning of the nineteenth century, that 4 'e may say it 'ithout the slightest fear of

contradiction 4 this novelty is as yet unrealised any'here in the 'orld, and the 'orld is still

'aiting for it. 5eedless to say, :ichte*s scheme 'as not put into practice, though indeed he

'as aiming at nothing else than, as he expressed it, to ma&e the Iniversity into a /School of

training in the scientific application of intelligence.2 +hat 'as this Iniversity to become0 %

place of nurture, 'hich might be termed a school of training for the scientific use of the

intelligence1 %ccordingly, it 'as to turn out, not specialists in this sub-ect or that, such as

philosophers or natural scientists or physicians or -urists, but human beings so closely fitted

into the structure of the 'orld as to have entire command over the art of using their

intelligence. Only imagine 'hat a blessing it 'ould mean if such a Iniversity really existed

any'here in the 'orld1 if actually 'e could find realised any'here a school that 'ould turn

out people 'ho have made their inner soul so vital that they could move freely 'ithin theessential logic of existence1

ut truly this personality 'as not easy to deal 'ith1 >t 'as something massive 'hich

existed in order to leave a distinctive mar& on history. :ichte became the second Rector of the

ne' Iniversity. 6e filled the position so energetically that he 'as only able to remain Rector

for four months9 for neither the students nor the authorities concerned could tolerate any

longer 'hat he 'as attempting to accomplish. %ll this ho'ever, -ust as 'ith :ichte himself, is

typical of German national feeling. :or 'hen he delivered hisReden an das deuts$he 3olk

7Addresses to the Ger'an &eo*le8, to 'hich, and indeed to the 'hole great phenomenon of

:ichte, > have already repeatedly referred here, not only during the 'ar but also before it 4

'hen he delivered theseAddresseshe &ne' that he 'as trying to communicate to the Germanpeople 'hat he had, so to spea&, overheard in his meditative conversations 'ith the 'orld(

spirit. he only response at 'hich he 'as aiming 'as to arouse in their souls 'hatever can be


16/19

aroused out of the deepest sources of the German being. his manner 'hich :ichte adopted

to'ards his time and to'ards those 'hose souls he hoped to raise to a level sufficient for the

tas&s of the 'ider universe, all this 'as unli&ely to ma&e any impression on idlers or

superficial people, except perhaps to excite their curiosity. ut this latter response 'as the last

'hich :ichte sought to evo&e. 5eedless to say, 'hen such an intellectual phenomenon as

:ichte appears in the 'orld, the very easiest course is to turn it into ridicule9 there is nothing

easier than to play the critic and to laugh at it. Jeople did this a good deal, and the result 'assometimes to place :ichte in difficult situations. :or example, immediately after his arrival at

the Iniversity of @ena, he found himself in 3uite a serious dilemma through his inability to

agree 'ith others 'ho after all 'ere also philosophers. hus there 'as at the @ena Iniversity a

man 'ho 'as the traditional professor of philosophy, a man by the name of Schmid. his man

had expressed such vehement condemnation of :ichte*s previous 'or& that it 'as really

outrageous that :ichte 'as no' to become his colleague. hereupon :ichte in turn published a

fe' remar&s in the periodical in 'hich Schmid*s criticism had appeared. %nd so the affair

'ent on, bac&'ards and for'ards. :ichte assumed his position at @ena -ust at the time 'hen he

'as 'riting in the @ena periodical to 'hich Schmid had contributed /> declare that for me 6err

Schmid 'ill no longer exist in this 'orld.2 >t 'as a serious matter to ta&e his place beside his

colleague in such an atmosphere. % less serious, but no less characteristic incident, 'as asfollo's at that time there 'as appearing at erlin a periodical called Der +rei'(tige 7The

4nde*endent8 directed by the /celebrated2 German 'riter KFtzebue and another man. >t 'as

impossible to ma&e out 7indeed > believe that even by the most intimate clairvoyance it 'ould

not have been possible8 the reason 'hy this KFtzebue attended :ichte*s lectures. ut these

doubts lasted only for a 'hile, and presently the reason became clear 'hen Der +rei'(tige,

then a very prominent magazine at erlin, began to publish the most vicious attac&s upon

:ichte*s lectures. One day :ichte found it more than he could stand. hereupon he too& a

number of this magazineDer +rei'(tigeand dissected it before his audience, ridiculing the

opinions expressed in the article 'ith the inimitable humour 'hich he had at his command.

he countenance of one member of the audience, 'hose presence there so far had been

unexplained, gre' longer and longer. %nd finally 6err KFtzebue stood up 'ith a very long

face and announced that he did not see 'hy he should listen to this any longer9 so he 'ent off

and did not return. ut :ichte 'as heartily glad to be rid of him.

hrough the 'ay in 'hich he adapted himself in practice to life, 'hen he 'as trying to

remould the innermost depths of human existence, :ichte &ne' ho' to find the tone precisely

adapted to the situation before him. Dven though he d'elt altogether in the spiritual 'orld, he

'as yet no other'orldly idealist, but he 'as a man standing altogether by himself and 'as

accustomed to pay earnest heed to 'hat he felt to be the innermost promptings of his o'n

nature. %ccordingly, at a certain time 'hen 5apoleon had con3uered erlin and the :rench

'ere in occupation, he 'as unable to remain in the city. 6e did not choose to remain in a city'hich 'as under the :rench yo&e. 6e 'ent therefore first to KFnigsberg, subse3uently to

=openhagen, returning only 'hen he 'as ready to come for'ard as the German 'ho could

put before his compatriots the very soul of his nation and its national characteristics, in his

Addresses to the Ger'an &eo*le.

:ichte is rightly regarded as a direct expression of German national sentiment, as an

expression of that spirit 'hich eternally and profoundly 4 in so far as 'e are able to

apprehend the spirit of German nationality 4 d'ells in our 'idst4 and not merely in

thought. % philosopher, Robert Bimmerman, by no means in accord 'ith :ichte in his

philosophical outloo&, has finely characterised this aspect of :ichte in the follo'ing passage

/%s long as there beats in Germany a heart capable of feeling the shame of foreign

domination, so long 'ill the memory of this brave man persist among us9 at a moment of


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the deepest humiliation, amid the ruins of the monarchy of :rederic& the Great, in the

midst of the :rench occupation of erlin, 'ithin sight and hearing of the enemy,

surrounded by spies and informers, there 'as a man 'ho yet undertoo& the tas& of

regenerating from 'ithin by the spirit the energies of the German people 'hich had been

bro&en from 'ithout by the s'ord9 and at the very moment 'hen Germany*s political

existence seemed as if annihilated for evermore, this man undertoo& to recreate it for

future generations by the inspiring thought of uni!ersalculture.2

>t is true that to(day 'e may thin& 3uite differently as to the substance of many of the

ideas expressed in theAddresses to the Ger'an &eo*le,and indeed in :ichte*s other 'ritings9

but that, as > should li&e to repeat once more, is not the main 3uestion. he main thing is that

'e should feel the Ger'an s*irit'hich pervades his productions, and the renealof the

German spirit in its relations 'ith the 'orld at large, the revival 'hich breathes forth from the

Addresses to the Ger'an &eo*le.he main thing is that 'e should feel this as the spirit 'hich

is no' alive amongst us and 'hich 'e can perceive only in this one instance of :ichte, 'ho

has thus ta&en his place in German evolution 4 at first, indeed, in a style 'hich attracted

'idespread notice. Jo'er and energy combined 'ith profound introspection 4 such 'ere the

3ualities 'ith 'hich this soul strove to ta&e his place in 'orld evolution. %ccordingly, at theperiod 'hen the end of his life 'as approaching, in the autumn of !C!H, :ichte again found an

opportunity of repeating in the most intimate form before his erlin audiences his 'hole

Theor of Knoledge, after remoulding and recasting it, as a result of further meditations, till

it embodied his deepest thoughts. >n these %ddresses, once more penetrating the souls of his

hearers in the 'ay described earlier, he considered again the impossibility for man to go

behind the veil of his existence unless he be 'illing to embrace this existence in the spirit,

beyond all sensuous reality. ut to those men 'ho believe themselves able to apprehend the

truth of existence through the sense('orld and the results of sense(experience alone, to these

people :ichte proclaimed in these lectures, 'hich are among his last

/%ll their &no'ledge only leads to misunderstanding and vain 'ords9 and for that they

praise themselves and thin& all is 'ell. :or example, as regards sight the image of an

ob-ect is thro'n on the retina. Similarly the image of an ob-ect is reflected in the surface

of still 'ater. Ao 'e therefore hold that the surface of the 'ater can see0 +hat is that

further factor 'hich ma&es the difference bet'een that image in the 'ater and real seeing,

the factor 'hich exists in us but not in the 'ater0 ut these people have not even an

in&ling of this, for their minds do not reach so far.2

+e must become a'are, says :ichte, of a special sense, a ne' sense 'ithin one*s self, if

'e mean to experience that existence in the spirit 'hich alone ma&es all other existence

intelligible. /4 a', and > am 'ith all my aims only in a supersensuous 'orld.2 hese 'ords are:ichte*s o'n, and they run li&e a leitmotiv through all :ichte*s utterances throughout his life,

'hich he again confirmed in another 'ay in that autumn of !C!H. %nd 'hat 'as it that he

spo&e of then0 Of the necessity for men to become conscious that 'ith the outloo& on things

and the 'orld current in ordinary life and ordinary &no'ledge one could never get behind the

reality of being. +e must, he said, become a'are that a supersensuous mind d'ells in every

one of us, and that man can merge his being in a 'orld beyond the senses, and 'ith this

supersensuous mind can become, as a creative Dgo, one 'ith the stream of the creative

pervading 'orld(spirit. >t is, he says, as though a seeing man comes to a 'orld of the blind and

tries to explain to the inhabitants colour and form, and the blind people deny that these exist.

Dven so the materialist denies, because he does not possess the re3uisite sense, li&e the man

'ho &no's /4 a', and > am 'ith all my aims and deeds in the supersensuous 'orld.2/>magine a 'orld of people blind from birth, for 'hom therefore only those things and their relationships are&no'n 'hich can be apprehended by touch. Go among these, and tal& to them of colour and the other


18/19

relationships 'hich are present only through light to the sense of sight. )ou 'ill be tal&ing to them of nothing,and it is all the better if they say so9 for thus you 'ill soon perceive your error and, unless you have the po'er of

opening their eyes, you 'ill desist from useless explanation.2N %nd 'ith such emphasis did :ichte then

impress upon his hearers this existence in the supersensuous, this life in the spiritual, that he

said /%ccordingly the ne' sense is the sense of the spirit9 the sense for 'hich only spirit and

nothing else 'hatever has being, and for 'hich also that other, the every(day existence

assumes the form of spirit and is transformed into it, for 'hich therefore being as such hasactually disappeared.2

>t is a glorious fact that in German spiritual development there should have been someone

to bear 'itness in this 'ay to the life of the spirit, in the presence of those 'ho 'ere eager to

hear 'hat the German nation, on its highest level, and spea&ing from the depth of its being,

has to utter. :or that is 'hat this German nation communicated through :ichte, and it is true of

:ichte more than of any other man, that he represented the German soul spea&ing, at the level

it had then reached, to the German nation itself.

+hether 'e consider this :ichte externally, or 'hether 'e loo& 'ith the inner eye into his

soul, al'ays he appears to us as the most direct expression of German nationality itself, notthat 'hich is present only at a particular time 'ithin the German people, but 'hat is ever

present, 'hat is ever there in our midst, if 'e only &no' ho' to perceive it. hrough his

personality :ichte presents himself to us in such a 'ay that 'e desire to have his image as if

plastically before our souls9 and 'ith the mind*s eye clearly to see him and hear him as he

creates that atmosphere 'hich rises as he spea&s bet'een his soul and that of his hearers, so

that 'e see& to dra' 3uite close to him. he result is that 'e can feel his presence, as > 'ould

put it, li&e that of a legendary hero, a hero of the spirit, 'ho 'ith the eyes of the spirit can

al'ays be seen as a leader of his people, if this people only &no' itself aright1 6is o'n people

can visualize him, by bringing his image plastically before their souls as one of their chief

spiritual heroes.

%nd to(day, in this age of deeds, in this age 'hen the German people is 'restling as never

before for its very existence, 'e shall do 'ell to evo&e 'ith the vision of the spirit the image

of this man, 'ho 'as able to depict German nature and character from the loftiest point of

vie', but also in the most vigorous individual style, so that of him more than of any other 'e

may believe that, if 'e understand him rightly, 'e still have him actually among us. :or

everything in him is cast so 'holly in one mould, he comes for'ard so directly to'ards us

that as 'e loo& at him, he seems to stand before us in his fashion as he lived9 'hether each

single feature stands out from his complete being, or 'hether 'e let ourselves be influenced

by the most intimate aspects of his soul, in either case he stands before us as a 'hole. +e

cannot comprehend him else, for other'ise 'e comprehend him only blunderingly and

superficially.

)es, 'e can catch a glimpse of him at his 'or& of &indling among his compatriots the

souls of men to surrender themselves, creative in the stream of creation, to the vital forces of

the 'orld9 ascending, in company 'ith those others, to spiritual experience and entering as a

living influence into the process of development of his people. +e need but to open the eyes

of the spirit. >t is only thus plastically that he can be understood9 but if 'e open the eyes of the

spirit to his greatness as a national figure, then 'e shall find him standing in our midst. 6e

endeavoured, as 'e have seen, to produce effects different from those of other teachers by

using language as a medium of doing rather than saying 'hen he came before his audience9 in

such a 'ay that it 'as indifferent to him 'hat he said, because he aimed solely at &indling thehearer*s soul to deeds of his o'n, because something had to ta&e place in the souls of his

hearers to ma&e them undergo a change bet'een entering and leaving the hall. %ll this has the


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3uite unusual result that 'e find his living image, that of a man of the people moulding his

fello's, present to our minds9 and that 'e seem to hear him transforming into the 'ords

'hich are themselves deeds those thoughts overheard, as it 'ere, in the solitary meditations

and dialogues 'ith the 'orld(spirit, 'hereby he prepared himself for every single lecture9 so

that 'hen he had finished spea&ing, he dismissed his audience as changed people. hey had

become other beings, not through his strength but through the a'a&ening and &indling of their

on. >f 'e understand him rightly in such a 'ay, then 'e may believe that 'e hear himclairaudiently as he strives to reach 'ith the sharp edge of his 'ords the spirit 'hich he has

already apprehended in the soul, see&ing ever 4 as 'as said of him 4 to send out into the

'orld, through his cultivation of the soul, not merely good but great men.

>f 'e indeed form 'ithin us a living image of 'hat he 'as, 'e cannot fail to hear his

'ords, those 'ords 'hich seemed to be but using this :ichte to communicate a message from

the heart of the 'orld, &indling as it came fire and 'armth and light. :ortitude vibrated in his

'ords, and moral energy emanated from them. >n others too fortitude 'as &indled by his

'ords as they poured through the ears into the souls and hearts of those 'ho heard him, and

from these utterances streamed out into the 'orld a flo' of moral energy, 'hen :ichte*s

follo'ers, 'ith their souls thus aflame 'ith the fire of his elo3uence, 'ent out into the 'orld,as 'e so often learn from contemporaries, as the most capable men of their time. y opening

the ears of the spirit 'e can hear :ichte, if 'e understand him at all, directly as if he 'ere a

li!ing *resen$espea&ing out of the heart of his people. %nd 'hoever has any ear for such

national greatness 'ill hear it still in our midst. >t is rare indeed to find ourselves confronted

'ith any spirit in 'hom 'e can trace all that he is into every single act of his life. hat sense

of duty, of the moral order the 'orld, 'hich he embodied at the climax of his philosophical

development, can it not already be noted in the seven(year(old boy 'ho thre' the Gehrnte

Siegfried into the 'ater, because he had conceived a passion for it 'hich he felt to be in

contradiction to his duties0 he brooding man preparing by meditation for his lectures, 'ith

his spirit intent on the mysteries of the 'orld, can he not be found already in embryo in the

boy 'ho stood for hours on the moor 'ith his eyes fixed in one direction, lost in the mysteries

of nature till the shepherd passed and led him home0 hat intense fire 'hich inspired :ichte in

his teacher*s chair at @ena and later 'hen, as he said, he 'as spea&ing to the representatives of

his 'hole nation in theAddresses to the Ger'an &eo*le4 can 'e not feel it already in the

incident 'hen he so impressed aron von

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