THEKARMAOFUNTRUTHFULNESSVolume1

THEKARMAOFUNTRUTHFULNESSSecretSocieties,theMedia,andPreparationsfortheGreatWar

Volume1ThirteenlecturesgiveninDornachandBaselbetween4and31December1916

RUDOLFSTEINERRUDOLFSTEINERPRESS

TranslatedbyJohannaCollisRudolfSteinerPressHillsideHouse,TheSquareForestRow,RH185ES

www.rudolfsteinerpress.com

PublishedbyRudolfSteinerPress2016PublishedbyRudolfSteinerPress2005PreviouseditionRudolfSteinerPress1988

OriginallypublishedinGermanunderthetitleZeitgeschichtlicheBetrachtungen,DasKarmaderUnwahrhaftigkeit,ErsterTeil(volume173intheRudolfSteinerGesamtausgabeorCollectedWorks)byRudolfSteinerVerlag,Dornach.ThisauthorizedtranslationispublishedbypermissionoftheRudolfSteinerNachlassverwaltung,Dornach

Translation©RudolfSteinerPress1988

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopyingorotherwise,withoutthepriorpermissionofthepublishers

AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary

ISBN9781855844896

CoverdesignbyAndrewMorgan,featuringdetailfrom‘TheKaiser’sDream’,TheTruth,London1890TypesetinGreatBritain

CONTENTSIntroductionbyTerryBoardman,July2005

LectureOne,4December1916

LectureTwo,9December1916

LectureThree,10December1916

LectureFour,11December1916

LectureFive,16December1916

LectureSix,17December1916

LectureSeven,18December1916

LectureEight,21December1916

LectureNine,24December1916

LectureTen,25December1916

LectureEleven,26December1916

LectureTwelve,30December1916

LectureThirteen,31December1916

Notes

LECTUREONE,Dornach,4December1916

Fundamental basis for forming judgements:A sense for the facts.RudolfKjellén,RosaMayreder.ThepoliticalsituationinEuropesincethefinalthirdofthenineteenthcentury.Ontheoutbreakofwarin1914:JakobRüchti’spamphlet;GeorgBrandes.AlexandervonGleichen-Russwurmonhumandignity.

LECTURETWO,Dornach,9December1916

Inattentiveness and attentiveness. The role of the secret brotherhoods. Alexander III ofRussia.H.P.Blavatsky.MorizBenedikt.TheBritishpeopleandtheSlavpeoples.Theso-called testament of Peter the Great. Parallels between Britain and ancient Rome. Pan-Slavism.ThepredictedfallofAustria.

LECTURETHREE,Dornach,10December1916

Current events and the spiritual world. Hermann Bahr’s novelHimmelfahrt. ArchdukeFranz Ferdinand. The assassination at Sarajevo. Archduke Rudolf. The ‘NarodnaOdbrana’.Contradictionsinreallife.ThebetrayalbyJudasasapreconditionfortheEventofGolgotha.

LECTUREFOUR,Dornach,11December1916

The ‘Narodna Odbrana’. Michael Obrenovich. Russian influence in Serbia. The‘BrotherhoodofTen’.Murderasapoliticalweapon.RivalrybetweentheObrenovichandKarageorgevichfamilies.DragaMasin.EnglishandFrenchimperialism.Theoutbreakofthewar.

LECTUREFIVE,Dornach,16December1916

Thequestionofnecessityinworldevents.BrooksAdamsonthedevelopmentofnations.Thomas More’s Utopia. Charlemagne, Dante, Venice, Counter-Reformation. TheunificationofItalyandherrelationshiptoCentralEuropeandFrance.TheTripleAlliance.TheannexationofBosniabyAustria,theassassinationatSarajevo.1888and1914.

LECTURESIX,Dornach,17December1916

Thenatureofthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.UtopiaandThomasMore.Themysteryofevolution. The western brotherhoods’ knowledge of the development of nations. ThedecadenceoftheLatinelementandtheascendancyoftheEnglish-speakingworldasthefifthsub-race.TheGermanlanguageandGrimm’slawofsoundshifts.

LECTURESEVEN,Dornach,18December1916

AversiontowardsGermany.CentralEuropeasareservoirofnationsandatheatreofwar,especiallyduringtheThirtyYearsWar.Theconceptof thestate inGermany.The‘greatGerman’ and ‘little German’ options; the foundation of the Reich in 1871. Sir EdwardGrey,Jaurès,Delcassé,Clemenceau.TheEuropeanalliances.Theoutbreakofwar.Wordand thought in the French, English, German and Russian languages. The task of theGermannation.Ethericvibrationsandmachines.Thespiritualforcesforthefutureinthedifferent nations: the forces of coming into being and dying away, eugenics, medicinebasedonspiritualknowledge.LordActon,MichaelFaraday.

LECTUREEIGHT,Basel,21December1916

Christmasatatimeoftragicdestiny.JesusandChrist.TheChristconceptofGnosisandthedogmaticcreed.LossoftheChristconceptintheSouthresultingfromtherooting-outand dying-away of Gnosis. The newly-converted heathen in the North at first fail tocomprehendJesus.ThenorthernMysteriesoftheIngaevones.VanirandAesir.WorshipofHerthaorNerthus.TheAnglo-Saxonrunesong.‘Therevelationfromonhighandpeaceonearth.’Shoutingdownmankind’slongingforpeace.

LECTURENINE,Dornach,24December1916

Christmasduringwartime.Gnosis.TheMysterywisdomoftheIngaevones.Baldur,Lokiand Hödr. The Christmas and the Easter Mystery. Exercising influence over crowdsthrough the misuse of atavistic forces. ‘Delirious’ consciousness. Cola di Rienzi andd’Annunzio,Whitsun1347and1915.

LECTURETEN,Dornach,25December1916

Flight fromthe truth.The livingconnectionbetweenwordandreality.ChristandJesus.Theyearassacrament.BringingtogetherChrist-ideaandJesus-feeling.Thesignificanceoftheconstellationsforthelinksbetweenearthandcosmos.Man’sangelisnowmistakenfor‘God’.ThestoryofGerhardtheGood.

LECTUREELEVEN,Dornach,26December1916

Spiritualknowledgeinrecenthistory.Spiritualismasanattempttoprovetheexistenceofaspiritualworld.ThedestinyofH.P.Blavatsky.Christandtheindividualhumanbeing.GerhardtheGoodinconnectionwiththeriseofcommerce.TheReformation,theThirtyYearsWar.Frederick,ElectorPalatine,son-in-lawofJamesIofEngland.TheSevenYearsWarand thebattlefor IndiaandAmerica.ErnstAugustofHanover.Ontheoutbreakofwar:Racconigi1909,ErnestoNathan.BismarckandUsedom.AustriaandItaly.PrezzolinionmodernItalyandthebenefitsofwar.Shoutingdowntheideaofpeace.

LECTURETWELVE,Dornach,30December1916

Thesearenotpoliticalobservationsandthereisnotakingofsides.Knowledgealoneistheaim.On the outbreak ofwar. The violation of Belgian neutrality. The actions of statescannotbejudgedmorally.EnglandandIndia,EnglandandChina.TheOpiumWar.

LECTURETHIRTEEN,Dornach,31December1916

Poisons in the social sphere. Nomoral judgement of historical necessities. Judgementsabout history changewith time.How can the seeming increase inworld population beunderstoodinrelationtoreincarnation?Thespiritualbackgroundandtheconsequencesofthe Opium War. The ‘Chinesifying’ of Europe. The ‘social carcinoma’. Effect andsignificanceofpoisons.Bearerof theego:metamorphosedpoisonsubstancesofancientMoon.Consciousnessarisesthroughtheforcesofdecay.Thehealingpowersofpoisons:lucifericforcesbalancedbyahrimanicforces.TheBaldurmythasanexpressionofhowpoisonswork.G.S.FullertononGermany.

Notes

INTRODUCTIONRudolfSteinergavethelecturescollectedinthisbooktoaudiencesofanthroposophistsinDornach,Switzerlandthroughout themonthofDecember1916.Thelecturesweretakendownbyaprofessionalstenographer,HeleneFinckh,whowassolelyauthorizedtodoso,and as a result there is only one of the frequent gaps in the shorthand reports thatmartranscriptionsofSteiner’slecturesintheearlyyearsofthecentury.Theselecturesarenoteasy,butSteinerneverwantedhisworktobeeasy;hewantedpeopletoworkatitinfull,active,wakefulconsciousness.Thereisawealthofhistoricaldetailandindividualcolourhere—moreperhapsthaninanyofSteiner’swork,andreaderswhosegraspofthehistoryistenuouswillfindthenotesindispensable.

PublicationhistoryGiven the importanceof thecontent for anunderstandingof theevents surrounding theFirstWorldWar,itissignificantthattheselectures‘werenotmadeaccessible,evenintheDornacharchive’,until1948andeventhenMarieSteiner‘decidedtobringoutarestrictedmimeographededitionwhichwashandedoutonapersonalbasisonly’.ThefirstGermaneditioninbookformdidnotcomeoutuntil1966,andthesecondedition(fromwhichthistranslationbyJohannaColliswasmade)appearedin1978(GA173).Vol.2(GA174)wasnot available to the public until 1983. The first English translation of Vol. 1 was onlypublishedin1988(RudolfSteinerPress,LondonandAnthroposophicPress,NewYork),72yearsafterthelecturesweregiven,andVol.2didnotappearinEnglishtill1992.ThetwoEnglishlanguagevolumescontainallthelecturescontainedinGA173and174;noneareomitted.

TheuniquenessofTheKarmaofUntruthfulnessWeare approaching the centenaryof the terrorist assassination atSarajevo in1914 thatsparkedtheGreatWar,whichultimatelyledtotheSecondWorldWarandtheColdWar.Thus theGreatWarcouldbesaid tohaveshaped thewhole twentiethcentury.By2014therewillbenooneleftwhofought in thewar.Manymight think,‘What’s thepointofdwellingonsuchanunattractiveconflictinthepastthathaslittlerelevancetothemodernworld?’,untilitispointedoutthattheIsrael-Palestineproblem,thedevelopmentofIraq,Fascism,Nazism,Communism,Maoism,nationalself-determination,thecentralizationofsociety and economic organization in the West, women’s rights, the rapid and radicaldevelopment of aircraft, military technology, and the arts, the end of the old BritishLiberalPartyandtheriseoftheLabourParty,thebreak-upofYugoslavia,Czechoslovakiaand the Soviet Union, the decline and fall of European empires and colonialism, themovementforEuropeanunity,theUnitedNationsandtheemergenceoftheUnitedStatesas world superpower—all these were to a greater or lesser degree rooted in or madepossiblebytheGreatWar.Thattitanicstrugglewasacaesurabetweentwoages;itdidsomuchtodefineandshapethemodernworld.Itsconsequencesarestillwithus—manyofthemintheformofstillunresolvedproblems.Itcouldevenbesaidthatwiththeoutbreakofwarin1914,westerncivilizationsomehowfailedtomaintainitsprogressandhasbeentreadingwater ever since—despite space rockets, theBeatles, the Pill and the Internet.

Fundamental issues such as the use of energy, the grip of a narrow materialism onintellectual life, relationsbetweenthesexesandclasses, theproblemofnationalism, thenatureofarchitectureandmusic—allofwhichwereteeteringontheedgeofnewcreativesolutionsinthedecadepriorto1914—wereeithersidetracked,putonholdorelsedivertedintowhollyunhealthydirectionsbythecatastrophicshockofthewar,sothatwearestillfacedwiththoseissuestoday.Ifwelookattentively,weshallseethattheterrorist’sshotsthat echoed round theworld fromSarajevoon that summer’sday in June1914are stillechoingtomuchgreatereffectthan,say,theshotsinDallas,Texas,orthedestructionoftheBerlinWall.

While a consensus has been relatively easy to reach about the Second World War,opinionsremaindividedastoanunderstandingoftheFirst.Westillneedtogainaclearerpicture of what that awesome conflict was about and how the cataclysm broke uponwesterncivilization.

AlthoughsomeofRudolfSteiner’sthoughtsaboutthewarandwhatwasbehindithadbeenavailabletoEnglish-speakingreadersinotherlecturecyclessuchasTheChallengeof the Times (GA 186, given November to December 1918 and first published 1941,AnthroposophicPress),TheOccultMovementintheNineteenthCentury(GA254,givenOctober1915,published1973,RudolfSteinerPress),SecretBrotherhoods(GA178,givenNovember1917,firstpublishedinEnglishtranslationsofvariouscyclesandasacompletesetbyRudolfSteinerPress,2004),andTheDestiniesofIndividualsandofNations(GA157,givenpassimfromSeptember1914toJuly1915,published1986byRudolfSteinerPressandAnthroposophicPress),innootherlecturescurrentlyavailableinEnglishdoesSteiner go so deeply into the nitty-gritty details of political andmedia events as in thiscourseoflectures(GA173and174),latertitledTheKarmaofUntruthfulness.Nowhereelse does he lay bare so clearly the secretive and sometimes occultly inspiredmachinationsthatlaybehindwhateruptedintheJulycrisisof1914;nowhereelsedoeshedescribewithsuchdirectnesstheall-too-humanfailingsthatcausedawholegenerationtobeherdedtotheabyssofcultureandcivilizationbyunscrupulousorignorantpoliticians,writers, propagandists, military men and academics. And for his own and subsequentgenerations,includingourown,whichisoftensaidtobeadriftinanoceanofinformationofwhichwecannotmakesense,nowhereelsedoeshedescribesousefullyandhelpfullythe methods, techniques and signposts needed to be able to cleave to the truth in themiasmaofpubliclyinganduntruththatpollutessocietyandpoliticsinthemodernworld.

TheKarmaofUntruthfulnessasamediacourseMany have felt these lectures constituted a kind of intensive course in applied mediastudiesforhislisteners.Inhistime,‘media’meantpredominantlynewspapers,magazines,journals and books—the printed word—whereas today we have to make sense ofinformationnotonlyfromthesebutalsofromradio,TV,DVDs,cinema,nottomentionthealreadyenormousWorldWideWeb,whichhadnotevenbeeninventedwhenthefirstEnglisheditionoftheselecturescameoutin1988.Steinerwasclearlymakingstrenuousefforts towakepeopleup to thedimensionsof thecatastropheengulfing themand theircivilization.Notonlywerehis listeners, likesomanyof theirgeneration, inclined tobeswayed by waves of patriotism and other such partisan emotions, many of them—incredibly—had tobeconvinced that itwasworthhimdiscussingdetails relating to the

war; their heads were, as before the war, still inclined towards the more theosophicalplanes of ‘higher spheres’. He clearly feels he has to justify his focus on the murkypoliticaleventsoftheearthlyplanebutdoesnotapologiseforit,tellinghisaudienceinnouncertaintermsthatoneofthereasonsthecatastropheoccurredwasbecausepeopleweretoomuch preoccupiedwith their own personalworlds and not enoughwith the greateraffairsofmankindingeneral;theyhadpaidlittleornoattentiontoworldeventsandasaresulthadallowedthemselvestobemanipulatedintothewar.How true this remains today when the distractions and temptations of our personal

worlds are all the greater, and the results have been Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, 9/11,AfghanistanandIraq.Againandagain,he tellshis listeners that toextricate themselvesfromfeelingsofethnicpartisanshipisarequirementofthetimes;wemustbecomeawareof ourmembership ofmankind.At the same time, he tries from innumerable angles toilluminate the different natures of various cultures so that understanding can spread ofwhereforeignersarecomingfrom,aswewouldsaytoday.Theinabilitytoputoneselfinthe place of others, to try to feel as they do, was a major cause of the one-sidednationalisticprejudicesthatweresocommoninhisday.

TheRussiananthroposophistAndreiBely,whowasinDornachin1914,givesavividpictureofwhatSteinerwasupagainst:

The outbreak of thewar brought Steiner new, special problems; he had to guide theoutbreaks of nationalistic sentiment into sensible directions. Three weeks [after theoutbreakoftheFirstWorldWar]thefirstmomentumofourspontaneoussolidaritywasquiteevidentlybroken.AllthroughSeptemberandthroughallofOctoberthestormsinthecanteendidnotabate:theBritishandtheRussiansgatheredtogetherinlittlegroups,theGermansinsistedverytactlesslythatthewarhadbeeninstigatedbytheprovocativeattitude of England; the Russians countered with the statement that a breach ofneutrality amounts to barbarism. Soon, theoretical debates changed to concreteincidents and endangered the whole life of Dornach. [Edouard] Schuré‘s withdrawalfromtheAnthroposophicalSociety,thenastyrumoursthatfilteredoutofFranceviatheFrench part of Switzerland, the duplicity of some Poles—all this had very negativeeffects.All eyeswereon theDoctor; one secretlyhoped that hewould at least state:‘Germanyisintheright!’or‘Germanyistoblameforallthecatastrophes!’Howeverhedid not accuse a single country, only the mendacity of the press… The Doctor …succeededinsmoothingthewavesofnationalisticpassionbypointingouttheunitythatall great culture has in common. In light of his words we once again turned to oneanother; theoppressiveatmospherewas transformed. [AndreiBely,AssyaTurgenieff,andMargaritaVoloschin,Reminiscences of Rudolf Steiner, Adonis Press, NewYork,1987,pp.55–6.]

TheKarmaofUntruthfulnessandtheBritishThefactthatittooksolongfortheselecturestoappearinEnglishhaditsconsequencesforanoldergenerationofBritishanthroposophistswhohadbeenbroughtuptothinkthatBritain, ledby thenobleand fairSirEdwardGrey,went towar in1914 to savegallantlittleBelgiumfromthejackbootsofabrutalPrussianmilitarism.Somehadnotmanagedthe (admittedly difficult) extrication Steiner was calling for and were shocked by theclaimshemakes in the lectures aboutBritain’s part in thewar and its preparation.The

karmaofmaterialisminBritishhistory,Steinersays,ledinexorablyto1914.Inthecrisisof that summer, he insists, just one sentence from Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Greycould have prevented theWorldWar. Equally, he says, one sentence from the RussianForeignMinister,Sasonov,wouldhavedonejustaswell.Sometimesethnicconditioningruns sodeep thatonedoesnot see themore subtle skeinsofmaterialism that canwarpone’s thinkingandstretch itonasense-based loom. ‘If Idonotsee it in frontofme, itdoesnotexist.’Therefore,therearenoconspiracies.Historyisregardedasasuccessionofcock-ups,coincidences,and ideaspassed,almost randomly, fromoneperson toanother.SuchisacommonEnglishhabitofregardinghistory.Or at least it was, while professional historians controlled the flow of historical

informationandresearch.WiththeWorldWideWeb,wehaveseenarevolutioninaccesstoinformationassignificantasthedevelopmentofprintinginthe15thcentury.AsreadingtheBibleforthemselveschangedordinarypeople’sideasaboutreligioustruth—ofteninaconfusedandchaotic,evendestructiveway,butwasneverthelessacrucialsteponthepathof individual spiritual freedom—so being able to access information from almostanywhereaboutalmostanythingattheclickofamousehasopenedmanypeople’seyestotheways inwhich they have beenmanipulated inmodern society.The assassination ofKennedy, the Vietnam War, the Wars against Drugs and Terror, the exploitation ofdeveloping countries, the New World Order, the European ‘project’, AIDS, globalwarmingandtheecologicalcrisis—all thesearesubjectsaboutwhichcitizensno longerhavetobedependentonmainstreammediaorpubliclibraryselectionsfortheinformationwhichhelpsthemtoformjudgements.ItiseasierforusnowtohavethewiderviewthatSteinerwascallingforbackin1916.Drawingattentiontothisverypointofmanipulation,hesaid(inlecture11):

What is essential is to develop the will to see things, to see how human beings aremanipulated, to seewhere theremightbe impulsesbywhichpeoplearemanipulated.Thisisthesameasstrivingforthesensefortruth…Onewhopossessesthesensefortruth is onewho unremittingly strives to find the truth of thematter, onewho neverceases to seek the truth andwho takes responsibility for himself evenwhen he sayssomethinguntrueoutofignorance…Onecannotclaimthereisnowayofgettingtothebottom of these things… if one seeks honestly, there aremanyways of finding outwhatisgoingon.

Thecontextofthelectures:RudolfSteinerin1914–16BeforetheselecturesRudolfSteinerhadnotmademuchexplicitcommentonthedetailsof the war. In the years immediately before 1914, he was busy developinganthroposophicalworkonChristologyandthearts(Eurythmy,SpeechFormationandtheMysteryDramasinparticular),andstartingtheconstructionoftheGoetheanumbuildingin Dornach—his contribution to a new path for architecture. On the day of FranzFerdinand’s assassination, he was lecturing in Dornach on ‘Ways to a New Style inArchitecture’. As the July crisis unfolded, he lectured on architecture, colour, and thequestion of anthroposophy andChristianity.During the period in the early years of thecentury when he had been seeking to establish a relationship with the Freemasonictradition,althoughundernoillusionsastotheremainingvitalityofFreemasonry,hespokepositively about it (The Temple Legend lectures 1904–6, GA 93, Rudolf Steiner Press,

1997),andthereisnothingaboutthedarksideofthewesternbrotherhoodsthatwehearinthelecturesof1916.However,aftertheoutbreakofwarin1914,Steinerneveragainhadanything really positive to say about Freemasonry as a spiritual stream and it could besurmised that the outbreak ofwarmade him turn his attention to the role thatwesternFreemasonry(FrenchaswellasBritish)andoccultgroupshadplayedinbringingaboutthewar.On1September1914,asthecolossalBattleoftheMarnewasabouttobegin,hegave

his first lecture about the war itself (in GA 157, The Destinies of Individuals and ofNations,RudolfSteinerPress,1986) inwhichhespokemoreabout thegeneralspiritualbackground to the tragedy that was unfolding; the mood was very empathetic, urgingspiritual solidarity with all involved. Thereafter, he continued with anthroposophicalthemes and at the end of the year was again lecturing about art, maintaining theimportanceofcontinuingconstructiveworkforthefutureinthefaceoftheinsanityofthewar (31December,Dornach;Art as Seen in the Light ofMysteryWisdom, Lecture IV,Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996). Occasional lectures (included in GA 157) about the warfollowed in 1915 but on the whole he continued to work with other anthroposophicalthemes.

AsthewavesofhatredagainstGermanyandspecificallyagainstwhatwascondemnedin the West as German ‘Kultur’ mounted ever higher, he published Thoughts DuringWartime.ForGermansandthosewhodonotbelievetheyhavetohatethem (July1915,Berlin).ThiswasadefenceofGermanspiritualcultureagainstthosewhowishedonlytocalumniateitbyassociatingsuchspiritsasGoetheandFichtewiththeuseofpoisongasinwar(April)andthesinkingoftheLusitania(May).ThetextalsodealtwiththequestionofwhohadactuallywantedthewarbyshowingthatitwasFrance’shatredofGermanysincethe defeat of 1871, Russia’s determination to dominate Eastern Europe and takeConstantinople, and England’s will to continue her hegemony over world trade andfinancethatprovidedthebestanswerstothatquestion.Fortheseobservations,Steinerwascastigated as a ‘German chauvinist and apologist’, not least byBritish theosophists.Hecontinuedwithhisanthroposophicalworkin1915,butinOctober(10–25)gaveacourseoflectures,laterpublishedasTheOccultMovementinthe19thCentury(GA254,RudolfSteiner Press, 1973), which lifted the lid on the struggles among esoteric groups,especially thosearound thefigureofH.P.Blavatsky. In thiscontext, itmaywellbe thatSteiner was familiar with lectures given in 1893 by a little known and seeminglyindependentEnglishesotericist,C.G.Harrison,toagroupcalledtheBereanSociety.Thisobscure group may have been associated with the High Church group of theoreticaloccultists towhichHarrison laterclaimedtobelongandwhichactivelyopposedwhat itconsideredthe‘decadent’doctrinesofreincarnationandeasternteachingsespousedbythetheosophical followers of H.P. Blavatsky. In these far-reaching and quite profoundlectures,Harrisonlaysbaresomeoftheknowledgepossessedbythewesternbrotherhoodsin relation to their understanding of septenary historical cycles and the role of ethnicgroupswithinthosecycles,especiallyasregardstheLatinandRussianpeoples.Twenty-four years before theRussianRevolution, he speaks of the ‘experiments in Socialism’,whichwouldhave to comeabout inRussiabecauseWesternEuropewasnot suited forthem.* This experiment got underway in December 1916 with the assassination ofRasputin,thelastrepresentativeofnativeoppositiontowesternesotericplansforRussia.

HewasmurderedbyPrinceYussopov,aFreemasoninitiatedinOxford; themurderwasassistedbytheBritishSecretService.†

Inaseriesof lectures inDornach inSeptember1916,Steinerdealtwith themesmoreobliquely but nevertheless related to the terrible events of the war: Inner Impulses ofHuman Evolution: The Mexican Mysteries and The Knights Templar (GA 171,AnthroposophicPress,1984).HereaspectsofBritishandAmericanevolutioninrelationtoAsiaarediscussed,andonecansenseagroundworkbeinglaidforanunderstandingofwhatwould transpire thefollowingyearwith theentryonto theworldstageofAmericaandtheBolsheviksinRussia.AfteraseriesoflecturesonpsychologyandGoethe,hethengavethecourseoflecturescollectedinthisvolume,beginningon4December.

Thecontextofthelectures:theeventsof1916In the year 1916 those European nations involved in thewar plummeted into themostdreadfulslaughtersinthebloodyhistoryoftheircontinentuptothattime,andsustainedscarsontheirnationallifewhichwouldlastfordecades.ToanyonewithaninterestandaconcernforEuropeanculturallife,itmusthaveseemedlikeanunendingnightmare.Bothsideswagedawarofattrition(orMaterialschlachtinGerman)inwhichgeneralsdidnothesitate to throw the livesofhundredsof thousands intowhat soldiers referred to as ‘amincingmachine’.InFebruarytheappallingBattleofVerdunopened,wheretheGermansupremecommandervonFalkenhaynsetouttobleedtheFrencharmywhite.TheFrenchdidnotyieldbutitwasapyrrhicvictory;thebattle,whichlastedformostoftheyear,didsucceedindrainingtheenergyfromtheFrencharmy,whichbytheendof theyearwasexhausted.TheFrenchgeneralNivelle’s springoffensive in1917ended in ignominiousfailure and the first large-scalemutinies in the Frenchmilitary. The Britishwere hard-pressedinMay,firstbytheEasterRisinginDublinandthenon31MaywhentheRoyalNavy’sHighSeasFleet,whichcould‘losetheWarinanafternoon’,almostlosttheBattleofJutland(theBritishlostmoreshipsbutretainedcontroloftheseas; theGermannavynever reappeared in force). In June the Russians seemed on the verge of a majorbreakthrough in theBrusilovOffensive,which tookhundredsofmiles from theCentralPowers but eventually petered out later in the summer. It was effectively the imperialRussianarmy’slastgasp.

June1916saw thedeathofHelmuthvonMoltke,Chiefof theGermanGeneralStaffwhenwarbrokeout.HewasreplacedbyvonFalkenhaynafterthefailureoftheBattleofthe Marne in September 1914 and effectively retired. His wife Eliza had long been afaithful pupil of Rudolf Steiner’s and after his dismissal he himself drew close toanthroposophy and Rudolf Steiner personally in the last two years of his life. Steinerspoke at his funeral and latermaintained for someyears apost-mortemcommunicationwith the soul of the dead man. (See Light for the New Millennium—Rudolf Steiner’sAssociationwithHelmuth andEliza vonMoltke, ed. T.H.Meyer, Rudolf Steiner Press,1997.) It was as the awfulness of 1916 deepened and von Moltke passed over thethresholdthatSteinerbegantospeakmoredirectlythaneveraboutthenatureandcausesofthewar.

AfterVerdun,theBritishHighCommandfeltobligedtolaunchitsownmajoroffensive—ontheSomme—on1July.ItturnedouttobetheblackdayoftheBritisharmyassome

60,000casualtiesweresustainedinthevainefforttoachieveamajorbreakthroughintheGermanfront line.TheBritishusedtanksfor thefirst timeinwarfare,but ineffectually;they achieved little. By the time the ‘battle’ ended in September, allied losses were650,000whileGermanlossesamountedto400,000.TheexperienceoftheSommeseareditselfintoBritain’snationalpsycheforageneration.BytheautumntheTripleEntentewasreelingfromtheblowstheGermanshadgivenitinbothEastandWest.TheirdiscomfiturewascompoundedwhenRomania,richinoilandwheat,whoseentryintothewarontheirsideinthesummerhadcheeredthem,wasswiftlyoverrunbytheGermanarmyundervonMackensen.By thispointvonFalkenhayn,whoseVerdunstrategyhadended in failure,hadbeenreplacedbyHindenburgandLudendorff,whodominatedthemilitarycouncilsoftheCentralPowersuntil the endof thewar.As this truly appallingyear approached itsclose, inNovemberPresidentWoodrowWilsonwasre-elected in theUSAandEmperorFranzJosefofAustria-Hungary,whohadruledsince1848,died.Aneffectivecoupd’étattookplaceinBritaininearlyDecemberwhenacabalaroundLordMilnermanagedtooustthe Liberal leader Asquith and his Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey and installthemselves in the Cabinet with new PrimeMinister Lloyd George as their front man.Thesewerehardmen,determinedonvictoryatanyprice.On12DecembertheGermans,feeling their situation in the war, though critical, had improved since the defeat ofRomania, put forward a serious peace proposal. Though vague and self-justificatory intone, it was nevertheless the first major peace proposal since the outbreak of war.ThroughouttheChristmasperiod,therefore,theworldwaitedwithbatedbreathtoseehowtheEntenteandtheneutralAmericanswouldreacttotheGermanoffer.ItisagainstthisterriblyfraughtbackgroundthattheurgenttoneofSteiner’slecturesin

TheKarmaofUntruthfulnessmustbeseen,andalsothepalpablebitternesswithwhichhegreetedthenews(30December)thattheEntentehadrejectedGermany’speaceproposals.HemusthaveguessedwhatthiswouldultimatelymeanforCentralEuropeandtheworld.OnthatverydayRasputinwasmurderedbyYussopov.Withinfivemonths,unrestrictedsubmarinewarfarehadbeenresumedattheinsistenceofHindenburgandLudendorff;theCzar had abdicated; America had entered the war against Germany; the German HighCommandhad facilitatedLenin’s return toRussia,while theAmericans and theBritishallowedTrotskytojoinhim.

ThequestionofwarguiltandSteiner’scontributiontotheunderstandingoftheGreatWarEssentially,Steinerissayingintheselecturesthatthecatastrophe(healwaysdeniedthatitwas just a ‘war’) happened for two broad reasons: firstly, because the lack ofconsciousnessandattentiononthepartofsomanypeopleinEuropeallowedthewartohappen;Europeanswere too lazy to seek for truth, either of a spiritual or of an earthly(political)natureandsobecameparalysedwiththefearthatresultedfromtheirfailuretoseethetruthofthesituation.Thisfearcreatedthepoisonousclimateintowhichthesparkofwarcouldbethrown.Thatspark,however,wasthrownconsciously,anditisherethatSteinermakesakeycontributiontotheunderstandingoftheGreatWar.

SincethevictoriousEntenteanditsalliesbrandedGermanywithsoleresponsibilityforthewarbyforcinghertosigntheinfamousWarGuiltclauseArticle231oftheVersaillesTreaty on 28 June 1919 (five years to the day after the assassination in Sarajevo),

argumenthasneverceasedamonghistoriansastowhetherthatverdictwasjustified.Thisisnomereacademicdispute;ourwholeunderstandingofthe20thcenturyandthemodernworldcanbesaid todependon itsoutcome.Between thewars, theGermanguilt thesiswaslessheardofastheiniquitousconsequencesofVersaillesbecameevident,butWorldWarIIandthecrimesoftheNazis,notablytheHolocaust,tendedtoreinforcetheearliernotionthattheGermansmusthavebeenguiltybecausetherewassomethingintrinsicallynot right about them as a people and as a culture.YoungerGerman historians, notablyFritzFischer,joinedinthiscastigation,portrayingpost-1870GermanyastheseedbedofaninevitableNazitotalitarianism.OtherwesternhistorianswentrummaginginthedistantpastofGermanhistory looking for theantecedentsofNazism: theRomantics, theHolyRomanEmpire,theSaxonEmperors,Charlemagne,theGermanicbarbariantribes…Inthe1970sand1980sthebalancewasredressed,andthewarcametobeseenmoreas

a‘GallopingGertie’,acollectiveinsanityofwesterncivilizationinwhichnoonenationwas‘toblame’,acomplexsocio-culturalreactiontothechallengesofindustrializationthathadgotoutofhand.WiththeendoftheColdWarandinthemoodofAnglo-Americantriumphalismasthemillenniumdawned,therewasafurthershift,atleastamongEnglish-speakinghistorians,andarevisionismtookholdthatwasreminiscentoftheattitudesandjudgementsof1919:BritainhadbeenrighttofightGermanyafterall;Germanmilitarismhad indeed been threatening either Britain or Europe. The Entente had been caughtunpreparedby thedeviousplansof theGermanmilitarists touse theJulycrisis toforcethewar theyhad beenwanting since at least September 1912 andperhaps for decades.Britishgeneralshadnotbeendonkeysleadinglions.Thewar, thoughaseveretrial,wasafterallavictoryfordemocracyoverautocracyandmilitarism.

This has been themajority view since themid-1990s and has been reinforced in theEnglish-speakingworldbyinnumerableTVdocumentaries,books,magazinearticlesandevenexaminationpapers.TheBritishGCSEModernWorldHistorytextbookof2001(fortheOCR,AQA,EDEXCEL,CCEA,WJECexaminingbodies)forhighschoolstudents,for example, focuses almost exclusively on the question of German guilt. It starts byasking:Whoshouldbeartheblame?thenmovestoAnglo-Germannavalrivalryandasks:DidGermanycausetheWar?ItsetsupalawcourtscenarioinwhichGermanyisinthedockandpupilsareinvitedtocometoaverdict.

RudolfSteiner’sapproachchallengesthisviewhead-on.First,heshowedhowitisonlynecessarytousecommonsenseinlookingdispassionatelyattheevidenceavailableandtodevelop a nose for truth, half-truths and lies in the public arena; one’smotto, he said,should be that ‘wisdom is to be found solely in truth’. Second, he provided anunderstandingofthebroadspiritualstreamsbehindcurrentevents,withoutwhichonejustgets lost in details. Third, he discerned characteristic elements crucial to understandingeventsonthephysicalplane—atechniqueofhistoricalilluminationhewouldlater(1918)developintowhathecalledhistoricalsymptomatology.*Whatisimportantinhistoryistopointoutwhatischaracteristicaboutfacts,notjusttolistthemoneaftertheother.Fourth,he showedhowvariousbroad spiritual streamswork indifferentgeographical locationsandthroughsecretivebrotherhoods,groupsandindividuals.Heemphasized,forexample,that the events of the war could not be understood without taking into account theexistenceandactivitiesofelitebrotherhoodsintheWest—mostlyofaMasonicorsemi-Masonicnature—withadeepoccultknowledgeofthehumanbeingandoftheevolution

ofconsciousness.Theyabusedthisknowledgeandputitattheserviceofspecialinterestgroups,one-sidednational egoisms, inorder tobringabout far-reachinghistorical aims.Thesebrotherhoodsweremasters at thegrey (themedia) andblack (ceremonialmagic)arts of manipulation, at long-range planning, networking of all kinds and, above all,ensuringtherightpeoplewereintherightplaceattherighttime.

Sceptics,especiallythosewhohavenotmanagedtoextricatethemselvesfromtheirownethnicconditioning (aswasmentionedearlier),will immediately retort: ‘SoSteinerwasjustanotherconspiracytheorist!’Simplisticconspiracytheories,however,invariablyenduppositinganegotisticdesireforpoweronthepartofsomeindividualorgroup.Steinergoesfarbeyondthis,concretelyindicatinghowtheprofoundeffortsofsuchbrotherhoodsareboundupwiththecourseofhumanevolution.Hespeaks,forexample,ofplanslaidfortheGreatWarbackinthe1880swhenanewerainhumanevolutionhadopened.HisindicationsinthisregardaresimilartothoseofwesternesotericistssuchastheshadowyC.G. Harrison, who in 1893 also drew attention to the long-range plans—notably forRussia and theSlavicpeoples—thatwouldmaterialize as a result of the intendedGreatWar.

One of the most important keys to understanding the activities of these westernbrotherhoods, Steiner pointed out,was that ‘thewhole of recent history [since the 16thcentury]has todowith the strugglebetween theancientRoman-Latinelement and thatelementthatistobemadeoutoftheEnglishpeopleiftheyfailtoputupanyresistancetoit’ (lecture 11). Benjamin Disraeli, twice PrimeMinister of Great Britain under QueenVictoria, also spoke—even in theHouse ofCommons—about the networks ofMasonicsecret societies that covered Europe and their ongoing war with monarchies and theChurch.*ThedeathofPopeJohnPaul I, theP2scandal in Italy, thepontificateofJohnPaul II, as well as the worldwide publishing success of The Da Vinci Code and otherbooksbyDanBrown,andahostofsimilarbooksinthelast25years—suchasallthosethathavefollowedinthewakeofTheHolyBloodandtheHolyGrail(1982)byBaigent,Leigh and Lincoln—have not a little to do with this ongoing occult struggle betweenAnglo-AmericanbrotherhoodsandthechampionsoftheRoman-Latinstreamofculture.

ThemainpointsofthelecturesinTheKarmaofUntruthfulness,Vol.1WhatkindofphenomenologyofworldeventsdoesSteineroutline in these lectures? Inlecture1heurgeshislistenersnottotakethingsatfacevaluebuttoexaminethem,lookatthingssidebysideandwaitforthemtospeak.Theyshouldpreparethemselvesbylookingat things from many different sides, keeping in mind motivation and perspective andremembering that clarity is the fundamental prerequisite for the formation of anyjudgement.Itisofgreatimportancealwaystolookforpeopleinpubliclifewhoseektounderstand and interpret things clearly, people with voices that speak with insight andauthority.Inlecture2heoutlinessomeofthemethodsofthebrotherhoods,indicatingthatthey reckon with long periods of time and a certain cold-blooded detachment that isnecessary toworkwith spiritual forces on the physical plane. They oftenmake use ofintermediaries to achieve their ends, pulling strings and obliterating their tracks;sometimes,inakindofpseudo-Hegeliandialectic,theyevendeliberatelysetupcounter-strategies that appear to cross their own paths, i.e. the opposite of what theirrepresentativesandpuppetssaytheywant.Throughtheirdirectorindirectcontrolofthe

mediatheycreatethought‘environments’oratmospheresintowhichideascanbeseeded.They exploit to the full the fact that most people are inattentive most of the time.Conventionalhistorians,busywiththeirchain-logicamassingoffacts,rarelyevennoticewhat is going on.Much therefore depends on the historian’s karma leading him to therightinformationattherightmoment.Oneshouldbealertforthesinglephenomenonthatcanilluminatedecades,tryingnottogeneralizeinanabstractmannerbutalwayslookingforindividualsituations.Inlecture3, indiscussingtheAustrianwriterandsocialcommentatorHermannBahr,

Steiner shows how occult ideas slip or are slipped into society by means of popularliterature;todayofcourse,thishappenstoanenormousextentthroughfilms,forexampleThe Matrix, X-Men, Revelation, Donnie Darko and Constantine. He continuallyinterweaves descriptions of outer events withwarnings of howwe have to change ourinner states in order to observe outer events correctly and points to the difficulty ofworkingwithoursympathiesorantipathieswhenfacedwiththeobviouscontradictionsincurrentevents.

In lecture 4 he warns his listeners against forming judgements about nations on thebasis of criticism of representative individuals of those nations, a way of thinking hecharacterises as ‘pitchdarkness’.CriticismofGeorgeW.Bush, for instance, shouldnotleadontocriticismoftheAmericanpeopleasawhole.Hedevelopsthepreviousthemeofhowbrotherhoodsworkinunderhandways,pittingstreamsagainstoneanothertoachieveresults,workingwithcontradictions.The twopresidential candidates in2004,BushandKerry,arebothmembersofthesamehighlyinfluentialAmericansecretsociety,Skull&Bones;whichevermanwon,Skull&BoneswouldbeintheWhiteHouse.Butthemediapaidmoreattentiontotheirgolfmembershipsandtheirwives’wardrobesthantothisfact(yet as of June 2005, therewere 53,500web pages onBush&Kerry’smembership ofSkull&Bones!).

Using the example of Serbia in the 19th century, Steiner shows how those whom anation loves are destroyed by setting up hate figures that associate with them or bycreating‘counter-loves’;onecanthinkofthemediamanipulationofPoshandBecksvs.CharlesandDiana.Onehastobeawareofaperson’sstandpointwhentheyexpressaview(what stream are they standing in?) and also of the significance ofwell-placedwomenwhomayoperatebehindthesceneswithgreatcharmsandskill;historianshavetendedtounderestimatetheinfluenceofsalonhostesses,forexample.Thoughoutwardly,situationsorindividualsmaylooktrivialorcomic,oneneedstoseethroughthemtodiscernwhethersomethingdeeper isatwork;onehas todevelopaneye forallkindsofdetailsandpayattention to politicians’ expressions and gestures asmuch if notmore than theirwords;indeed, themedia often report thesebetter than theirwords.Obviously a keen senseofdiscriminationiscalledforhere.Inthesamelecture,inconnectionwiththequestionofapossible localization of conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in August 1914,Steinerposeswhatistodaymodishlycalledacounterfactual,awhatif…?asamethodofhistorical illumination. Inhisdayhistorianswouldhave turned theirnosesupat suchamethod;today,itisnotunusual.

DiscussingthebookTheLawofCivilizationandDecay(1895)bytheAmericanwriterBrooksAdams,animportantmemberoftheAmericanEastCoastEstablishment,Steiner

tellshislistenersinlecture5tonoticewhichcompaniespublishbooks,whatintereststheyserve,andwhatstreamstheystandin.Kitesareflownbyoccultgroupstogaugereactions;theyworkbyreleasingbitsofoccultknowledge(notwholes)thattheyusetoservetheirendswhenneeded.DetailedcommentonSirThomasMore’sUtopia (1515) in lecture6revealsthedeeperspiritualprinciplesatworkinhistoryandalsopointstothecontrolofthe destiny of Britain by certain oligarchical families since the time of Henry VIII.AnalysisofkeyelementsinItaly’shistorysincethedaysofDanteandVenice’sgloryarebroughtintoshowhownotcoincidencebutsystematicdrivingforceswereatworkintheeventsof1914–15.TheexampleofDanteshowshowbloodfunctions inkarma;mixed,not‘pure’bloodisneededforadvancedindividualities.Occultgroupshaveknowledgeofhistorical epochs and genetics and this knowledge is taught in western groups. Britishpolitics in particular are ‘totally under the influence’ of what lies hidden. In Britainespecially,thekeyistoputtherightmanintherightplace.Criticismoftheseedsomeonesows is not to criticize them personally but merely to point to objective relationshipsbetween cause and effect.AgainSteiner insists that judgements cannot bemade on thebasis of sympathies and antipathies.Karma brings us to placeswherewe can sniff outknowledgeifweareawaketothesurroundings.

In lecture 7 Steiner shows howwe have to see how individuals standwith regard totheirowncountry;whatistheirinnerattitudetoit—embeddedinitorindependentfromit?Tracingcertainhistoricalprocesses from theMiddleAgesup to the20thcentury,hedescribeshowtheygrowoutofeachotherandgraduallytakeshape;theGreatWarwasinpreparationinEuropeforalongtimebefore1914.Itwasuntruths,hesaid,thathadcausedthedamage;thetruthcanneverbeasdamagingasanuntruth.Oneshouldhavecouragefortruthandstandonthefoundationoftruthevenifitisharmfulorembarrassing.Words,illusions and empty phrases areworth nothing; instead, it is necessary to look at whatpeoplewantandactuallycarryout.Hecalledhislistenerstostandupforthosewhowereclearaboutwhattheywanted,eventheoneswhoclearlyhatedothers;atleastyouknewwhereyouwerewiththemratherthanthosewhowereslipperyandfullofhotair.Finally,there was an urgent need for ethnic self-knowledge—to understand something of theessenceofwhatwasactuallylivinginBritish,German,FrenchandRussianculture,rightdowntotherelationshipbetweenthoughtsandwordsinthevariouslanguages;thesetooare deeply conditioning forces in cultural life.Without this ethnic self-knowledge therecouldbe‘norealhealing’.

Lecture 9 dealswith the need to be aware of rhetorical devices in themedia and bypublic figures, their pictorial descriptions, use of images, intensifications andcomparisons.Weshouldpayattentiontothesignificanceofnameschosenbypeopleforcertainpurposesandtakenoteofwhatisdoneonparticulardaysandunderastronomicalconstellationswhichechosimilarconfigurationsinthepast,callingforthunconsciousorsemi-consciousreactionsinpeople.Oneneedstobeawarethatbrotherhoodsreckonwithlongperiodsoftime;theysetthingsgoingandleavethemtodevelop.Newleadersemergetocarryonpredecessors’impulses.Egotisticesotericgroupsreckonwith:

•individuals’gifts(how,whereandwhentomanipulatethem);

•longperiodsoftime(timing);

•people’sdisinclinationtopayattentiontowidecontexts.

Undercertaincircumstancessomethingundesirablecanbemadetofadeoutbytreatingitwell for awhile, themore easily to engulf it later; the history of the SevenYearsWar(1756–63)showedhowagreatdealcanbeachievedinoneplacebybringingabouteventsinanother.

InthelastlecturesSteineremphasizesthatwhatpeoplethinkisfarmoreimportantthanwhat they do, as thoughts become deeds in the course of time. We live today on thethoughtsofpasttimes,whicharefulfilledinthedeedsoftoday.Weneedtorememberthatstates wage war, not peoples or nations, and this means that essentially just the fewindividualsonthebridgeoftheshipofstatearetheonesmakingthedecisionsforwar—whichishardlyademocraticprocess,evenindemocracies.

Finally,onthelastdayof1916,withthebitterknowledgethattheEntentegovernmentshad rejected theGerman andAmerican calls for peace negotiationsmade earlier in themonth,Steiner spokeaboutdiseaseandpoison, first in thehumanbodyand then in thesocial organism. When a diseased form of any kind comes into being, evolution isadvancingtoofast.Canceroccurswhenapartoftheorganismexcludesitselfandgrowsfaster than the rest. This, he said, also applies socially. Whereas ‘poisons’ can beintroducedintothebodybydoctorswiththeintentionofhealing,socantheyalsobeledandguidedintothesocialorganismtobringaboutsickness—thisiswhathecalls‘thegreymagic’ofthePress(today,‘theMedia’).Inviewofhisstatementsthatnothingisbetterforapersonthanrealinsightintohowthingsworkintheworld,andthatwhatpeoplethinkisfarmoreimportantthanwhattheydo,theMediacanwithjustificationbecalledthereal‘drugdealers’ofthesocialworldastheyformandinfluencesomanyjudgementsonthebasisofuntruth,lies,sensationalism,distortionandprejudice.

ConclusionTheFirstWorldWarwasthecrucibleoftoday’sworld,andthemonthoftheselectures,December1916,wastheturningpointofthewar,thepointofnoreturnwhenthedecisionwasmadeintheWesttoplungetheworldintothebottomofthatcrucible.Withitsterribleviolence and force and its totalitarian centralist imperatives, the war transformed theneurotic but complacent laissez-faire society of the 19th century with its appallingextremesofrichandpoorintothedepressinglyregimentedandbureaucraticconsumeristsociety of the 20th century. It changed the world of the arts, science and technologybeyond recognition from what they had been just 20 years before, and revolutionizedrelationshipsbetweenthesexes.ItdestroyedthreeEuropeanempires,radicallyredrewthemapofEurope,signalledtheendofcolonialruleanddrewthecurtainonEuropeanworldhegemony,astheperipheralsuperpowersoftheUSAandSovietRussiapushedtheirwayontocentrestage in1917.Itgavebirth to twounprecedentedmonsters,BolshevismandFascism,andultimatelytwomoreappallingworldwars—theSecondWorldWarandtheCold War. Its beginnings, development and conclusion buttressed entirely by lies anduntruth, theGreatWarwas, inshort,asRudolfSteinerdescribed it,anuttercatastrophefortheworld—acatastrophewhich,giventhestateofspiritualcultureinEuropein1914,wasalmostinevitable.Ninetyyearson,arewereallyanythewiser?Ifwearetoanswerintheaffirmativeandavoidmoresuchcatastrophes thatoccurdue to laziness, inattention,gullibilityanddeviousmanipulationbysecretivecliques,thenwecandonobetterthantomakecarefulstudyofthesevaluablelecturesofthatcriticalmonthofDecember1916and

applytoourowntimethesubtleandinfinitelyhelpfullessonstheyteach.

TerryBoardman

July2005*SeeC.G.Harrison,TheTranscendentalUniverse(TempleLodgePublishing,London1993),lecture2.

†BBCdocumentary,Timewatch,19September2004.

*SeeRudolfSteiner,FromSymptomtoRealityinModernHistory(GA185,RudolfSteinerPress,London1976).

*Hansard,HouseofCommonsdebates,IIIseries,cxliii,773–1,14July1856.

LECTUREONEDornach,4December1916

Anunbroken threadhas run throughall thediscussionsheldhereovermanyyears: it isvitally important that thosewho aremoved by the impulses of spiritual science shoulddevelop a sense, a feeling for the extent to which this spiritual science enters intoeverythingthatmankindhasbroughttothesurfaceduringthecourseofhumanevolution—Imeantothesurfaceofspirituallifeor,indeed,alllife,foritisabsurdtomaintainthatspiritual life can exist in isolation. In fact, everything that seemingly belongs tomaterialisticlifeisnothingotherthananeffectofspirituallife.

To begin with, the connections between material life and spiritual life are littleunderstoodbecausespirituallifeisfrequentlyseentodayasnothingmorethanthesumofabstractphilosophical,abstractscientific,andabstractreligiousideas.Fromwhathasbeensaidonother occasionsyouwill havegrasped that religious ideas are todayoftenmoststronglyafflictedbyabstraction,byideasandfeelingswhichcanquitewellbedevelopedwithout any direct, real spiritual life.An abstract culture of this kind cannot enter intomaterial life;onlya trulyspiritualculturecandothis,aculturewhosesourcelies in thelifeofthespirit.Ifman’sfutureevolutionistoavoidbeingsweptintototaldegeneracy,atrue spiritual culturewill have to enter evermore strongly into external life. Very fewpeoplerealizethistodaybecauseveryfewhaveanyfeelingforwhatspirituallifereallyis.Ihavestressedfrequentlythatjustnowitisextremelydifficulttospeakaboutthepositionspiritualscienceholdsinthemanypainfuleventsofourtime.

Anumberofyears agowechose asourmotto thesewordsbyGoethe: ‘Wisdom liessolelyintruth’.1Ourchoicewasnotdictatedbythesuperficialwhimsthatoftengovernsuch decisions these days.We chose this motto bearing inmind that the human beingneedstobepreparedinhisentiresoul,inhiswholenature,ifheintendstoabsorbspiritualscienceintohissoulintherightway,makingittherealdrivingforceofhislife.Thewidepreparationheneedsifhewantstopenetrateintheproperwayintospiritualsciencetodayis encapsulated in thismotto: ‘Wisdom lies solely in truth’.Of course theword ‘truth’mustbeseenassomethingseriousanddignifiedineveryconnection.Evensuperficiallywefindthatthelevelofculturewehavereachedtoday—highlypraisedthoughitis—bothinEuropeandtheworldatlarge,showshowlittlesoulsaremovedbywhatisexpressedinthismotto.

PleasedonotassumethatImeanouranthroposophicalcirclesinparticular!Thiswouldbea totalmisunderstanding.Spiritual science, certainly tobeginwith,must, in an idealsense, recognize its relationship to modern culture as a whole. Inevitably I have tomentionmany thingsbelonging to today’sculturewhichmake itwellnigh impossible torelate in a proper way to spiritual science. But in this I refer least of all to ouranthroposophical circlewhich seeks to penetrate consciously into the spiritual needs ofour time,andendeavours tofindwhatevermightbringhealing to itwithoutdisparaginganythingthatithasbroughtintobeing.

There are, of course, fundamental inner necessities which were not unforeseen. But

leavingtheseaside,wehaveoutwardlyentereduponatimeinwhich,withinthatspirituallifewhichrisestothesurfacetotheextentthatanyonecanseeitinhissoul,peoplearenotintheleastinclinedtotaketruthinitstruestsense,initsmostfundamentalmeaning.Innoway,notevenfor thesakeof theinmost impulsesof theirsoul,notevenin thosejoyfulmomentsofinnersensitivity,dopeopleilluminatewiththefulllightoftruthwhatintereststhemmostofall.Insteadtheyilluminateit—especiallyatthepresenttime—withthelightthat derives from their membership of a particular national or other community.Consciously and unconsciously people today form judgements in accordance with thistypeofviewpoint.Thequickerthejudgement,thatis,thefewerthetrueinsightsthatgotomakeup this judgement, themore comfortable it is for the souls of today.That iswhytherearesomanyutterlyimpossiblejudgementstodaypertainingbothtothewiderissuesand to individual events. These judgements are not based on any kind of intimateknowledge;indeedthereisnowishtobasethemonanysuchknowledge.Peoplestrivetodistractattentionfromwhatisreallyatissueandlookinsteadatsomeothermatterwhichisnotatallthepoint.

Inthisveinpeoplespeaktodayaboutthedifferencesbetweennations;judgementsaremade about nations. Amongst ourselves this obviously ought not to take place, but inorder togain aproperyardstickwe sometimeshave tobe clear aboutwhat isgoingonaroundus.So,judgementsaremadeaboutnations,andyetthereisnounderstandingforsomeonewho does notmake such judgements but, instead, judgeswhat is real. Thosejudgements about nations never touch onwhat is real.Yetwhen someone judges thosethingsthatarerealitiesandinthecourseofdoingsohastosayonethingoranotheraboutsomegovernmentorother,oraboutaparticularperson,oraboutsomethingthathastakenplace in politics,—whether about everyday happenings or more far-reaching matters—thenhehimselfisjudgedasthoughhisintentionswerequiteotherthanisinfactthecase.Howeasyitisforsomeonetopassajudgementaboutsomestatesmanwhoisinvolvedinwhat is going on today. If this comes to the ears of a personwho belongs to the samenationasthestatesmaninquestion,thenthispersonimmediatelyfeelshimselfaffronted.This isbecausehe takes something that is saidabout a realityand relates it, not to thisrealitybuttosomethingthatisquiteindefinableifitisnotviewedinthelightofspiritual-scientificreality;herelatesittohisnation,ashesays,ortosomeothernation.

Thus the oddest judgements buzz about in the world today. People belonging to aparticular nation form judgements about other nations without realizing that suchjudgementscarrynocontentwhatever;theyconsistofnomorethanthewordsthatexpressthem and contain nothing that has been in anyway experienced. Just considerwhat isentailed in forming a judgement about a whole nation—and are not judgements aboutwholenationsscatteredaroundinalldirectionsthesedays!Andnotonlythat.Peopleareferventlycommitted to their judgementswithouthavingtheslightest inklingofeven themostscantyevidenceonwhichsuchajudgementshouldbebased.Ofcourseyoucannotexpecteverybodytobeinpossessionofsuchevidence.Butyoucanexpectofeverysingleindividualthathepronouncehisjudgementswithacertainmodicumofreserve,refrainingfromplacingthemintheworldasabsolutestatements.Evenifwedonotgoasfarasthis,wemustbequiteclearabout thedifferencebetweena judgement thatcarriescontent, asentence thatcarriescontent, anda sentence that isemptyofall content.Wecould say:Thegreat sin of our culture today lies in the fact that it lives in sentences that bear no

content,withoutrealizinghowemptythesesentencesare.Morethanatanyothertimewecanexperiencetoday:‘Thenwordscomeintosavethesituation.They’llfightyourbattleswellifyouenlist‘em,orfurnishyouauniversalsystem.’2

Indeed,weareexperiencingevenmore;weareexperiencinghowhistoryisbeingmadeandpoliticscarriedonwithwordsthathavenocontent.Whatisdepressingisthatthereissolittleinclinationtorealizethisverything.OnlyrarelyhaveImetagenuinesenseforwhat is really going on in this field. But in the last few days I did come across somepassageswhichdoshowasenseforthisgreatdeficiencyinourtime:

‘Withastonishmentwehearfromtheprophetsofourtimethattheoldwords,Liberty,Equality, Fraternity were no more than “tradesmen’s ideals” due to be replaced bysomethingnew.ProfessorKjellensaidthis…‘3

Imustpointout—this isnecessarynowadays—that theprofessor isnotaGermanbutaSwede;hebelongstoaneutralcountry.

‘inhispaperon“TheIdeasof1914”inwhichhecomparedtheoldsloganof1789withthenewoneof1914:Order,Duty,Justice!Lookingmorecloselywefindthattheseso-callednewwordsareinfactquiteoldandprettythreadbare.Comparisonbetweenthetwo reveals the ancient conflict that characterizes human spiritual life, the conflictbetween an inner world of free personal activity and an outer world of rigid laws,coercivemeasures.EvenaslongagoasthetimeofChrist, justiceasthefulfilmentofthelawwasbalancedbymercy,dutybylove,andthelegalorderbyvoluntaryimitationofChrist.

Togivehimhisdue,ProfessorKjellendoesnotadvocatetheunconditionalabolitionofthewordsLiberty,Equality,Fraternity,eventhoughtheyhavebecomesuperfluousuponthedemiseofthe“ancienrégime”.Hesuggestsasynthesisbeweenthemandthosenewonesof1914:Order,Duty,Justice.Butthereisnothingnewinthissynthesiseither.Itwas enough of a reality in theEngland of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries toallowfortheimperfectionofeveryhumaninstitution.

Thefactthatthissynthesishasnowbecomeineffeciveonlygoestoprovethatallvaluesand counter-values, together with whatever temporary synthesis may be current,becomeemptyphrasesassoonasthedivinesparkthatgavethemlifeisextinguished.Liberty, Equality, Fraternity signify one formula that gains its power from a socialconscience.Order,DutyandJustice,ontheotherhand,mustpresupposethesuggestivepower of a higher authority if they are to become effective. Herein, and not in thepredominanceofoneoranotherformula, isrevealedthedeficiencythat issodecisivefor thedestinyofmodernmankind: the forceofa social conscience is lacking in toogreatamajorityfortheliberatingvaluestodominate,andtheforceofauthorityistoomuchlackingforthosevaluesthatbindfromoutsidetodominate.Valueswhicharenotdeeplyrootedinevolutioncanrapidlyturntoemptyphrasesandfallpreytomisuse…’andsoon.

Thus,occasionallyachordisstruckthatrevealsagenuinesenseofwhatisgoingon.Ineednotbesurprisedatthesewordswhichstandoutformelikeanoasisintoday’sdesertofemptyphrases.Theywerewritten,afterall,bymyoldfriendRosaMayreder.4TheyaretobefoundintheNovember1916issueoftheInternationaleRundschauandtheypointto

muchaboutwhichwespoketogethermanyyearsago.SoIneednothavebeensurprisedtofindthesewordsstandingoutforme;butinmanywaysIwasdelightedtohearhowthethoughtsof suchapersonalityhavedevelopedover theyears.Though shecannotbringherself to rise to a view of the world based on spiritual science and has ever taken astandpointofunfruitfulcriticism,yetshehastosay:

‘Alltheproblemsfoundintheexternalstructureoftheworldcanbetracedbacktoonesinglesource—thepowerproblem.’

Ifonlywecouldtakeheedofthis,weshouldbefarlessinclinedtoliveourlivesinemptyphrases!

‘At thecentreofall thequarrelsanddisturbances thatdominate thehumanconditionstands the battle of groups and individuals for power. This battle for power betweenwholegroupsofnationsorstatesis,beyondallemptyphrases,thetruecauseofeverywar.War cannot be separated from power-seeking; those who desire to combat warmustfirstdevaluetheprincipleofpower—justas,quite logically, theearlyChristiansdid.Theguiseinwhichthepowerprinciplenowappearsisworsethananyitmayhavedonned in the past; for now it threatens the human soul in all itsmost beautiful andnoble traits. It could be called the mechanization of life through the technical andeconomicmasteryofnature.Itisthetragicdestinyofmanforevertobecometheslaveof his own creations because he is incapable of calculating their consequences inadvance. Thus it has happened that even where he has used his ingenuity andinventivenesstocoercetheelementalforcesintohisservice,hehasonceagainbecometheslaveof theunforeseeableeffects theyassumethrough theircombinationwith thepower principle.Modern technology, which makes human life so much easier in somany ways, and modern economics, which so infinitely increases man’s materialwealth,havingnowbecomethetoolsofmodernimperialism,turnagainsttheessentialbeing of the individual. Massed together in a soulless multitude, human beings areground up by the machinery of party interests that drives today’s civilization. Theindividualbecomesasparepart,acog;hecanholdhisownonlytotheextenttowhichhehasthestrength.Butthevaluesofsoulqualityestablishedbypastculturesperishintheprocess…Atpresentsuchculturalvaluessurviveonlyincountrieswhichlieoutsidetherealmofimperialisticcompetitiveness,orinruralareasandsmalltownswherethereisstilladegreeofleisureandrepose,wherethedemandsmadeontheindividualdonotexceed his capacity to fulfil them. These are the indispensable preconditions for aharmonious art of living; but they are sucked under by themurderousmaelstrom ofexcessesprevailingatthecentresofmoderncivilization…’

Voicessuchas thisprovethat therearesome—notverymany—whounderstandwhat islackingtoday.Yetthesepeoplerecoilfromgraspingthelivingimpulseofspiritualscience.Theverythingmostabletograsprealityiskeptatarm’slength.Themainreasonforthisisthatthereisafundamentalimpulselackingintheirstriving,andthatisthefundamentalimpulse for truth.There is anurge to seek for the truth in emptyphrases.Buthoweverenthusiasticallytheyfill theirbeingwiththesephrases,thisurgewillneverleadthemtothe truth. To find the truth it is necessary to have a sense for the facts, regardless ofwhetherthesearetobefoundonthephysicalplaneorinthespiritualworld.

Letuslookatlifeasitistoday:Hastheurgefortruthkeptpacewiththesagacityand

withtheimmenselyadmirableprogressthatareembodiedinexternalculture?No.Wecaneven say that in a certain sense people have lost the goodwill to lookproperly and seewhetherwhat is there in reality is rooted in anyway in the truth.But it is essential todevelopthisfeelingfortruthindailylife,forotherwiseitwillbeimpossibletoraiseituptoanunderstandingofthespiritualworlds.

ToshowyouwhatImean,letmegiveyouanexample,notonlyofthelieoftheemptyphrase but also of how actual lies surge and billow on the waves of present-daycivilization,influencingreallife.Therearemanyeventswecannowlookbackonwhichhave shakenEurope to its foundations. It is necessary to gobackmanydecades and torecognize over these decades the essential characteristics of these events ifwewant toform a judgement aboutwhat is today causing thewholeworld to quake; butwemusthaveaneyefortherealities.

Ihavetoldyoubefore5thatincertainsecretbrotherhoodsintheWest—Ihaveproofofthis—therewastalkinthe1890saboutthepresentwar.Thepupilsofthesebrotherhoodsweregiveninstructionbymeansofmaps6whichshowedhowEuropewastobechangedbythisworldwar.TheEnglishbrotherhoodsinparticulardiscussedawarthatwastotakeplace—indeed,thatwastobeguidedintobeingandproperlyprepared.Iamspeakingoffacts, but there are certain reasons why I have to refrain from drawing maps for you,thoughIcouldquiteeasilydrawforyouthemapswhichfiguredintheteachingsofthosewesternsecretbrotherhoods.

These secret brotherhoods, togetherwith everythingaffiliated to them,were countingontremendousrevolutionswhichweretotakeplacebetweentheDanubeandtheAegeanSea andbetween theBlackSea and theAdriatic in connectionwith thegreatEuropeanwar they were discussing—every sentence I say here is quite deliberate. One of thesentenceswhichfiguredintheirdiscussions,andwhichIshallquotemoreorlessliterally,went:Assoonas thedreamsofPan-Slavismhavedeveloped justa little further,agooddealwill takeplaceintheBalkanswhichis inaccordwiththedevelopmentsinEurope.Theymeantinaccordwiththesecretbrotherhoods.

This isonegreatnetworkthatIwant tobringtoyourawareness.ThedreamsofPan-Slavismwerediscussedoverandoveragainbythesesecretbrotherhoods.Theyspokeofpoliticaldreams,ofpolitical revolutions,notofculturaldreamswhichwouldhavebeenfully justified; have not we in our spiritual-scientific movement discussed morethoroughlythananyoneelsewhatlivesinthesouloftheEast!HavingseenwhatkindofrolethedreamsofPan-Slavismplayed,letusnowturnforawhiletotherealitiesofthephysical plane. I will give one example. For many decades there existed, under theprotectionoftheRussiangovernment,a‘SlavWelfareCommittee’.7Whatcouldbenicerthana‘SlavWelfareCommittee’undertheprotectionofamightygovernment?IwillnowreadyouashortletterthathastodowiththisCommittee,dated5December1887.Itsaysthefollowing:

‘ThePresidentofthePetersburgCommitteeoftheSlavWelfareSocietyhasapproachedthe Foreign Minister with a request for weapons and ammunition for the Nabokovexpedition.’

Therequestwasnotforwarmunderwearfor littlechildren, itwasforammunitionfora

certainexpeditionconnectedwithstirringtherevolutioninthedifferentBalkancountries!Youmayperhapsseefromthishowsomethingthatisalie,aconsciouslie,canfloataboutinpubliclife.A‘welfarecommittee’,—howinnocuous,indeedworthy!—-carriesonthebusinessofthevariousrevolutionarycommitteesconnectedwiththeRussiangovernmentwhohavethetaskofstirringuptheBalkanstates.

Icouldeasilyquoteyouten,eventwenty,suchlittlenotes.Letmeaddonemore:Inthefatefulyearof1914acertainMrPasic8occupiedahighpositioninthegovernmentofacertainBalkancountry.Nodoubtyourememberthename.WhiletheObrenovichdynastywere still the rulersofSerbia, thisMrPasicwasexiled to anotherBalkancountry.Youmightaskwhathewasdoingthere.IdonotwanttocriticizethisgentlemanbutIwouldliketoreadyouanothershortletter.Itstarts:‘SecretcommunicationfromthePresidentoftheCommitteeoftheSlavWelfareCommitteeinPetersburgtotheConsularAdministratorinRustshuk,dated3December1885,Nr.4875.’Iquotethefilenumbersothatyoudon’tthinkIammakingthisupormerelyrecountingananecdote:

‘Ontheinstruction9oftheDirectoroftheAsiaticDepartmentIhavepleasureinsendingtoYourHonourherewith6000roubleswiththehumblerequestthatthissumbepaidtothe Serbian emigrant Nicola Pasic through the kind offices of the widow NatalyaKaravelovwhoresidesatRustshuk.Pleasebesogoodastoconfirmreceiptandfurtherdisposalofthissum.’

Youseehoweven thosewhoworkedfor the innocuous‘SlavWelfareSociety’playedacertainpart in the fateful events inEurope.Would itnotbeagood thing todevelopaninstinctfortruthbynotbeingsocarelessastotakethingsattheirfacevalueaccordingtoanameoraphraseand,instead,cultivatingthewilltoexaminethemalittle?Unlessthisisdone, conclusions are reached entirely thoughtlessly, and thoughtlessness in formingjudgements is what takes us further and further away from the truth. The fact thatthoughtlessnessinjudgementtakesusawayfromthetruthcanneverbecounteredbytheexcuse thatwedidnotknowthisor that.Thejudgementswecarry inoursoularefactsthatworkintheworld;weshouldneverforgetthatwhatwecarryinoursoulworksintheworld, though on thewhole it is subject towhat is at work governing thewholewiderangeoflife.

Todigressforamoment,thestrangestjudgementsabouttherelationshipsbetweenthevariousstatescanbeheardthesedays.Thewordsforthis—anemptyphraseintheplaceof the truth—are ‘international relations’. Judgements are reachedbypeoplewhomakenottheslightestefforttoconsulttheevidence,eventhoughthiswouldsometimesbequiteeasy to find. I do not refer, of course, to those who are united with us here in theAnthroposophicalSociety.Nevertheless,wedostandintheworldanditdoesinfluenceusviaatleastonefatalindirectroute,forwealwaysallowourselvestobeinfluencedbywhatsomepeoplehavecalledamajorpower:thePress!TheeffectofthePressreallyismostdisastrous, for it falsifies and blurs virtually everything.How littlewould bewritten ifthosewhowritewerereallycalledupontowriteproperly!WhodoesnotwritetodayabouttherelationshipofRomaniatoRussia,orRomaniatoanyoftheotherstates?Itdoesnoteven occur to them that a fundamental prerequisite for saying anything about theserelationshipsistoreadthememoirsofthelateKingCarolofRomania.10Thosewhowritewithout having done this only write things which are not worth reading, even by the

simplestpeople.

Times aregrave; thereforeonlygrave andearnestviewsof theworld andof life canserve in these times.So it is important tosensesomethingofa feeling that Ihaveoftendescribedasessential:aboveallnottojudgerashlybut,instead,tolookatthingssidebysideandwaitforthemtospeak.Inthecourseoftimetheywillsayagoodmanythingstous. To acquaint oneself with as many aspects as possible is the best preparation forpenetratingthoroughlyintothedifficultandcomplicatedconditionsoflifetoday.

Withoutwishing to express any judgement I should like to tell you somethingwhichwilldemonstratetheproperwaytoplacethekindofthingIhavetotellsidebysidewithotherthingsthathappen.TheimportantpartplayedbytheRomanianarmyintheRusso-Turkish war is well known. After the Russians had demanded permission to marchthroughRomania, and after they had been refused, amoment arrived in thiswarwhenGrandDukeNikolai,11whowasalreadyplayingan importantpartat that time,wrote toRomaniaas follows: ‘Cometoourassistance,crossover theDanubehoweveryouwishand underwhatever conditions youwish.But come quickly, for theTurks are about tofinishusoff.’As a result, asweknow, the interventionof theRomanian army led to afavourableoutcomeforRussia.Afterthis,KingCarolofRomaniawantedtotakepartinthepeacenegotiations.Hewasnotadmitted.Sohetookupquiteavehementpositionvis-à-vis theRussian government, in consequence ofwhich he underwent rather a peculiarexperience.TherewereRussiantroopsstationedinBucharestanditwasquiteeasytobeconvinced that the intentionwas to remove the king; the situation being as I have justhinted,youcaneasilyunderstandthatsuchintentionsmightindeedexist.SoKingCaroldemanded thewithdrawalof theRussian troops,whereaponhe receivedanexceedinglybrusque, indeed quite atrocious reply fromGorchakov,12 the then ForeignMinister. Hethoughtforawhile—suchpeopledothinkfromtimetotime—andcomfortedhimselfwiththenotion thatat leastTsarAlexanderwouldnotagreeand that itwasonlyGorchakovwhowastakingsuchliberties.SohewrotetotheTsarandreceivedareplyfromwhichIquoteverbatimthemainsentences:

‘Theembarrassingsituationbroughtaboutbyyourministershasnotinanywayalteredthecordial interestI feelforyou;I regrethavinghadtohintat thepossiblemeasureswhichtheattitudeofyourgovernmentwouldforcemetotake.’

I am telling you these things only as an example of how to place the events of recentdecades sideby side, so thatoutof these eventsone judgementor anothermaypresentitself.Onlytheeventsthemselvescanhelpustoformjudgementswithrealcontent.Andtheeventsof recentdecadesaresuch that theycannotbe judgedsummarilybecause fartoomanythreadsleadtoeachone.Furthermore,it isnecessarywitheveryjudgementtobear inmind the propermotivation, the proper perspective. In this connection themostpainfulexperiencescanbehad.Imustadmitthatinthefaceofthegreataccumulationofunkindness I am now meeting in just this connection I cannot but reach the painfulconclusionthatthereisverylittleinclinationintheworldtogivejudgementstheirproperperspectiveandalsoverylittlewilltounderstandsomeonewhotriestojudgethingsinthisway,thusfindingtherightperspectiveforhisjudgements.

Without stating my own opinion one way or the other, I must admit that outsideGermanyIhavehardlymetasinglejudgementaboutGermanythatisreallyunderstanding

and friendly. Judgements havebeenpronouncedwith immense confidence, yes, but notwith genuine understanding. On the other hand, there are innumerable extraordinarilybenevolent judgementsabouteverything in theperiphery.Nobodyneedbelieve that thissurprises me. It certainly does not. I am not in the least surprised, but I do try tounderstandwhy it is so. The reason is that there is absolutely nowill to gain a properperspective.PeopledonotevensuspectthatajudgementaboutwhatlivestodayinCentralEuropehas tobemadefromaperspective thatdiffersutterly fromthatneeded to judgewhat lives in the periphery. They have no idea what it means that with everythingcontained in Central Europe each single individual is vulnerable and threatened, andthereforethatthescaleofaffairsisatahumanlevel,whereasintheperipherythescaleisthat of state and political affairs which require to be judged from an entirely differentperspective.Eachisjudgedonthesamebasis,butthisismeaninglessinthiscase.

AsIhavealreadysaid,Iamnotstatinganopinionbutspeakingabouttheforminwhichjudgementispassed.Nowhereintheworldisaccounttakenofthefactthatsomethingthatisnotmeanttorelatetoaparticularnationis,nevertheless,inappropriatelyseeninrelationtothatnation.NobodytakesintoaccountthattheBritishEmpirecoversonequarteroftheearth’slandsurface,Russiaoneseventh,Franceandhercoloniesonethirteenth.Togetherthisamountstoabouthalfofthetotallandsurfaceoftheearth!Icanwellunderstandthatthe benevolence directed towards this side can be quite easily accounted for, simplymathematically.Obviouslyone is dependent onwhat dominatesonehalf of the earth! Iquiteunderstand.Buttheterriblethoughttobeconsideredisthatthisisnotadmittedand,instead,allkindsofmoralstatementsandemptyphrasesareused. Ifonlypeoplewouldsay:Wecannothelpbutgoalongwithonehalfoftheearth!Atthatmomenteverythingwouldbealmostalright.Butpeoplewilldoanythingtoavoidsayingthis.Bytheway,Imight aswell justmention thatGermany,with all the colonies she has ever possessed,coversonethirty-thirdoftheearth’slandsurface.

Thesethingsmustdefinitelybetakenintoaccount,andIaskyou:Isitnotessentialtoinclude such things inone’s judgement?Whatwasmeant by ‘imperialism’ in the essayquotedearlierwas,ofcourse, thespreadofdominationover the territoriesof theworld.TheBritish Empire is obviously the largest. This is indisputable. I am not speaking ofopinions but of facts. Please do not think thatmy remarks are aimed at any particularpersonbelongingtoanyparticularnation.

Bearing inmindwhat has just been said, it is not surprising to learn that theBritishEmpirehad,andstillhas,thehighestexportfigures.Wehavetoknowthisandtakeitintoaccount.However, a remarkablecircumstancearose:Germany’sexports started tocatchupwiththeBritish.NotverymanyyearsagoacomparisonshowedthatGermany’sexportfigures13 were very low and those of Britain very high. Now let me write on theblackboardthefiguresforJanuarytoJune1914.ForthisperiodGermany’sexportfigurewas £1,045,000,000 and that of Britain £1,075,000,000. If another year had passedwithoutthecomingoftheWorldWar,itispossiblethattheGermanexportfiguremighthavebeenlargerthantheBritish.Thiswasnottobeallowedtohappen!

These things can be seen without any need to let feelings come into play in onedirection or another.What individual people, who strive for objecivity, think about theevents of the present day is far more important than any subjective sympathies or

antipathiesand,aboveall,farmoreimportantthanwhatthrobsthroughthedailypressinsuchadisastrousway. I shallgo into these thingsmoredeeply fromaspiritualpointofviewquite soon.But Iwouldbe failing inmyduty if Iwere to throwspiritual lightonthese matters without pointing to the realities of the physical plane. I cannot makeeverythingcomfortableforyouandavoidhurtinganyone’sfeelingsbyliftingtheformingofjudgementsupintocloud-cuckoo-land.ItisessentialthatIletthelightofwhatcanbesaidaboutthespiritualsituationshinealsoonwhatonecanandoughttoknowaboutthephysicalplane.So letmedrawyourattention tosomethingwhichmay interestyouandwhich will not cause too much offence now, since I believe that all our friends herepresent are obviously entirely free of any prejudice. I have to carry out my dutyconscientiouslyandthisinvolvescreatingaproperbasis.

Therearesomepeopletodaywhostrivetolookatthingsclearlyandseethemforwhatthey reallyare.Though itmight seem thateveryone isbiased thereare, in fact,varyingdegrees of prejudice and we should not lose sight of this. Without recommending orpraisingitinanyway,Iwanttomentionanarticlewhich,interestinglyenough,hasbeenpublishedhere inSwitzerland:On theHistoryof theOutbreakof theWarBasedon theOfficialRecordsofHisMajesty’sBritishGovernmentbyDrJakobRüchti.14Thisarticlediverges considerably fromwhat is heard everywhere across half theworld these daysabout the so-called guilt of the Central Powers. The style of the article is formallyscientific,even ratherpedantic,after themannerofhistorical seminars.And the recordsquoted are chiefly those of the British Government. Out of consideration for people’sfeelings I shall not repeat the conclusion reached, since it diverges greatly from thejudgementusuallyheardintheperipheryaboutCentralEurope.Attheendofthearticleweread:

‘Buthistorycannotbepermanentlyfalsified;themythcannotstanduptothescrutinyofscientific research; the sinisterwebwill be brought into the light and torn to pieces,howeverartfullyithasbeenspun.’

This article, the fruit of a historical seminar at a Swiss university,was even awarded aprizebytheUniversityofBerne.SothereexiststodayanarticlethathasbeenawardedaprizebyaSwissuniversity,anarticlewhichendeavourstorevealthefactsinalightthatdiffers from that foundat theperipheryvery frequentlynowadays.This isworth takingintoconsideration,fornoonewoulddaretoaccusethehistoricalfacultyoftheUniversityofBerneofhavingperhapsbeenbribed.

ThereisyetanotherfactIwanttomention.ForsometimeadiscussionhasbeengoingonbetweenClemenceau,15MrArcher16andGeorgBrandes.17GeorgBrandesisaDane,aDanish writer. Most of you will know of him, since he is one of the most celebratedEuropean writers. Do not think that I am mentioning him today because I have anyparticularlikingforhim;indeedheisawriterIparticularlydislike,forwhomIhaveverylittlesympathy.

Without any further introduction, let me now read to you the article Brandes wroterecently,followinganargumentwithGrey,18MrArcherandClemenceau.Imustrepeat,though,thatIamcountingonmyearlierstatementaboutourpresentcircleprovingtrue:namely, that discriminationwill be exercised and that no onewill believe that it ismypurposetopickholes inanyparticularnation.Iamnotgivingmyopinion,Iammerely

readingtoyouanarticlebyGeorgBrandes.Hewrites:

‘Since Ihavemetwithpersonal insinuationsboth in foreignnewspapersand in thoseanonymous letters throughwhich the flower of theDanish gutter airs its perfumes, Imustsaythefollowingonceandforall:IhavethehonourofbeingamemberofthreedistinguishedLondonclubs,andwaspresidentofone,vice-presidentofanother;Iaman honorarymember of three learned societies and an honorary doctor of a Scottishuniversity.Thus,stronglinksattachmetoGreatBritain. IoweEngland’s literaryandartisticworldadebtofdeepgratitudeandIhaveeverbeenstronglyattractedtoBritishlife and letters. The German Reich and Austria-Hungary, in contrast, have neverawardedmetheslightesthonourofanykind,noteventhetiniestLittleRedBirdFourthClass;19IhaveneverbeenamemberofanyGermancluborlearnedsocietyandhaveneverreceivedeventhesmallestawardfromaGermanuniversity.’

I,too,haveneverheardofanyinclinationonthepartofaGermansocietytoawardanyhonourtoGeorgBrandes,buttheydoheartilyabusehim!

‘BecauseofmyremarksaboutNorthernSchleswigIhavebeenregularlyandviolentlyslandered in theGermanpress for the last twentyyears. It cannot, therefore, trulybeclaimedthatIhavebeenbribedtotakeupcudgelsforGermany.’

Verytrue!This,dearfriends,bywayofabriefintroduction.ImightaddthatBrandeswasa most intimate friend of Clemenceau. I myself have seen in Austria on the estate offriendsoftheirs,abenchonwhich—soIwastold—ClemenceauandBrandesoncesatinthemost beautiful and affectionate concord and onwhich the names ‘Clemenceau andBrandes’hadbeencarved.Sincethenthisbenchin thatbeautifulSilesianhermitagehasbeen known as theClemenceau-Brandes Seat.20 Lecturing in Budapest, GeorgBrandesoncesaid:

‘SinceIcannotspeakHungarianIshallnotbeabletospeaktoyouinHungarian,andsinceIdisliketheGermanlanguageeverybitasmuchasyoudo,IshallnotspeaktoyouinGermaneither.IshallgivethislectureinFrench.’

As you see, there is not the slightest reasonwhy anyGerman should have a particularaffectionforGeorgBrandes.Hisarticlecontinues:

‘It cannot, therefore, truly be claimed that I have been bribed to take up cudgels forGermany.IfIhavespokenwithouttakingsidesaboutwhatIseetobethetruth,IhavedonesoforreasonsotherthanthosesostupidlyhintedatbyMrClemenceauwhenhesuggestedthatIwascurryingfavourwiththeKaiser.’

Idonotknowwhetheroneortheothernamehasbeeneradicatedfromthatseatsincetheappearanceofthesewords!Brandescontinues:

‘MrArcherbaseshisargumentonthepremisethattheCentralPowersalone(namely,certain persons) are to blame for the war and made preparations for it. This samepremise turns up repeatedly among the Allies: the assumption that incompletepreparationforthewarprovesonesidetobethelambandtheotherwolf.

InmyopiniontheunpreparednessforwarofacertaincountryontheContinentinthesummerof1914provesnothingmorethanacertaincarelessness,negligence,sloppiness

andlackofforesightamongtheappropriateauthorities.Acertainnationmightthereforevery well have hoped, by means of war, to regain possession of some confiscatedprovinces.Itisquiteeasytoimaginethatpublicopinionhasallalongconsideredsuchawartobeaholydutybutthat,evenso,negligencemeantthatthemilitaryforceswereunprepared.

Andwhatappliestoalandforceappliesjustasmuchtoaseaforce.

I.

On27November1911aquestionwasaskedintheEnglishParliamentastowhethertheApril1904Anglo-FrenchagreementaboutMoroccocouldbeinterpreted,eitherbytheFrenchortheEnglishGovernment,toincludemilitarysupportbylandorsea,andunderwhat circumstances.Theanswer amounted to a statement thatdiplomatic supportdidnotcommit toeithermilitaryormaritimesupport.On thesamedaySirEdwardGreysaid:“Letmetrytoputanendtosomeofthesuspicionswithregardtosecrecy…Wehavelaidbefore theHousethesecretArticlesof theAgreementwithFranceof1904.There are no other secret engagements… For ourselves we have not made a singlesecret article of anykind sincewe came into office.”On3August 1914SirEdwardGrey read out in Parliament, among other things, the following passage from adocumentthathehadsenttotheFrenchambassadorinLondonon22November1912:“You have pointed out that if either Government had grave reason to expect anunprovokedattackbyathirdPower,itmightbecomeessentialtoknowwhetheritcouldin that event depend upon the armed assistance of the other. I agree that, if eitherGovernment had grave reason to expect an unprovoked attack by a third Power, orsomething that threatened the general peace, (an exceedingly vague expression) itshould immediately discuss with the other whether both Governments should acttogether to prevent aggression and to preserve peace, and, if so,whatmeasures theywouldbe prepared to take in common.” In the same speech,Grey says: “Weare notparties to the Franco-Russian Alliance. We do not even know the terms of thatAlliance.”’

Brandesadds,inbrackets:‘Areallyextraordinarystatement.’

‘On10March1913LordHughCecil said in theDebateon theAddress: “There is averygeneralbeliefthatthiscountryisunderanobligation,notatreatyobligation,butan obligation arising out of an assurance given by the Ministry in the course ofdiplomaticnegotiations,tosendaverylargearmedforceoutofthiscountrytooperateinEurope…”HereMrAsquithinterruptedthespeakerwiththewords:“Ioughttosaythatthisisnottrue.”

On 24 March 1913 the Prime Minister was asked again whether under certaincircumstancesBritishtroopscouldbemusteredinordertolandthemonthecontinent.Hereplied:“Ashasbeenrepeatedlystated,thiscountryisnotunderanyobligationnotpublicandknown toParliamentwhichcompels it to takepart inanywar.”Does thisreply conform to the truth?When rumours surfaced again in the following year, SirEdwardGreyansweredon28April1914:“ThepositionnowremainsthesameasstatedbythePrimeMinisterinanswertoaquestioninthisHouseon24March1913.”Toyetanotherquestionon11June1914SirEdwardGreyreplied:“Therearenounpublished

agreements which would restrict or hamper the freedom of the Government or ofParliamenttodecidewhetherornotGreatBritainshouldparticipateinawar.”Withoutanyexaggerationthiscanbecalledsophistry.

Afterall,thereexistedtheletterof22November1912toMonsieurCambonwhich,inthe dreadful bureaucratic style of diplomatic language, unequivocally committedEngland to participation in any military recklessness into which Russia might lureFrance.’

Thestyleisindeedexcruciating.

‘Evenmore extraordinarywas the conclusion of the speech by theForeignMinister:“But if any agreement were to be concluded that made it necessary to withdraw ormodifythePrimeMinister’sstatementoflastyear,itought,inmyopinion,tobe,andIsupposethatitwouldbe,laidbeforeparliament.”

Thewholeworldknowsthatthisdidnothappen.

II.

These passages from parliamentary speeches prove that Great Britain was notunprepared for a war with Germany. Mr Archer regards it as quite definite thatGermanypassionatelylongedforawarwithGreatBritain.

IthasbeenprovedthatEngland’sdeclarationofwarwassounexpectedbytheGermangovernment that itcausedconsternation. It ispossible tocall theGermangovernmentnaive in this connection, but there is absolutely no doubt that they were painfullysurprised.AsC.H.Normanconclusivelyproves,KaiserWilhelmhadgoodreason tohope for England’s neutrality. In the years 1900–1901 he had prevented a EuropeancoalitionthatwouldhaveforcedEnglandtograntfavourablepeacetermstotheSouthAfrican republics.Hehadshownhis friendship forEnglandby refusing to receive inBerlin a deputation of Boers who were being fêted throughout Europe. In the well-knowninterviewintheDailyTelegraph21heexpresslypublicizedthefactthathehadrefusedtheinvitationofRussiaandFrancetojointhemintakingstepstoforceEnglandtobring theBoerWar toanend.NeitherFrancenorRussiahaveeverdared todenythis.’

Icouldaddagooddealoutof that letter in theDailyTelegraphwhichwould speak farmoreclearlythanGeorgBrandesisdoing;butIdon’twanttoaddanythingmyself!

‘SotheKaiserwasnotallthatkeenonawarwithEnglandatthattime.Anditwillnotbe easy to convince any thoughtful person that six years after the publication of thatinterviewhewasallofasuddeneagerlyplanningtogotowarwiththewholeglobe.Itis obvious, of course, that hisGovernmentmade a false calculation.But they did notwant war with England in 1914, and the uncontrollable hate of the German peopleagainst the English which burst out so repulsively was obviously the result of thesurprise of discovering in Great Britain an unexpected and uncommonly powerfulenemy.

Tothelastminute,GermanysoughtthroughherdiplomatstowinEngland’sneutrality.Theyworkedcautiously.TheGermanChancellorproposedtoSirEdwardGoschen(theBritish Ambassador in Berlin) that he would stand for the inviolability of French

territory if Germany should happen to conquer France and Russia. But Sir EdwardGrey’s attitude was negative because Germany would not extend this guarantee toincludetheFrenchcolonies.

NowPrinceLichnowsky,22theGermanAmbassadorinLondon,askedwhetherEnglandwouldagreetoremainneutralifGermanyrefrainedfromviolatingBelgium’sneutrality.SirEdwardGreyrefused.Hewantedtoretainafreehand.(“Ididnot thinkwecouldgiveapromiseofneutralityonthatconditionalone.”)WouldheagreeifGermanywereto guarantee the integrity of both France and her colonies? No. (“The Ambassadorpressed me as to whether I could formulate conditions on which we would remainneutral. He even suggested that the integrity of France and her Colonies might beguaranteed.IsaidthatIfeltobligedtorefusedefinitelyanypromisetoremainneutralonsimilarterms,andIcouldonlysaythatwemustkeepourhandsfree.”)

Sir Edward Grey afterwards maintained that Prince Lichnowsky had certainly over-stepped his authority in making these offers. Surely he could only say such a thingbecausehewas,andstillis,convincedthatGermanyhadaninvincibleurgetodobattlesimultaneouslywithRussia,France,EnglandandBelgium.’

Pleaseforgivemeforaddingsomethinghere.FromwhatIhavejustreadtoyouwemaysee that a single sentence from Grey would have sufficed to prevent the violation ofBelgium’sneutrality.However, IdonotblameGrey inanyway, forhe is thepuppetofquite other forces about which I shall speak later. On the contrary, I regard him as aperfectly honest but exceptionally stupid individual; but I do not know how far it ispermitted today to express such judgements! Anyway, one sentence from Grey wouldhave sufficed to prevent the violation ofBelgian neutrality, and it is possible to add: asinglesentenceandthewarintheWestwouldnothavetakenplace.Somedaytheworldwillhearaboutthesethings.

Ithinkthatthesethingsweighquiteheavily,fortheyarefacts.Brandescontinues:

‘As I saidearlier, and this isobvious tocommonsense,Germanywasprepared foraGerman-Russian war, should this arise from the invasion of Serbia by Austria. ButGermanydidnotwanttomolestFrance(orBelgium)ifsheremainedneutral.France,however,wasdeterminedtogototheaidofRussia.Thewisdomofthispolicywillbejudgedbyfuturegenerations,butmeanwhileitsconsequenceisthattenmillionpeopleare spending seven days every week miserably murdering one another. Without theknowledgeofParliament,theEnglishForeignMinistryhadcommittedGreatBritaintoassistingFranceintheeventofaEuropeanwar.GiventhenewandstrongsympathyforFrance,publicopinioninEnglandmightevenhaveapprovedofthiscommitmenthaditbeen public knowledge. But if all the details had been known itwould certainly nothaveapprovedoftheconstraintunderwhichEnglandwasplaced,forEnglandwastobeforcedtogotowarbecauseofFrance’srelationshipwithRussia,theonlypowerwithnothingtoloseinthecaseofawar.Russia’spopulationissoenormousthatthelossoflifeoccasionedbyawarwouldhardlybeworthconsidering,and ifnationalpassionswere aroused and if thewarwere to lead to a victory, then this could only serve tostrengthen the position of the conservative Government. If the political position hadbeen fully known, public opinion in Great Britain would have recognized that theconsequencesofaconflictcouldcontainnothinggoodforthefreedomorthewellbeing

ofmankind.IftheAlliesweretowin,thiswouldonlyleadtoanimmenseincreaseinthemight of Russia, the victory of a governmental system opposed to that of GreatBritain.FortheRussianpeople,whoasapeoplehavewontheheartofEurope,suchavictorywouldbringnoprogress.

III.

Idonotbelievethatmyesteemedopponent,MrArcher,candetestPrussianmilitarismmore than I do. It is caused by the two long and threatened borders, that betweenGermany and Russia on the one side and that between Germany and France on theother.’

NotethatthisissaidbyapersonwhohasneverbeenawardedeventhetiniestLittleRedBird,notevenfourthclass!

‘Itisexcusablevis-à-visFrancebythefactthattheFrenchhaveoccupiedBerlintwentytimesorso,whereastheGermanshaveonlytakenParistwice.Itisobnoxiousbecauseof its caste system and its arrogance.But it can hardly be said to beworse than themilitarismofothercountries.’

Says Georg Brandes, who does not possess even the tiniest Little Red Bird, not evenfourthclass!

‘Europe,includingEngland,wasworriedtonoteduringtheDreyfusAffairwhatformsFrenchmilitarismwascapableoftaking.’

OfcourseIagreewhole-heartedlywithGeorgBrandes!

‘As forRussianmilitarism, in the year 1900 our idyllic and amiableRussians, aboutwhommyesteemedfriendWellsissoenthusiastic,andwhohavecapturedtheheartsofthe rest of us too, cold-bloodedly slaughtered the total Chinese population ofBlagoveshchensk and surroundings. The Cossacks tied the Chinese together by theirpigtailsand launched themon the river inboatswhichsank.When thewomen threwtheir children on the beach and begged that they at least might be spared theyslaughtered them with their bayonets. “Even the Turks have never been guilty ofanythingworsethanthismassmurderinBlagoveshchensk,”wroteMrFESmith, theformerEnglish press censor, in 1907, the very year of theAnglo-Russian agreementwhichguaranteedandatthesametimeunderminedtheindependenceofPersia.

The same English writer confirmed the description of Japanese militarism by thecorrespondent ofTheTimes.On 21November 1894 the Japanese army stormedPortArthurandforfourdaysarabbleofsoldiersslaughteredthecivilianpopulation,men,womenandchildren,withtheutmostbarbarity:“Fromdawntillfar intothenight thedays passed with murder, plunder and mutilation, with every imaginable kind ofnamelesscruelty,untiltheplacepresentedsuchapictureofhorrorthatanysurvivorwillshudderatthememorytothedayhedies.”’

ThesethingswhichGeorgBrandessays,eventhoughhedoesnotpossesseventhetiniestLittle Red Bird fourth class, were of course well known to someonewhowrote: ‘Warbringswithit thehorrorsofwarandit isnotsurprisingif themostmodernmethodsareusedinwar.’23YetIheardtheotherdaythatparticularlythissentenceinmypamphlethasbeentakenamiss.Itcanonlybetakenamissbypeoplewhoknownothingabouthistory

andhavenoideaofthecauseofsuchathing.GeorgBrandescontinues:

‘Sowe see thatmilitarism,whatever its nationality, ismuch the same everywhere. IwishMrArcherwouldreadalecturewhichDrVohringer24gaveaboutGermanAfricaon30January1915inHamburg.HewouldlearnfromthiswhattheGermaninhabitantsof the Cameroons, about fifty men and women, suffered when, surprised by thedeclarationofwar, theywere lockedupbyEnglishofficersandhandedover toblackguardswhomistreatedthem.Theysufferedhungerandthirst.Iftheybeggedforwatertheyweregivenslopbuckets,andaBritishofficersaid,“Itdoesn’tmatterwhethertheGermanswinehaveanythingtodrinkornot.”OnthejourneyfromLagostoEnglandtheywerenotevengivenwaterforwashing.’

Ididnotboreanyonereadingmypamphletbytellingthingslikethis;yetithasbeentakenamiss that I do not join in the tune that is being sung everywhere. It is not what thepamphletsaysthathasbeencriticizedbutthefactthatitdoesnotsaywhatisbeingsaideverywhere.Ithasbeentakenamissbecauseitdoesnotscoldinthewayeveryoneelseisscolding.GeorgBrandescontinues:

‘This is what Englishmilitarism looks like. Is it any better than Prussianmilitarismwhen English nationalism, as with any other nation, is stoked up to the point ofmadness?

IV

LetMrArcherandothereminentgentlemeninandoutsideGreatBritainbringtoanendthe eternal discussion, into which I too have been dragged, about who is guilty ofhavingstartedthewarandaboutwhoought tobear theconsequencesof itsoutcome!Letthemturninsteadtotheonlyimportantandcrucialquestion,namelyhowtofindthewayoutofthishellofwhichwecanintruthsay,asinMacbeth:

Ohhorror,horror,horror!TonguenorheartCannotconceivenornamethee…

Theappetiteof thosewhowagewar is insatiable.Has itnotbeendecided inParis tocarryonthetradewarevenafterthecessationofhostilities?Istherenevertobeanendtothismadness?

In any case thewarwill have to endwith an agreement; and since thewar is of aneconomicnature,theagreementwillhavetobeaneconomicone.Asafreetradepower,Englandhasshownthewaytothewholeworld.Tariffagreementswillbeunavoidable;governments will be forced to makemutual concessions and it will be necessary tostriveforgreaterfreedomoftradesothatfinallyworldfreetradecanbeachieved.

Acitizenofthecountrywhichhassufferedthemostfromthewarrightfromthestart,aBelgian manufacturer from Charleroi, Monsieur Henri Lambert,25 has spoken theredeemingwordthatcansmooththewayforpeace:Theonlyintelligentandfar-seeingpolicy,inthiscasetariffpolicy,isajustpolicywhichdoesnotbegrudgelifetotheotherparty.HehaspointedoutthatapermanentimprovementoftheEuropeansituationcanonly be reached if the country seeking peace is obliged to abolish or at least reducetariffs, of course only under an arrangement that is totally just to both sides. Theabolitionoftariffsseemstobetheonlysensibleandeffectivemeansofpreventingthe

economic tactic known by the English as “dumping”, of which they so passionatelyaccusetheGermans.

Tariffagreementswillalsobeunavoidableintheunlikelyeventthatthewarisfoughttothepointofacrushingvictoryforonesideortheother.Ifthisweretohappen,millionsandmoremillions of human beingswould be sacrificed on the battlefields orwouldperish at home of wounds, sickness and deprivation. Supposing the victors were todecide (in accordancewith the economic conference inParis) to discriminate againsttheconqueredtosuchanextentbymeansof tariffs that theywerebroughtdowntoalowereconomiclevel,thiswouldbearelapseformankindasawholetothesystemofnationalslavery.Theunderdogwould,asamatterofcourse,makeeveryefforttoriseup again; he would utilize any dissension among the conquerors and be free againwithinhalfacentury.Alliancesneverlastaslongasfiftyyears.

So,apeacefulfutureforEuropedependson free trade.AsCobdensays, free trade isthebest peacemaker. Indeed, it seems tobe evenmore: it is theonlypeacemaker. Inolden times,horseswhose task itwas togo roundandroundona treadmillhad theireyes put out. Similarly, blind to the reality around them, the unfortunate nations ofEuropearegoing roundand roundon the treadmill ofwar,voluntarily andyetundercompulsion.’

This is the judgementofaneutralcitizen,butonewhodoesnotbasehis judgementonemptyphrases;heincludesanumberoffactsinhisjudgement,showinghowitispossibletomeasurethesefactsagainstoneanotherintherightway.Myendeavourhasbeennottoexpressanopinionbuttoindicatesomethingthatisneededinourtimeifwearetoseekthetruth.Whyshoulditnotbepossibletosuspendjudgement,atleastinone’sownsoul,ifonehasneitherthetimenorthewilltobotheraboutthefactsinasuitableway?Spiritualsciencecanshowusthatjudgementsmadetoday,andsofrequentlyclothedinsuchwordsas: ‘Weare fighting for the freedomand the rightsof the smallnations’, are indeed themost irresponsible empty phrases. Someonewho knows even the least part of the truthmust realize that such talk is comparable to that of the shark26 negotiating for a peacetreatywiththelittlefisheswhoaregoingtobehisprey.Itwillnaturallynotbeunderstoodimmediately,perhapsnotuntilsomemeditationhastakenplace,thatmuchoftoday’stalkresembles the suggestion: Why don’t the sharks enter into an inter-fish agreement(internationalisawordmuchusedtoday)withthelittlefishestheywanttoeat?

Peoplewhotodayspeakaboutthecomingofpeacesaythatthemurderwillnotceaseuntil there is a prospect of eternal peace. It is virtually impossible to imagine anythingmorecrazy than thenotion thatmurdermustcontinueuntil, throughmurder,a situationhas been created in which there will be no more war. It is hardly necessary to haveknowledgeof spiritualmatters today inorder toknow thatonce thiswar inEuropehascometoanendonlyafewyearswillpassbeforeafarmorefurious,farmoredevastatingwarwillshaketheearthoutsideEurope.Butwhobotherstodayaboutthingsthatareapartof reality? People prefer to listen to statesmen who declame that this or that must beachieved in the interest of freedom and the rights of small nations. People even listenwhenlawyers,quitecompetentlawyers,whohavebecomepresidents27appearinthetogaofaMoslemprincetoconductcasesinRomania…onlythisisnotnoticedbecauseinthisinstancewespeakofa‘republic’.Whatmoreistheretobesaidifpeoplearestillwilling

to go to lectures given by such people about artistic and literary matters, about therelationships between the myths and sagas and literary materials of West and CentralEurope,quiteapartfromotherfactssuchastheoneImentionedtoyoutheotherday:thatMaeterlinck was applauded loudly for calling Goethe, Schiller, Lessing and others‘mediocreintellects’.ButIdonotwishtoinfluenceyourjudgementinanyway;Imerelydrawyourattentiontothefactthatfortheformingofjudgementsperspectiveshavetobesought,aswellasquiteotherthings,ifthejudgementistobecometruth.

We must realize that the population crowded together in Central Europe has to bejudgedfromanentirelydifferentviewpointbecause,here,humanvaluesareunderthreat.For the peripheral countries, on the other hand, the viewpoint can be that of state andpoliticalvalues,atleastforsometimetocome,untilcertainotherconditionsarebroughtabout by theprolongationof thewar formanyyears. InCentralEuropewehave to dowiththetreasureofthespirit,withthedevelopmentofthesoulandwitheverythingthathasbeencreatedoverthecenturies.Itwouldbeutternonsensetobelievethatwehavetobesimilarlyconcernedabout theperiphery; itwouldbe thoughtless toexpressanysuchthing.Ofcourse there ismucheverywherewithwhich faultcanbe found.But it isonething—comparing greater with lessermatters—to find fault with things that take placeinside a closed fortress and another to find faultwithwhatoccurs among thebesiegingarmy.Ihaveasyetheardnojudgementfromtheperipherythattakesanykindofaccountofthesethings.

Inordernottobeone-sided,Ishallnow,inconclusion,turntosomethingelse.Inordertobejust,itisalwaysthoughttobeagoodthingtojudgebothsidesbysaying:Hereitislikethisandthereitislikethat,andsoon.Butthequestionisneverasked:Isitreallyso?ASwiss newspaper recently published articleswhich, in order to be just to both sides,pointedoutinquiteanabstractwaythatliesweretoldinbothcamps.Butsupposingwhatis said there is not true?The articlewas about untruthfulness in theworldwar, but thearticleis,initself,becauseofthewayitiswritten,totallyuntruthful.NowIwanttoreadto you—in fear and trembling, I might add—something out of a German magazine,selected at random, in order to show you the difference. What is written all aroundGermanyiswellenoughknown,anditisalsowellknownthatitissurelynotwrittenoutof any benevolence towards the nations of Central Europe. Even in articles expressingjudgements that are a little less vitriolic there are still plentyof veryunkind statementsagainstthenationwho,afterall,broughtforthGoethe,Schiller,Lessingandothers.

I came by chance across this article on human dignity by Alexander von Gleichen-Russwurm.28 The article is motivated by the fact that the Germans have been calledbarbarians,andareindeedstillcalledbarbariansintheperiphery.Gleichen-Russwurm—he isSchiller’sgrandson—isnotparticularlyoffended that theword ‘barbarian’ isused.On thecontrary,he shows rathernicelywhat theancientGreeksandRomansmeantby‘barbarian’,whichwascertainlynothingdreadful.Ishallnotgointothisaspect.Hethengoesontodiscussthevariousnations.ThearticleislikemanyotherswemayfindtodaywrittenbypeopleinCentralEuropewhoareequivalent,say,toMaeterlinck.Pardonme!Gleichen-Russwurmdistinguishesbetweennationsandgovernmentsandinsomecaseshedoessoinwords—Iamonlypassingthemontoyou,theyarenotmywords—thatmayseemterribleifareaderorlistenerfeelsoffendedbecauseheisamemberofthatnation.Iamconfidentthereisnooneamongusherewhowillfeelthus;weareallanthroposophists

and can understand such things.It is not because of the words used to describegovernmentsthatIwanttoreadyouthisarticle,buttoshowyouhowGleichen-Russwurm—not a very famousman but onewho is roughly on a parwithMaeterlinck as far asintelligence goes—in noway recoils from saying to his own peoplewithin the fortresswhatacourageous, thoughtfulandhonestmanhas tosayifhedoesnot intendto throwsandintheireyes.Obviously,though,whatissaidinsidethefortressoughtnottoimpingeontheperipherybecausebasicallyithasnothingtodowiththat.ThinktactfullyandyouwillunderstandwhatImean.Gleichen-Russwurmsays:

‘TheRussianpeoplearegoodnaturedandgentle,whatevertheCossacks,whoarenotrelatedtothem,mightdo.ThecriminalTsaristGovernmenthasbroughtaboutthewar,yet the greatest poet of the nation, Tolstoi, who will ever retain our respect, haspreached abhorrence ofwar inmostmovingwords. The atrocities committed by theFrench mob, the stupidity of their ministers and the uncultured remarks of Parisjournalistsandwriters,cannotundothefact thatFranceis thecountryof thatsaintofcharitablelove,VincentdePaul,whostillhasmanyfollowers,northatthemajorityofFrenchpeoplearehardworkingandpeacefulbynature.

England remains thebirthplaceofShakespeare andhasgiven theworldgentlepoets,selflessphilanthropistsandphilosophersofthehighestworth.Yetthecountryisruledby liarsand trickstersand theEnglishpeople,whoareproudestof theirownculture,havebrought intobeing theworstkindofmodernbarbarism through theirmannerofconductingthewar.

Italy’scharacterlessbanditGovernmentisdespicable.EverythingconnectedwithItalyrecentlyhasbeendisagreeableandrepulsiveeventoherfriends.YetsinceGoethewehavereceivedsuchrichtreasuresofculture,artisticsenseandnaturalbeautyfromherthatweshallkeepherinourhearts,unforgottenandstillfruitful.

Thehateourenemiesbeartowardsushasperhapspreservedwhatismostvaluableinour nature. The bitterness shown us nowadays, our recognition of the unprecedentedantipathyfacingusonallsides,islikethewarningwhisperedbytheslavetothevictor:“Mementomori!”

Even if spoken by vile mouths it ensures that noble-mindedness does not becomeoverbearing,thattriumphaljubilationdoesnotdegenerateintoarroganceorhubris—thepresumptuousnesstheGreekpoetswarnedtheirheroestoguardagainst.

Schiller,concernedforthedignityofman,consideredthatnoblehumanbeingspaynotonlybywhattheydobutalsobywhattheyare.’

Yousee,itispossibletoformveryderogatoryopinionsaboutthosewhoareparticipatingincurrentevents,withoutfalling into the trapofscorningwholenations.Judgementsofthiskindmaybefoundbythehundredandif,oneday,statisticsaredrawnupfrom1914onwards showing the way other nations are judged by Central Europe and by theperiphery,theresultwillbearevelationofaremarkableculturalandspiritualnature!Butnothing is further from anybody’s mind meanwhile. At present Mr Leadbeater29 iscompilingstatisticscomparingthecriminalrecordsofGermanyandEngland,andrecentlyannouncedinlargeprintintheTheosophicalReviewhowmanymorecriminalsGermanyhas thanEngland.Then, in thenext issuesomeoneelsepointedout thatacertain figure

had been inserted under the wrong heading and that a rectification would show thesituationtobequitedifferent.Iseemtorememberthatheputdowntwenty-ninethousandcriminals for England, forgetting a hundred and forty-six thousand; for Germany heincluded them all. But whereas the table showing Germany as the country with thegreatest number of criminals is printed in large letters in theTheosophical Review, therefutationappearsinminuteprintrightattheendofthenextissue.

Statisticslikethiswillonedaybesupersededbyothersandthensomethingofwhatissaidinthatarticle‘OntheHistoryoftheOutbreakoftheWar’,whichwasawardedaprizebytheUniversityofBerne,willbefoundtobetrue:

‘Buthistorycannotbepermanentlyfalsified;themythcannotstanduptothescrutinyofscientific research; the sinisterwebwill be brought into the light and torn to pieces,howeverartfullyithasbeenspun.’

Ithasbeennecessarytosaythesethingsinpreparationforspeakingnexttimeonmatterswhichanumberofpeoplearegreatlylookingforwardtohearingaboutbutwhich,Imustrepeat,maynotbemadeascomfortableassomemightimagine.Imyselfhavenoneedtoexpressoneopinionoranother.AsaspiritualscientistIamusedtolookingatfactspurelyastheyreallyare,withoutanyfalsification,andtospeakingaboutthemassuch.Iknowverywellwhatobjections somepeople—thoughofcoursenobody from thiscircle—arelikelytomakewithregardtocertainatrocitiesandotherthingswhicharetoldandstirredupoverandoveragainwithoutanyproperperspective.Iknowtheseobjections,butIalsoknowhowshortsightedit is tomakethemandhowsmallanotionsomeonewhomakesthemcanhaveabouthowmattersreallystandandhowtheblameisreallydistributed.

Whenwehadourdispute—ifIcancallitthat—withMrsBesant,30shemanagedtoloadalltheblameontous.Accordingtosomeonewhountilthattimehadbeenherdevoteebutwho thenwithdrewhis esteem, she acted according to theprinciple: if a person attacksanotherperson,andiftheonewhoisbeingattackedcriesforhelp,thentheattackercantelltheonewhoiscryingforhelpthatheiswrongnottolethimselfbeslaughtered.Manyjudgementsmadetodayareofasimilarnature.Thestrangestsituationscanbemetinthisrespect.Kind-hearted,well-meaningpeoplewhowouldnever formsucha judgement ineverydaylife,neverthelessdosowithregardtopoliticalmattersaboutwhichtheyknownothing. These people lack clarity in their judgements. But clarity is the fundamentalprerequisite for the formation of any judgement, though it is not a justification for thedeliveryofthisorthatjudgementinoneoranotherdirection.

LECTURETWODornach,9December1916

TodayIshouldliketoaddafewremarkstowhatIstartedtosayinthelastlecture.Sinceourfriendswishit, Ishall todayandtomorrowendeavour topenetratemoredeeplyintothismatter.But so thatwemayunderstand,andnotmisunderstand,oneanotherwhen Istarttoilluminatethesubjectmorefromthespiritualside,asistheintention,Imustfirstof all lay the foundation.For ifwe cannot take into account certain circumstancesnowprevailingonthephysicalplaneandalsothetimesduringwhichthesecircumstanceswerebeingprepared,thenit isnotpossibletoenterintothemorespiritualaspects.Youknowthatitisnotaquestionoftakingsidesorofsympathiesorantipathies,butofdisplayingcertainconditionsandrelationshipswhich,soIhaveheard,somepeoplewishtoknowinordertohelpthemunderstandtoday’sdifficulttimes.Sotoday,insofarastimeallows,Ishallgiveafewmoreintroductoryexplanations.

Tostartwith,itmustbecomecleartousthateverythingthathappensexternallyonthephysical plane is dependent on the underlying spiritual forces and powers. But it isdifficulttogettoknowpreciselyandconcretelythemannerinwhichthesespiritualforcesandpowerswork.Fortheincursionsofthespiritualworldintothephysicalplanearemoreobvious in someplaces than inothers. Ihaveoftenpointedouthere that thereare, inacertain way, lines of connection, via the most varied intermediate links, between theexternalworldandthesecretbrotherhoods,andonwardsfromthesecretbrotherhoodstothe spiritual world. To understand this rightly it is necessary to take into account thatwhereverhumanbeingsworkwith thehelpof spiritually effective forces,whetherwithgood or evil intent, they have to reckon with long stretches of time; because of this,accountmustalsobetakenofthefactthatmuchdependsontheabilityoftheindividualtograspandusetheconditionsofthephysicalplanewithacertaincold-bloodeddetachment.This is particularly required when existing spiritual streams are to be used in order toachievesomething.During thecourseofmydescriptionyouwilldoubtless seewhethersomethingisstrivenfororachievedwithgoodorbadintent.Onecharacteristicofthosewhomakeuseofspiritualforcesisthatveryfrequently—notalwaysbutveryfrequently—theyhavereasonsfornotwishingtoappearonthestageofthephysicalplane.Insteadtheymakeuseofintermediariesthroughwhomcertainplanscanberealized.Oftenthesethingshavetobedoneinsuchawaythatothersdonotnoticewhatisgoingon.Ihavealreadypointed out a number of times that people are, in a way, inattentive; they do not likelooking closely at what is going on. Many of those who work with certain occultconnectionsinordertobringsomethingaboutintheworldmakeuseofthisfact.Thoseofuswhosee theworld,not in theusualwaybutwithfreeandopeneyes,willknowthattherearepeoplewhocanbe influencedby thosewhowant tomakeuseofsuchmeans.Someonewhoisintentoninfluencingpeople,someonewho,asanoccultist,isnotentirelyscrupulous,canindeedgainpoweroverpeopleinthisway.

Letmestartrightatthebeginningandtakeanexample.Youwillfindthatstartingatthebeginningwill lead us to an understanding ofmore profound aspects later. In the year1889CountRichardvonPfeil,1whohad lived inStPetersburg andknew it quitewell,

wrotethefollowinglinesaboutthereigningTsarofRussia:

‘The overall impression I gained of Tsar Alexander III confirmed what I had longsuspected:thatthosearoundhimwerepurposelykeepinghiminastateofdeepmistrusttowardsGermanyandthatthismistrustwasnowsofirmlyrootedinhimthatachangecouldhardlybeexpected.Hewasrightlyconvincedofhisowndeeploveofpeace,buthealsobelievedhiscounsellorsandotherinfluentialpeopleinRussia,manyofwhomdidnotdesirepeacenearlyasstronglyasdidhe.’

Here,inamostprominentposition,youhaveanindividualofwhomitmustbesaid:Hecanbe influencedby thosewhoapproachhimfor thatpurpose,yetwhodonotwant toshow themselves by stepping into the foreground.What does someone do who knowsaboutcertainconnectionsarisingoutoftheimpulsesofthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiodandwants to make use of them for his own ends or those of some group? He aspires toapproachsuchapersonbyawakeningtheimpressionthatnothingisfurtherfromhismindthanthedesiretoinfluencehim,sothatnoonewillnoticethathedoesindeeddesiretogaininfluence.Andsohegainsinfluenceoverhim.Allheneeddoisformhissentencesinacertainway,usecertainexpressions,andothermeanswhichIshallnotdescribe,andhesucceedsinturningtheother’smindinthedesireddirection.Theworldatlarge,beingtoacertainextentunobservantandthereforekindlydisposedin its judgementofcertainpeople,willsimplyassume:Well,heisrightlyconvincedofhisloveofpeace,buthealsobelievesallhiscounsellorsandotherinfluentialpeople!

YouseehoweasyitisinthewidestcontexttopractisesomethingsimilartowhatIhavedescribed inanothercase, thatofBlavatsky.2After themahatmawho isknownasK.H.hadhadagoodinfluenceoverherforawhile,hewasreplaced,throughmachinations,byanotherwhowasaspyinthehandsofaparticularsociety.Hehadrunawayfromcertainsecret brotherhoods into whose highest degrees he had been initiated, and it was thuspossible for him to remain in the background as a mahatma and achieve, throughBlavatsky,thingsthathewantedtoachieve.

BypointingouttheseelementarymattersIsimplywanttodrawyourattentiontowhatyoumusttakeintoaccountifyouwanttoformajudgement;fortheworldisfrequentlymisledbythewayinwhichhistoryiswritten.Thewritingofhistoryisreallysomethingverymuchmoreprofound.Onlyattheoutermostedgeofphysicalexistence,intheutmostmaya,canitbesaid:Ifthisorthatprofessorisacompetenthistorianwhohasmasteredthehistoricalmethod,hewillknowhowtodepicttherightthingshistorically.Thisneednotbethecaseatall.Whetherahistorianknowshowtodepicttherightthingsornotdependsonwhetherhiskarma leadshimto thepossibilityofdiscovering theright thingsornot.Everythingdependsonthis.Fortherightthingsareoftennotexpressedinwhathefindswhenhelookshereorthere;theyareoftenrevealedonlytoonewhoknowshowtofindtherightplacestolook.Letmesaythisinanotherway:Foronewhoisledbyhiskarmatosee theright thingsat therightmoment, theyarerevealedat thepointwheresomethingsignificant is expressedby a single phenomenon.Often a single phenomenon expressessomethingthatthrowslightondecades,illuminatinglikeaflashoflightningwhatisreallyhappening. To prepare for what will be specially important when we turn to the morespiritualaspects,Ishouldnowliketotellyoualittlestory.

Therewas, inVienna, aphysician3who, even in the eightiesof the last century,was

practisinganalyticalpsychology,psychoanalysis,thoughnottotheexaggeratedextentthathas since become fashionable through the theories of Freud. He still lives there, as amatteroffact,butnolongeroccupieshimselfsomuchwiththesethings.Heenjoyedsomeoutstandingsuccesseswithhispsychoanalysisbecausehemanaged todrawagooddealoutofpeoplebyhismethodofcatechism.In1886amancametothisphysicianwhogavetheimpressionthathemighthaveagreatdealinsidehim.Sohestartedtotreathimforhisnervouscondition.Andindeed,foradoctorwhoknewhisjob,therewasagooddealtobefoundinthisman’ssoullife;itwashandedtohimonaplate,youmightsay.Thiswasaparticularly interesting case. The doctor found out that his patient was involved in themost varied political factions, that he could poke his nose in everywhere and had hisfingerineverypie.Healsodiscoveredthathewrotearticlesforcertainjournalsandthatthesearticleshadagreatinfluenceontherulerofhiscountry.

Thepatient,Voidarevichwashisname,wasalatedescendantofafamilyofvoivodesfromHerzegovina.Hesaidagreatmanythings.AmongstmuchelseheknewallabouttheinterconnectionsinthenetspunfromRussiaintheseventiesinHerzegovinaandBosniabefore thebeginningof theRusso-Turkishwar.Under normal conditionspeople donotusuallygiveawaysuchsecrets;butunder thehandsofapsychoanalyst thingscomeoutwhichwouldotherwiseremainhidden.Afteranumberofsessionsitbecameclearthathehadalsobeeninvolvedwhen,beforethedeclarationofwar,KingMilan4andNikita5hadresistedTurkeyattheendoftheseventies,andtheuprisingsinBosniaandHerzegovinahadbeenarranged.ThemotivefordeclaringwaronTurkeyhadbeengiventoNikitaandMilanbysourcesinRussia.Andyet,outwardly,itwassaid,thepeopleoftheBalkanshadbeen roused by the bad treatment given them byTurkey. This is not to deny that suchtreatment did occur. I am only relating the connections and, in this respect, we mustrealizethatcausesoftenlie,oraremade,farlongeragothanissuspected.

Something elsewas revealed byVoidarevich, something that prompted the doctor toseekaninterviewwithanappropriateauthorityinVienna,foreventhoughitwasonlyamatterofdisconnectedsentences,neverthelessthedoctor,anintelligentman,wasabletodeduce a great deal. He learned fromVoidarevich that the Russian ambassador was inViennaandwasonhiswaytoStPetersburg,andnottoConstantinopleasthepapersweresaying.Further, he learned that theRussianForeignMinister6was staying at home andwouldnotbegoingtoaBohemianspaasthepapersweresaying.Thesetwothingsmadeastrangeimpressiononthedoctor:thattheRussianambassadorinConstantinoplewasonhiswaytoStPetersburgviaVienna,andthattheRussianForeignMinisterwasnotgoingtoaBohemianspabutwaswaitinginStPetersburgtoreceivetheambassador,andalsothatthenewspapersweresayingsomethingquitedifferent.Itsuddenlydawnedonhim—itwasoneof thoseobscure intuitions thatcomeby instinct:All this isconnectedwith thefact that Alexander von Battenberg7 is to be deposed in Bulgaria. It all seemed verysuspicious to the doctor, and he informed the appropriate authority.But the appropriateauthoritymerely knew that the Russian ambassador was travelling to St Petersburg onprivatebusiness,astheysay;andtheauthoritywasquitesatisfiedwiththisexplanation,asoften happens, because such authorities, too, can be so plagued by that urge forinattentivenessaboutwhich Ihavespoken, that theyarenot in the leastconcernedwithgettingtothebottomofthings.AndaweeklaterBattenbergwasforcedtoabdicate.

Yousee, this isquite an insignificant event fromahistorian’spointofview,but it isneverthelessaneventthatthrowslightinthedeepestsense.Andifithadnothappened‘bychance’—asissoeasilysaid—thatthedoctorwormedthesethingsoutofVoidarevichbypsychoanalysis, it would never have come to light. The threads of karma run inremarkableways.WeknowfromthepsychoanalysisthatVoidarevich—whogaveawayanumberofotherthingsofasimilarkind—wasdestined,hadeverythinggoneaccordingtoplanforthedescendantsoftheancientvoivodesinBosniaandHerzegovina,toassumetherankofvoivodehimself.BecauseofthelightthatdawnedonthedoctorweknowhowthethreadsranfromRussiaintheEasttoHerzegovinaandBosniaandwecaneavesdropontheoriginsofastorythatlateronplayedanimportantpartinhistory.ForVoidarevichwasintheserviceofRussiaandwasapartytoallthisfromthebeginning.

Sowearedealinghere,notexactlywithmagicbutwiththeknowledgeofhowtoutilizethesituationandconditionsofthephysicalplaneinordertoachievecertainquitedefiniteaims.Voidarevichfailedtoservehispurposeonlybecausehegrewnervous;agreatdealhadbeen instilled intohimand itwas intended thathe should achievemuch.Youhavehereastrikingexampleofhowtoworkintheworldwhileat thesametimeobliteratingthe tracks you intend to follow. From this you will be able to grasp that formingjudgementsaboutworldeventsisnotaseasyasisusuallyimagined.Thosewhodesiretoworksystematicallybehindthescenesofworldhistoryknowverywellhowtopullsuchstrings and theyare cold-bloodedenough tomakeuseof them in away that suits theirpurpose.Muchcanbeexploitedinthisconnection.Onlyathirstforknowledgeandawilltolearncanleadustoseethethingsoftheworldclearly.

Inorder tounderstandwhatmanyofourfriendsherearestrivingtograsp, letus turnourattentiontowhatexactly there is thatcanbeutilized.Wewill lookat themanner inwhich the streams of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch work through certain externallydiscernibleendeavoursandfactsofthepresenttimeinawidersense.LetusstartwiththeRussianpeopleintheEastofEurope.IsaidonlylastMondaythatallthepeopleofEuropehave taken them to theirhearts. In theRussianpeople, togetherwithvariousotherSlavelements,therelives—Ihavespokenaboutthisanumberoftimes—afolkelementofthefuture.ForinthefolkspiritofallthatisgatheredtogetherastheSlavpeoplesthereliveswhat,onedayinthefuture,willfurnishthematerialforthespiritualstreamofthesixthpost-Atlanteanepoch.

In thisSlavelementwehavefirst theRussianpeopleand, inaddition,all thoseotherSlavswho,thoughdifferentiatedfromtheRussians,neverthelessfeelthemselvesinsomedegreelinkedasSlavswiththeRussianSlavs.Outoftheselinksarises,orarose,whatisnowadaysknownasPan-Slavism,asenseamongallSlavsofbelongingtogetherinspiritandinsoul,inpoliticalandinculturallife.Insofarassuchathingliveswithinthefolksoul it is a thoroughly honest and, also in the higher sense of human evolution, a rightthing—thoughtheword‘pan’isthoroughlymisusedthesedays.Foronewhounderstandsthe interconnections it is possible to use the phrase ‘Pan-Slavism’ for that spiritualcommunionwhich,Iwouldliketosay,quivers throughallSlavsouls in thewayIhavejust described. To speak of ‘Pan-Germanism’, whether within or outside Germany, isnonsense,morethanjustmischief,foritisnotpossibletoforceeverythingintothesamemould.Ifsomethingdoesnotexist,itisnotpossibletospeakaboutit.Itmightperhapsbeposedasatheoryandevenhauntthemindsofsomeindividuals;butit isquitedifferent

from thatgenuine communionwhichquivers in themanySlav souls, varying fromoneSlavpeopletoanother.

Whoever, since the nineteenth century, has concerned himself seriously with certainspiritual knowledge, knows that in theEast of Europe there is a separate folk element.SpiritualscientistshavealwaysknownthatafolkelementforthefuturelivesintheSlavs.If certain occultists belonging to the Theosophical Society have maintained somethingelse, for instance that this folk element for the future sixth sub-race lies with theAmericans,thisonlygoestoproveeitherthatthesepeoplewerenooccultistsorthattheywished to bring about something other than that provided for by the facts. SowemustreckonwiththefactthatthereisintheEastanelementwhichbearsacertainfuturewithinit, thatemergesas thoughoutof theblood,anelement that today isstillbasicallynaiveand does not know itself, yet prophetically and instinctively contains within itselfsomethingwhichwillonedayevolvefromit.Itisoftenpresentindreams.

As every spiritual scientist further knows—not externally, but as a cultural fact—thePolish element comes forward in a quite particular way as the most advanced andculturallysecure,becauseitisbothpoliticalandreligious;thiselementdiffersfromalltheotherSlavelementsinthatitpossessesauniform,firmly-rootedspiritualandculturallifethatisexceptionallyvigorousandenergetic.Thisjustasashortsketch.Perhapswewillgointomoredetaillater.

LetusreturntowhatIhavejustdescribed.IncontrasttowhatIcharacterizedjustnowthereisthespiritualandculturallifeoftheBritishpeople,whichisequallywell-knowntothe spiritual scientist in its deeper significance. I mean the kind of cultural life as itappears before the world in British institutions and the life of the British people. Thiselementis,aboveall,extremelypoliticalincharacter;itstendencyissupremelypolitical.Oneconsequenceemergingfromitisthepoliticalthinkingthatissomuchadmiredbytherestoftheworld;inacertainwaythemostadvancedandfreekindofpoliticalthinking.Wherever in theworld efforts have beenmade to set up political institutions in whichfreedomcanlive—freedomin thesensewehavecometounderstanditsince theendoftheeighteenthandbeginningofthenineteenthcentury—there,ideashavebeenborrowedfromBritish thinking. The FrenchRevolution at the end of the eighteenth centurywasmoreamatterof feeling,ofpassionate impulsiveness,but the thoughts it containedhadbeen brought over from British thinking. The manner in which political concepts areformed,themannerinwhichpoliticalbodiesarestructured,themannerinwhichthewillofthepeopleisledwithinpoliticalorganizationsthatareasfreeaspossiblesothatitcanworkfromallsides—allthisisexpressedinBritishpoliticalthinkinginaccordancewithitsoriginaltendencies.ThatiswhysomanynewstatesinthenineteenthcenturyimitatedBritish institutions. In many places efforts were made to take over the British way ofparliamentarylifeandparliamentaryinstitutions,forinthisconnectionBritishthinkingistheteacherofmoderntimes.

InEnglandduringthenineteenthcentury,letussayuptoitsfinaldecades,thispoliticalthinking came to expression in some very important politicians who modelled theirthoughtsinparticularonthispoliticalthinking.Onethingespeciallybecameobvious:thesalvationoftheworldcouldbebroughtaboutbythisthinkingifonlypeoplewoulddevotethemselvesentirelytoitandallownothingelsetotakeeffect inthearrangementsof the

various institutions. Therefore, politicianswhomay seem one-sided to some extent butwhomodel their thoughts entirely on this political thinking and endeavour to work inaccordancewith it,appearasoutstandingandentirelymoral.ThinkofCobden,8Bright9andothers,nottospeakofgreatermenwhoarealwaysbeingmentioned;forinthisfielditisverypossibletogoastrayassoonasareallyprominentpositionisreached.ThatiswhyI mention those who have not gone astray in any direction but who are genuinelyimportant in the sense I nowmean. I could namemany others. This phenomenonwasreallypresentthereasanimpulserightuptotheninetiesofthenineteenthcentury,andassuchitis,inacertainway,thecounter-imageofwhatIdescribedearlierasbeingbornebytheSlavpeople.Forthiswayofformingthoughtsofapoliticalorientationbelongsinitscharacterverymuchtothefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Thatiswhereitbelongsandwhereithas tobedeveloped.And thosepeople Ihavementionedhave taken itup in therightway. On the one hand we have something that is made visible through good sense,intelligenceandpoliticalmorality,andontheothersomethingthatexistsasafuturefolkpotentialdeepdown,notonlyinthesoulbutintheblood.

Let itbeclear tous thatwhatIamspeakingabout isnotonlymyownknowledge; itwasviewedinthewayIhavedescribedthroughoutthenineteenthcenturybythosewhoareconcernedwithsuchthings.InthosewesternbrotherhoodsItoldyouabouttherelivedanexactknowledgeofthesethingsandoftheirconnectionwiththestreamofevolutioninthefifthpost-Atlanteanepochanditstransitiontothesixthpost-Atlanteanepoch.Andinsome individuals therewas thewill—we have yet to seewhether for good or bad—tomakeuseoftheforcesconcerned.Fortheseareindeedforces:ontheonehandthetalenttothinkinthatway,andontheotherafolkelementforthefuture.

If someone wants to use these things, he can. Of course there exist not only thosestreams I have described but also others which flow side by side with them, and it isnecessarygraduallytopointtheseoutaswell.Thereexistwaysandmeansintheworldofcarryingoutwhat Imightcall ‘masshypnosis’.Tobringabouta suggestiononagrandscaleyouhavetoplacesomethingintheworldwhichmakesanimpression.Justasit ispossibletoinsinuateanideaintothemindofanindividual inthewayIhaveshown,sotoo, by using suitable means, suggestions can be made to whole groups of people,especiallywhen one knowswhat actually binds these groups together. It is possible tosteeraforcethat livesinanindividualpersoninaparticulardirection.Thispersonmaythenbetotallyconvincedofhisdeeploveofpeace;andyethedoeswhathedoesbecausesomehoworotherasuggestionhasbeenplantedinhim.Heisquiteatoddswithwhathedoes. In the sameway,with the right knowledge, similar things can be done towholegroups;itismerelyamatterofselectingtheappropriatemeans.Youtakeaforcethatlivesbut has no particular direction, such as the force living in certain Slav races, and bysuggestiononagrandscaleyounudgeitintoadefinitedirection.

There is a suggestion on a grand scale which has worked, is still working and willcontinuetoworkinamarvellousmanner:theso-called‘TestamentofPetertheGreat’.10You know the history of Peter the Great; you know how hewas at pains to introducewesternlifeintoRussia.Thereisnoneedformetodescribeitsinceyoucanreaditupinanyencyclopaedia. I haveno intentionof recounting external historynorofdevelopingsympathy inanyonedirection; Ishallmerelypoint in thesimplestway tocertain facts.Muchofwhat is saidofPeter theGreat is true,but it isnot true thathecomposed that

testament.Thetestamentisaforgery;itdidnotcomefromhimbutemergedatacertainpoint,inthewaysuchthingsdoemerge,outofallsortsofundergroundgoingson.Itwasthrowninamongsthumanevolution;suddenlyitwasthere.IthasnothingtodowithPetertheGreatbutagreatdealtodowithcertainundergroundcurrents.Itisveryconvincing,for itvindicatesthefutureofRussia—IsayRussia,not theSlavpeople—bystatingthatRussiamustextendherboundariesovertheBalkanstatesandConstantinople,acrosstheDardanellesandsoforth.AllthisiscontainedinthetestamentofPetertheGreat.Itiseasyto be somoved by this testament that one says:This is no bungling effort, it has beengiven to theworldbyagrandgestureofgenius! I still sometimes recall the impressionmadebythetestamentofPetertheGreat,duringacourseIhadtogive,11whenIstudieditwith individual students in order to demonstrate the implications of the separateparagraphsandtheirinfluenceontheculturaldevelopmentofEurope.

Thosewhodesire toworkinthiswayarealwaysconcerned,not tostimulatejustonestream but to make sure that one stream is always crossed by another, so that theyinfluenceeachotherinsomeway.Notmuchisachievedbysimplyrunningstraightaheadwithasinglestream.Itisnecessarysometimestothrowasidelightonthisstreamsothatcertainthingsbecomeconfused,sothatcertaintracksarecoveredup,andotherthingsarelost inan impenetrable thicket.This isvery important.Thus it comesabout thatcertainsecretstreamswhichhavesetthemselvessometaskorotheralsosetaboutachievingtheexactopposite.Theseopposingtaskshavetheeffectofobliteratingalltracks.IcouldpointtoaplaceinEuropewhereso-calledFreemasonry,so-calledsecretsocieties,hadagreatinfluence at a certain timewhen significant thingswere going on; certain peoplewereacting under the suggestive influence of certain Masonic societies with an occultbackground.Itwasthennecessarytoobliteratethetracksatthispoint.SoacertainJesuitinfluencewasbroughttoplaysothattheMasonicandJesuitinfluencesmet;fortherearehigherinstances,‘empires’,whichcanquitewellmakeuseofbothMasonsandJesuitsinordertoachievewhattheywanttoachievethroughthecollaborationofthetwo.Donotbelieve that there canbeno individualswhoareboth Jesuit andFreemason.Theyhaveprogressed beyond the point of working in one direction only. They know that it isnecessary to tacklesituations fromvarioussides inorder topushmatters inaparticulardirection.Isaythisinordertopointoutcertainconnectionsinanelementaryway.

Peter theGreat—letus return tohimoncemore—introducedwesterncivilization intoRussia.ManygenuineSlavsoulsbearadeephateforallthewesternelementsthatPetertheGreat brought to Russia; they have a deep antipathy against it all. This has grownparticularlystrongduringthiswar,butithasalwaysbeenpresent.Ontheotherhandthereis the testamentofPeter theGreat,which isnot reallyhisbutwhichsomehowmade itsappearance, and which is suitable for making use, by means of suggestion, not ofindividuals, but ofwholemasses of Slav connections, thosemasses inwhom lives thatantipathy towards thewest that is symbolizedby thenamePeter theGreat.Soherewehave two things at the same time in away amounting, Imust say, to historical genius:sympathywiththetestamentofPetertheGreatandantipathytowardseverythingwestern.Theyworkbeautifullyallmuddleduptogether,somingled,infact,thattheirworkingcanbecome extremely effective.Andwith this I point to another side of this stream in theEast.Ishallshowaswecontinuehow,afteryearsofpreparation,usecanbemadeofsuchastreamfromadefinitemomentonwards.Thenthereisonestreamintowhich,asitwere,

two tributaries haved beenmade to flow.As I said at the beginning, account has beentaken of long passages of time. Once a stream has been brought to the point of beingeffective,itcanthenbeputtouse.

Nowletusprepare inyetanotherway. Iwant toshowyouanotherstreamthat flowsalong in theWest beside the one that has brought into beingwhat is hitherto themostmaturepoliticalwayofthinkinginthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Thisotherstreamhasbeenmorehiddenandhasonlyrevealeditsoccultbasisfromtimetotime,smuggledintoall kinds of public activities. With that I have to point once again to certain secretbrotherhoodsin theWest. It ischaracteristicof these,morethananythingelse, that theyhaveanexactknowledgeofthekindofsituationsIhavebeendescribingandcaninstructtheir pupils how things are going for the fifth, for the sixth post-Atlantean period, andwhatkindofforcesareatwork:forinstancefortheonetheelementofintelligence,andfortheotherthefolkelement.Andtheycanshowtheirpupilshowsuchthingscanbeusedforonepurposeoranother.

Theseoccultstreamswhichlive,asIhavesaid,throughthesecretbrotherhoodshave,asoneoftheirbasicdoctrines,theteachingthattheEnglish-speakingpeoplesareforthefifth post-Atlantean epochwhat theRomanswere for the fourth.This is a fundamentaldoctrineamongthesebrotherhoodsandtheysayfurther that,whateverhappens,accountmustbetakenfirstoftheLatinelement.ThisexpressesitselfinthevariousLatinculturesandpeoples—Iamnotsayingthismyselfbutammerelyrepeatingwhathasalwaysbeentaught in the brotherhoods—and is destined to be submerged further and further in thematerialismofscience,thematerialismoflifeandthematerialismofreligion.Thereisnoneedtotakeanytroubleoverthese,foreventuallytheywilldisintegrateinthedecadenceintowhichtheywillfall.So,theysay,theirchiefattentionmustbeturnedtoensuringthatwhattheycalltheLatinraceisintheprocessoftotaldisintegration,thatitisanelementthat is perishing; the task is to arrange and do everything in such away that theLatinelementwillperish.

Thisviewgoessofarastosay:ThoseforceswhichpushtheLatinelementdowntheslippery slope must be absorbed into all political impulses and also all spiritual andreligious impulses.Ofcoursenothingof thismustshowoutwardly;butsupportmustbegiventoanythingthathelpstofreetheworldoftheLatinelement.Theysaythat,justasattheendofthefourthpost-AtlanteanperiodeverythingwastobepermeatedwiththeLatinculture,soat theendof thefifthperiod thenatureofeverythingmustbefilledwith theculture that is to arise out of the English-speaking peoples. I am only speaking of theteachingsofthesecretbrotherhoodsandofwhatcan,andindeeddoes,ensuefromthem.Inaddition,ithasalwaysbeentaughtthat, justastheGermanic-Britishelement,astheycall it,opposedtheLatin,sowill theSlavelementcometoopposetheEnglishelement,for that is thewayof theworld.Onlynow there isaninety-degreechangeofdirection.WhereastheLatinelementfounditsimpulseintheNorth,nowtheimpulsestrivesfromEasttoWest.

Wemustrealizethatsuchthingsflowintomuchthatisprinted,muchthatisreadbythegeneralpublic,and intowhateverelseseeps intohumansocial life.Therearewaysandmeansofbringingthisaboutunnoticed,asIhavedescribed.Forjustimagineifthisweretobecomeknownincertainquarters—itis,ofcourse,unthinkable!Itisjustthatthingsare

expresseddifferently; it isamatterofexercising influencebymeansofsuggestion.Youcan do one thing and say another, you can say something different fromwhat you aredoing,andyoucanoftendosomethingthatseemstobetheoppositeofwhatissupposedtohappenandofwhatyouarereallydoing.

You may look upon what I have been sketching for you as some kind of spiritualatmosphere; indeed care is taken that it should be a kind of spiritual atmosphere. Youmightreadsomethingquiteinnocuous,butbetweenthelines—thisconcept‘betweenthelines’ can be something perfectly concrete—you find yourself reading something quitedifferent as well; you learn something quite different and find you are looking atsomething quite different. So now people are immersed in this atmosphere and theirthoughts form themselvesaccordingly.The thoughtsof even themost intelligentpeoplesometimestakeonquitebizarreforms.Thus,inordertojudgethewayotherpeoplethink,it isnotenough todevelop thatnaiveenthusiasmof inattentivepeople,ofwhichIhaveoftenspokenduringtheselectures;attentionhastobepaidtothekindofatmosphereinwhichpeopleareliving.Thisisperfectlyrealandisnotthatnebulous,abstractsomethingwhichmanypeoplecalltheinfluenceoftheenvironment.Eucken,12forinstance,speaksof the influenceof theenvironmentwithoutnoticing thathe is sayingon theonehand:Theenvironmentcreatestheperson;andontheotherhand:Theenvironmentiscreatedbypeople;whichisequivalenttosaying:Iwanttoliftmyselfupbymyownpigtail!Thewaytolookatwhatistermedtheenvironmentinwhichpeopleareimmersedistorealizethatthis environment emerges in a definiteway from certain spiritual streams. It is not thenebuloussomethingthatmanypeopleconsiderittobe.

Letuslookatacaseinpoint.Youwillhavetoforgiveme,butIdidsaylastMondaythatIwouldnotbeabletomakematterseasyforyou.Wecannotavoidgoingintocertaindetails; and youwill understand the connection tomorrow. I want to read to you somepassages from a letter written in the middle of April 1914 byMitrofanoff,13 a historyprofessorinStPetersburg,toaGermanwhohadbeenhisteacherandwithwhomhehadremainedfriends.ImaginethisMitrofanoffimmersedinthevariousstreams.InApril1914hewritesaletterthatcontainsthefollowingpassages:

‘…aversiontowardstheGermansisfeltineverysoulandexpressedbyeverymouth,anditseemstometherehasrarelybeensuchunanimityofpublicopinion.’

Thefollowingisaparticularlyinterestingpassage.Pleasepayparticularattentiontothispassage, but not because of the name it mentions; it is possible to feel sympathy orantipathywithregardtothispersonality.Isimplywanttodrawyouattentiontotheformalcontentlivinginthispassage:

‘ItwasperhapsBismarck’sgreatestpoliticalmistake thathedidnotwant tobemoreRussianthanthoseRussiandiplomatswho,fromweaknessandlackofunderstanding,meanlysurrenderedtheinterestsoftheircountryduringtheCongress.’

Whatamarvellousexpectation!ThismanreproachesBismarckfornothavingbeenmoreRussianthantheRussianstatesmenwhoattendedtheBerlinCongress!That iswhyit isnecessary to hate the compatriots of Bismarck! Whatever you may think of it, thissentence is certainly most original. And because the good professor of St Petersburgindulgesinthoughtsofthiskind,hecanalsowritethefollowing:

‘As a reaction’—against the Triple Alliance that had come about in Central Europe—’theDoubleAlliancewas formed,whichmeant that Russiawas associatedwith avengefulFranceinsteadoftheTripleAlliance.’…‘ForRussiatheBalkanquestionisnoguerredeluxe,noadventurousdreamoftheSlavophiles.Itssolutioniswithoutdoubtan economic and political necessity. The Russian budget is based on export; if herbalanceofpaymentsbecomesnegativetheRussiantreasurywillbebankrupt,becauseitwillbeincapableofpayingtheinterestonitsenormousforeigndebts.AndtwothirdsoftheseexportspassthroughthesouthernportsandthetwoTurkishstraits.Iftheseoutletsare blocked Russian trade will falter, and the economic consequences of such ablockadewouldbe incalculable.The last Italo-Turkishwar showed this clearly.Onlypossessionof theBosporus and theDardanelles canbring to an end this insufferablesituation, since the existence of aworld power such as Russia cannot be allowed todepend on chance and the arbitrary acts of others. On the other hand Russia cannotpossibly behavewith total indifference towards the fate of the southern Slavs of theBalkan peninsula. First of all, the little Balkan states provide rear cover for the twostraitsand,secondly,over thecourseof thecenturiesfar toomuchRussianbloodandRussian gold have been expended on the Balkan heroes for the whole thing to bedroppednow:SuchanactwouldconstitutemoralandpoliticalsuicideforanyRussiangovernment.’

Connect this, please, with the various remarks I have made about the Slav WelfareCommittee.ToomuchRussiangoldhasbeenexpended!Mitrofanoffcontinues:

‘Onemust,ofcourse,notexaggeratethesignificanceofPan-Slavismanditsideals,butitdoesexistanditisdoubtlessquitevigorous;thedemonstrationsbytheSlavophilesin1913onthestreetsofsomanyRussiantowns,inwhichevenelementsoftheoppositionparticipated,provideacleardemonstrationofthis.’

ThisletterofApril1914thengivesthefollowingsummary:

‘Oncemore:Theurgetogosouthisahistorical,politicalandeconomicnecessityandwhateverforeignpoweropposesthisurgeiseoipsoanenemypower.ForsometimetheTripleAlliancehasbeensingle-mindedlysetuponthiscoursetowardswar.InAustriatheurgetogosouthisalsoseenasahistoricalnecessity,andtheAustriansarejustasrightfromtheirpointofviewasaretheRussiansfromtheirs.DuringthefirsthalfofthenineteenthcenturytherewerethreedirectionsinwhichthemightyHabsburgmonarchycouldexpand:towardsItaly,towardsGermanyandtowardstheBalkanpeninsula.Since1866only the latter remains;Bismarckonce again, this timeperhaps unintentionally,causedAustriaandRussiatofaceoneanotherforadecisivebattle,andbyenteringintotheTripleEntenteheplacedthemightoftheGermanEmpireatthedisposalofAustria.Austriaofcoursetookadvantageofthis:everywhereandateveryopportunity,ifitwasamatterof theBalkans,RussiafoundAustriastandinginherway.TheannexationofBosniaandHerzegovina,whichmadeadeepimpressioninRussia,constitutednotmorethanapage in the thickvolumeofRussian-Austrianenmity. Indignationwassogreatand danger was approaching so obviously that even the peace-loving RussianGovernment,despiteitsshatteredfinances,waspreparedtogotowar.’

Hemeansin1908.

‘But the“Nibelung”by theSpree14 threateninglyshookhisarmouredfistandRussia,notsureofherallies,wasforcedtoyield.Intheyear1913therealizationoftheSlavo-Russianidealat lastseemedalmostwithinreach.TheTurkswerehitonthehead,thevictorious southern Slavs pressed forward to Salonika andConstantinople; one smallpushandthematterwassettled.’

This letter is really interesting for it points to a number of remarkable matters. Forinstancethewritergetsallexcitedaboutthefollowing:

‘TheworkshopsofEssensenttheircannontotheTurkishartillery;theywerenotuptothe standard of the Creuzot guns, but nevertheless were very well made. And mostimportant of all, German instructors drilled the Ottoman field army… It has nowbecome clear to the Russians’—April 1914—’that if everything remains as it is atpresent, the road toConstantinople lies throughBerlin.Vienna ismerelya secondaryquestion.’

April1914!Anumberofotherthingsaresaidwhichdemonstrateclearlythatinthisheadthereisadreamofwhatistohappensoon.Whethertheheadinquestionimaginedthatthetimewassocloseisanotherquestion;butthishead,togetherwithitsbodyandlimbs,ofcourse,nowsetouttovisititsteacherinBerlin.TheyspokeaboutmanythingstogetherandIintendtotellyouaboutanumberofthese.Theprofessorofhistorysaid:

‘IfyoudonotleaveConstantinopletous,warwillbeinevitable.’

He repeated over and over again: It goeswithout saying that theGermanswill remainGod’schoiceofteacherfortheRussianpeople,andthatweonlyhavetokeepthepeace—thattheGermansonlyhavetokeepthepeace—inordertoconquerbymeansofspiritual,innersuperiority.Butdonotbelieve thatyoucanconquerus.OnmyestateatSaratovIownahouseinwhichmyancestorshavelivedforcenturies;butIwouldsetitonfirewithmyownhandsbeforeallowingGermansoldiers tobequartered there.Wecouldgetonrather well together if we were to share Austria between us, so that German-Austriabecame part of the German Empire while the other part of Austria was taken over byRussia!

ThisisinJune1914!Wecouldshowinanumberofwayshowthoughtformscomeintobeinginaparticularenvironment.Quiteabithastakenplacerecentlythatcouldastonishus. Where social forms are more autocratic, things that happen tend to emanate fromsinglesources,whereasinothersituationstheyarisemoreoutofpopularstreams.Nevergeneralize, for in one place it is like this and in another like that. We could ask, forinstance: What is the basis for this peculiar, puzzling behaviour by a country likeRomania?Iamnotspeakingoftheincidentthatgavethefinalpushbutofthestreamoutofwhichitarose.ButIdonotwanttogivewhatisnowadaysusuallycalleda‘historical’explanation,for thetypeofhistorythathasbeencomingintobeingsincethenineteenthcentury and has now entered the twentieth is not worth a snap of the fingers. A truescienceofhistoryhastoproceedsymptomatically;ithastoshowthedifferentsituationswhich are suddenly illuminated as if by lightning. I should like to point out one suchlightningillumination.

ThosewhoareknowledgeableinthefieldknowthatmuchthathasgoneoninRomaniarecentlyhasbeenpuzzling.ThisisconnectedwiththefactthatinthewholeoftheEasta

certaincircumstancehasbeenreckonedwiththathasdominatedverymanypeoplelikeasuggestiveidea.Idonotwanttocharacterizethisbymeansofimpressions;insteadIshallmerely tell you certain remarksmade—Idonotwant to bevague—by theMinister forInteriorAffairs,TakeIonescu,15in1913toacertainMrRedlich.Hesaid,almostwordforword, that inhis opinion themonarchyofAustria-Hungarywouldnot exist beyond thedeathofFranzJosef,andhewouldsurelydiesoon.Itwouldthenbeamatterofdividingthis monarchy into its constituent parts. This was a firmly-rooted opinion and, inaccordance with it, people’s thoughts tended to go in one particular direction. It wasanotherofthosewidespread,suggestiveideas.

AnarticlewrittenbyaRussianaskswhatRussiacanstillexpectfromFranceandsetsforthreasonswhyRussiacannolongerexpectmuchfromFrancewithregardtoherownplans, andwhyRussiamustbecome thevictimofFrance if thingsdonot change.ThisarticlewaswrittenbyPrinceKotshubeyandpublished in the26June1914 issueof theParisjournalCorrespondent.Ihavenotchosenanarticleatrandombutselectedonebyawell-knownwriterwho is thoroughly versed inwhatever lives in his environment. Theauthor askswhether itwouldhavebeenbetter forRussia not to rely any longer onheralliance with France but instead to join forces with Germany once again. PrinceKotshubeydiscussesthispossibility.But,hesays,itwouldnotbefeasibletocarryitoutbecauseoftheFranco-RussianalliancewhichforcesRussiatobethepermanentenemyofGermany,herpowerfulwesternneighbour.So,inthishead,thesituationisreflectedinawaythatmakesRussiaanopponentofGermanyasaresultofpressurefromthealliancewithFrance,whichinturnprovidesherwithtwoalternatives:eithertocancelthealliancewithFrance infavourofcloserrelationswithGermany,ordropherplansforexpansioneastwardsintoAsia.Hethengoesontosay:

‘Butwhateversurprisesmaybe instore forus in the future,one thing iscertain,andthat is that theTripleEntentewouldonlyconstitutea truepolitical alliance ifFranceweretoenforceathree-yearmilitaryserviceandifEnglandweretointroducegeneralconscription.’

June1914!ThisishowthatprinceseestheTripleEntentethathadgraduallycomeabout;forhe thought that thealliancewithFrancewasno longersufficient.TheFrenchwouldhave to be quite strong, yet thiswas not enough; Englandmust also introduce generalconscription!

Yousee,thethoughtissocomprehensivethattherewasnotimetorealizeitbeforetheoutbreak of war; but general conscription was introduced in England anyway. Tounderstandtherealsituationintheworlditisnotenoughtosingleoutonethingoranotherarbitrarily;itisnecessarytodevelopthewilltolookatthosethingsthatreallymatter.Onepersoncansaysomethingfarmoreimportantthanahundredotherswhochatterawaylikethe blind talking of colours, repeating what they hear, and whose words have noeffectiveness.

Ihaveattempted,ontheonehand, toshowyouhowdefiniteenvironmentscomeintobeing and, on the other hand, to give you a few exampleswhich showhowpeople areimmersedintheseenvironments,andhowitisnecessarytogettoknowtheenvironmentifonewants tounderstand the thoughts that areexpressed inoneplaceoranother. It isnecessary, at least once, to thoroughly absorb the demand that is made of life as it is

developingtoday:todevelop,nottheenthusiasmofinattentivenessbuttheenthusiasmofattentiveness.

We shall speakmore about such things tomorrow, and thence endeavour to penetratemoredeeplyintooursubject.Weneedthesedetailsinordertodothis.Itwouldbemorecomfortable to skimover the surface, but thosewho do not know at least a few actualcasescannotputtherightquestionstothespiritualworld.

LECTURETHREEDornach,10December1916

Inordertoexamine,fromourpointofview,thesubjectwearedealingwithatpresent,wemustneverlosesightofthemannerinwhichspiritual-scientificobservation—withallitssignificance for mankind’s development in the fifth post-Atlantean period and for thepreparation of the sixth—makes its appearance. For without paying attention to howmaterialisticmantodayisnegligentwithregardtoaspiritual-scientificobservationoftheworld, we cannot proceed to the source of present-day events. As a starting point forfurtherdiscussionsIwanttoshowyouthemannerinwhich,insomeindividuals,akindofcompulsion comes about to lookup to thoseworldswithwhich our spiritual science isconcerned.Itisimportanttorealizethatthiscompulsivewinning-overofthesepeopletoacertainviewoftheworldisonlysporadicsofar.Yet,evenso,thereismuchinitthatisextremelycharacteristic.

A short time ago Imentioned to you that a certain Hermann Bahr1 had published adrama,TheVoice,inwhichheattempts—thoughratherafterthemanneroftheCatholics—tolinktheworldthatsurroundsusandisaccessibletoourphysicalsenseswithspiritualevents andprocesses.Not longbeforewriting thisdrama,HermannBahrwroteanovelAscension2andthisnovelisreallyinsomerespectsahistoricaldocumentoftoday.Idonotwanttooverstateitsartisticandliterarymerit,butitiscertainlyahistoricaldocumentofourtime.Asisthewaywithkarma,itsohappensthatIhaveknownHermannBahr,anAustrian, for a very long time, since he was a young student. This novel, Ascension,describesaromantichero,asliterarycriticismwouldsay.HeiscalledFranzandheseemstome tobe akindof likeness—not a self-portrait, but akindof likeness—ofHermannBahrhimself.Alotofinterestingthingstakeplaceinthisnovel,whichwaswrittenduringthewar.ItisobviouslyHermannBahr’swayoftakingissuewithpresent-dayevents.

Imaginethattheheroofthisnovelrepresentsakindoflikenessofapersonlivingtoday,now fifty-two or fifty-three years old.He has joined in all the events of his day, beinginvolved very intensely from a young age in all sorts of contemporary streams. As astudenthewas sentdown from twodifferentuniversitiesbecauseofhis involvement inthesevariousstreams,andhewasalwaysintentonjoininghissoulforcestoallsortsofspiritualandartisticstreams.Thisisnotaself-portrait;thenovelcontainsnobiographicaldetailsofHermannBahr’slife.ButBahrhasdefinitelycolouredhishero,Franz.Apersonisdescribedwhoendeavourstocometogripswitheveryspiritualdirectionatpresenttobefoundintheexternalworld,inordertolearnaboutthemeaningoftheuniverse.Rightat the beginningwe are told about all the places Franz has frequented in order to gaininsightintouniversalmatters.

FirsthestudiesbotanyunderWiesner,3afamousprofessorofbotanyattheUniversityofVienna.Thenhe takesupchemistryunderOstwald,4who tookover fromHaeckelaspresidentof theMonistSociety.He studies inSchmoller’s5 seminar, inRichet’s6clinic,andwith Freud7 inVienna. Obviously someonewhowanted to experience present-dayspiritual streams would have to meet psychoanalysis. He went to the theosophists in

Londonandhemetpainters,engravers,tennisplayersandsoon.Heiscertainlynotone-sided,forhehasbeeninRichet’slaboratoryaswellaswiththetheosophistsinLondon.Everywhere he tries to find hisway about.His fate, his karma, continues to drive himhitherandthitherintheworld,andwearetoldhowhereortherehenoticesthatthereissomethinginthebackgroundbehindhumanevolutionanddiscoversthatheoughttopayattention to what goes on behind the scenes. I told you yesterday about one suchbackground and I now want to show you how someone else was also won over torecognizesuchthings.SoIshallnowreadapassagefromthebook.Franzhasmadetheacquaintance of a female person. She is particularly pious—Klara has her own kind ofpiety—butjustnowallIwanttodoispointoutthatthisisofimportancetoFranz:

‘Itwasmore important at themoment to decidewhether he should reply to her andwhatheshouldsay.Shouldhedeclinepolitelyandthenwaitcalmlytillchanceshouldbringherintohisvicinity?Orshouldhefollowheradviceandturntooneofthepiousmen,andthentakethisasanoccasiontowritetoheroncemore?’

The piousmen in this connection areCatholic priests, and he does attempt to discoverwhether their opinions and knowledge can help him find his way in the affairs of theuniverse.Thebookcontinues:

‘But first and foremost heought tomakeuphis ownmind as towhat itwas that hehimselfreallywanted.Washemerelyinlove,andwasthereforehisinclinationtoturnpious nothing more than a hidden wish to please her? He had certainly not lied onpurpose,butitcouldbethathisfeelingforher,whichcastabrightnessovereverything,made all her attributes and ways desirable to him. Instinctively the lover longs toresemblehisbeloved,sothatwhatshelovesandvaluesislovableandvaluabletohimtoo.No, thisdidnotapply inhiscase!Washenoton theway tobelievingbeforeheevermether?Itwas,indeed,unlikelythathewouldeverhavemadeheracquaintancehad thatstrange, tohiminexplicable innerurgenotdrawnhimgently into thechurchwherehefoundherbeforethesaint,herselfalmostasaint.Otherwisehewouldhardlyhavenoticedher;didheperhapsnotloveheratallbutmerelytheappearancethroughherofhisownlongings?Sowaswhathenowfeltnotlove,notwhatlovehadmeanttohimhitherto,buttheblissofpiety?Butwashepious?Heonlyknewthathewantedtobe, but somehow still did not dare to, perhaps from fear of deceiving himself onceagain,sincehithertoeverydesirehaddeceivedhimand,ifheweretobedisappointedyet again, there was no further wish he could aspire to! He longed to be pious, butwhetherhewascapableof itwas indeedquestionable.Couldhebeaspiousas thosebeggarsinwhomhesoenviedthestaringblissoftheirstolidworship?Hedoubtedit.For that, he had tasted toomuch of the tree of knowledge. Could he be as pious asKlara?Hewasnolongerinastateofspiritualinnocence.Butwastherenotperhapsakindofsecondinnocence—innocenceregained?Wastherenotthepietyoftheonewhoknowshislimitations,ofthehumbleintellect,thefaithofonewhoknows,thehopeofdesperation?Had there not lived, in every age,wisemen, hidden, secluded from theworld,associatingwithoneanotherbysecretsigns,silentlyworkingwonderswiththeiralmost magical power, living in a higher region above nations, above creeds, abovelimitations, in theregionofapurerhumanity thatwasnearer toGod?Were therenotstill intheworldtoday,widespreadyethidden,knightsof theHolyGrail?Weretherenot disciples of a white lodge, invisible perhaps, not to be entered, existing only in

feelings,yetworkingeverywhere,reigningoverall,guidingdestiny?Wastherenoteveronearthananonymouscompanyofsaints,unknowntooneanother,notknowingofoneanother,andyetworkingonandwitheachother throughtheraysof theirprayers?Inhis theosophical phase he had already been much exercised by such thoughts, butevidentlyhehadmetonlyfalsetheosophists;maybethetrueonescouldnotbeknown.’

He hadmet a canon who had shown himself to be a man with few prejudices in anydirection.

‘Suddenly he wondered whether the canon might not perhaps be one of those truemasters,oneofthosehiddenspiritualrulersoftheworld,asecretguardianoftheGrail?Onlynowdidherealize that thecanonhadalwaysattractedhim,seemingtopromisegreatrevelations,asthoughhemightbearepositoryofthewordsoflife.Theregardinwhichthispriestwasheld;thetimidity,theawewithwhichpeoplespokeabouthim,theobedience shown even by thosewho disliked him, the deep solitude that surroundedhim,themysteriouspowerhewasreputedtohavewithwhichhecouldhelphisfriendsanddamagehisfoes—thoughhesmilinglydeniedthathedeservedeitherthegratitudeofhisfriendsor therancourofhisenemies—all thiswentfarbeyondtheimportance,thepower,thedignityofhisoffice,ofhisexternalposition.Someexplainedallthisasstemmingfrom“hisgoodconnections”,othersbyhisrumoureddescentfromanexaltedpersonage;andyetthemagicalpowerofhisglance,hispresence,indeedevenhismerename,remainedunexplained.Thereweredozensofcanonsinthecity,buthewasTheCanon. If anyone spoke of the canon, he was meant. Someone asking for HisExcellencywasnotimmediatelyunderstood.Theystillcouldnotaccustomthemselvesto call him that. To them he remained the canon. In processions he pacedmodestlybehindthecardinal,yetheitwaswhocommandedalltheattention.Ifhedidnotappearat a certain hour for his customarywalk, thewhole townwhispered: The canon hasgoneaway!Andlaterwhenwordwentround:Thecanonisback;thisseemedtobeoftheutmostimportanceforthewholeofthecity.FranzrememberedaconversationyearsagoinRome,’

forgivemeforreadingthis,butHermannBahrwroteit

‘aconversationwithanEnglishmanwho,aftertravellingthewholeworld,hadsettledintheholycitybecause,hemaintained,hehad foundnothingmoremysterious than themonsignori.Onewhocouldunderstand themwouldpossess thekey to thedestinyofmankind. He was an intelligent man of mature years, of good family, wealthy,independent, a bachelor and a proper English gentleman; sensible, pragmatic,unsentimental,totallyunmusical,inartistic,arobustandjollymanoftheflesh,angler,oarsman,sailor,given toheartyeatinganddrinking,ahigh liverwhoseenjoymentoflifewas disturbed by a single passion, a thirsty curiosity to see everything, to knoweverything, tohavebeenallover theplace.Therewas reallynoother reason for thisthantohavethesatisfactionofsaying,whatevertowninquestion:Ah,yes!Cook’sputmeinthatandthathotelandIsawsuchandsuchandmetthisor thatpersonofhighposition or renown. To make his travels more comfortable and ensure an entréewhereverhewent,someonehadrecommendedthathebecomeaFreemason.Hepraisedtheusefulnessofthisassociationuntilhethoughthehaddiscoveredthattheremustbeasimilarbutbettermanagedandmorepowerfulorganization.Thenhewasdeterminedto

becomeamemberofthat,justashewouldhaveturnedtoadifferent,betterCook’sifsuchathinghadexisted.Hecouldnotbedissuadedfrombelievingthattheworldwasruled by a tiny group of secret leaders. History was supposed to be made by thesehidden men who were unknown, even to their closest servants, who in turn wereunknown to theirs. Following the trail of this secret world government, this trueFreemasonry, of which the other was no more than an exceedingly foolish copypossessing inadequatemeans, he claimed tohavediscovered its seat inRomeamongthoseverymonsignori,thoughofcoursemostofthesewereunawareoftheirroleasacrowdamongstwhomthefourorfivetruerulersoftheworldcouldconcealthemselves.Franzstillhad tosmileat thecomicaldespairofhisEnglishmanwhosemisfortune itwasnevertofindthosehesought;instead,everandagaincomingupagainstnonebutsupernumeraries.Yetheneverallowedhimselftobeputoffentirely.Indeed,hisrespectforsuchawell-guarded,impenetrablesocietyonlygrew.Hewageredthatintheendhewouldbeadmittedtoitsranks,evenifhehadtoremaininRometotheendofhisdays,becomeamonkorevenhavehimselfcircumcised.Forsincehehadeverywheresniffedout the invisible threads of a power which enmeshed the whole world, he was notdisinclinedtoesteemtheJewstoaconsiderableextent.Occasionallyheseriouslyposedthesuppositionthatinthelast,inmostcircleofthishiddenworld-wideweb,rabbisandmonsignorimightbefoundjoinedinutmostconcord.Hewouldnothavemindedthisintheleastifonlytheywouldlethimjoinintheirmagicworkings.’

Yousee,heissearching!Weareshownapersonwhoisaseeker.AndalthoughthisisnotanautobiographyyoumaybequitecertainthatHermannBahrmetthisEnglishman!Allthisistoldfromlife.

‘EveninthosedaysFranzhadaskedhimselffromtimetotimewhethertheremightnotbeagrainoftruthintheEnglishman’sfoolishidea.Life,boththatoftheindividualandthatofnations,appearsatfirstglanceandfromcloseto,tobenothingbutaconfusionofcoincidences;yetseenfromalittledistance,fromahighervantagepoint,it iseverwellplannedandfirmlyguided.IfwedonotwanttoassumethatGodHimselftakesadirect hand in bendingman’s folly, themad arbitrariness of his actions, to serveHispurposes, then there is nothing for it but to imagine a kind of middle realm whichmediatesHiswill.Perhapsthereisacircleofmenwhoruleinseclusion,throughwhomGodworksupontheworld;stagesofdivinepowerandwisdom,sendingforthraysintothe murky darkness of mankind, so that in the end all is once more purposefullyordered.TheselensesofGod’slight,gatheringthecreativespiritandscatteringitforthinto the world, these secret organizers, these hidden kings, they it must be whotransform all madness into sense, all passion into stillness, who render chance intonecessity, give chaos form and bring light into darkness. Who in his life has notencountered people who seem indeed to possess a remarkablemajesty and distance,whoreputedlyhavethepowertocurseorblesswithaglance,andwho,howeverstilltheymayseem,nonethelessappeartoexercisetheirpowerfarandwide?Oftentheirlivesaresimple.Theymaybeshepherds,countrydoctors,villageparsons;often theyareoldwomenorprecociouschildrenwhodieyoung.Thereissomethingaboutthemall thatmakes themuncanny toordinary folk, something thatgives themgreatpowerovermanandbeast,orindeed,itisalwaysmaintained,overallnature,overspringsandminerals,weather,sunshineandrain,hailanddrought.Whenourpathscrosswiththeirs

wesensewithabsolutecertainty,atthatverymomentperhaps,ormaybeyearslater,thatthemeetinghas beendecisive for our own life.They themselves, it seems, feel theirpowertobemoreofaburden,evenacurse,butalwaysadefiniteobligation.Theyliveinobscurityandareglad tobe left inpeace. It isnothard to imagine themall linkedtogetherthroughouttheworld,communicatingbysigns,orperhapspassingonthesignsof evenmoremighty secret princes.Maybe they are quite unconsciousof all this, oronlypartlyconscious,fulfillinginnercommands,obeyingbyinstinctratherthanactingfromtheirowninitiative;fortheyseemindeedtobenotincontroloftheirownpowerbutratheroverwhelmedbyit.Allthesecapacitiesappearwhenconsciousnessisdulledorevenextinguished.Inhisyouth,Franzhadknownpeoplelikethis;theyarenotrarein the mountains. The Englishman’s visionary fancies reminded him of them. Verymuch later it had occurred to him that perhaps even someone not born with thesecapacitiesmight come into their possession; possibly by education and training theycouldbeacquired.Buthehadsoonbeendisappointedbythetheosophicalexercises.Hehadonlybeenremindedofallthisbythesightoftheecstaticworshippersinthedarkchurch.Throughpracticethesepeoplehadreachedastageinwhichsorrow,distressandenvywerestilled;composed,comfortedandstrengthenedtheyreturnedfromprayer.’

Asyousee,Franzdidnotwanttoundertakethesetheosophicalexercises;hedidnotwantto find a transition to knowledge of the spiritual worlds by thismeans. But somethingaboutwhichwehadtospeakyesterdayisbeginningtodawn.Peoplearebeingwonoverintorecognizingthecourseofcertainthreadsandtheyarebeginningtonoticethatcertainpeoplemakeuseofthesethreads.IfonlypeoplelikeHermannBahrwouldapproachthismatter evenmore seriously than they do. Even the canon encountered by Franz did somore seriously. Franz was once invited to the home of this canon together with someratherunusualcompanywhichisdescribed.Wediscoverthatthecanonassociateswithallsorts,notonlypiousmonksbutalsocynicsandfrivolouspeopleoftheworld.Heinvitesthemalltohistable.Franznoticedanumberofthings.Thecanonledhimintohisstudywhiletheotherswereconversingtogether.Asweknow,whendinnerisover,somethingelsealwaysfollows.Sothecanonledhimintohisstudy:

‘Theniecehadretired,buttheguestofhonour,UncleErhardandHisExcellency,seatedincomfortablechairsanddevoutlygivenovertotheprocessofdigestion,hadstillnotreached a conclusion. The tales waxed increasingly risque, the mockery moreaudacious,theallusionsmoreobvious;nothingwassparedanditseemedasthoughthewholeworldconsistedofnothingbutanecdotes.Disgusted,Franzturnedtothelibrary.Itwasnotlarge,butveryselectindeed.Onlythebareessentialsasfarastheologywasconcerned:’

ofcourseacanonneedstheologyleastofallforhimself

‘the Bollandists, many Franciscan writers, Meister Eckhart, the spiritual exercises,Catherine of Genoa, the mysticism of Görres, and Möhler’s symbolism. Thenphilosophy;therewasmoreofthat:thewholeofKantincludingthepapersoftheKantSociety,Deussen’sUpanishadsandhishistoryofphilosophy,Vaihinger’sPhilosophyofthe As If and a greatmanyworks on the theory of knowledge. Then therewere theGreek and Latin classics, Shakespeare, Calderon, Cervantes, Dante,Machiavelli andBalzacintheoriginal;ofGermanwriterstherewereonlyNovalisandGoethe,thelatter

invariouseditions,thatofhisscientificwritingsintheWeimaredition.Franztookoutavolumeoftheseandfoundinitmanyannotationsinthecanon’shand.Thelatteratthatmoment left the youngmonk and the Jesuit to join Franz.He said, “Nobody knowsGoethe’sscientificwritings.Alas!Theoldheathenheissupposedtohavebeenappearsinquiteanew light in them,and theyhelpyou tounderstand theendingofFaustaswell.IcouldneverbringmyselftobelievethathewassuddenlyjustpretendingtogoallCatholic”’

Wecan forgive thecanon, canwenot, forwantingeverything tobe ‘Catholic’;what isimportantforusisthathehasturnedtothenaturalscientificwritingsofGoethe.

‘“merelyforthesakeofthepictorialeffect.Myrespectforthisgreatwriteristoogreat,indeedsoismyrespectforanywriter,tobelievethatanyoneofthemwoulddressupina costume just when he is about to pronounce his last words. But in the scientificwritingseverypageshowshowCatholicGoethewas,”’

Letusforgivethecanon.

‘ “without knowing it perhaps, and certainlywithout the courage of his convictions.When you read them you seem to be listening to someone unfamiliar with Catholictruthswhohasdiscoveredthemallonhisown.Ofcoursehedoesviolencetosomeofthem and there are some wonderful eccentricities, but by and large nothing crucial,necessaryoressentialismissing,eventhathintofsuperstition,magic,orwhateveryoumightliketocallit,thatabornProtestantfindssosuspiciousaboutourholydoctrine!OftenIcouldhardlybelievemyowneyes!ButonceyouareonthetrackofGoethe,theunavowedCatholic,yousoonfindhimeverywhere.ObservehistrustintheHolySpirit,thoughhepreferstocallHimGenius,”’

Goethehasgoodreasonforthis,ofcourse!

‘“observehisprofoundfeelingforthesacraments,ofwhichheconsiderstherearetoofew, observe his feeling for the mysterious, observe his gift for reverence. Noteespeciallyhowheisquiteunprotestantinthewayheisneversatisfiedwithfaithalone;everywhereheurges thatGod shouldbe recognized through the livingdeed, throughpiousworks.And see his rare,most lofty andmost difficult understanding, thatmancannotbetakenupbyGodifhedoesnotfirstcallGodintohimself;hisgraspofthisterriblehumanfreedomofchoice, thefreedomtoacceptorreject theprofferedgrace,thefreedomwhichmakesof thisgracearewardfor theonewhodecidestoaccept it.Despitetheexaggerationsanddistortions,allthisissoutterlyCatholicthat,asyousee,Ihaveinmanyplacesbeenable towrite thepassagesfromthe tridentinemass in themarginsnexttowhatGoethesaysinalmosttheverysamewords.WhenZachariastellsWerner that one sentence in Elective Affinities made him into a Catholic, I mostcertainly believe him. Of course I would not deny that there is also a heathen, aProtestant,andevenalmostaJewishGoethe.AndIcertainlywouldnotclaimhimasanexemplary Catholic, though he was more that than the insipidly jolly, common orgardenmonist that thenorth-Germanschool teacherspresent to theirpupilsunderhisname.”’

Younotice,eveninthesecirclesadifferentGoetheissought,onewhocanfollowthepathintothespiritualworld,adifferentGoetheforsurethanthat‘insipidlyjolly,commonor

gardenmonist’describedandpresentedtotheworldtodaybytheGoethebiographers.Asyousee,thepathtroddenbyFranzisnotsoverydifferentfromthoseyoufindinterwoveninwhatwecallourspiritualscienceand,asyoualsosee,acertainmodicumofnecessitycanbepresent.

MayI remindyou—Ihaveoftenmentioned it—that thedeathof theArchdukeFranzFerdinandofAustria8isoneofthoseconcealedeventsofthepresentday,despiteallthatoccurredontheexternalphysicalplane.Ihavestressedespeciallythatifthephysicalandspiritualworldsaretakentogether,thenforthemasatotalitytherewassomethingpresentbeforetheassassinationofFranzFerdinandthatbecamedifferentafterthatevent.Itdoesnotmatterinsuchcaseswhatthingslooklikeinexternalmaya!Whatoccursinwardlyistheimportantthing.AsItoldyou:WhatroseupasthesoulofFranzFerdinandintothespiritualworldsbecameafocalpointforverystrong,powerfulforces,andmuchofwhatis now happening is connected with the very fact that a unique transition took placebetweenlifeandso-calleddeath,sothatthissoulbecamesomethingquitedifferentfromwhatothersoulsbecome.

I said that someone who has lived through recent decades in a state of spiritualconsciousnessmustknowthatoneofthemaincausesoftoday’spainfuleventsisthefearinwhichthewholeworldwasdrenched,thefearthatindividualshadofeachother,eventhoughtheydidnotknowit,andaboveall thefear that thedifferentnationshadofoneanother. Ifpeoplehadseeingeyeswithwhich to trackdownthecauseof this fear, theywouldnottalkasmuchnonsenseastheydoaboutthecausesofthewar.Itwaspossiblefor this fear to be so significant because it is woven as a state of feeling into what Idescribedtoyouyesterdaybymeansofexamples.Pleaseregardthisasakindofsketch.But, drenching everything is this aura of fear. That soul was connected in a certainparticularwaywiththisauraoffear.Thereforethatviolentdeathwasinnowaymerelyanexternalaffair. I toldyou thisbecause Iwasable toobserve it,because forme itwasaparticularlysignificantevent that isconnectedwithmanyaspectsofwhat isgoingonatpresent.

Idonotsupposethatsuchthings,whichobviouslyoughttobekeptwithinourcircle,havebeen talkedaboutallover theplaceoutsideourcircle.The fact is,however, that Ihavebeenspeakingaboutthesethingsinvariousbranches9sincethebeginningofthewar.Therearewitnesseswhocouldverifythis.

HermannBahr’sbookappearedmuchlater,onlyquiterecently.Yetinitthereappearsapassage that I shall quote in a moment, and I would ask you to pay attention to thefollowingfact:withinthecircleofouranthroposophicalspiritualscience,indicationsaregivenaboutaneventthatisspirituallyveryimportant;thenanovelwrittenatalaterdateispublished,inwhichisfoundacharacterwhoalwaysappearstoberatherfoolish.Heisactuallyaprinceindisguise,butheappearsasafoolishpersonwhoperformslowlytasks.Fromaposter—he is living in a rural area—he learnsof the assassinationofArchdukeFranzFerdinand,whereuponhemakesaremarkwhichalmostcauseshimtobelynchedandleadstohisbeinglockedup;foranypoliceforcewouldnaturallybeconvincedthatsomebodymakingsucharemarkimmediatelyafteranassassinationmustbeapartytotheplot.Thoughtherearemanymilesinbetween,theoneeventhavinghappenedinSarajevoandtheothertakingplaceinSalzburg,neverthelesstothepolice,initswisdom,thatman

mustbeapartytotheplot.

It now emerges that this person is a prince in disguise and that he owns a deeplysignificant mystical diary. The reason for the remark he made also emerges. He wasactuallyaprince,buthadfoundthewholebusinessofbeingaprinceirksomeandsohaddisguised himself as old Blasl who performed lowly tasks, behaved stupidly, even lethimselfbebeatenbyhismaster, andhardlyever spokeaword;hebecame talkativeoncertain occasions but usually he said nothing.Thenwhen hewas being investigated hewasfoundtopossessamysticalmanuscriptwhichhehadwrittenhimself.Thebook

‘Theenchanted,nowdisenchantedprince,stillinhisoldclothes,andstillthesameoldfellow,too,thoughsomehowdifferentnowthatFranzknewtheyhadbeenadisguise,said smiling, “Forgiveme the deceptionwhich formewas none. I ceased to be theInfanteDonTadeolongago. Ifcircumstancesnowcompelmetorepresenthimagainforawhile,itwillbeafarmoredifficultroleformetoplay.Forme,IreallywasoldBlasl and, if I lied, it was myself I lied to, not you. That I should cause youinconvenienceIcouldnothaveknown.Iamsorryindeedforthat.Ofcourseitwasthemost stupid misunderstanding. Though I had never met him, I knew the heir to thethroneverywell;hemeantagreatdealtomeandwewereincommunicationwithoneanother,thoughnotinthemannerusualhere.”’

‘The manner usual here’ denotes the manner usual on the physical plane:We were incommunicationwithoneanother,thoughnotafterthemannerofthephysicalplane.

‘“Hehadlonggonebeyondtheboundariesofearthlyworkandstoodwithonefootinthatotherrealmofpurelyspiritualactivity.Nowitwastimeforhimtostepoverfinally.Iknewthatinordertofulfilhimselfhecouldnolongerstay.Hisdeedwillbedonefromthere.Iwasonlysurprisedthatdestinyhadhesitatedsolongwithhim.OnthatSundaywhen I steppedoutof church,wheremyprayershadonceagainbeen rewardedwithreassurance, and saw the uneasy crowd, I knew immediately that his liberation hadcome.Whathas tohappen throughhimhe canonlybring about from theother side.Here he could only promise; his life was only a prediction. Only now can it reallyhappen. I have never been able to imagine him as a constitutional monarch withparliamentarianismandallthathumbug.Hewastoogreatforthat.Bythishehasseizedtheinitiativeforhimself.Thisdeadmanwillnowtrulystarttolive.ThisiswhatIfeltwhenIheardthenews.ThatiswhatImeanttosay.Youwillunderstandthattherewaslittlechanceofmakingmyselfunderstoodtothosepeasants.Ipreferredtogivemyselfupinsilenceandamonlysurprisedthattheydidnotdoforme.Iwaspreparedforthat—thenbynowitwouldallbeover.Theremuststillbesomethingformetodo.Sobeit!”Hehadsaidallthisinthesametoneofvoice,asitwerewithoutpunctuation,onlystaring at Franz from time to time with numb eyes. Then he requested him not tomentionhisnotebooksandtoforgetthemhimself.

“The truth iswritten in them, but only formyself; to understand them youwouldhavetounderstandmysignlanguage.Whatiswritteninthemisright;onlythewordsareinvalid.”Franzcouldnothelpdescribingtohimtheimpressionthenotebookshadmadeonhim.’

ForFranzwastheonlypersoninthattownwhocouldunderstandSpanish,andsincethe

notebookswerewritteninSpanishhewasaskedtohelpout.Thereisalittlegentleironyheretoo,sinceinAustriaanythingnotimmediatelyunderstandableissaidtobe‘Spanish’.Since Blasl, or rather the Infante, was suspected of being a party to the plot, it wasnecessarytoreadthenotebooks,andsinceFranzhadoncebeeninSpain,itwashewhohadtoreadthem.ForHermannBahrhadalsooncebeeninSpain.

Soyou see, sincewemust assume thatHermannBahrhadnotbeen tippedoff aboutthis, that we have here an example of a remarkable winning-over of an invidual to arecognitionofthesethings,ofaninnerneedgrowinginhimtodaytooccupyhimselfwiththesethings.Ithinkitisjustifiabletobesomewhatastonishedthatsuchthingsappearinnovelsthesedays;itissomethingtodowiththeundercurrentofourtime.Admittedly,tobeginwith, only people likeHermannBahr are affected, peoplewhose lives havebeensimilar to that ofHermannBahr,whowent through all kindsof experiencesduring thecourse of time. Now that he is older, having for a long time been a supporter ofimpressionism,heisendeavouringtocomprehendexpressionismandothersimilarthings.He isapersonwhohas trulybeencapable inhis soulofunitinghimselfoutwardlyandinwardlywiththemostvariedstreams.HereallyimmersedhimselfinOstwald’sthoughts,in thoseofRichet, in thoseof the theosophists inLondon, struggling toenter fully intothem.Onlyfinally,whenhisperseverancefailedhim,didhehappenuponCanonZingerl,whom he now considers to be aMaster. He did indeed immerse himself to the full ininternalandexternalstreams.

WhenIfirstknewhimhehadjustwrittenhisplayDieneuenMenschen,10ofwhichheisnowveryashamed;itsmoodwasstrictlysocial-democratic,andtherewasatthattimeno more glowing social-democrat than Hermann Bahr. Then he wrote a short one-actplay11 which is rather insignificant. He then converted to the German nationalistmovementandwroteDiegrosseSünde12fromtheirpointofview.Again,thereexistednomore radical German nationalist than Hermann Bahr. Meanwhile, he had reached hisnineteenthyearandwascalleduptoserveinthearmy;nowhewasfilledtothebrimwithmilitaristicviewsandsoldierlypride.

He understood, you see, how to unite his soul with external streams, yet he nevershirkedcomingtogripsentirelyseriouslywiththosethataremoreinwardaswell.Afterhis period as a soldier he went to Berlin for a short while and there edited a modernweekly journal,Die freieBühne.Chameleon-like,hecould turnhimself intoanything—exceptaBerliner!ThenhewenttoParis.Hehadhardlyarrived,couldnotevenconjugatea reflexive verb with être but used avoir with everything, when he started to writeenthusiastic letters about the sunlikebeingBoulanger13whowould surely showEuropewhattrue,genuinecultureis.ThenhewenttoSpain,wherehebecameaburningopponentoftheSultanofMoroccoagainstwhomhewrotearticlesinSpanish.Finallyhereturned,notexactlyacopyofDaudet14butlookingverylikehim.

HetoldusaboutallthisinthefamousGriensteidlCafé15whichhasofferedhospitalitytoallsortsoffamouspeoplesince1848whenLenau,16AnastasiusGrün17andotherswentinandoutthere.Eventhewaitersinthiscafewerefamous;everybodyknewFranz,andlaterHeinrich,ofGriensteidl’s!Nowithasbeendemolished,butbecauseHermannBahrtalkedsomuchthereaboutthewayinwhichhissoulhadenteredintothespiritofFrance

and about that sunlike beingBoulanger, someone else had grown rebellious, andwhenGriensteidl’swas pulled downKarlKraus18wrote a pamphletLiteratureDemolished. Istill remember vividly howHermannBahr told us about the grand impressions he hadgainedandhowhe,theladfromLinz,hadbeentheproudownerofthehandsomestartist’sfaceinthewholeofParis.HespokeenthusiasticallyaboutMauriceBarrès19andstoodupin the most intense way for the French youth movement; through the outpouring of asingleheartfilledwithardourwegainedanexperienceofthetotalwill-forceofawholeliterarymovement. Then, in Vienna together with others, he founded a weekly journalhimself, towhichhecontributedsomereally importantarticles.Hebecame increasinglyprofoundyet,withhim,superficialityalwaysseemedtogohandinhandwithprofundity.Thus he never stopped changing: from social democrat to German nationalist, from amilitaristic disposition to a glowing admiration for Boulanger, then discipleship ofMaurice Barrès and others; and after a later transformation he began to appreciateimpressionistart.Fromtime to timehereturned toBerlin,butalwaysdepartedagainasquicklyaspossible;itwastheoneplacehecouldnottolerate.Vienna,ontheotherhand,heloveddreadfully,andheexpressedthisloveinmanyways.

InmorerecentyearshisbelovedfriendsinDanzighaveinvitedhimanumberoftimestolectureonexpressionism,somethingtheyaresaidtohaveunderstoodexceedinglywell;and the lectures are included in his book on expressionism.20 He also enthuses aboutGoethe’s scientificwritings and shows that he has drawn a little nearer towhatwe arecomingtoknowasAnthroposophy;butinhiscaseitisonlyabeginning.Imightadd,bytheway,thathisrecentbookaboutexpressionismisfullofpraiseforhisDanzigfriends—ofcourse,sothattheyshouldstandoutfavourablyincomparisonwiththeBerliners.

Lately it has been said that Hermann Bahr has converted to Catholicism. I don’tsuppose he will be all that Catholic though— perhaps about as much as he wasboulangistic indaysgoneby.Buthe isahumanbeing!Youhavenowseen inhismostrecent novel that through his very worldliness, through his longing to learn abouteverything in his own way, he has now been touched by the necessity to discoversomethingaboutman’sascentintothespiritualworldandaboutthelinksbetweenhumanbeings thataredifferent from thoseordinaryphysical links; inotherwords, linksof thekindwedescribedyesterday.

Youcanunderstandwhy I find it to someextent significant that suchanovel shouldcontain not only general echoes but should lead to a point as concrete as the death ofArchdukeFranzFerdinand.Thisshowsthatthesethingsarefarmorerealthanisgenerallysupposed.Justsuchthingsasthismustshowusthatwhattakesplaceonthephysicalplaneisoftennomorethanasymbolofwhatisreallyhappening‘behindthescenesofearthlylife’. For if you read about what has occurred in connection with these events, inconnection with this assassination, without appealing to the spiritual aspect, it will beimpossibleforyoutounderstandthatsomeonecanbeledtoplacesuchsignificanceonthematter. But it is not yet possible today to speak about these things without somereservation;asyet,noteverythingconnectedwiththesethingscanbeexpressed.Attentionmaybedrawntosomeaspectsonly;tobeginwith,perhaps,themoreexternalones.

LetusrecallwhatwassaidyesterdayabouttheworldoftheSlavs,aboutthesouloftheSlavs.ThetestamentofPetertheGreatappearedonthescenein1813,orperhapsalittle

earlier,andwasdisseminatedforgoodreasonasthoughitstemmedfromPetertheGreathimself.Thisdocumentisusedtoseizeholdofanaturalstream,suchasthestreamoftheSlavsoul,inordertoguideandleaditbymeansofsuggestion.Whitherisittobeled?Itistobe led into theorbitofRussianisminsuchawaythat theancientSlavstreamshouldbecome, in away, the bearer of the idea of aRussian state!Because this is so, a cleardistinctionmustbemadebetweenthespiritualSlavstream, thestreamthatexistsas thebeareroftheancientSlavtradition,andthatwhichstrivestobecomeanexternalvesseltoencompassthewholeofthisSlavstream:Russianism.

Wemustnot forget thata largenumberofSlavpeoples,orsectionsof thesepeoples,livewithin the boundaries of themonarchy ofAustria-Hungary. TheAustro-Hungarianmonarchy encompasses—let me use my fingers to help me count—Germans, Czechs,Slavonians,21 Slovacs, Serbo-Croats, Croats, Poles, Romanians, Ruthenians, Magyars,ItaliansandSerbs;asyousee,manymore thanSwitzerlandhas.What really lives therecan only be recognized by someone who has lived for quite a long time among thesepeoplesandhascometounderstandthevariousstreamsthatwereatworkwithinwhatisknownasAustria-Hungary.AsfarastheSlavpeoplesareconcernedtherewas,duringthelastdecadesofthenineteenthcentury,aparamountendeavourtofindawayinwhichthevarious Slav peoples could live together in peace and freedom. The whole history ofAustria-Hungaryinrecentdecades,withallthosebitterbattles,canonlybeunderstoodifit is seen as an attempt to realize the principle of the individualization of the separatepeoples.Thisisofcourseexceedinglydifficult,sincepeoplesdonotlivecomfortablysidebysidebutareoftenenmeshedincomplicatedways.AmongtheGermansinAustriathereare very many who consider that their own well-being would be served by theindividualizingofthevariousSlavpeoplesinAustria,thatis,byfindingaforminwhichthey could develop independently and freely.Obviously such things need time to comeabout;butsuchamovementcertainlydoesexist.

Then,apartfromtheSlavsinAustria-Hungary,therearetheBalkanSlavswholivedfora long time under Turkish dominion, which they have thrown off in recent decades inorder to found individual states: Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro and so on. Yesterday ImentionedthePolishSlavsasthosewhohavedevelopedfurthestintheirspirituallife.Iammentioningonlythemoreimportantsub-divisions,forItoocanonlyworkthesethingsout gradually. In all these Slav peoples and tribes there liveswhat I called yesterday aconsistent,primalfolkelement,whichissomethingthatispreparingforthefuture.

Seen quite externally,whywas Franz Ferdinand rather important?Hewas importantbecauseinhisbeing,inallhisinclinations—youmusttaketheexternalmanifestationasasymbolofwhat livedwithin—hewas theexternalexpressionofcertainstreams. Inhimthere lived something which, if only it had been able to free itself, bore the deepestunderstandingfortheindividualdevelopmentoftheSlavpeoples.YoumightindeedcallhimanintensefriendofallthatbelongstotheSlavs.Heunderstood—orperhapsIshouldsay: something living inhimofwhichhewasnot fully awareunderstood—what formswouldbenecessary for thesocial lifeof theSlavs if theywere todevelopas individualpeoples.

Wehave to realize thatkarmahaddecreed that thiskarmicpath shouldbeextremelyunusual.Letusnotforgetthattherewasonceanheirtothethrone,ArchdukeRudolf,22on

whomgreathopeswerepinned,especiallyasregardsthedirectioninwhichmanyliberalandfree-thinkingpeopleofthedayweretending.Thosewhoknewthecircumstancesandtheperson,understood that somethingwasworking throughhis soulwhichwouldhavebroughtabouttheapplicationtotheAustriansituationofwhatIyesterdaycalledEnglishpolitical thinking, English ideas concerning the way in which states should beadministered. This is what was expected of him and it was also what he himself wasinclined todo.Butyouknowhowkarmaworkedandhowwhat shouldhavehappenedwas made impossible. So then something else became possible instead. Now a mantendinginquiteanotherdirectiongrewinimportance.Itisindeednotwithoutsignificanceif our attention is drawn to this: ‘Here he could only promise; his life was only aprediction.Only now can it really happen. I have never been able to imagine him as aconstitutionalmonarch,withparliamentarianismandallthathumbug.’

Yetthisisjusthowweshouldhaveimaginedtheotheronetobe!Youseethatkarmaisat work andwemust see how this karmaworks in order to achieve further heights ofunderstanding.Thecircumstanceswhichcouldandshouldhavebeenbroughtabout—notbecause of the wishes of some person or other but because of the purpose of worldevolution—by this soulwho lookedupon theSlav folkelementwithunderstanding (forthemomentIamgivingapurelyabstractdescription),wouldtrulyhavehadaliberatingeffect on the Slav folk element. But it would, at the same time, have destroyed whatRussianismwantstodowiththeSlavelement.ForRussianismwantstoconfinetheSlavelementwithinitsownframeworkanduseitasitstool.Itwantstocontainitwithintheconfinesof the testamentofPeter theGreat.Thespeedwithwhichsuch thingscometorealizationdepends,ofcourse,onallkindsofside-currentsandperipheralcircumstances.But it is important to have an eye for what is gathering momentum in any particulardirection.Obviously,therefore,onlythosewhounderstoodtheSlavelementmoredeeplycouldunderstandwhatwebwas reallybeingwoven, andalso that thosewhowanted todestroy the Slav element through Russianism had to work against more healthyendeavours.

Mattersbecomeparticularlydelicateandtrickyiftheystartinterferingwithstreamsandcountingonmethods that are connected in somewaywith theoccult streamsusing thesecretbrotherhoodswhichexistallovertheworld.Somearemoreprofound,asarethoseaboutwhichIshallspeaktomorrow.Othersonlytouchonthesethingsbut,eventhen,astheydotouchonthem,theymustbeseenasvesselsthroughwhichoccultstreamsflow.The society whose dissolution was demanded after the death of Archduke FranzFerdinand,theSerbiansociety‘NarodnaOdbrana’,wastheactualsuccessorofanearliersecretbrotherhood,23havingchangeditsmethodsonlyslightly.Iamstatingnomorethanfacts.

Here, then, isacontactbetweenpolitical strivingsandasecret societywhich, thoughcentred in Serbia, had threads leading in every direction towherever Slavswere to befound,andalsolinkswithallkindsofothersocieties,butinparticularaninnerconnectionwithwestern societies. In sucha society thingscanbe taughtwhichareconnectedwithoccultworkingsthroughouttheworld.

Why do we have to make so many detours in order to reach even a partialunderstandingofwhatweactuallyhavetounderstand?Donotbesurprisedthatsomany

detours are necessary, for a superficial judgement is all too easily reached if insight isdirectedtoimmediateeventsinwhichweareinvolvedwithsympathyorantipathy;alltooeasilymisunderstandingsandfalseideascomeabout.Whatoftenhappenstoallofus?Weareperfectlyentitled tohavesympathiesandantipathies inour soul;butoften therearereasons why we do not admit this to ourselves. Perhaps we do not actually convinceourselvesonpurpose,butautosuggestionoftengivesusgood reason tobelieve thatourjudgementsareobjective.Ifonlywewouldcalmlyadmittosympathiesorantipathies,wewouldalsoacceptthetruth.Butbecausewewanttojudge‘objectively’wedonotadmitthetruthbut,instead,deludeourselvesinregardtothetruth.

Why do people have this tendency? It is simply because, when they endeavour tounderstand reality, they easily meet with extraordinary contradictions. And when theymeetthesecontradictionstheyattempttocometotermswiththembyacceptingonehalfofwhatiscontradictoryandrejectingtheotherhalf.Oftenthismeansatotallackofanydesiretounderstandthetruth.

Iwillgiveyouanexampleofhowwecanbecomeentangledinaseriouscontradictionifwefailtounderstandthelivingconnectionbetweenthecontradictionandthefulltruthof the reality. Inouranthroposophical spiritual scienceweunderstandChristianity tobesomething that is filledwith themeaningof theMysteryofGolgotha,with thefact thatChristwas condemned,died,wasburied, but thenalso rose again in the true sense andlivesonas theRisenOne.This iswhatwecall theMysteryofGolgothaandwecannotconcedetherighttoanyonetocallhimselfaChristianunlessherecognizesthistoo.What,though, had to happen so thatChristwas able to undergo, for human evolution,what Ihavejustdescribed?JudashadtobetrayHimandHehadtobenailedtothecross.IfthosewhonailedHim to the crosshadnotdone so, then theMysteryofGolgothawouldnothavetakenplaceforthesalvationofmankind.

Hereyouhavea terrible,actualcontradiction,acontradictionofgiganticproportions!Can you imagine someone who might say: You Christians owe it to Judas that yourMysteryofGolgotha tookplaceatall.Youowe it to theexecutioner’smen,whonailedChrist to the cross, that yourMysteryofGolgotha ran its course! Is anyone justified indefending Judas and the executioner’smen, even though it is true that themeaning ofearthly history is owed to them? Is it easy to answer a question like this? Is one notimmediately facedwith contradictionswhich simply stand there andwhich represent aterribledestiny?

ThinkaboutwhatIhaveplacedbeforeyou!Tomorrowweshallcontinue.WhatIhavejustsaidisspokenonlysothatyoucanthinkaboutthefactthatit isnotsoeasytosay:WhentwothingscontradictoneanotherIshallaccepttheoneandrejecttheother.Realityismoreprofound thanwhateverhumanbeingsmayoftenbewilling toencompasswiththeir thinking. It is notwithout reason thatNietzsche,24 crazed almost out of hismind,formulatedthewords:‘Theworldisdeep,deeperthandaycancomprehend.’

Now that I have endeavoured to indicate the nature of a real contradiction,we shalltomorrowattempttopenetratemoredeeplyintothesubjectmatterwehavesofartouchedoninpreparation.

LECTUREFOURDornach,11December1916

Before continuingwith the discussionwe started aweek ago, Iwish to say once againthat, if misunderstandings are to be avoided, on no account are judgements which arebasedonfactstobetakenassomethingaimedatanationasawholeoranationassuch.Itisatotalmisunderstandingwhenagainandagaingeneralizationsaremadebyapplyingtowhole nations something that has been said about actual, real factors, such aspersonalities.Something is said about apersonalitywho stands,or seems to stand, as arepresentativeforaparticularnation;thenothersidentifywiththispersonalitybysaying:I,too,belongtothisnation.Mostpeoplehavenoideawhatisgoingonwhentheydothis.Theyare talking inpitchdarkness.What is tohappenwithpeople’s judgements if theymake them on the basis of empty phrases without being able to pin-point anything,becausesuchjudgementsdonottouchonanykindofactualreality?

Iintend,sofarasispossible,todirecttheeyeofyoursoultothreethings.FirstIwantto give you someunderstanding—of course it can only be some understanding—of thegreatspiritualstreamsthatunderliecurrentevents.ThenIwanttoshowhowthesestreamsareworkingindifferentplacesandhowtheyeitherworkthroughpeoplewiththehelpofassociations,brotherhoodsorwhatever,ormoreor lessconsciously through individuals.Finally,Ishallindicatehowtodiscernthosecharacteristicelementswhicharecrucialforanunderstandingofhowtheeventsofthephysicalplanecanbeexplainedoutofawidercontext.

Letusfirstadoptasomewhathigherstandpointsothatwecanencompassinourviewthatwidercontext.Wefindthatmanythingshavechangedinproportion,nowthatwenolongerseethemasachancepatchworkofoddfacts.Forthehistoryofmankind—eveninits most painful events—is guided and led by spiritual impulses. But these spiritualimpulses also work against each other and people stand within streams which oftencontradictoneanother.Itistooeasytothinkthatthewisdom-filledworldorderwillsorteverything out. If this were so, there would not exist in the entire wide sweep of thephysical world something that in fact does exist: human freedom. On the other hand,however, there do exist impulses of necessity, great karmic impulses which work ineverything, and inourpresent considerationswe shallparticularly take intoaccount theworking of these karmic impulses.At the same time, though,wehave to dealwith thedetailsandpayattentiontothewayinwhichaffairsdevelopwhenthereisaparticularlygreatcontrastatworkwhichissignificantforthecontinuingevolutionofmankind.OnesuchcontrastisthatwhichexistsbetweentheWestandtheEastinEuropeanculture,andIhavedescribedtoyouwhathasdevelopedintheWestandalsowhatlivesintheEastasafolk element for the future. These are real forces that are at work. It is true thatmostpeopleknownothingoftheserealforces,butcertainindividualshavealwaysbeenabletolearnsomethingaboutthem.

Twothingsarepossible.Eitherpeopleknownothingoftheserealforces;insuchcasesitcaneasilyhappenthat,throughlackofawareness,withoutbeingabletodomuchaboutitintheordinarysense,theybecomeunconscioustoolsbylettingthemselvesbeusedby

otherswho,intheirturn,aremoreorlesssweptawayinthecurrentandwhoseworkingisa kind of combination between the regular streams and their own egoism, their ownambition.Thesepeopleareabletoinfluence,bysuggestion,thosewhoareunobservant.

Or the opposite can happen; something that has been so important and significant inEuropean life during recent decades: that there are individualswho, by somemeans orother, learn through the secret brotherhoods about the spiritual forces that exist andconsciouslymisusethisknowledgeforsomeotherends.Perhapstheirgoalisnotevenanend that deserves a morally damning judgement. Yet it is like playing with fire whenpeople,whodonotknowhowtotreatspiritualimpulses,worktoturntheseimpulsesinaparticular direction. Such a situation arose in the secondhalf of the nineteenth century,when various more or less secret brotherhoods, who were strongly influenced by theEuropeanperiphery,formedthemselvesinCentralEurope.Theyworkedtoahighdegreewithoccultmeans.Oneofthesewasthe‘Omladina’,1whichachievedagreatdealthroughtheimpulseslivinginit.

TheOmladinawasanassociationthatworkedamongstitsmembersthroughthemeansofcertain ritessuchasareused in thedifferentdegreesof thesesecretbrotherhoods. InCentralEurope theOmladina formed several extremely secretbrotherhoodswhichwerespread particularly over the various Slav areas, but also the Balkan states, and whichactuallyworkedwithoccultmeans in theirceremonial rites.Theyachievedagreatdealuntilbychance,asissaid—butonlyasissaid—thewholemattercameoutintotheopenthroughacourtcaseinBohemia.Thesesocieties,allofwhommaintainedlinkswithoneanother,burrowedandstirredagreatdealunderground,andbehindmaskstheycontinuedin existence. One such mask was the much-mentioned ‘Narodna Odbrana’ in Serbia,whichwasnamedso frequentlyat thebeginningof today’spainfulevents.This stream,whichhadalready flowed throughsomething thatworkedwithoccultmeansandwhichencompassedpeoplewhoknewaboutsuchthingsandotherswhoknewnothing,gavetheimpetusformuchthathastakenplaceinsouth-easternEuropeduringrecentdecades.Inthewestern,particularlyintheEnglishbrotherhoods,therewasmuchtalk,duringthelastdecadesofthenineteenthcentury,ofthecomingworldwar,anditwasalwayspointedouthowimportantwouldbetheeventsthatweretotakeplaceintheBalkancountries.

Letme say somethingmore to introduce this subject. For if we investigate only thespiritualaspectofthingswelackthebasisonwhichtoframetherightquestions,andwethendonotknowhowthespiritualhappeningsaremirroredbelow,onthephysicalplane.This is the important question I now wish to develop further for you, after havingyesterdaycalleduponyoutoponderdeeplyaboutthegreatcontradictionoftheMysteryofGolgotha.WhatIhavetodescribeasanintroductionwillserveasabasisforanumberoftopics,andIwanttostressyetagainthatIbegyounottobelievethatwhatIhavetosayisinanywayaimedataparticularnationassuch.NobodycanhavemoresympathythanIfeel for the unfortunate Serbian people. Not only have they endured so much that ispainfulinrecenttimesbut,aboveall,theyhavefordecadesbeentheplaythingofthemostvariedelementswhichhavemadeuseofwhatlivesinthisnation,forpurposesofwhichitcansurelybesaid:Theyarebehindamisusewhichisintendedtoturnthoserealimpulsesof mankind’s evolution, which live in the fifth post-Atlantean period, in a particulardirection.

I shall not go further back than the second half of the nineteenth century. Little isdiscussed nowadays which can really throw light on thesematters. I shall give only asketch, and in a sketch some things are described only in outline. I know how littleinclination there is to go into the real facts, but some of them at least must be madeknown.SoIshallgobackonlyasfarasMichaelObrenovich,2whoplayedanimportantpartastherulerofSerbiainthesecondhalfofthenineteenthcentury.Hewasanattractivepersonalityofwhomitcantrulybesaidthathedidnottrytosteerinanevilwaythoseforceswhichare,ofcourse,seenaboveallbyonewhobelongstoaparticularpeople.Itispossible,outofnationalorindividualegoism,tosteertheimpulsesofapeopleinsuchawaythattheseimpulsesbecomegrosslyover-strained;inotherwordstheindividualfolkimpulseispushedbeyondthepointatwhichitcanremaininharmonywiththeimpulsesofmankindasawhole.Itisextremelydifficulttohitupontherightmeasureinthismatter.InthecaseofMichaelObrenovichitwassothat,onthewhole,hisideasranconcurrentlywiththegoodEuropeanimpulses.ButheneededthesegoodEuropeanimpulsesonlysofarashecouldgoasagoodSerbianpatriot.Inordertounderstandacertainone-sidednessinMichael,youhavetoputyourselfinSerbia’sposition.YoucouldsaythatifamanlikeMichaelObrenovich livesouthispatriotism insuchaway, thiswaywouldcertainlybecomprehensible for others whose birth, inheritance and education have given them asimilarpatriotismforadifferentcountry.IneedonlyquoteafewwordsabouttheidealofMichaelObrenovichwrittenbyonewhoknewhimwell.MilanPirotsanatzsays:

‘His political aim was not the creation of Greater Serbia but the formation of aconfederaionofsouthernSlavsunderthehegemonyofSerbia.’

SoMichaelwasthinkingofaBalkanconfederation.Thisconfederationwasalsodiscussedby thosewesternEuropean occultistswhowere informed andworking in the very bestwayduring thegoodperiodofwesternEuropeanoccultism.Andeven though this idealwasopposedtothoseofmany,itmustbesaidthatitwasanidealwhichwasconnectedwithcertainrealimpulsesofthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.AgainstthisidealofMichaelObrenovichtherenowroseupagreaterpartofSerbia’sintelligentsiaundertheleadershipof Jovan Ristic.3 From this Serbian intelligentsia there flowed an element that wasdifferentfromthatofMichael.WhereashisaimwastocreateaBalkanconfederationoutoftheSlavforcesoftheBalkancountrieswithoutanyassistancefromAustriaandRussia,thatof thegroup ledbyJovanRisticandotherswas,at all costs, toplaceSerbiaat theserviceofwhatcameoutofRussia, infiltratingtheSerbiansoulbymeansofsuggestionandwiththehelpofthetestamentofPetertheGreat,inordertocreateaframeworkforRussianism.

The group influenced by the Omladina originated the slogan which claimed that amovementmustbestartedwhichwouldworkagainstMichael’sefforts,andalsothat,atallcosts,RussiamustplaythesameroleinconnectionwithSerbiathatFrancehadplayedfor Piedmontwhen the new Italywas created. Just as France had given her assistancewhenPiedmontwastransformedintomodernItaly,soRussiashouldserveSerbia,sothatout of Serbia on the other side of the Adriatic could emerge something new, but onlyundertheguidanceofwhatwastobeincludedinthemysteriousimpulsesofthetestamentofPetertheGreat.

TherearealtogetheraboutsixmillionSerbs.Onlythree-and-a-halfmillionoftheselive

inSerbiaandMontenegro;two-and-a-halfmillionmigratedtoAustriaearlieron.Alltheseare surrounded andmixedwith fourmillion Catholic and half amillionMohammedansouthernSlavs.Obviouslyclasheswereinevitable.Justimaginethespiritualchaossurgingandmingling there, andwhat itmust have been like in this chaos to guide a particularmovementsuchasthatoftheOmladina.Variousthingscanbedoneifthepossibilitiesareutilizedproperly.AndthosewhousesuchmeansinthewaytheOmladinadid,alwayspitonestreamagainstanothersothatsomethingelseemerges.

ThusitcameaboutthatMichaelObrenovichmetwithterribleopposition,andthatthisopposition found an effective way of working against him by organizing a hostilemovement with the corresponding hostile press outside Serbia, in Hungary. Since theOmladinaexistednotonlywithinSerbiabutalsomaintainedconnectionsinallthestatesofCentralEurope,itiseasytounderstandhowitwaspossibletosilenceitwithinSerbiaifnecessary and insteadorganize all sorts of things from the outside. In thisway, in caseanything should leakout, thepossibility remained tobe able to say:Thatother countryorganizedit.Thispossibilityalwayshadtobemaintained.

Inadditiontoallthis,MichaelObrenovichwasdeeplylovedbyhispeople;theylovedhimwithelementalforce.Suchaforceisalsoanoccultpower.Tocounterthisloveofthepeople itwasnecessaryeither tosetupanequallystrongloveinanotherdirection—butthiswasnot all that easy todo—or tobring about something revolutionary.So it cameaboutthattoalltheendeavoursmountedbytheOmladinawasaddedthedynasticdisputebetween the Obrenovich and the Karageorgevich families. The Karageorgevich factionwerebasedinGeneva,wereindebtinanumberofplacesalloverEurope,andcovetedtheSerbianthroneforthemselves.Theyhadtheopportunityofmakingtheacquaintanceofallsorts of societies in Europe—there were many—and also of finding out what theirimpulseswere.Byworkinghandinhand,especiallywhenyouhaveatyourdisposalthemeansIhavedescribed,youcanachieveagreatdeal.Youorganizethingsinsuchawaythatdifferentthingscanbebroughtaboutfromvariousdifferentplaceswhichhavetobesituated in different countries.ThusAlexanderKarageorgevich4 set up an administratorforhisaffairs inSzegedin inHungary.Thisadministratorwas—shallwesay—abanker.Therewasnothingmuchforhimtoadminister,butonedayheexercisedhisinfluenceonagroupofconvicts—thesethingsaredonewiththehelpofconvictsorothersuchelements—and on 10 June 1868 these convicts murdered Michael. On 10 June 1868 MichaelObrenovichwasmurdered.

Hisonlymaleheir,anephew,wasaverywretchedfellowandhardlymorethanaboy,sonowallthepowerfellintothehandsofJovanRistic,whowasverymuchacertaintypeof politician, a great politician from one point of view. Since he represented all thesethingsineverythinghedid,itispossibletoretracetheexternalpathshetrodinordertoachievehis internalaims.Firstandforemostheestablished,asasupremeprinciple, thatSerbiawasnowtofollowonlythoseimpulseswhichcamefromRussia,butthatthisneednotnecessarilyalwaysbedoneopenly.IftheRussianimpulsescouldbebetterservedbymaking concessions and establishing friendly neighbourly relations with the Habsburgmonarchy, then there was no harm in undertaking some project together with AustriaagainstRussiaonceinawhile.Inreality,though,everythingwastobedoneintheserviceofRussiaandthismeant,onoccasions,goingalongwiththeothers.ThiswasthesupremeprincipleforRistic.

At first his main concern was to establish himself and gain supporters. This wasdifficult, since theSerbsdidnot loveMilanObrenovich, andof coursenoonemustbeallowed even to guess at the secret threads which connected Ristic himself with themurderofMichaelObrenovich.Onecanputagreatdistancebetweenoneselfandeventsand yet be very close to them. Then the tracks have to be obliterated. He did this bybringingitaboutinsomewaythatrumourswerespreadthroughoutSerbiaclaimingthatthemurderofMichaelObrenovichhadbeenplottedinHungaryandtheMagyarsweretheguilty party.Thiswas believedwithout question in the circleswhichwere important tohim.

Intothestreamaboutwhichwehavejustbeenspeakingflowedyetanother,foundedbytenpeopleintheyear1880.TheintentionwasthatitshouldworkinharmonywithotherEuropean streams, so it was founded in Zurich. One of the ten, among whom NikolaPasic5wasnumbered,draftedthemanifestoofthis‘BrotherhoodofTen’.Itincludedthewords:

‘A confederation of all the Serbs6 presupposes the destruction of Turkey and thedestruction of Austria-Hungary, the removal of statehood fromMontenegro and thefreedomofthepeoplesofSerbia.’

This, then, was the quite definite manifesto of these ‘Ten’, worked out in 1880. Thesubsequent planwas toweave thismanifestomore andmore closely togetherwith theradical streamofRistic, forhewasnow the rightpersonat the rightplace: sinceMilanwas aminor, Ristic held the power. The two fitted verywell together. Certain streamsalwaysworkedtowintherightmanattherightplaceinordertoachieveasmuchastheycould.

TheuniversityprofessorJovanSkerlic,whowasalsoconnectedwiththisradicalstreamwrote,forinstance:‘ThefreedomoftheSerbpeopleandtheexistenceofAustria-Hungaryaremutually exclusive.’ Iwish to speakonlyof facts anddonot deny that amanifestosuch as this is perfectly possible for a Serb from his own point of view.WhenMilanObrenovitchattainedhismajority,circumstancesbrought itabout thathewanted to freehimself from this radical stream. He wanted to carry on with Serb patriotism, but inagreement with Austria-Hungary. So as time went on these two streams proceeded toweaveinandoutofeachother:ontheonehandtheratherweak,thoughdefinitelyexistingimpulseswhichemanatedfromMilanObrenovich,andon theothereverything thatwasconnected with the pretendership of the Karageorgevich family. It is worth noting thatwhilenobodyfromtheObrenovichdynastywasinvitedtothecoronationofAlexanderIIIofRussia,7PeterKarageorgevich,thepretenderwholateroccupiedthethroneofSerbia,waspresent.

ThebondsbetweenRussiaandtheBalkansweretobetiedevenmoretightlythroughthemarriageofPeterKarageorgevichwith theeldestdaughterofNikitaofMontenegrowho,however,didnotparticularlyrelishthisplansincehehimselfwantedtoassumetheSerbian throne after the departure of theObrenovich. However, the Russians offered amillionasdowry.OfcourseoldNikitapocketed this;hewas ratherpartial tosuch littletricks.

Ishallnottroubleyoufurtherwithexternalhistoryatthispoint,excepttomentionthat,

afterSerbiahadlosttheunfortunatewarwithBulgaria8whichtookplaceatthistime,herrealmwasonlypreservedbythedecisiveinterventionofAustria-Hungary.TheOmladinapartycouldnothavecaredlessaboutthis.Theirsoleaimwastosupportthestreamwhichwasworking to imprison the Slav element inRussianism.This partyworked verywellindeed.SomeremarkablestatisticswerecompiledbySerbs,notforeigners.Statisticscan,of course, bemade to saywhat youwant them to say, but in this case even if half theclaims are disregarded they are still significant enough. It was maintained that thisOmladinapartyhadbeenable to spread far andwidebecause theyhadcarriedout364political assassinationsbetween1883and1887 inorder to rid themselvesof thosewhowouldhaveactedastroublemakersiftheyhadbeenonthephysicalplanewhilethepartywas expanding. As I said, this claim is made by Serbs, not foreigners: 364 politicalmurdersbetween1883and1887.Evenifonlyhalfistrue,itissurelyenough.

In the nineties this party underwent a further considerable expansion. After a longperiodofsystematicworkittookamightystepforwardwhen,onacertaindayduringthenineties,everySerbiantownsuddenlyblossomedwithflags.ThiscausedgreatconcerninAustria.Whathadhappened? Itwas thedayonwhich the alliancebetweenRussia andFrance had been sealed! During the same week, behind the backs of the Obrenovichdynasty,onehundredthousandrifleshadbeenorderedfromFrancefortheradicalparty.

Itwasduringthisperiodthatapersonalityappearedonthescenethroughwhomagreatmany influences worked, but for whose position it was extremely difficult to gainagreementfromleadingquarters.ShehadbeensingledoutbyRussiaforcertainpurposes.However,thepartywhichwasthecontinuationoftheOmladinawasembarrassedtouse,asanimportanttool,apersonalityofthistypeandinthiskindofposition.ThiswasreallygoingtoofarfortheSerbs.IamspeakingofDragaMasin9whomAlexanderObrenovichwasallowedtoelevatetothepositionofhismistressin1886.Thispersonappearedonthesceneat this time,anda friendof theObrenovichdynasty,VladanGeorgevich,wroteaverysignificantandbeautifulbookfromwhichagreatdealcanbelearned:TheEndoftheObrenovich Dynasty. I recommend particularly the chapter which describes theremarkable weaving of the threads of world history, even though Georgevich halfunconsciouslyonlyhintsatthis.HetellsofanextraordinaryvisithehadtomaketoDragaMasinwhowas,ofcourse,animportantpersonage.Heshowshowtheenchantmentwithwhichshehadtoinveiglethosewhomitwasnecessaryforhertoinveigleemanatedfroma particular blend of perfumes, which was suitably adjusted to the individuality of theperson who was to be influenced by suggestion. If you read with understanding thischapterinVladanGeorgevich’sthickbookyouwillgainfromhisveileddescriptionmanyhints—intheoccultsense,too—regardingthefieldoflessermagic.Youwillbeastonishedto discover how much can be achieved, when those who want to achieve somethingremaininthebackgroundandleavewhathasfirsttobedonetotheseductivecharmsofawomanskilledintheartofperfumeblending.Evenintheseventeenthcenturythisplayeda considerable part in the politics of many a royal court. The history of some periodscannotreallybewrittenexceptbysomeonewhoisanexpertontheeffectsofperfumesinhistoryatdifferenttimesandperiods.

Then an event took place which throws some light on a number of strange karmicconnections.Theparty Ihavedescribed toyoucontinued towork.Apointwas reachedwhen,oncemore,bymeansofaplotsuchasthatmentionedearlier,anattemptwasmade

to assassinateMilan,who had long since abdicated but still played a role, and throughwhom,moreover,anumberofroleswereindeedstillplayed.Oneofthosecondemnedtodeath in consequencewasNikola Pasic; you know the name.He owed his deliverancesolelytothefactthatEmperorFranzJosefintervenedonhisbehalf.Youremember,PasicisthenameofthemanwhowasPrimeMinisterofSerbiawhenthewarbrokeout.

All these events took place because it was necessary for something to happen. Thedesired goals could not be achieved while the Obrenovich dynasty remained. SoKarageorgevichwouldhavetobeestablishedonthethroneunderRussianprotection.ButDraga Masin, who had meanwhile married Alexander, also stood under Russianprotection. She had in the meantime become a thorn in the flesh of the radical party,because they had come to regard her as a disgrace. All this had been reckoned with,becausethosewhohadputherinthispositioninthefirstplacewerenotconcernedwithestablishingthischarmingperson,giftedintheartofperfume-blending,uponthethroneof Serbia, but rather with making the Obrenovich dynasty look impossible through itsrepresentativeAlexander.Soshehadtobemadetolookridiculousandimpossible.DragaMasinhadtobemadeQueensothatshecouldbemurdered.Thosewhosepurposesweretobeservedwerethoseforwhom,outwardly,DragaMasinwasextremelyawkward.Thewholecomedyhad tobeplayed inorder toget ridofher,and itwasDragawhohad toplay it. I shall notmention details except to say that they even included the pretendedimminentbirthofafutureheirtothethrone,thoughsuchaonewas,infact,neverontheway.Thereshouldbemention,though,ofthefactthatthemostextraordinarypersonalitieswere taken on, whose task it was to set up connections between Geneva, where theKarageorgevichfamilydwelt,andtheBalkans,andalsovariousotherconnections.

PeterKarageorgevichhadbeeninstructedtoremainquietlyinGeneva,withoutstirring.Incontrast,thereexistedinvariousplacesawholeseriesofintermediarieswhosetaskitwastoruntheaffairinaccordancewithRussia’swishes,andalsotogiveitaface.Ishouldliketopointoutherethatthereisoftennoneedtoattachanyspecialsignificancetothosewho work in connection with these things. For example, there was an importantintermediaryfromMontenegrowhoplayedalargepartinthevariousactivitiesundertakenjointlybyRussiaandKarageorgevich.Hehimselfwasnotintheleastinterestedinservingthe radical Serbian party, or anyone else if it comes to that. He showed this later, inparticularbyoffering forsale inVienna in1907 thenumerous lettershehadexchangedwithPeterKarageorgevichinthisfatefulmatter.SopooroldKarageorgevichhimselfhadtocoughup150,000francsinordertobuythemback.

Ionlywanttotouchonthesethings.Whenonedaythehistoryoftheseeventsiswritten—anditwillbewritten—muchlightwillbethrownonmanymattersbythechapterwhichmentionswhattookplacethenintheHopfnerRestaurantinVienna,inLinzon22January1903,andintheBieglerHotelinMödlinginApril;thenitwillbemadeknownhowthedocumentcameintobeinginwhichKarageorgevichcommittedhimselfnottopunishthemurderersofAlexanderObrenovich10andDragaMasin,ifheshouldcometothethrone.Particularly important will be the revelation of what it was that Peter Karageorgevichsigned on 22 January 1903, and ofwhatwas discussed by certain officers serving thiscausewhentheymetintheKolaratzRestaurantinBelgrade.

After all these preliminaries themurder was committed in Belgrade in July 1903; it

became known to the world in a different way. An important part was played in thismurderbyacertainLieutenantVojaTankosic.Itisnotwithoutsignificancethattheleaderof one of the groups who were distributed in various places, in order to carry out themurders of numerous supporters of Alexander Obrenovich and Draga Masin, wasLieutenantVojaTankosic.Forperhapsyouknowthat,accordingtoanenquirycarriedoutin Austria, a certain Major Tankosic is named as one of those who organized theassassinationofArchdukeFranzFerdinandinSarajevo.ItisthesameVojaTankosic,nowpromoted to the rankofmajor,who thenhad the taskofmurdering the twoLunjevitzabrothers,thebrothersofDragaMasinandthen,asamajor,playedtherolenowknowntotheworldinconnectionwiththeassassinationofFranzFerdinand.Itisimportanttoseeinthisway,bymeansofrealexamples,howeventsareinterconnected,andtoindicatehowtheycontinuetoworkinsubsequentevents.

OncethedynastyofObrenovichwasoutoftheway,itwasamatteroffindingameansofputtingKarageorgevichonthethroneofSerbia.Pasic,forinstance,thoughhehadhisfinger in every pie, was not yet ready to agree to the ascent of Karageorgevich to thethrone;atthattimehewantedtoputanEnglishmanontheSerbianthrone.EvenineasternEuropethereweredifferencesofopinion.Itishistoricallydocumented,forinstance,thatwhen the death of the lastObrenovich became known, theGrandDuchessMilitzawasheard to say: Let us drink to the health of King Nikita of Serbia. So there was aninclinationinthiscircletoputNikitaofMontenegroontheSerbianthrone.Butwhenthetime came tomake the final decisionTcharikoff, theRussian attaché inBelgrade, said,literally:IhavecomeinordertoinformyouthatmygovernmentwillonlygiveitsconsentifPrinceKarageorgevichiselectedunanimouslyasKingofSerbiaattomorrow’selection.

Ihavenowpointedoutanumberoffactsinordertoshowyouhowthingsworkwhentheyarechannelledintoparticularstreams.Itisnecessarytohaveaconcreteideaofwhatisgoingonin theworld.Nowletmeproceedbywhatmightbecalled thesymptomaticmethod.Wehavetolookintoallsortsofthingsinordertogainacompletepicturewhichcanleadusastepuptothefundamental truths.Onceagaininconnectionwithall thisImust stress:Youmayhave a standpoint, and any standpoint is understandable; but youmustthenbeawarethatthisorthatstandpointistheoneyouhavechosen;youcannotthenformjudgementsasthoughyourstandpointwerehigher.

RecentlyIhaveoftenhadtoaskmyselfwhatmightbetheoriginofcertainjudgementswhichcropupagainandagain.WhenIbegantheselecturesItoldyouhowpainfulitwasfor me to meet in a certain direction only unfriendly or at best uncomprehendingjudgements,andIsaidthattheverypeoplewhomaketheseunfriendlyjudgementswithaparticular bias are the ones who ascribe to themselves the capacity to judge thingsobjectively.ThereisnoneedtolookfartofindtheunfriendlyjudgementsImean.Imuststress that I can understand every standpoint; but I cannot understand it when certainjudgementswhichareanythingbutobjectiveareclaimed tobe foundedonanobjectivebasis.

Forinstance,ifitisstatedthatthediplomaticdocumentsalreadyknownareofcrucialvalue for deciding who is to blame for the outbreak of the war, then there can be noobjection.Buttheremustbeeveryobjectiontotheconclusionssooftendrawnfromthem.Itisnecessarytostudythesedocumentsfarmorethoroughlythanisusuallydoneifavalid

judgementistobereached.ImighttellyouthatIhavecloselystudiedalltheBlue,RedandWhitePapersmanymorethanadozentimesandyetIcouldstilljustifyanynumberofjudgementsbasedonwhattheytellme.Ifonlyithadbeenpossibletomakeproperuseof the actual facts!All in all, Imust say that the judgements I hear remindmeof longdiscussions which end with the words: Never mind, the Jew will be burnt!11 Whetherpeoplearemoreor lessintelligent, thevoicethatalwayssoundstheloudestsays:Nevermind,theGermanwillbeburnt!Andsinceanobjectivefoundationcanneverbefoundforsuchgraveallegationsasthese,theonlythingtodoistoacceptthatwearefacedwithamost important question: Why is it that such a large proportion of people formsjudgementswhichcanbesummarized, ifnot literallythenfromtheirgeneralcontent, inthewords:Nevermind,theGermanwillbeburnt?

Many elements flow together in this judgement, especially because it is pointless tobringoutoneoranotheraspectwhichallowsthebasisonwhichthisjudgementisfoundedtospeakforitself.AndstillthequestionIamaskingisinthedeepestsenseofthewordaquestionof theheartandaquestionof thesoul.Iamawareofall thenotionsthatarosewhen from a certain necessity I wrote my pamphlet Gedanken während der Zeit desKrieges (Thoughts duringWartime), whichwas intended, as it says in the subtitle, forGermansandthosewhodonotbelievetheyhavetohatethem.12Iknowthatitexpressesthoughts—do not think me immodest when I say this—which some day, however fardistant, will be recognized by history as those thoughts which ought to be taken intoconsideration.But I alsoknow that for inner spiritual reasons certain thingswill notbepossibleuntil, at least in certainquarters, theregrowsa sense for the rightnessof thesethoughts.Thosewhodonotwish tobeconvincedby the innergravityofsuch thoughtswillfindthemselvesfacinglessonsfrommanysides.

OneimportantlessonwillbesharedwiththeworldwhenthemanifestosofsuchpeopleasLloydGeorge13 come to be realized. Possiblymany other lessonswill be needed aswell.Certainpeopleintheperipherywillalsobefacedwithsuchlessons.MuchcouldbecarriedoutdifferentlyifonlypeoplewouldnotallowthemselvestobesoverystupefiedbythejudgementsIhavedescribed.WhatIamtellingyouisreallytrue.Manyasolutionwillcomeaboutbecausethejudgementreachedincertainquarterswillbesteeredtowardsthedirectionjustmentioned.WhatpurposeisservedifanEnglishmangiveshissupporttoa particular personality through whom certain influences are working, and if thisEnglishman is then personally offended when that personality is characterized in anobjectiveway?English culture itself has brought it about that political thinking can beformedinaparticularway,anditisbecauseofthisthatmuchthatservescertainpurposescan be concealed behind this thinking. The extraordinary situation is: that for certainimpulseswhichstemfromwesternEuropethepolitical thinkingofEnglishculturemustberegardedastheleastsuitableinstrument.

Itreallyissothat,ontheonehand,thereexiststhetaskwhichtheEnglishpeoplearecalled upon to perform during the fifth post-Atlantean period, and yet this purpose isconstantly being thwarted from quite another direction. And though there are indeedbeautifulvoicesintheorchestra,asIdescribedthedaybeforeyesterday,therearealsoagoodmanyotherstobeheardaswell.LetmedrawyourattentiontosomeremarksmadebyLordRosebery14in1893,notbecausetheyareparticularlyimportantbutbecausethey

areasymptomaticexpressionofsomethingthatdoesactuallyexist.LordRoseberysaid:

‘ItissaidthatourEmpireislargeenoughandthatwepossesssufficientterritories…Wemust,however,examinenotonlywhatweneedtodaybutalsowhatweshallneedinthefuture…Wemustnotforgetthatitisapartofourdutyandourheritagetoensurethattheworldbearsthestampofourpeopleandnotthatofanyother…’

It is important to know that such voices, too, join in the orchestra of the world. LordRoseberyhimselfwasnotparticularlyimportantinthisdirection,butthewayhespokeinthis tone was a good example of what I wanted to point out. It is important that apretensionofthiskindshouldringforth,notfromapeoplebutfromanindividualwhoisbackedbyvariousconcealedgroups,apretensionthatthewholeworldmustbestampedwith themarkof theEnglishspirit. It isnothingother thananechoofwhathadalwaysbeen taught in some secret brotherhoods15 in words such as the following: The Latinelementisnowdecadent;itmaybelefttoitselfanditwilltroubleusnomore.Thefifthpost-Atlantean period belongs to the English-speaking peoples alone; it is for them tomaketheworldintosomethingwhichstemsfromthem.

ThefirmdoctrinewhichhadcomeintobeinginthesecretbrotherhoodsmustbeheardresoundinginthewordsofLordRosebery;forwemustlearntolookintherightplaces.What happens outwardly might be quite a comedy. But we have to see through thecomedyandnotregarditassomethingthatcanbringblessingtotheworld.

IfsomebodydefendsthestandpointofLordRosebery,thereisnoneedtoenterintoanydiscussion with him, for discussion is quite unnecessary in such matters. Neither is itpossible tosay thatnoonehas the right tosuchastandpoint.Everyonehas the right totake up LordRosebery’s standpoint. But he ought then to say:My aim is tomake theworldEnglish;andnot:Iamfightingforthefreedomandrightsofthesmallnations.Thisiswhatmatters.ItisnotdifficulttounderstandLordRoseberyfromhisownstandpoint.But someone who does not share this standpoint must, instead, take up another. Inconsequence,thereisnoagreementbetweenthesetwostandpoints,andthematterhastobebalancedoutbythemeanstheworldhasatitsdisposalforsuchmatters.Undercertaincircumstances such standpoints of necessity even lead to the outbreak of war. This isperfectly obvious, since it would otherwise be possible to demand that the oppositionsubject itself voluntarily to one’s own standpoint.But if their standpoint prevents themfrom doing this, conflicts arise. So I am describing here only standpoints, for we aredealingnotwithobjectivejudgementsbutsimplywithchoosingbetweentwopossibilities.

I can, for instance, very well comprehend the standpoint of the French MinisterHanotaux16expressedinhisbookonFachodaandthepartitionofAfrica.Hesays:

‘Itistenyearssincetheworkwascompleted;Francehasdefendedherpositionamongthefourworldpowers.Sheisathomeinallquartersoftheworld.Frenchisspoken,andwill ever be spoken, inAfrica,Asia,America andOceania…The seeds ofmasteryhavebeensownineverypartof theglobe.Theywill flourishunder theprotectionofheaven.’

Thisstandpoint,too,isperfectlycomprehensible,yetobviouslytherecouldbecollisionswithotherpossiblestandpoints.

Nowletustakeanotherobjectivepointintoconsideration.Bismarckneverintendedtofollowapolicyofcolonialism.Germanyhad tobewonover toadoptacolonialpolicy.She did not carry it on of her own accord butwas induced to do so in a very peculiarmannerfromquiteanotherside.Imaygointothislater.Anyway,itwascertainlynotinaccordance with the character of the German people to bring about collisions in thisrespect.Fichte,inhisfamousspeechestotheGermannation,17saidexpressly:Germanywillneverarguewithanationwhospeaksabout the freedomof theseaswhileactuallymeaningthatitintendstodefendtheseasagainstallcomers.AboveallitwasknowninFrance that the tendency was not to oppose the aim expressed by Hanotaux but to letFrancepursueinpeaceherpathasacolonizingnation.InMinisterHanotaux’sbookthereisalsothefollowingpassage:

‘ItwillbeamatterforhistorytodecidewhatwastheleadingideaofGermanyandherGovernmentduringthecomplicateddisputewhichaccompaniedthepartitionofAfricaand the finalphaseofFrenchcolonial policy. Itmaybe assumed that, tobeginwith,Bismarck and his politicianswatchedwith satisfaction as France entered into distantand difficult enterprises which for years ahead would fully occupy the attention ofcountryandGovernmentalike.However,itisnotcertainthatthiscalculationprovedtoberightinthelongrun,sinceGermanyforherparteventuallyfollowedthesamepath,thoughrather too late,andattempted towinback the time lost. If thiscountry,atherowndiscretion,’

Notethathesays‘atherowndiscretion’.

‘leftthecolonialinitiativetoothers,sheshouldnotnowbesurprisedthattheytookthebestterritoriesforthemselves.’

Ofcourse thisstandpoint isperfectlycomprehensible,but italsocontains theadmissionthat Germany, at her own discretion, left the best territories to the colonial policy ofFrance.

PleasedonotbaseanyjudgementsonthedetailsIamgivingyou,fornotuntilIhavegatheredthemalltogetherwillatotalpictureemerge.

Nowletusaskhowitispossibletoconstrue—asisoftendonesoutterlyirresponsibly—anyconnectionbetweentheeventsof24and25July1914andthoseof thedays thatfollowed.Youhavenoideahowexcessivelyirresponsibleitistoseekasimplecontinuityintheseevents,thusbelievingthatwithoutmoreadothegreatWorldWarcameabout,orhadtocomeabout,asaresultofAustria’sultimatumtoSerbia.Therewasalotmoretoitthan that; a great many things had to be in preparation for decades. It is necessary todevelopaneyeforallkindsofthingsthathappened,andtopayattentiontothem.Ishouldliketoadvisethosegentlemenwhosimplymakejudgementsaboutallthemanybooks,asintheexampleIgaveyou,todotheirreading,notinthewayitisoftendonetodaybutinsuchawaythattheynoticewhatthingswereatwork.Todothis,asyouprobablyknow,particular attentionmust be paid to a number of things. For the present I do notmindlayingmyselfopentotheaccusationthatIammakingallsortsofstatementsthatcannoteasilybeproved.ButIcanproveallthesethingsquitewell.

ReadthereportsoftheconversationsthattookplaceinJuly1914andtakenoteofhowthese conversations proceeded. In real life people’s expressions also contribute to the

actualwords.Inthecaseofpoliticiansitistheirexpressionsandgesturesmorethantheirwordswhichsometimesreallytelluswhatismeant;indeedoftentheirwordsonlyservetodisguisewhatisactuallybeingcommunicated.Moreover,reportsareoftenmoreaccurateasregardstheseincommunicablesthantheyareinrespectofthewords.

So letmeask:Whydid apersonality suchasSasonov18 soobviouslyplay two rolesduringallthenegotiations?DuringthenegotiationswiththerepresentativesoftheCentralPowers he plays the part of an extraordinarily agitated person who has to hold ontohimselfwithallhismightinordertoremaincalm,sothathegivestheimpressionofonewhohasbeenrehearsed.Whydoesheplaythepartofapparentlynot listeningandonlysayingwhathehaspreparedbeforehand,whichneverprovidesananswertothequestionsheisactuallyasked?

WhydoesheplaythispartinthenegotiationswiththerepresentativessentbyAustria,andwhydoesheappeartotallydifferentwhennegotiatingwiththerepresentativesoftheEntente?Whydoes he listen to them?Whydowe find, in the reports ofwhat he said,sentenceswhichwereobviously first spokenby the representativeof theEntente?Onlycomparethetwo!WhydoeshelistentotherepresentativesoftheEntente,andwhydoesheknowinadvancewhatheisgoingtosaywhenheisspeakingwiththerepresentativesofAustria?Withthelatterheevenwentsomewhattoofar.Duringthevisitof24JulyhesaidaftertheAustrianambassadorhadonlyspokenafewpreliminarywords:Thereisnoneedforyoutotellmeallthat;Iknowwhatyouaregoingtosay!Hewasembarrassedbywhattheambassadorwantedtosaybecausehisanswerwasalreadyprepared.Andwhyinthis rehearsed speech did he emphasize so strongly that Austria must on no accountdemandthedissolutionoftheNarodnaOdbrana—which,ofcourse,continuestheearlierendeavoursof theOmladina?Justbear thesequestions inmind!Often it isnecessary toasknegativequestions.

Anotherexample:theblameforthewarislaidatthedooroftheGermangovernment.Againstthat,thequestioncanbeasked:WhatwouldhavehappenedifwhattheGermangovernment had desired had come to pass, namely the localization of thewar betweenAustriaandSerbia?Forevenachildcouldtellbyfollowingthenegotiations that itwastheaimof theGermangovernment to localize thewarbetweenAustriaandSerbia,andnottoallowittospreadbeyondtheconflictbetweenAustriaandSerbia.Sowecanask:Whatwouldhavehappened if eventshadgoneas theGermangovernmentwished?Weshouldallanswerthisquestionconscientiously.

There is another question which also requires a conscientious answer. In order tolocalizethewar,onethingwasnecessary:Russiashouldhavekeptquiet;sheshouldhaverefrainedfrominterfering.IfRussiahadnotinterfered,thewarcouldhavebeenlocalized.Ofcourse,otherconstraintsplayintothisfromotherdirections,buttheseconstraintshavenothingtodowiththewillofhumanbeingsorwiththequestionofapportioningblame.Why,inthediscussionsbetweenSirEdwardGreyandalltheothers,doestheviewpointoflocalizationneverputinanappearance,atleastnotseriously?Why,instead,evenasearlyas 23 July, does the viewpoint arise: Russia must be satisfied? We never hear theviewpointthatAustriamightbeleftalonewithSerbia;alwayswehearthatRussiacannotpossiblybeexpectedtoleaveSerbiaalone.Theviewpointoflocalizationwasnotbroughtup,evenwhenAustriagaveherbindingpromisenot toattack the territorial integrityof

Serbia.Isitpossibletosaythatthiswasnotbelieved?Eventhentheycouldhavewaited!Ithashappenedbefore—onlythinkofearlierevents—thatcountrieshavebeenlefttogeton with their quarrel, and afterwards a conference has been called. Why does itimmediately become the task of thosewithwhomSir EdwardGrey speaks to keep ondefiningtheproblemasaRussianone?Thisisanotherquestionthatmustbeansweredbythosewhowanttoexaminethisaffairconscientiously.

ThisnowbringsustotheimportantpointoftherelationshipbetweenCentralEurope,England,America, and so on—in otherwords to everything that is connectedwith thewordsofLordRosebery,everythingthatproceedsfromthemandalsowhatliesconcealedbehind them. We also come to the fear nations had of one another, that I describedyesterday.

Itwouldbegoingtoofartoexplainthisfullytoday;butIshallcertainlyhavetogointoit before bringing this discussion to the culmination it ought to reach. Let me merelyremarkthatcertainthingshappenedfromwhichtheonlysensibleconclusiontobedrawnlater turnedout tobe thecorrectone,namely thatbehindthosewhowere, inaway, thepuppets there stood inEngland a powerful and influential group of peoplewhopushedmattersdoggedlytowardsawarwithGermanyandthroughwhomthewaywaspavedfortheworldwarthathadalwaysbeenprophesied.Forofcoursethewaycanbepavedforwhatit isintendedshouldhappen.SotherearoseinthemindsofanumberofpeopleinCentralEurope,particularlyinGermany,thefirmconvictionwhichwasconnectedwithastrongfear,thatawarinwhichGermanyandEnglandwouldconfronteachotherwoulddefinitelybebroughtaboutatasuitablemomentbyacertaingroupinEngland.Thishadnothing todowitha longing to startawarwithEnglandatall costs.From theGermanstandpointsuchalongingwouldhavebeenutternonsense.Yetitwasthecasethateventhosewhoonly saw things superficially recognized,asa resultofvariousevents, thatawarwasthreateningtobreakout.

So letme drawyour attention to another point that is important for the formation ofjudgements:until1908,oreven1909, thereexisted inEnglandextensivecircles19quiteclosetoKingEdwardVII,20whoconsidereditanimpossibilitythatRussiashouldeverbeallowedtoapproachConstantinopleorenjoyfreepassagethroughtheDardanellesinthewayshedesired.Butthenaneventtookplacewhichchangedmuchduringthecourseofonlyafewmonths.Twopeoplespoketooneanother,21oneofwhomunderstoodaverygreatdealaboutinterpretingthesigns.ThiswastheattempttogainAustria’sagreementtofree Russian passage through the Dardanelles in compensation for the annexation ofBosniaandHerzegovina.ThiswasRussia’saim,andIzvolski,22whoisanintelligentmanbutthoughthimselfevenmoreintelligentthanhereallyis,reallybelievedatthattimethathe had in his hands Austria’s agreement to this Russian demand, despite Englishendeavourstothecontrary.Butthiswasnotthecase,soanothercoursehadtobetaken.

This was one of the important events. There weremany others. Everything that hashappened in recentyears is fullofdeceptions,andmanyof theseare tobefound in theperiphery.Thereisnoescapingthisfact.Andwhenyouhavestruggledhonestlyandfairlywith the various papers,which of course only describe the final phases of the tragedy,when you have studied them, as I have, twelve, fifteen or even twenty times, it isimpossibletoavoidrealizinghowpowerfulwasthegroupwho,likeanoutpostformighty

impulses,stoodbehindthepuppetsintheforeground.Theselatterare,ofcourse,perfectlyhonest people, yet they are puppets, and now they will vanish into obscurity so thatEuropecanstarttoconvinceherselfofwhatisstilltocome.

Still,asituationhadnowbeenreached inCentralEurope thatprompted thequestion:Will itbepossibleforenoughhonestpeople tocometo thesurface throughselectioninordertoovercomethatpowerfulgroup,ornot?Also,therewerepeoplewhowereworriedbecausetheyforesawthattherewouldbeacoalitionbetweenRussia,FranceandEnglandifawarweretobreakout.Ireallywonderwhetherthereisanyneedforsurprisethatthesepeoplewereworried.Thereismuchaboutwhichonemaybesurprised,butthisparticularthing really is not surprising. Those wise gentlemen who study all the official paperscould,itseemstome,atleastdiscoversomethingthatwasevendiscoveredbytheauthorofthatcelebratedarticlewhichwasawardedaprizebytheUniversityofBerne,namely,that for England’s part23 the war was made absolutely unavoidable when Belgium’sneutralitywasviolated.Absolutelyeverythingpointstothefactthattherewasnoreasonthat couldhavebeen candidlypresented to theEnglishpeople.For the reasons that didexist could not on any account be mentioned! If any English minister had presentedParliamentwiththerealreasons,hewouldhavebeensweptawaybypublicopinion.ThatiswhySirEdwardGrey,forinstance,hadtogivesuchpeculiarspeeches.

ItiseasyandreasonabletomaintainthattheEnglishpeopledidnotwantawar.Indeedithardlyneedssaying,foritisobviousandeverybodyknowsit.NoonewhoreallypointstothetruefactscanmaintainthattheEnglishpeoplewantedsuchawar.Onthecontrary,anyone voicing the real reasons would have been swept away by public opinion.Somethingquitedifferentwasneeded—areasonwhichtheEnglishpeoplecouldaccept,andthatwastheviolationofBelgianneutrality.Butthisfirsthadtobebroughtabout.Itisreally true thatSirEdwardGreycouldhavepreventeditwithasinglesentence.Historywilloneday show that theneutralityofBelgiumwouldneverhavebeenviolated ifSirEdward Grey had made the declaration that it would have been quite easy for him tomake,ifhehadbeeninapositiontofollowhisowninclination.Butsincehewasunabletofollowhisowninclinationbuthadtoobeyanimpulsewhichcamefromanotherside,hehadtomakethedeclarationwhichmadeitnecessaryfortheneutralityofBelgiumtobeviolated. Georg Brandes pointed to this. By this act England was presented with aplausiblereason.Thathadbeenthewholepointoftheexercise:topresentEnglandwithaplausible reason! To the people who mattered, nothing would have been moreuncomfortablethanthenon-violationofBelgianterritory!Ofcoursethisdoesnotapplytothepeople,nortothemajorityinParliament,but—well!—parliamentsareparliaments!

Allthishadbeeninpreparationforalongtime,andsomeofithadleakedoutafterall.Thereweresomepeoplewhohadthemostextraordinaryexperiences;forinstanceinApril1914 aGerman24 had a conversation in England in which he was given some strangeinformation.Ishallbringthisupagaininanotherconnection.Sinceallthiswasgoingonit isunderstandable thatsomepeopleweresaying:Weshallhave tobeprepared to findthatwhatisworstforGermanywillcomefromEngland.

Naturally these people then also began to discuss these things publicly in Germany,especiallyafter thebeginningof thenewcentury.Ishallnowquoteoneof thesevoices.Youwillhavetoforgivemeforquotingthisparticularvoice,butnowadaysonehastoask

forforgivenessforsomanythingsbecausesomuchthatispeculiarisbuzzingaboutintheworldthatonequiteoftenhastospeakinparadoxesinordertoexpressthetruth.Iwanttoread you a passage from a book that waswritten in 1911 and has since becomewell-known.ItdiscusseswhatthreatsGermanymighthavetofacefromEngland:

‘Nevertheless,Englishpoliciescouldalsogo inanotherdirectionso that, insteadofawar,anagreementmightbesoughtwithGermany.Suchasolutionwouldcertainlybepreferabletous.’

Thesewordsappear in awell-knownbookbyBernhardi,Germanyand theNextWar.25Youknowthat,togetherwithTreitschke,Bernhardihasachievedacertainrenownabroad.Heislesswell-knowninGermany,butthereitis.Letmereadyouanotherpassagefromhisbook:

‘ToincreaseherpowerbyterritorialgainsinEuropeitselfisprobablytotallyoutofthequestion forGermany under the present circumstances. The eastern territories lost toRussiacouldonlyberegainedasaconsequenceofanextensivewarwhichwewouldhavetowin;andeventhentheywouldcontinuetobeacauseoffurtherwars.’

Inotherwords theauthorconsiders that toseek territorialgainsfromRussia is the leastdesirableofallpossiblecoursesofaction!

‘EventoregainwhatwasoncesouthernPrussia,whichwasamalgamatedwithPrussiawhenPolandwaspartitionedforthesecondtime,wouldbeahighlydoubtfulexerciseonaccountofthePolishpopulation.’

This is quoted from a book written in 1911 which states that among all the thingsGermanyoughttodoshouldbeincludedthefirmdeterminationnottostartanyterritorialwars in Europe. This passage is from the book by Bernhardi, and for people on theperiphery who speak about him it would bemore sensible if they would look withoutprejudice atwhat the book actually says and, above all, seek to discover the context inwhichthingsaresaid.Thoughmuchisclumsilyexpressedinthisbook,acloserstudyofitwouldatleastrevealthatitwouldbemoresensibletotakethingsastheyare,ratherthaninthewayinwhichtheyaretakentoday.

LECTUREFIVEDornach,16December1916

Ifwewerenotasocietywhosetaskit is toobserveall thingsfromthepointofviewofdeeperknowledge,indeedofprofoundspiritualknowledge,Iwouldobviouslynowbringtoaclosethediscussionswehavebeenhavingandwhichwererequestedfromsomanydifferentquarters.Ifitwereamatterofanythingotherthandeeperknowledge,thenthesediscussionswould of course have to be suspended until such time as the results of theimportantevents1nowtakingplacewereavailable.

Itis,Ibelieve,withoutquestionthateverysoulwhoisearnestlyandhonestlyconcernedwith thewelfareofmankind is awaitingwithbatedbreath theoutcomeof thenext fewdays.Thefactswillshowwhethercertainsourcesfromwhatwehavecalledtheperiphery,thecircumference,arecapableofcomingtotheirsensessufficiently.Iftheyarenot,thenthewholeofmankind—inthefuture,too—willbeexpectedtobelievethatonefightsforpeacebyturningdownandexcludingthepossibilityofarelativelyearlyachievementofpeace. Ifmatters go in the direction that various voices in the press seem to assume—thoughnoseriousobserverwouldstillconsidersuchanassumption—thennoonewouldbeobliged even topretend any longer tobelieve that there is one jot of sincerity in allthosedeclamationswhichproclaimpeaceoreventherightsofnations.Inthenearfuturetheworldwillhavetheopportunitytodecidewithfullconsciousnesswhethertoseethedeclamationsof thewill topeace aswronganduntruthful andyet still continue to findthemsignificant,orwhethertoturntothetruth.

We,however,dostandonthefoundationofdeeperknowledge,andsothereisnoneedforustointerruptourobservations.Weareseekingforthetruth,andtruthmustbefoundatallcosts.Forthetruthcanneverbeseriouslyharmfulorworkharmfully.

TodayIintendtoputbeforeyoursoulcertainmatterswhichgiveustheopportunitytomakeourjudgementjustifiableinanumberofdirections.InnowaydoIwanttoinfluenceanyone’sstandpoint,northeirjudgement;forweareconcernedwithlookingthefactsofthephysicalplane,aswellasthefactsandimpulsesofthespiritualworld,calmlyintheeye.SometimeagoIsaidthatthequestionofnecessityinworldeventswouldhavetobescrutinized, even in the face of the most painful happenings. But Anthroposophy willnevermakeusintofatalists,inthesensethatwespeakofnecessitiesasafatetowhichwehave to resign ourselves. It is justifiable to ask: Did these painful events have to takeplace?Butevenifwefeelobligedtoanswerintheaffirmative,thereisstillnoquestionofbowingdownto thesenecessities inafatalisticway.Ishould like tostartbyillustratingwhatImeanbyacomparison.

Let us suppose that twopeople are arguing about howgood the harvestwill be nextyearinacertainarea.Theonesays:Theharvestwilldependontheconstraintslaiddownbynature.He listsall theconstraints—theweather, andall theotherconditions thataremoreor less independentof thewillofman.Theother,however,mightobject:Youareright,allthatexists;butwhatweoughttodoislookatthepracticalquestionofhowmuchofacontributionweourselvescanmake.Thenitismuchlessamatteroftheweatherand

otherthingsoverwhichIhavenoinfluence;mymainconcern,then,isthatIwanttoplaymypartinnextyear’sharvest,soonmysectionofthelandIwillsowthebestqualityseedIcanfind.Whatevertheotherfactorsmaybe,itismydutytosowthebestpossibleseed,andIwillmakeeveryefforttodoso.Thefirstmanmaybeafatalist;thesecondmaynotdenythereasonsforthefatalismofthefirst,buthewilldohisbesttosowthebestqualityseed.Inthesameway,foreverypersonwhodesirestobeprudentitisamatter,aboveall,offindingouthowhecansowthebestpossibleseed.

Ofcourse,forthespiritualdevelopmentofmankindtheexpression‘tosowtheproperseed’meanssomethingvastlymorecomplicatedthanisthecaseinthecomparisonIhavejustcited.Itdoesnotmeantheapplicationofafewabstractprinciples.Itmeanstakingthedemandsofmankind’sevolutionandrecognizingcorrectlywhatisneededatthepresentmomentforthisevolutionofmankind.Forwhatevernextyear’sweathermaybelikeandwhateverotherhindrancesorunfavourablecircumstancesmayapply,ifthesecondpersondoes not sow good seed the harvest will certainly be bad! So it is most important torecognize that at present the salvation of mankind’s development demands certainconditionswhich,atthemoment,byfarthegreatestportionofmankindisresisting.Theseareconditionswhichmustbeincorporatedinhumandevelopmentsothata thrivingandhealthydevelopmentcan takeplace in thefuture.And itmustalsoberealized thatmanfindshimselfatpresentinaphaseofdevelopmentinwhich,withincertainlimits,itisuptohimtocopewithhismistakes.

Inearliertimesthiswasnotthecase.Beforethefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod,beforeatleast a large part of earthlymankind had come to the full realization of their freedom,divinespiritualpowersintervenedinearthlydevelopment,anditcanbeclearlyperceivedthatthisinterventionbydivinespiritualpowerswassensedbyhumanbeings.Today,whatmattersistoshowmankindhowitispossibletoreachcertaininsightsand,aboveall,howto form a healthy judgement which coincides with the conditions demanded forman’sdevelopment. The fact that there is a resistance to this judgement is one of the deepercausesofthepresentpainfulevents.

Anotherquestionweshallhavetoconsideroverthenextfewdaysiswhyhumanbeingsdid not turn tomore spiritual inclinations a century ago. For had they done so today’spainful situationwould surely not have arisen. Let us postpone this a little longer andcometoitperhapstomorroworthenextday.Aboveall,letusholdtotheknowledgethatthepainfuleventshavecomeaboutchieflyasaresultofthisrejectionofman’slinkswiththespiritualworld.Presenteventsmightthereforebedescribedasakarmaofmaterialism.Butthisphrase‘karmaofmaterialism’mustnotbetakenasanemptyphrase;itmustbeunderstoodintherightway.

Insights thataresodeeplynecessaryhavesurfacedonlysporadicallyduringtheyearsspanned by our lives—the final decades of the nineteenth and the first decades of thetwentieth century. Certainly some insights—andmuch depends on insights—have beencastamongstmankind.Moreover,theattemptwasmadetocasttheminsuchawaythataconsiderablenumberofpeoplemighthavebeenincluded.But,atthemoment,forreasonswhich will be mentioned later, people are still tremendously resistant to any kind ofhigher,spirituallygroundedinsight.

I nowwant tomention a bookwhich appeared years ago.Youmight of course say:

Manybooksarepublished, sowhy is thisonesosignificant?Atmost, abookcanonlygive people some theoretical instruction, and the salvation of theworld is certainly notgoingtodependonwhethertheyreaditornot.Letmetellyouthatmoreisatstakethanmightbeexpectedifcertainideasandinsightsaredisseminated.LookinyoursouloncemoreatwhatIhavetoldyouduringthelasttwoorthreelecturesandyouwillbeabletoadmitthatthisisso.

ThebookImeanwaspublishedinAmericaandtheauthorisBrooksAdams.2Whenitappeared all those years ago it seemed to me to be one of the most importantmanifestationsofnewhumaninsight.Eventhoughthewayitwaspresentedtotheworldwasspoiltbythefact that it includedaforewordbyex-PresidentRoosevelt,3oneofthegreatest phrase-mongersof today,nevertheless the ideas in thisbookbyBrooksAdamscouldhavebroughtenlightenment in thewidest senseof theword.Another factor tobeconsidered inconnectionwithEuropeancultural lifewas that theGerman translationofthis book was brought out by a publisher of whom it was known that he serves quiteparticular spiritual streams, streams which are definitely hostile and detrimental, forinstance to our AnthroposophicalMovement. This is not what matters, however.Whatalways matters is to have a sense for the fact that it is significant if certain ideas arepresentedtotheworldunderanappropriateflagofthiskind.Itisquitedifferentifabookispublishedby,letussay,theCotta’scheVerlag,adistinguishedpublishinghousewhichsimply publishes books or, as in the case of the book in question, by a publisher whobrings out books which serve the purposes of a particular society. There is a greatdifference between dealing simply with literature and dealing with certain definiteimpulses!

WhatisinthisbookbyBrooksAdams?Letmefirstunfoldonlythemainideaswhicharebroughtforward,Imustsay,quitegenerallyandabstractlyinthemostamateurishwayandonlyinsofarastheirsignificancecouldberecognizedinAmerica.Yetitisimportanttoknowthatabirdsuchasthisfliesupfromthisparticularspot.BrooksAdamssaysineffect:Thereareintheworldvariousnationswhohavebeendevelopingslowlyforlongages.Inthedevelopmentofthesepeoplesitispossibletodetectbothriseandfall:theyareborn,theypassthroughinfancy,youth,maturityandoldage,andthentheyperish.

Thisis,tostartwith,noprofoundtruthbutmerelyaframework.However,whatBrooksAdams then develops in connection with the evolution of these peoples in the way ofdevelopmental lawscertainlyhassomesignificance. Itcanbeobserved,hesays, that intheperiodoftheiryouththesepeoplesnecessarilydeveloptwotendencieswhichbelongtogether.ToenterproperlyintoideassuchastheseofBrooksAdamswemust,ofcourse,distinguish strictly between a people as such and the individual human beings; neithermustweconfusetheconceptofastatewiththeconceptofapeople.So,BrooksAdamsascribescertaincharacteristicstoaparticulardevelopmentalperiodofapeopleandhealsoconsidersthatthesecharacteristicsbelongtogether.Accordingtohimsomepeoples,intheperiodoftheiryouth,havethecapacityforimagination,thatisthecapacitytoformmentalimageswhichare,inthemain,drawnfromwithin.Theyowetheirorigintotheproductiveimaginationandnottoconsiderationssuchasthoseofwhatwetodaycallscience;theyaredrawnfromthecreativeinnerpowersofthehumanbeing.Thischaracteristicofcreativeimagination is, according to Brooks Adams, necessarily connected with another: thesepeoples are warlike. The two characteristics of creative imagination and a warlike

dispositionareinseparablylinkedinthesepeoples.BrooksAdamsconsidersthistobeanatural law in the spiritual life of these peoples. Peopleswho are both imaginative andwarlikeare,asitwere,aparticulartype.

Incontrasttothosepeopleswhobelongtotheimaginativeandwarliketypethereare,saysBrooksAdams,peopleswhobelongtoanothertype.Here,creativeimaginationisnolonger predominant, for it has developed into something we can call sober scientificjudgement.Peopleswhopossess thischaracteristicofsoberscientific judgementarenotwarlikebynature;theyareindustrialandcommercial.Thesetwocharacteristics—wearespeakingofpeoples,not individuals—belongtogether: thescientificandthecommercial(forindustryissimplyabasisforcommerce).Thus,therearepeopleswhoarescientificandcommercial,andpeopleswhoareimaginativeandwarlike.

For the moment I do not want to criticize these ideas but merely mention that anopinionisassertingitself,thoughinaratherdilettantefashion,whichyearsagoflutteredup,asitwere,fromAmericansoil:takecarenottobelievethatthewholeofmankindcanbemeasuredby the sameyardstick!Donot imagine that the same ideals canbe set foreverynation!Notethatconsiderationcanonlybegiventowhatisfoundedinevolution,which means that you cannot expect a people like the Slavs, whose character isimaginative, to be unwarlike! Those of youwho readBrooksAdams’ book attentively,please note this latter example particularly. Judgement must be based, not on externalappearancesbutoninnervalues,inneraffinities.

Thebookissuperficialifonlyforthereasonthatsuchknowledge,ifitisexpressedatall,shouldbeexpressedonthebasisofspiritualinsightsalone.Solongasthereisalackof spiritual insights, judgements about the evolution of mankind—which is of courseaffectedbytheworkingofspiritualpowers—cannotbutbeone-sided.Aboveall,agreattruthisomitted:onthephysicalplanewestandwithintherealmofmayaregardingeventsaswellasthewillofhumanbeings.Assoonasmayaistreated,notasmayabutasreality,wemust fall intoerror.Andas soonaswe fail topayproperattention todevelopmentswithinmaya and to what resembles development withinmaya, we are already treatingmayaasreality.

If it were not nonsensical it would be very nice, for instance, to live in a season ofpermanent springtime, to be surrounded forever by blossoming, sprouting, burgeoninglife.Whydid thecreatorsof theuniversenot arrange things so thatwehave sprouting,burgeoning life forever?Why do the beautiful tulips, lilies and roses have to fade anddecay?Theanswer isquitesimple: theyhave to fadeanddecayso that theycanbloomagain!Insofaraswestandonthephysicalplaneitmustbecleartousthattheonecannotbewithouttheother—indeed,thattheoneisthereforthesakeoftheother;andthereisprofound truth inGoethe’s saying4 thatnaturecreateddeath inorder tohavemuch life.Since the physicalworld ismaya there is no balance so long aswe are in the physicalworld;abalancingcanonlycomeaboutifwecanraiseourselvesfromthephysicaltothespiritualworld.However, thisbalance isdifferent from thebalancewewouldexpect solongasweholdthephysicalworldtobeareality.Soitisnecessarytocometoknowthelawsofmaya,andtolearnthatwithinmayaabalancecanneverbefound,eitherbymanorbyanyotherbeing,ifmayaisnotinterwovenwithsomethingwhichliesoutsidemayabutinsidespiritualreality.

So, above all, it is always important to come to know maya as maya, to come tounderstand what it means when sprouting and burgeoning have to be accompanied bydecay.Inthecaseofnatureitiseasytoadmit,sinceweseebeforeourveryeyesthefactswehavetorecognize.Itwillbeeasytomakeanyoneunderstandthatinthesummerandautumn of 1917 the fruits will ripen which were sown in the previous year’s sowingseason. Ifbadseedswere sown, thenofcoursebad fruitswillbeharvested.Sowewilltend to pay attention to the quality of the seed and not allow ourselves to be so easilydeceivedbymaya,asweareinotherareasofhumanlifewheremattersarerathermoreobscure.

Someonewho points in a similar way, in connectionwith the life of nations, to theeffectabadsowinghasonthequalityoftheripeningfruit,willimmediatelybemetwithprejudices.Thesemay,forinstance,beexpressedasfollows:Imightsuggesttosomeonethat he should not be surprised at his bad harvest since his seedwas poorwhen itwassown;hemightthenretortthatitwashisseedandthatIamhurtinghisfeelingsbysayingbadthingsaboutit.ButIhavenointentionofhurtinghisfeelings,forthepoorqualityofhisseedmightnotbehisfaultatall.Itisnotaquestionofhurtingaperson’sfeelingsbutrather of stating an objective fact. It is not for me a matter of judging the connectionbetweenhimandhisseed-corn;thatishisaffairandIleaveittohimentirely.Buttoknowtheobjectivefactsitisnecessarytoinspecttheseed-cornverycloselyandfaceuptowhatisreallyatthebottomofevents.If,indoingso,wecanmaintainaproperobjectivity,thismightevenbebeneficialtothesower.Indeed,thebenefittohimmightbeconsiderableifwe succeed inmakingclear tohim theconnectionbetween theharvest and the sowing.WhatIwanttomakecleartoyouistheimportanceofputtingforwardthethoughtsintherightdirection,andofseekingthemintherightway.

Afterthisprelude,Inowwanttogobacksomewayinhistory.Thereasonsforthiswillsoonbecleartoyou.IhavealreadydrawnyourattentionduringlecturesheretoakingofEnglandwhoplayed an important part forEngland in the realmofmaya, in relation toreligiousdevelopment:HenryVIII.5Asyouknow,hewasrathergoodatgettingridofhiswives,ofwhomhehadquiteanumber.Healsohad—well—letussay,theplucktobreakwiththePopewhodidnotwanttodissolveoneofhismarriages.ThisrefusalbythePopegave Henry VIII the courage to bring about a new religion for the whole of England,inasmuchasitdependedonhim.Wehavespokenaboutthisonanotheroccasion.

DuringthereignofHenryVIII livedthegreatandeminentThomasMore.6Hewasamanofsublimespirituality,indeedofaspiritualityequal,forinstance,tothatofanothergreat man, Pico della Mirandola,7 as well as other eminent personalities of that era.ThomasMorewasanenlightenedspirit,eventhough,despitehisenlightenedinsight,hebecameHenryVIII’sLordChancelloranddidnotdespiseHenryhimself.Ishallprovetoyou inamoment thathedidnotdespiseHenryVIII.Hewasaspiritwhose illuminatedinstinctenabledhimtoacceptmayaasmaya.Yet,likePicodellaMirandola,hewasalsoapiousman.HewasnotpiousafterthemannerofHenryVIII,norafterthemannerofthePope;hewasa sincere,earnestlypiousmanand fromhispointofviewrejectedall theimpulsesandattemptsatreformationwhichwerealreadybeginningtoflickerduringhistime.

In a certain respect Thomas More was a faithful son of the Catholic church; and

althoughHenryVIII,whoseLordChancellorhealreadywas,wouldhaveloadedhimwitheveryhonourifhehadcompliedwithhiswishes,heremaineddisinclinedtoturntoanewreligion simply because Henry desired to take a new wife. For this he was not onlydeprived of his position, he was condemned to death, and the record of the courtproceedingswhichculminatedinhiscondemnationisextraordinarilyinterestingandverycharacteristicofthattime.ThewordingofthesentencewhichcondemnedThomasMoretodeathisquiteremarkable.

Most of you know, since it has long been published in secular books, that inFreemasonrytheascentthroughthevariousdegreesisconnectedwithcertainformulationswhichalso include themannerofdeathawaiting thosewhofail tokeep thesecretsofaparticulardegree. It isstated thatundercertaincircumstances thecandidatewillhave todieaterribledeath;forinstance,inthecaseofoneofthedegrees,hisbodyshallbecutopenandhisashesstrewntothefourwindsoftheearth.Thesethings,asIjustsaid,arenowthesubjectofnumeroussecularwritings.NowthesentencepassedonThomasMorecoincidesexactlywiththeformulationinrespectofaparticulardegreeofFreemasonry:hewastobebroughtfromlife todeathbyamost inhumanmethod.Yet thisalonewasnotenough.Hisbodywas tobedivided intoasmanysegmentsas therearecompasspointsandthepiecesweretobescatteredinallthesedirections.Partofthissentencewasindeedcarriedoutinthisverymanner.

Considerthatthiseventtookplaceatthebeginningofthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.ThomasMorewasborninthesecondhalfofthefifteenthcenturyanddiedinthefirsthalfof thesixteenthcentury.Wemaywellaskwhetherallhedidwas to refuse theking theoathofsupremacy—thatis,refusetorecognizethattheEnglishchurchwasindependentofthePopeandcommandedinsteadbytheKingofEngland.Isthisreallyallhedid?

Let us now turn to themost important thing he did, namely somethingwhich, eventoday,canhavetheutmostsignificanceforanyonewholooksatitsquarely.ThomasMorewrotethebookUtopia.OntheBestFormoftheStateandtheNewIslandofUtopia.8ThemainpartofthisbookdealswiththeinstitutionsoftheislandofUtopia,whichmeans‘notplace’, or ‘no place’. If we take the book in the sense intended by ThomasMore, wediscoverthatUtopiameansmuchmoretohimthansomeimaginarylandintheexternalphysicalworld.Weshouldnotbesofoolish,however,astoassumethatMorewrotethebooksimplyasanimaginarystory.ThomasMorecannotbecountedamongtheUtopians.Hedidnotwant topresentpeoplewithsomeimaginary tale;hewanted tosayfarmorethanthis,insofarasthiswaspossibleinhisday.

ThemainpartofthebookdealswithUtopia,butitalsohasaverydetailedintroduction.This explains touswhyMorewrote thebook.There is an important passage Iwant tobringtoyourattention,sothatyoucanseethathedidnotdespiseHenryVIII.Itbeginsasfollows:

‘Therewasrecentlyaratherseriousdifferenceofopinionbetweenthatgreatexpertintheartofgovernment,HisInvincibleMajesty,KingHenrytheEighthofEngland,andHis Serene Highness, Prince Charles of Castile. HisMajesty sentme to Flanders todiscussandsettlethematter.’

While inFlanders as an ambassador forHenryVIII,whomhe calls an enlightened and

great king, he meets a man he regards as exceptionally intelligent—spiritually,exceptionallyimportant.Soheaskshim:Sinceyouknowsomuchandcanassessmatterssocorrectly,whydoyounotplaceyourinsightsatthedisposalofsomeprince?ForMoreconsidersthatmostpeopleintheserviceofprincesarenotveryinspired,andthatmuchthatisgoodandfavourablecouldensuefortheworldifsuchinspiredpeopleweretoplacethemselvesattheserviceoftheprinces.Theothernowreplies:Itwouldbetonoavail,forwereItoexpressmyviewswithinsomeministryorother,Ishouldrendertheothersnocleverer;insteadtheywouldverysoonthrowmeout.Inordertostressthatthisman,withwhomhehimselfcannotagree,didactuallyexist,ThomasMoreadds:Imetthismaninthemostvariedcompanyandhe toldushowhehadonceattempted toput forwardhisviewsinanothercompany.

This isnotmerelyanintroductiontoUtopia;ThomasMoremeanssomethingfurther.Wehave thecurioussituation inwhichThomasMorewishes toexpresscriticismof theEnglandofthattime,theEnglandoftheturnofthefifteenthtothesixteenthcentury;theLord Chancellor wants to criticize England. It goes without saying that someone whothinksasThomasMoredoeswouldnotembarkonacriticismofsomethingabstract. InspeakingofEnglandheknowsthattheEnglishpeoplearenotidenticalwithwhatismeantbytheconfigurationoftheEnglishstate.Heknowsthisverywellandhealsoknowsthatthestateisnotsomethingabstractbutthatitismadebyindividuals,andthattheEnglishpeoplearenotincludedinanycriticismthatmightbeexpressedabouttheactionsoftheseindividuals on whom all the more important aspects of the English state depend. SoThomasMoreseizesonthebestpossiblestartingpointforaconcretediscussion,foritiscertainlynotconcrete,butmerenonsense,tosay:Englandislikethis,Germanylikethat,Italyliketheother—andsoon;tosaythisistosaynothingatall.

Now, within the framework of a larger company, More brings this intelligent,enlightenedman intocontactwithsomeonewho isanexcellent lawyer, someonewhomtheworldconsiderstobe‘anexcellentlawyer’,andsothesetwo—theintelligentmanandthe excellent lawyer in the eyes of the world—enter into a discussion of Englishjurisprudence.Englishjurisprudencewasthenofcoursenotasitistoday,butnomatter:the fifth post-Atlantean periodwas just beginning.The intelligent and enlightenedmanthoughtthatitwasextraordinarilystupidtoproceedagainstthievesinthewayconsideredproperintheEnglandofthattime.Thisman,whohasseenUtopiaandlaterdescribesit,thoughtthatthewholewayinwhichrobberyandothermatterswereconsideredwasnotatallclever.Hethoughtthat thedeeperreasonsforsuchbehaviourshouldbeinvestigated.Thushecametorejectall theviewsofthattimeconcerningpeople’sattitudetothieves.The excellent lawyer, of course, could not understand him at all. Let us now occupyourselves a littlewith the arguments of the intelligentman—not those of the excellentlawyer.Hesays:

‘I once happened to be diningwith theCardinalwhen a certain English lawyerwasthere. I forget how the subject came up, but hewas speakingwith great enthusiasmabout the sternmeasures thatwere then being taken against thieves. “We’re hangingthemallovertheplace,”hesaid,“I’veseenasmanyastwentyonasinglegallows.Andthat’swhatIfindsoodd.Consideringhowfewofthemgetawaywithit,whyarewestill plagued with so many robbers?” “What’s odd about it?” I asked—for I neverhesitatedtospeakfreelyinfrontoftheCardinal.’

Nowletusheartheintelligentmanspeak!

‘ “Thismethod of dealingwith thieves is both unjust and socially undesirable.As apunishment it’s toosevere,andasadeterrent it’squite ineffective.Petty larceny isn’tbadenoughtodeservethedeathpenalty,andnopenaltyonearthwillstoppeoplefromstealing, if it’s their onlyway of getting food. In this respect youEnglish, likemostothernations,remindmeofincompetentschoolmasters,whoprefercaningtheirpupilstoteachingthem.Insteadofinflictingthesehorriblepunishments,itwouldbefarmoretothepointtoprovideeveryonewithsomemeansoflivelihood,sothatnobody’sunderthe frightful necessity of becoming a thief and then a corpse.’’ ‘‘There’s adequateprovisionforthatalready,”repliedthelawyer.“Thereareplentyoftradesopentothem.There’salwaysworkontheland.Theycouldeasilyearnanhonestlivingiftheywantedto,but theydeliberatelychoose tobecriminals.”“Youcan’tgetoutof it like that”, Isaid.’

Thisistheintelligentmanonceagain.

‘“Let’signore,forthesakeofargument,thecaseofthedisabledsoldier,whohaslostalimb in the service of King and Country, either at home or abroad—perhaps in thatbattlewiththeCornishrebels,orperhapsduringthefightinginFrance,notsolongago.Whenhecomeshome,hefindshe’sphysicallyincapableofpractisinghisformertrade,andtoooldtolearnanewone.ButasIsay,let’sforgetabouthim,sincewarisonlyanintermittentphenomenon.Let’ssticktothetypeofthingthathappenseveryday.

Well,firstofalltherearelotsofnoblemenwholivelikedronesonthelabourofotherpeople, in otherwords, of their tenants, and keep bleeding themwhite by constantlyraising their rents. For that’s their only idea of practical economy—otherwise they’dsoonberuinedbytheirextravagance.Butnotcontentwithremainingidlethemselves,theytakeroundwiththemvastnumbersofequallyidleretainers,whohaveneverbeentaughtanymethodofearningaliving.

Themoment theirmasterdies, or they themselves fall ill, they’repromptlygiven thesack—for thesenoblemenarefarmoresympathetic towards idleness than illness,andtheirheirsoftencan’taffordtokeepupsuchlargeestablishments.

Nowasackedretainerisapttogetviolentlyhungry,ifhedoesn’tresorttoviolence.Forwhat’sthealternative?Hecan,ofcourse,wanderarounduntilhisclothesandhisbodyarebothwornout,andhe’snothingbutamassofragsandsores.Butinthatstatenogentlemanwillcondescendtoemployhim,andnofarmercanriskdoingso—forwhocouldbelesslikelytoserveapoormanfaithfully,sweatingawaywithmattockandhoeforabeggarlywageandbarelyadequatediet,thanamanwhohasbeenbroughtupinthelapofluxury,andisusedtoswaggeringaboutinmilitaryuniform,lookingdownhisnoseateveryoneelseintheneighbourhood?”

“Butthat’sexactlythekindofpersonweneedtoencourage,”retortedthelawyer.“Inwartimeheformsthebackboneofthearmy,simplybecausehehasmorespiritandself-respect than an ordinary tradesman or farm-hand.” “You might as well say,” Ianswered,’

Nowtheintelligentmanspeaksagain.

‘“thatforthepurposesofwaryouhavetoencouragetheft.Well,you’llcertainlyneverrunshortofthieves,solongasyouhavepeoplelikethatabout.And,ofcourse,you’reperfectly right thieves do make quite efficient soldiers, and soldiers make quiteenterprising thieves.The twoprofessionshaveagooddeal incommon.However, thetroubleisnotconfinedtoEngland,althoughyou’vegotitprettybadly.It’spracticallyaworld-wideepidemic.

France,forinstance,issufferingfromanevenmorevirulentformofit.Therethewholecountryisoverruneveninpeacetime—ifyoucancallitthat—bymercenarieswhohavebeenbrought in formuch the same reasonsasyougave for supporting idle retainers.You see, the experts decided, in the interests of public safety, that theymust have apowerful standing army, consistingmostly of veterans—for they put so little faith inraw recruits that theydeliberately startwars togive their soldiers practice, andmakethemcutthroatsjusttokeeptheirhandsin,asSallustrathernicelyputsit.

SoFrancehaslearntbybitterexperiencehowdangerousitistokeepthesesavagepets,but thereareplentyofsimilarobject-lessons in thehistoryofRome,Carthage,Syria,and many other countries. Again and again standing armies have seized someopportunity of overthrowing the government that employed them, devastating itsterritory, and destroying its towns. And yet it’s quite unnecessary. That’s obviousenoughfromthefactthatforalltheirintensivemilitarytrainingtheFrenchcan’toftenclaimtohavebeatenyourwartimeconscripts—Iwon’tput itmorestronglythanthat,forfearofseemingtoflatterpresentcompany.”‘

ThussaystheLordChancellor,ThomasMore.WeneedhardlydomorethancopydownwhathesaidthenaboutthepoorpeopleofFrance.YoucouldusethesewordstoformulatethemostbeautifulsentencestopresenttotheEnglishministerssothattheycanfulminateagaint‘Prussianmilitarism’.Butthesethingsweresaidatthebeginningofthefifthpost-Atlantean period, and possibly the juxtaposition of today’s chatterwithwhat lay at thebeginningofitallmightcausehurtfeelingsinsomequarters.

Yousee,ThomasMoreletsuslistentothewordsofapersonwhoendeavourstogettothebottomofthings,and,moreover,inawaywhichcouldbedisagreeabletosome,evenifmattersareonlytoucheduponquitesuperficially.Hecontinues:

‘“InanycaseIdon’tseehowitcanpossiblybeinthepublicinteresttoprepareforawar,whichyouneedn’thaveunlessyouwantto,bymaintaininginnumerabledisturbersofthepeace—whenpeaceissoinfinitelymoreimportant.Butthat’snottheonlythingthat compels people to steal.There are other factors atworkwhichmust, I think, bepeculiartoyourcountry.”‘

ThusspeaksthemanwhohascomebackfromUtopia.

‘“Andwhatarethey?”askedtheCardinal.’

Anewparticipantintheconversation.

‘“Sheep,”Itoldhim.“Theseplacidcreatures,whichusedtorequiresolittlefood,havenowapparentlydevelopedaragingappetite,andturnedintoman-eaters.Fields,houses,towns,everythinggoesdowntheirthroats.Toputitmoreplainly,inthosepartsofthekingdomwherethefinest,andsothemostexpensivewoolisproduced,thenoblesand

gentlemen, not to mention several saintly abbots, have grown dissatisfied with theincomethattheirpredecessorsgotoutoftheirestates.They’renolongercontenttoleadlazy,comfortablelives,whichdonogoodtosociety—theymustactivelydoitharm,byenclosing all the land they can for pasture, and leaving none for cultivation.They’reeven tearing down houses and demolishing whole towns—except, of course, for thechurches, which they preserve for use as sheepfolds. As though they didn’t wasteenoughofyoursoilalreadyontheircovertsandgame-preserves,thesekindsoulshavestarteddestroyingall tracesofhumanhabitation,and turningeveryscrapof farmlandinto awilderness.Sowhathappens?Eachgreedy individualpreysonhisnative landlike amalignantgrowth, absorbing field after field, andenclosing thousandsof acreswithasinglefence.Result—hundredsoffarmersareevicted.They’reeithercheatedorbullied into giving up their property, or systematically ill-treated until they’re finallyforced to sell.Whicheverway it’s done, out the poor creatures have to go,men andwomen,husbandsandwives,widowsandorphans,mothersandtinychildren,togetherwithalltheiremployees—whosegreatnumbersarenotasignofwealth,butsimplyofthefactthatyoucan’trunafarmwithoutplentyofmanpower.Outtheyhavetogofromtheir homes that they know sowell, and they can’t find anywhere else to live.Theirwhole stockof furniturewouldn’t fetchmuchofaprice, even if theycouldafford towaitforasuitableoffer.Buttheycan’t,sotheygetverylittleindeedforit.Bythetimethey’vebeenwanderingaroundforabit,thislittleisallusedup,andthenwhatcantheydobutsteal—andbeveryproperlyhanged?

Ofcourse,theycanalwaysbecometrampsandbeggars,buteventhenthey’reliabletobearrestedasvagrants,andputinprisonforbeingidle—whennobodywillgivethemajob,howevermuch theywantone.For farm-work iswhat they’reused to,andwherethere’s no arable land, there’s no farm-work to be done. After all, it only takes oneshepherd or cowherd to graze animals over an area that would need any amount oflabourtomakeitfitforcornproduction.Forthesamereason,cornismuchdearerinmanydistricts.

Thepriceofwoolhasalsorisensosteeplythatyourpoorerweaverssimplycan’taffordtobuyit,whichmeansalotmorepeoplethrownoutofwork.Thisispartlyduetoanepidemicoftherot,whichdestroyedvastnumbersofsheepjustaftertheconversionofarabletopasturelandbegan.Italmostlookedlikeajudgementonthelandownersfortheir greed—except that they ought to have caught it instead of the sheep. Not thatpriceswouldfall,howevermanysheeptherewere,forthesheepmarkethasbecome,ifnotstrictlyamonopoly—forthatimpliesonlyoneseller—thenatleastanoligopoly.Imean it’salmostentirelyunder thecontrolofa fewrichmen,whodon’tneed to sellunlesstheyfeellikeit,andneverdofeellikeituntiltheycangetthepricetheywant.”‘

Ineed readno further,but simplypointout toyou that in thisbookThomasMore, theLordChancellor, amanwho shares the views ofPico dellaMirandola, expresses bittercriticismthroughthemouthofapersonwhomayindeedbefictitiousandwhohasbeeninUtopia; but the criticism is levelled at something that really happened at that time. Forindeed overwide areas the peoplewhohad tilled the soilwith their handswere drivenfrom their land,whichwas turned into grazingground for the sheepof the landownerswhosoughttomakeprofitsinthiswayfromthesaleofwool.

ThomasMore found it necessary to draw attention to the fact that people existwhodrivetheruralpopulationfromthesoil theyhavetilledinordertoturnitovertosheep.Thosewho are able to link effectswith causes in an objectiveway can pursue, on thephysicalplane,how thestructureof theEnglishstate today is intimatelyboundupwithwhathappenedallthattimeagoandwascriticizedinthiswaybyThomasMore.Andifonepursuesthematterwiththemeansofthespirit,whichalsoexist, thenonediscoversthattheEnglishpeoplecannotbeheldresponsibleforagreatdealforwhichtheEnglandofpoliticsmustbeheldresponsible.Moreover,thosewhoareresponsiblefortheEnglandofpoliticsaretheheirs—incertaincases,eventheactualdescendants—ofthosewhoarecriticizedherebyThomasMore.Thereisanunbrokenevolutionwhichcanbetracedbackto that point. If we take such things into account we shall discover and know that inspeechessuchasthatofRosebery,whichIquotedtoyoutheotherday,canbeheardthevoicesofthosewholongagomadeprofitsfromthesaleofwoolinthemannerdescribed.Everywheretheobjectiveconnectionsmustbesought.Aboveallonemustbeentitlednottobemisunderstoodineverypossibleway.

What does it mean when one is reproached and told to be more tactful because,otherwise, the English will think this or that? This is not at all what matters.What isimportant is that there are certain things in our life todaywhich can be traced back tocertainorigins,andtheseoriginsmustbesoughtintheproperplaces.Thereisnocauseforanyone,merelybecauseheisEnglish,torushtodefendtheimpulsesofthedescendantsofthosewho longagodrove thepeasants fromhouseandhome, landandsoil, inorder tokeep flocksof sheep insteadof retainingarable land. It isnecessary tobecome familiarwith the laws of cause and effect, and not babble about one nation or another being toblameforthisorthat.

Now that I have endeavoured to demonstrate to you a characteristic link betweensomething in thepresent and something in thepast, letme turn toyet anotherpoint, inorderonceagaintomakeaconnection.Ishallpresentyouwithanumberofexternalfactswhichshallservethepurposeofgivingyouafoundationonwhichtobuildjudgements.

A survey of present-day Europe, with the exception of the eastern part which isinhabitedby theSlavs, reveals that for themostpart ithasemerged fromwhatwas thekingdomofCharlemagne9 in the eighth and ninth centuries. I am not concerned at themomentwithCharlemagnehimself,norwith thefact that there ismuchargumentabouthimtoday.ThisargumentaboutCharlemagnereallyhasaslittlepointastheargumentofthree sons about their father. If three sons quarrel amongst each other, the reason isfrequently that theyare allquite right to call a certainperson their father. Indeed, threepeoplewouldoftennotquarrelamongsteachotherwereitnotforthefactthattheydoallsharethesamefather;andtheobjectoftheirquarrelaslikelyasnotistheirinheritance!

Out of the realm of Charlemagne have come, in themain, three component parts: awesternpartwhich,aftervariousvicissitudes,becametheFranceoftoday;aneasternpartwhich, inthemain,hasbecometoday’sGermanyandAustria,withtheexceptionof theSlav andMagyar regions; and amiddle partwhich has become essentially the Italy oftoday. Strictly speaking, all three are equally justified in tracing themselves back toCharlemagne. Sometimes people even have strange feelings which determine whethertheywanttobetracedbacktoCharlemagneornot.Forinstance,whenyouconsiderhow

manySaxonswereslaughteredbyCharlemagne,itisnotsurprisingifsomepeopleattachno particular importance to being traced back to him. So, these three regions emergedfromthekingdomofCharlemagne.InordertounderstandmuchofwhatisgoingontodayweneedtotakeintoaccountthatthroughouttheMiddleAgesthereexisted,betweenthemiddleand thewestern region,certain linkswhichwereofan idealnature, linkswhichtodaynolongerexistatallinsuchareas,apartfromsomeemptyphraseswhichcannotbetakenseriously.For theHolyRomanEmpirewas toa largeextent foundedon ideals. Ifyoudonotwishtobelieveothersourceswhichspeakoftheseideals,thenreadDante’s10DeMonarchia, or investigatewhat elseDante thought about these things.Consider, forinstance,thatitwasDantewhoreproachedRudolfofHabsburg11fortakingtoolittlecareofItaly,‘themostbeautifulgardenintheEmpire’!Dantewas,atleastduringthatpartofhislifethatmattersmost,anardentadherentofthatidealcommunitywhichhadcomeintobeingandwascalledGermany-Italy.

TheninthethirteenthandfourteenthcenturiesweseethattheVenetianRepublicbeganto rebel against what came down from the North. First of all Venice devoured thepatriarchateofAquileia,12butthemainconcernoftheVenetianswastogainafootholdontheAdriaticandsettlealongthecoast there.VenicewasverysuccessfulandwecanseehowwhatcamefromtheNorthwasindeedpushedback,particularlybytheinfluenceoftheVenetianRepublic.ThencomestheeraknownastheRenaissance,whichflourishedinItaly andelswhere,particularlyunder the influenceof theblossomingof the free cities.But thiswas followed by theCounter-Reformation and the politics emanating from thePopeandSpain,andweseethatnotuntiltheeighteenthcenturycanItalybegintothinkofrecoveringfromcenturiesofpainandsuffering.Sinceyoucanread itup inanyhistorybook,thereisnoneedformetodescribehowthemomentatlastarrivedwhenItalyfoundher unity, to the approval of thewholeworld.Those of uswho are familiarwith thesethings know that in German regions just as much enthusiasm was expressed for theunificationofItalyaselsewhere.

WemightaskhowthemodernunificationofItalycameabout.Weshouldlookuponthecaseof Italyasaparticularly importantexampleofhowunifiedstatescome intobeing.Butwemustalsocome tounderstand theconnectionsbetween theevents inSerbiaandItaly which I told you about last week. These are connections which are immenselyimportant for an understanding of the situation today.But first onemust consider for amomenthow the state of Italy came intobeing, a statewhich can surelybe recognizedungrudgingly.

We need go back only as far as the Battle of Solferino13 in which France foughtalongsideItaly,andwherethefirststepwastakentowardsthesubsequentcreationofthemodern state of Italy.We are in the fifties of the nineteenth century.How did it comeabout—for there was a great deal at stake at that time—that the first step on the pathtowardsmodernItalycouldbetakenatSolferinobyItalyandFrance?ReadyourhistorybooksandyouwillfindtheyfullybearoutwhatIamsaying:ItcameaboutsolelybecausePrussiaandAustria—Austriacouldonlylose—couldnotreachanyagreement!

Whathappenedsubsequently isowedto thefact that Italyhad inCamilloCavour14atruly great statesman, in whose soul the idea flourished that, from this starting point,something could arise in Italy which would lead to a rebirth of the ancient Roman

greatness.Butmatterstookadifferentturn.Somethingsimilar,thoughperhapswithaverydifferentnuance,occurred;somethingsimilartowhatwesawinconnectionwithMichaelObrenovich, Prince of Serbia, when he sacrificed his earlier idealistic views to thedemands of state necessity. In a similar way the great soul of Camillo Cavour bowedbeforekarmicnecessityandmadethetransitionfromtheidealtoexternalrealism.

Icanonlygiveyouanoutlineofthesethings.15Italyproceededfromstagetostage.Inthesummerof1871VictorEmmanuel16wasable toenterRome.Howhad thisbecomepossible?ItwasmadepossiblebyGermany’svictoriesoverFrance!FromthestatesmanFrancescoCrispi17 stem thewords: Italywent toRome thanks to theGermanvictories,afterFrancehadtakenthefirstinitiativeatSolferino.ButthefactthatRomebecamethecapitalofthekingdomofItalyisduetotheGermanvictoriesoverFrance.

Nowa remarkable relationshipdevelopsbetween ItalyandFrance. It is interesting tonotehowtotheextentthatItalywasabletoconsolidateherunity,shebecameatonceanopponentandanallyofFrance.AnotherfactoristhatItaly’sstatesmensetgreatstorebythe fact that her state structure was pieced together from the outside and also that sheowedtoGermanythefinalgreatpushtowardsunity.ThesestatesmenalsosawthattojoinforceswithFranceinthewaywhichwouldhavebeenpossibleatthattimecouldnotbefruitfulforher.Thisstream,however,wasinoppositiontoanother,whichgainedinforcefromtheyear1876onwards: thatof thefrancophiledemocratic left-wingparty.SonowthisnewstatevacillatedbetweenanattractiontoFrancewhichwas,Imightsay,moreonthefeelinglevel,andamorepracticalattractiontoCentralEurope.TheremarkablethingwasthatineverythingthatcameaboutatthattimeitalwaysturnedoutthatthedecidingfactorwasthepracticaltendencyofCentralEurope.

AnewturnofeventscameaboutwhenFrancetookoverTunisia.18Ithadalwaysbeentaken for granted that Tunisiawould fall to Italy. But nowFrance proceeded to spreadherselfthere.SothepracticaltendencyinItalybegantogaintheupperhand,thetendencywhich leaned towards Central Europe. It is interesting, for instance, that at the BerlinCongress the Italian delegate asked Bismarck, who was quite calmly suggesting thatFranceshouldspreadover intoAfrica,whetherhewas really intentonsetting ItalyandFranceateachother’s throats.Certainlyfor theItalianstatesmenof that timethismeantthatItalymustturntowardsGermany.AndsinceBismarckhadspokenthefamouswords:‘The path to Germany lies via Vienna’, Italy had to turn towards Austria too. So theancientfeud,whichAustriahadtakenonaswhatIwouldcallhertragicdestiny,hadtobeshelved. For everything the Venetian Republic had done meant, basically, that thoseelementswhichtendedtowardsGermanyhadbeenpushedoutofItaly.SoAustriahadtotakeontheroleofbearingthestreamwhichcamedownfromtheNorth.

Asa resultofFrance’sactions inNorthAfrica, the francophilestreamin Italyhad toretreat, and so the connectionwithCentralEurope came tobe taken for granted at thattime.Iamgivingyouonlyasketchyoutlineof thesethingssinceit is,afterall,notmytask to teach you politics. But it is necessary to know certain things about which,unfortunately, far too little is known these days. Italy joinedCentralEurope in 1882 inwhatcametobeknownastheTripleAlliance.CertainpeoplewillalwaysmisjudgethisTripleAlliancebecausetheycannotaccustomthemselvestousingthevalidterms.TherereallyarepeoplewhoblamethepainfuleventsofthepresentwarontheTripleAlliance

instead of the so-called Triple Entente, which included the Entente Cordiale. You see,peopledonotalwaysusetheproperterms.Normallyyoucanaskaboutsomethingwhichis intended to lead toaparticulargoalwhether it is reallygetting thereandhowlong itremainsvalid.Now,itwasalwayssaidbythosewhowereapartytotheTripleAlliancethat its purpose was to preserve peace. And it did indeed serve this purpose formanydecades; that is, for decades it served the purpose forwhich its participants said itwasintended.

ThencametheTripleEntenteofwhichitwasalsosaidthatitspurposewastopreservepeace.Yetwithin less thanadecadepeacehaddisappeared!Anythingelse in theworldwould be judged on what it achieves. Yet precisely in this matter people do notcondescendtoformanobjective judgement.Onlyfiveyears later thatsecretmatterwascontrivedwhich gives us the possibility of studyingmore closely the alchemyof thosebulletswhichwereusedfortheassassinationatSarajevo!TheassassinationofJune1914could not possibly fail! For if those bullets hadmissed their target, otherswould havesucceeded!Everyprecautionhadbeentakentoensurethatifoneattemptfailed,thenextwouldsucceed.Itwasbetterthoughtout,indeedplannedonalargerscale,thananyotherassassinationinthewholeofhistory.

In order to studywhat our friends have asked us to bring up here,we shall have todiscoverthealchemyofthosebullets.Ishallreturntothislater.ForafteronlyfiveyearssomethinghadbeenmingledwiththeinterrelationshipsoftheTripleEntente,somethingwhichbroughtitaboutthattherewasalinkbetweeneveryeventthattookplaceinItalyandeveryeventthattookplaceintheBalkancountries.TheaimwastoletnothinghappenintheBalkanswithoutacorrespondingeventinItaly.Thepassionsofthepeopleweretobe swayed in such a way that no action could be taken one-sidedly, either in the onecountryor theother; thepeople’sfeelingsandthoughtswerealwaystorunparallel.FordecadestherewasthisintimateconnectionbetweenthevariousimpulsesintheApennineandtheBalkanpeninsulas.Sometimesacaseofthiskindstandsoutinanextraordinarilysymbolicway.Itis‘abeauty’inthewayitconformsexactlytothetheory,justasadoctormight find a serious case ‘a beauty’ if it gives him an opportunity of performing aparticularly good operation—which does not mean in any way that it is somethingbeautifulinitself.

OnavisittoItalyweoncecalledinRomeonamostcharming,delightfulandfriendlygentlemanwhohassincedied.19Heconductedusintohissittingroomwherewefoundina very prominent position the portraits, personally autographed, of Draga Masin andAlexanderObrenovich.Thisfriendlygentlemanwasnotonlyafamousprofessor;hewastheorganizeroftheso-calledLatinLeague,whichwasconcernedwiththeseparationofSouthTyrolandTriestefromAustriainfavourofItaly.OfcourseIdonotwanttodrawany great conclusions from such an insignificant experience. But it is significantsymbolically that somebody who organizes the Latin League—I am not judging orcriticizing, merely reporting—and, in connection with this Latin League, causes thestudents of Innsbruck university to riot, should have in his sitting room, visible to allcomers, theautographedportraitsofAlexanderObrenovichandDragaMasin.Since thesecret threadswhich linkRome andBelgradewerewell known tome at the time, thisexperiencedidmakeanimpressiononmeasbeingsymptomaticinacertainway.Karmadoes,afterall,leadustowhateverisimportantforusintheworld,andifwearecapable

of seeing and understanding things in the proper way, then we realize that karma hasbroughtustoapointwherethereissomethingtobe‘sniffedout’inthefurtheranceofourknowledge.

Things now developed in such away that in 1888, a year inwhichwar could havebrokenoutjustasitdidin1914,thecrisiswasavertedbecauseCrispiremainedloyaltothe Triple Alliance. He remained loyal to the Triple Alliance because France wasproceedingtospreadherselfinNorthAfrica.FranceembarkedatthattimeonapoliticaltacticaimedatItaly,whowasstartingtoturnawayfromher.TheFrenchthemselvessaidthistacticwasintendedtobringaboutthe‘re-conqueringofItalybymeansofhunger’,20thatis,akindoftradewarwasattemptedagainstItaly,andthistradewarcertainlyplayedan important role at that time. The consequence was that Italy’s practical links withCentralEuropewereincreasinglystrengthened.ItisperhapsjustaswellifIgiveyoutheopinionofaFrenchmanonthis,ratherthanthatofaGerman.HesaidthatmodernItalywaseconomicallyaGermancolony.

It hasoftenbeen stressed, not onlybyGermansbut byothers aswell, that Italywassavedbyhercloseeconomic tieswithGermanyfromthedangerofbeingconqueredbyFrance through hunger—not a nice prospect. All this contributed to the peacefulsettlementofthecrisisattheendoftheeighties.Itismostinterestingtostudythiscrisisinall its details. It reveals something quite special to someone who is inclined to takeaccountofinterconnectionsandnotbedeceived.Ididthefollowing:Icalledtomindtheevents of 1888 and superimposed on them the date 1914. The events are absolutelyidentical!Justasin1914theincitementsinthepresswerestartedinPetersburgandthentakenup inGermany, so itwas in1888.As then, so also in1914, a conflictwas tobebrought about between Germany and Austria. In short, every detail is the same. It isinteresting that Ihave readaloud tovariouspeopleaspeechmade in188821 inwhichIreplacedthedate1888by1914.Everybodybelievedthatthespeechwasmadein1914!

Whensuchthingsarepossiblewearenotinclinedtospeakofcoincidences.Wehavetounderstandthattherearedrivingforcesandthatthesedrivingforcesworkinasystematicway. In1888 thematterwasaverted in themanner Ihavedescribed.Then thesituationbecamemorecomplicated.ThecomplicationaroseparticularlybecausetheconnectionoftheApenninepeninsulatoCentralEuropetookonamostpeculiarcharacterasfarasItalywasconcerned.It ispsychologicallyinterestingtostudythesethings.ItreallycametoapointwhereItaly,politicalItaly,hadtobetreatedlikesomehystericalladiesaretreated.Themostunbelievable thingsdeveloped,particularlybecause theopiniongrewandwaspropagatedinEuropethatAustriamustbreakup.Iamnotcriticizing,onlyreporting.

YoumaygainanimpressionofhowthisopinionwaspropagatedinEuropebyreadingthepublications22ofLoiseaux,Chéradameandothers,allofwhichtreatoftheassumptionthatAustriawillbedividedupinthenearfuture.NowthesejudgementsofLoiseauxandChéradame and the others were thrown ontowhat was smouldering away down in theSouth.Under these circumstances itwasdefinitelynot easy to carryonwhat is usuallyknown as politics. For instance, Oberdank23 was much celebrated in Italy. He hadattemptedtoassassinateEmperorFranzJosef.InVienna,ontheotherhand,apictureinanexhibitionhad tobe renamed for thevisitof theDukeof theAbruzzi. Its titlewasTheNavalBattleofLissa.ThisbattlehadbeenwonbyAustria, and soasnot tooffend the

DukeoftheAbruzzithepicturehadtoberenamedNavalBattle.Thisisjustoneexampleamongmany. Iamnotcriticizing,but Idowonderabout thequestionofgiveand take.WouldanyoneinItalyhavecondescendedtobesoconsiderateas toomit thenameofaseabattleItalyhadwon?InViennatheywere.Whetheritisrightorwrong,itdoesraisethequestionofgiveandtake.Imentionthisinordertocharacterizethedifferentmoodssomewhat.For it is thesemoodswhichmatterwhenstreamssuchas thatof the ‘GrandOrientdeFrance’24comeintoplayandwhenoccultimpulsesofthiskindstarttotakeahold.

Certainthingsofwhichpeoplehavetakennonotesofarwillhavetobecomethingsofwhich they take a great deal of note in the future, for it is not the case that the‘Massonieri’,asalsoothersecretbrotherhoods,donotnoticewhatisthere;rathertheysetthemselves the task ofmaking use of those forceswhich are indeed there. They knowwheretheforcesareofwhichtheymustmakeuse.SoifontheApenninepeninsulathereexists a certain stream, and ifon theBalkanpeninsula there exists another stream, thensuitableusemustbemadeofthesetwostreamssothat,attherightmoment—thatis,therightmomentfromthepointofviewofthesepeople—onethingoranothercanbesetinmotion.

LetthisbeapreparationforthealchemicaldiscussionImentioned,whichwilltakeusfurtheralongourpath.Pleasenotethat,inordertomeetthewishesofourfriends,Icannotbutmentionacertainamountofwhatisgoingonatthepresenttime.WhatIhavetosayhastobelinkedtocertainthingswhichdoexist,evenifnoteverybodyagreesthattheseshouldbebroughtoutintotheopen.Iamconvincedthatoneofthechiefcausesforthepainfuleventsgoingonintheworldtodayistheattitudethatablindeyecanbeturnedtocertainmatterswhileothersarediscussedonthebasisofanentirelyfalsepremise.Eveninthefaceoflarge-scalemattersofthiskind,eachindividualshouldstartfromafoundationof self-knowledge.And a portion of self-knowledge is involved ifwe recognize that toclaimnointerestinthesethingsandtowantonlytohearofoccultmattersis,inasmallway, no different from all that adds up to the events we are experiencing today. Forspiritual things are not only thosewhich have to dowith higherworlds.These, to startwith, areofcourseoccult for everybody.Butmuchofwhat takesplaceon thephysicalplaneisalsooccultformanypeople.Wecanonlyhopethatmuchofwhatisoccultandhiddenonthisplanemayberevealed!Foroneofthecausesoftoday’smiseryisthatsomuchremainsoccultforsomanypeople,whoneverthelesspersistinformingjudgements.

LECTURESIXDornach,17December1916

Inordertoreachthegoalofourdiscussions,weshallhavetoendeavourtocomprehendthe whole nature of the fifth post-Atlantean period in all its deepest significance. It isimpossible to come to an understanding of events as deeply important as those of thepresentdaybyrefusingtoenterintoconcretematters,andbyinsistingonconsideringonlygeneral aspects of the universe andman in theway that can be donewhen one is notconcerned with specific circumstances. Unfortunately, I have to stress that anunderstandingforthedeeplyimportantnatureoftheseeventsislargelylackingtoday.

Forcertainquitedefinitereasonswhichwillbecomeapparent,Iyesterdayspoketoyouabout two matters. First of all I told you how the book by Brooks Adams had beenlaunched on mankind, a kite flown to gauge the scale on which such things areunderstood,atleastbyafewindividuals.Thisbookdescribeshowanationshouldbeseenas a living organismwhich comes into being and passes through phases of childhood,youth,maturity and decline in a similarway to a human being, though of course onlysimilar, not identical. Furthermore it is pointed out that at certain stages of theirdevelopment nations evolve two characteristics which belong together, namely, at onestagethoseofanimaginativeandawarlikenature,andatanotherthoseofascientificandan industrial or commercial nature.So it is assumed thatnationswhichare imaginativeandwarlikebynature,andotherswhicharescientificandindustrialorcommercial, livesidebysideandthatinthemutualinterplayofsuchnationstheuniversaldevelopmentofmankindproceeds.

Itoldyouthatthiswasaone-sidedview.Howdosuchviewssurfaceinthefirstplace?Whatdoesitsignifythattheyarelaunchedonthepublic?

Viewsof thiskindhavemadean impressionon individualsof a certain standingandthereforehavebecomepartoftheimpulsesworkingtoday.Insuchmattersitisalwaysaquestionofdisconnectingportionsof theoverallspiritualknowledgeofman’sevolutionandplantingthemin theworldwhenneededorwanted.Bytakingaportionof the totaloccult picture ofmankind’s development it is possible to achieve definite things in theserviceof aparticulargroupand itsparticular egoism.Knowledgeof thewholepicturealways serves the whole of mankind. Portions taken out of context always serve theegoismofindividualgroups.Itissignificantandimportanttotakeintoaccountthatmuchthat is launchedon thepublic fromoccult sources isnotuntrue,buthalf true, aquartertrue,aneighthtrue,andjustbecauseitbearswithinitapartofthetruthitcanbeusedtoachieveoneaimoranotherinaone-sidedway.Thatiswhythosewhoseethroughthesethings gain a significant impression from the fact that, on the part of America, thetwentieth century is introducedby the launchingof certain ideas in theworldvia somechannels of the bookselling trade serving certainmovementswhichmake use of occultmeans.

The second matter about which I spoke was the remarkable treatise by the nobleThomasMoreon thebest formofpublicadminstration in thestateandon the islandof

Utopia. Out of this treatise by ThomasMore I quoted to you yesterday the passage inwhichMoresaysthroughthemouthofastrangerwhathewantstosayaboutUtopia.Thisstrangerispresentedasafictitiousperson;perhapsweshallgettoknowhimbettertoday,but he is not fictitious, as you will see. Out of a certain mood of his time, which Idescribedyesterday,hedevelopsthethemeofhisfeelingsandthendescribesUtopiaitself.

ThisdescriptionofUtopiabyThomasMore,whoflingstheseparticularideasintothemidstofhumandevelopmentatthebeginningofthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod,isindeedquiteremarkable.IhavefoundanumberofpeoplewhohavereadUtopia,butnotasingleonewhohasreaditcarefullyenoughtobecomeevenpartlyawareofalltheextraordinaryinsandoutsandunlikelydetailsthebookdescribes.PeoplesimplytakethedescriptionoftheislandofUtopiaasthatofanimaginaryislandandjustreadon,pageafterpage.Thisis understandable in the present age, which is void of all spirituality. But at least oneshouldnoticeeitherthatThomasMoreisdescribingsomethingincomprehensible,evenifitisonlymeanttobeimaginary,orthathemusthavebeenacompleteidiot,anabsolutefool.Butsuchlogicalconclusionsarenotdrawninourtime;peoplefarprefertopassoverthingsbymeansofsuperficialjudgements.Ishallnowcallupbeforeoursoulsanoutlineofthecontentofthiswork.Ifyouwantallthedetails,youmustreadUtopiayourselves.

It is significant that Utopia is described as having reached a certain maturity in itsinstitutions. It is expressly stated that the situation being described did not exist in thebeginningbuthastaken1,760yearstoachieve,sothatwearenowpresentedwithakindoffinishedproductofsomematurity.

The first point to be particularly stressed is that property is common, nobody ownsanything.The state is divided into certain familieswho, ifwe canput it like this, electelders,andfromamongtheeldersaprinceiselected.Fromtimetotimeacounciliscalledatwhichpublicmattersarediscussedinaccordancewiththeinstructionsofthedifferentsectionsof thepopulation.Herewe immediatelycome toanextraordinaryarrangement:public affairsmay only be discussed in the prescribedmanner.Anybodywho privatelydiscussespublicaffairsisliabletobecondemnedtodeath.Further,wediscoverahighlysensiblearrangement:whenasuggestionismadeduringthecouncilmeetingitmayneverbe discussed immediately; peoplemust first go home and think about it and it is thenbroughtupagainonasubsequentoccasion.Theonewhoistellingusthestorysaysthatinthis way people have an opportunity to think about things, and do not make hastyjudgements which they would naturally defend with stubbornness and egoism, justbecausetheyhavebecomeattachedtotheirownjudgementinsteadofthinkingcarefullyandcomingtotherightconclusion.

InUtopiaeveryonehastolearnfarmingwhilestillachild.Latertheyalsolearnatrade,usually that pursued by their parents, though theymay choose another if they have theskill for it.Work isstrictly regulatedandnobodyneed labour formore thansixhoursaday.

Everythingelse isalsoarranged in thebestway; thereare threehoursofwork in themorningbut, before this, at sunrise, thosewhowishmaygather to learnabout spiritualandsimilarthings.GamessuchasthoseweknowoutsideUtopiadonotexistthere.Theyhave,however,acompetitivegamesomethinglikechess,akindofarithmeticalbattle,andalsoanothercompetitivegame,againsimilartochess,inwhichthevicesandthevirtues

competewithoneanother.

Underthesupervisionoftheelectedrepresentativesthosewhoaresuitablearedeclaredscholars. From among their number the ambassadors and the priests are elected. Thedirtiest work is performed by slaves who are either recruited from amongst conqueredpeoplesorelsearecriminals.EverytrueUtopianisfree.ThereisanotherarrangementinUtopiawhichwe,whoarenotfromUtopia,haveonlyjustcometoenjoy:nojourneymaybemadewithout permission from the appropriate authority.Apassport is necessary foreven the shortest journey.Moneydoesnot exist.Anythingavailable for consumption istakentothemarketswhereanybodycanhelphimself.Sincethisissowellarrangedthatno one takes more than he needs, there is no necessity to pay anything, for everyonereceiveswhatherequires.Moneyoranythinglikeitissimplynotnecessary.

Theonlymetalofanyvalueisiron.Pleasetakenoteofthis,forit isverysignificant.Silver is valued less and gold least of all. Gold is not fashioned into the articles non-Utopianswoulduse it for, butmainly into chains for criminals, and for similar objects.Gold is forged into chains for criminals; they have to wear them as a symbol of theirshame.Certainreceptacleswhichonedoesnotmentioninpolitecompanyarealsomadeofgold,andsoon.Thishadacuriousconsequenceonce,whensomeforeigndiplomatsvisitedUtopiaandsoughttoimpresstheUtopiansbyfestooningthemelvesingoldchainsand jewellery.TheUtopians thought them tobeofvery lowlyorigin, since such thingswereonlyused as toys for children,whodiscarded themas theygrewolder.When thediplomatscame,thechildrenwatchedthempassbyinthestreetandsaid:Lookat thoseoldfogeysstillwearingchildren’splaythings!

Novalue is attached inUtopia to thewearingof fine clothes, for they say:Howcananyone fancy itmatterswhetherhisclothesaremade from thiswoolor thatwool?Thesheepwerethefirsttowearthem.Howcanyoufancythereisanythingspecialinwearingwhatthesheepfirstworenaturally!

In Utopia there is also another peculiarity; good and evil, virtue and vice are onlyjudged in connection with religious ideas. A goal to be striven for in life is a kind ofepicureanisminthepleasuresoneenjoys.Themorefunonehasinlife,themorevirtuousoneisconsideredtobe.TheUtopiansbelieveintheimmortalsoulofmanandhaveakindofreligionofreason.TheyconsiderthateverybodymayusehiscommonsensetoseethatGodrulestheworldlikeanoverseer,thatmanhasanimmortalsoulandthatafterdeaththiswillenterintoaspiritualworldwheretherewillberewardandpunishmentforvirtueandvice.

TheUtopiansthinknothingofjewelsfortheysay:Whensomebodybuysajewelhehasto seek theassuranceof the seller that it isgenuine;whyonearth should somethingbevaluable if you cannot seewith your own eyeswhether it is a genuine or a counterfeitjewel? This could only happen in Utopia. Hunting is also scorned as somethingundignified.Onlybutchersareallowedtohunt,andtheirsisnotanesteemedprofession.

ThemanwhotellsallthesethingsexplainsthathehimselfintroducedtheUtopianstoGreekliteratureandartandthattheyprovedtobeextraordinarilyintelligent.IndeedtheirlanguageseemstohaveaffinitieswithGreek,andtheircultureisunusualinthatitseemstoremindoneofthatofGreecemingledwithsomethingofPersia.Themannerinwhich

husbandandwifeareselectedIshallnotdescribeforreasonswhichyouwillunderstandifyou read the book.There are no lawyers inUtopia; they are considered to be themostharmful people. Contracts are not entered into because the Utopians believe that ifsomeonewantstokeepanagreementhecandosowithoutacontract,whereasifhedoesnot,hecanbreakitevenifhehasacontract.

In war, they avoid bloodletting if at all possible; it is considered themost shamefulthing.Theysay:Ifonespillsbloodinwar,oneisnobetterthanwolvesandtigers.Othermethodsmustbesought,formanhasintelligence.Onlyinabsoluteextremity,ifthereisnootherhope,willtheyspillblood.Theysetaboutthematterofmakingwaronanothernationbysendingoutscoutswhose task it iseither tobringaboutconfusionamong theenemysothattheystarttoquarrelamongthemselves,ortomurderoneoranothermemberoftheenemyforce,orsomethingsimilar.Inotherwordstheyseektouse‘loveandgoodsense’tobringaboutdiscordanddissensionaswellasmutual irritationamongthoseonwhomtheywish tomakewar,andonly if thisfailswill theydecide toshedblood.Andeventhentheyusequitespecialmethodswhichshowthattheyintendtoceasetheblood-lettingatthefirstpossibleopportunity.

AnotherpointisthatreligioustoleranceisafundamentalcharacteristicoftheUtopians.So longashedoesnotbreak the law,anybodymaybelong toanysector representanyreligious view he likes. This was instituted by the founder of Utopia, Utopus himself.However,allmustbelieveinahighestbeing,whomtheycallMithra.TheonewhotellsusthishashimselfattemptedtointroduceChristianitythere.TheUtopiansprovedtobemostopen to it and recognized it as being indeed the best religion. The utmost religioustoleranceprevails,andallmaybelievewhatevertheywill,exceptthatsomeonewhoisamaterialist orwho does not believe in the immortality of the soul forfeits all civil andotherrights,indeedisdeclaredtobewithoutrights.

Thereisasectwhichholdsanimalstobecreatureswhohavesoulslikepeople.Therearepriestswho teach in specialmysterychurchesandperformcultic rites.Festivalsarecelebratedattheendandthebeginningofeachyear.Musicalinstrumentsdiffersomewhatfromthoseinothercountries,fortheyareparticularlysuitedtoexpressinginmusicwhatthehumansoulfeelsinitsvariousmoods.Andsoon.

Ihavetoldyouallthisjustasitisdescribedinthebook.YouwillhavenoticedIsaidontheonehand that theUtopianshave a religionof good sense, inwhich each individualbelieveswhathisgoodsensetellshimisright;andyet,ontheotherhand,wearetoldthatChristianityhasbeenintroducedandthatallbelieveinakindofMithra.Further,itissaidthattoleranceprevails,andyetthosewhoarematerialistsforfeittheirrightsascitizens.Inshort,youwillfindinthebookonecontradictionafteranother.

Sowhatisthisbookreallyabout?Whatisitdescribing?Wecanindeedonlyunderstanditonthebasisofspiritualscience.WemustunderstandthatThomasMore,likePicodellaMirandola and others, is a man who stands with part of his being in the fourth post-Atlanteanperiodwhileanotherpart alreadyprojects into the fifth.Buthe is alsoamanwhoknows that this is so and develops it in full consciousness because he possesses acertainspirituallife.

ThomasMorespentmanyhourseverydayinmeditation,andwithhismeditationshe

achievedcertainquitedefiniteresults.Buttheseresultscameaboutbecause,asIsaid,partofhisbeingstilllivedinthefourthpost-Atlanteanperiod,sothatatavisticelementsjoinedinhimwithaconsciousraisingofhissoulintothelifeofthespiritualworld.Yetheliveda whole century after the beginning of the fifth post-Atlantean period and in his souleverythinglivedwhichwascharacteristicofthatfifthperiod:intellectualityandreasoningasweknowthemtoday—whichdidnotyetexistduringthefourthperiod,contrarytotheopinionofthosewhoseviewofhistoryisutterlyfantastic.Allthisworkedandmingledinhissoul.YoucandiscoverwhatmusthavegoneoninsuchasoulifyoustudyPicodellaMirandolaandalsotherelationshipofPicodellaMirandolatoSavonarola.

Wehave,then,amanintowhosesoulwemustpenetratealittleifwearetounderstandwhat he meant with his description of Utopia. Such a man as this knew that occultimpulseswork andweave in the evolution ofmankind, and also that at the turn of thefourthtothefifthpost-Atlanteanperioditwasnecessarytoprovidetherightimpulseformanypeople.Whethertheythenmakeuseofitisanotherquestion.Whatdidsuchpeopleknow?Wehaveoftendiscussedthatthingsaredifferentnowadays,butthisiswhatitwaslikethen;sowhatdidsuchpeopleknow?Theyknewthatmankindmustgrowdecadentifonlythosethingsweredevelopedwhichwere,letmesay,unspiritual,thought-out,merelyreasoned. Such people know that human beingsmust become desiccated even down totheirphysicalbodies—ofcoursenotduringthecourseofafewcenturiesbutoveralongperiod—if only dry reasoning, if only that spiritual element is developed on whichmaterialisticviewsarefounded.Suchpeoplehavequiteadiffentconceptofthetruthfromthat which gradually evolved during the fifth post-Atlantean period. They know thatthoughtsmustbe thoughtwhichdonotrelate to thephysicalplane,because,quiteapartfrom the truthof suchmatters,humanbeings, if theydonotwish towither,must thinkthoughtswhichdonotrelatetothephysicalplane.Thesearethethoughtswhichbringlife,whichmakelifepossibleandhelpittomakeprogress.Thisiswhywhatisspiritualissoimportant,quiteapartfromtheaspectoftruth.

ThroughhismeditationsThomasMorehadcometoexperiencepicturesof thehigherworlds in a partly atavistic and partly consciousway, but theseweremingledwith thematerialaspectofthedreamworlds.OutoftheseactualexperiencesarosewhatherelatesinUtopia.Itisnotsomethinghehasthoughtout,itisnotfantasy,butsomethinghereallyexperiencedasthefruitofhismeditation.Heplaceditbeforeusjustasheexperiencedit,inordertosay:Behold!AmanwholivesinEnglandunderKingHenryVIII,amanwhoisevenaservantofHenry’sstate,amanwhobearsinhissoulthefeelings,thedesires,theintimate goals of England at this time—when his visions stir up his inner being, heexperienceswhatisheredescribedtobeakindofidealstate.Hewantedtoexpresswhatare the wishes, the goals, the ideas lurking in the subconscious of those who aredissatisfiedwiththeexternalworld.Thisiswhathewantedtoexpress.

Soitcanbesaid:Thisistheastralself-knowledgeofamanofthattime.AwisemansuchasThomasMoredoesnotsimplysetbeforehiscontemporariesafantasticidealforthefuture.Hesetsbeforethemwhathehimselfexperiencesbecause,throughthis,inhisownwayandinkeepingwithhisowntime,hewantstopresentthemwiththegreattruththattheexternalworldperceivedbythesensesismayaandthatthisexternalworldofthesensesmustbeseeninconjunctionwiththesupersensibleworld.Butifoneseestheminconjunctioninthisway—sothatallthedesires,allthewisheswhichbelongtoaparticular

ageandareinkeepingwiththatage,areallowedtoplaytheirpart—thentheoutcomeissomething which, if looked at closely, is by no means a proposition that could beconsideredideal.ForImustadmit,ifIweretobeborninUtopiaIwouldprobablyseeitas my primary task to overcome the prevailing conditions as quickly as possible andreplacethemwithothers.Imightevenconsidertheconditionsprevailinghereorthereonour earth—apart from those of the immediate present—to be more ideal than those inUtopia.ButitwasnotThomasMore’saimtodescribeidealconditions.Hisintentionwasto showwhat he really experienced under the conditions as I have described them.Hewantedtosaytopeople:Ifyoucouldseeyourwishes,ifyoucouldseebeforeyoureyeswhatyouimaginetobeidealconditions,youwouldfindthatyouwerenotinagreementwiththematall.

Nowwehavemade the acquaintanceof the strangerwhodescribesUtopia: he is theastralselfofThomasMore.These thingsmustbeseenasbeingmuchmorereal than isusually supposed. At certain points of human evolution the fundamental facts must besoughtoutifonewantstounderstandthishumanevolution.Ajudgementcannotbemadesimply by taking the few facts closest to hand.A valid judgement cannot be based onthese,foritwouldmerelyrelatetosympathiesandantipathies.Thesearevalid,ofcourse,buttheytakeusnofurther,andmankindcannotbeservedbythem.

Mypurposehere—andweshallreturnto thesethingslater—hasbeentoplacebeforeyou a man who is particularly typical of the turning point between two ages, namely,between the fourth and the fifth post-Atlantean ages: one who is able to bring to thesurface what is characteristic of his deeper soul life in such a way that he has anexperienceofself.Letmejustleavethisasafactforthemoment.

Inorder togainanunderstandingof thekind forwhichanumberofour friendsherehave expressed a wish, we must now also work on achieving a comprehension of theconcreterealityofafolksoul.Forourmaterialisticageandwayoffeelingtendstomakeusconfuse thefolksoulwith the individualsoul. Imean,whenwespeakofapeople,anation,webelievethat thishassomethingtodowith the individualswhoconstitute thisnation. To use a rather rough-and-ready, though graphic comparison: to say that anEnglishman or a German can be identified with the folk soul of his nation is, for thespiritual scientist, asnonsensicalas saying thata sonordaughtercanbe identifiedwithfatherormother.

Thisisarough-and-readycomparison,asIsaid,becauseontheonehandwearedealingwith two physical people, whereas on the other we mean one physical and one non-physicalbeing,whichdiffertotallyfromoneanotherwhenexaminedconcretely.Notuntilthereisanunderstandingofthemysteriesofrepeatedearthlivesandofthekarmawhichthese involvewill therereallybeacomprehensionofwhatunderliesall this,whichit ishighlynecessarytounderstandifonewants tospeakonafirmbasisabout these things.Animmenselyimportanttruthliesinthefactthatoneliveswithinacertainfolkspiritonlyforasingleincarnation,whereasonebearswithinone’sownindividualbeingsomethingquitedifferent,somethingimmeasurablygreaterandyetalso immeasurablysmaller thanthatwhichliveswithinafolksoul.Toidentifyoneselfwithafolksoulis,inreality,totallydevoidofmeaningonceonegoesbeyondwhatisdescribedbysuchwordsasloveofthefatherland, love of the homeland, patriotism and so on.We shall only understand these

thingsproperly,oncewecanlookearnestlyanddeeplyatthetruthsofreincarnationandkarma.

Ihavespokenrecentlyinvariousplacesabouttheconnectionbetweenthehumansoulbetweendeathandrebirthandwhatcomes intobeingwhenmanentersanewexistencethroughbirth.Ipointedoutthatbetweendeathandrebirthmanislinkedwiththeforceswhichbringpeople togetherovermanygenerations.Throughtheever-repeatedunionofdifferentpairsofparentsandallthatleadstodescendants,aswellasotheraspectsofthesuccessionofgenerations,itcomesaboutthatthehumanbeingbetweendeathandrebirthfindshimselfwithinawholestreamwhich, in theend, leadshimto theparents throughwhomhecanincarnate.Justasinphysicallifeoneislinkedwithone’sphysicalbody,sobetween death and rebirth is one linked with the conditions which prepare for birththrough a particular pair of parents.One is immersed in the forceswhich bring one toparticularparents,andwhichbroughtfatherandmother to theirparents,andsoonbackthrough the generations, in all their offshoots and ramifications, and whatever workstogetherhereinthemostvariedways—inallthisoneisimmersedforcenturies!

Considertheimposingnumberofcenturiesonewouldremainwithinallthisinordertopassthroughamerethirtygenerations.TheperiodfromCharlemagnetothepresentdayencompassesapproximatelythirtygenerations,andoverallthattime,inallthathastakenplaceinthewayofmeeting,fallinginloveandbegettingdescendantswhichatlastledtoourownparents—inallthiswehaveourselvesbeeninvolved,allthiswehaveourselvesprepared.

I am repeating this because in connection with those personalities one calls leaders,thosewhocanberecognizedasleadingpersonalitiesinsomerespects, it is importanttounderstandthatwhatmakesthemsignificantformankindcomesaboutthroughall thatIhave just described. I shall draw your attention now to a leading personality, and theclimaxofwhatIhavetosayabouthimwillbeexpressedinthewordsofanother.Youwillseeinamomentwhythisisso.

We see inDante amost eminentpersonalitywho lived at the endof the fourthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Wemayjuxtaposesuchaneminentpersonalitywiththosepersonalitieswhogainedacertaineminenceafterthebeginningofthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod,suchas,forinstance,ThomasMore.LetuslookcloselyatwhatmayberecognizedingeneralinapersonalitysuchasDante.ApersonalitysuchasDanteisoffar-reachingsignificance,givesfar-reachingimpulses.Itisthereforeinterestingtoconsider,oratleasttoguess,howsuchasoulbeforeenteringthroughbirthintoaphysicalexistencethatistobesignificantformankind,putstogether—excusethisratherpeculiarexpression—whatheistobecome,inordertobebornintherightwaythroughtherightparents.Obviouslytheseconditionsare brought about out of the spiritualworld, but they are realizedwith the help of thephysicaltools.Inacertainsensethespiritualworldguidesthisbloodtothatblood,andsoon.

Asarule,apersonalitylikeDantecannotbebornofhomogeneousblood.Tobelongtoasinglenationisimpossibleforsuchasoul.Itneedsamysteriousalchemy;variousbloodstreamsmust flow together.Whatever those over-patriotic peoplemight saywho claimgreatpersonalitiesforasinglepeople,thereisnogreatrealitybehindit!

AsregardsDante,sothatyoudonotthinkIamtakingsidesIshallnowletanother,whoknowshimintimately,describewhatisclearlyapparentinhisbeing.Itwouldbeeasytoimagine that I might be carrying on politically, which is actually furthest from myintentions.SoforthisreasonIhavemadeenquiriesofCarducci,1thegreatItalianpoetoftoday,whoisanexpertonDante.BehindCarducci—andthisiswhyIamquotinghim—standwhat are called ‘Massonieri’ in Italy, andwhat is connectedwith all those secretbrotherhoodstowhomIhavedrawnyourattention.Becauseofthis,Carducci’stheoreticalarguments about the actualities of life are, to a certain extent, based on some deeperknowledge. Iwouldnotmaintain thathehas flaunted thisdeeperknowlegeallover themarketplaceorthatheisinanywayanoccultist.Butwhathesaysdoescontainacertainamountofwhathascometohimviaallkindsofsecretchannels.

Carducci says: Three elements work in Dante, and it is only because these threeelementsworktogetherthatDante’sbeingwasabletobecomewhatitwas.First,throughcertainbranchesofhis lineage, therewasanancientEtruscanelement.ThisgaveDantewhateveritwasthatopenedthesupersensibleworldstohim;becauseofthishewasableto speak so profoundly about the supersensible worlds. Secondly, there was in him aRomanelementwhichgavehimaproperrelationshiptothelifeofhistimeandabasisofcertain legal concepts fromwhich to proceed. And thirdly, says Carducci, there was aGermanicelementinDante.Fromthishegainedtheboldnessandfreshnessofhisviews,acertaincandour, and thecourageofhis convictions inwhathehad sethimself.Thesethreeelements,saysCarducci,madeupthesoullifeofDante.

Thefirstelementpoints to theancientCeltic influencewhichpulses throughhimlikebloodinacertainway,leadinghimbacktothethirdpost-Atlanteanperiod;fortheCelticelementintheNorthleadsbacktowhatwehavecometoknowasthethirdpost-Atlanteanperiod.Afterthiswefindthefourthpost-AtlanteanperiodintheRoman,andthefifthintheGermanicelement.CarduccimaintainsthattheelementsinDante’ssoularecomposedofthesethreeperiodsandtheirimpulses,sothatwereallyhavethreelayerslyingsidebyside—or rather one above the other—the third, fourth and fifth post-Atlantean periods:Celtic, Roman, Germanic. Dante experts of some stature have gone to great pains todiscoverhow,fromthespiritualworld,Dantemanagedtominglehisbloodinsuchawayastoobtainthefinalcompositionwithwhichhewasborn.Ofcourse,theydidnotexpressthisinthesewords,buttheywenttogreatpainsandcametobelievethatmuchmaybeputdowntothefactthatagreatmanyofDante’sancestorsaretobefoundintheGrisonsareaof present-day Switzerland. This is borne out to some extent by history. The chain ofDante’s predecessors points in every direction of the compass, including this district,wheresomuchmixingofbloodstreamstookplace.

Wenowseehow,inasinglepersonality,theremarkableworkingtogetherofthethreelayersofEuropeanhumanevolution is revealed.Wealso seehowaman likeCarducci,whose judgement is based on a certain objectivity and not on present-day nationalisticmadness,pointstothefoundationonwhichDantestands.

Herewith we touch on conditions which are well-known in circles familiar with therealitiesoflife,conditionswhichmaybereckonedwithandwhichmaybeusedasforcesifonewantstodocertainthings.Theseconditionsarebynomeansunknowntothesecretbrotherhoods, neither in their rightful use, nor in that other directionwhich uses secret

knowledgeinonewayoranotherintheserviceofsomegroupegoism.Forthesecretofhowthethreeconsecutivelayers—whichareexceedinglymeaningful,mainlyforEurope—work together, is discussed most carefully in all secret brotherhoods worthy of thename, though naturally in some cases in amannerwhich deflects fromwhatmight betermedthegooddirection.

Pleasebesurenottoforgetthatknowledgeaboutsuchthingsexists,andthatitistaught—eventhough,intheexternal,cleverworldnoonewantstoknowmuchaboutit—verysystematically and with great care, especially in the western and American secretbrotherhoods.

Havingnowpreparedthewayandbroughttoyourattentiontheteachingaboutwhatis,inacertainway,amysteryofevolutionandwhichistaught,albeitwiththemostvaryingaims,Ishallnowpointtosomefurtherteachingssimplybydescribingthemtoyou.Theseteachingsformedthecontentoftheinstructiongivenincertainoccultschools,particularlytowardstheendofthenineteenthcentury.Theycontinuedintothetwentiethcentury,butitwas particularly in the nineteenth century that theywere taken up, at which time theygainedaconsiderabledegreeofinfluence.Effortsweremadetobringthemintoallkindsofsituationsinwhichitwasfeltnecessarytousethemforcertainends.SotostartwithIshallsimplyreport,quiteuncritically,oncertainteachingsfromthesecretbrotherhoodsofEngland,wherebyIshallbealludingtowhatIhaveprepared.

The following was taught and is still taught: the evolution of Europe can becomprehendedif,tostartwith,onelooksatthetransitionfromtheRoman,thefourthpost-Atlanteanperiod,tothefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Theteachingwas—pleaserememberthatIammerelyreporting—thatthemysteryofthetransitionfromthefourthtothefifthperiodor,aswassaidinthesebrotherhoods,fromthefourthtothefifthsub-race,mustbeunderstood. You know that we cannot use the term ‘sub-race’ for the reasons I havefrequentlyexpressed,fortousethistermmeanstopursueone-sidedgroupaims,whereasgroup aims can never be our concern, but solely the general aims of mankind. So theteaching was that the fourth sub-race is represented mainly by the Roman, the Latinpeoples.Throughouthumanevolutionitisthecasethatwhenthingsdevelopinsequenceit isnotaquestionofwhatcomesafter taking itsplacebehindwhatcamebefore.Whatcamebeforeremainsandtakesitsplacesidebysidewithwhatcomesafterwards,sothattheyremainsidebyside inspace.Thus, thestragglersof thefourthsub-race,consistingchieflyoftheRomanandLatinelements,haveremainedduringtheperiodofthefifthsub-race.

The fifth sub-race, which began at the start of the fifteenth century, is composed ofthosepeopleswhoarecalledupon tospeakEnglish in theworld.TheEnglish-speakingpeoplesrepresentthefifthsub-race,andthewholetaskofthefifthpost-AtlanteanperiodconsistsinconqueringtheworldfortheEnglish-speakingpeoples.Itwillbeevidentthatthestragglersof the fourthsub-race, thepeoples touchedby theLatinelement,will fallmore andmore into a certainmaterialism. They bearwithin themselves the element oftheir own inner dissolution, and even in the physical sense bear their own decadencewithin them.As I said, I ammerely reporting and not saying anythingwhich Imyselfmaintain to be true. Further, it is said that the fifth sub-race bears within it a germ ofspirituality,ofacapacity tocomprehendthespiritualworld. It isnecessary, it issaid, to

understandhowthefourthsub-raceaffectedthefifth,andforthispurposeonemustlookbacktowheretheNordicpeoples,wholaterbecametheBritons,theGauls,theGermans,2cametowardstheRomanEmpire.Thequestionwasasked:WhatwerethesepeoplesatthetimewhentheRomanEmpirewasmakingwaronthem;inotherwords,whentheconflictbetween the fourth and the fifth sub-race began?As peoples theywere at the stage ofinfancy!TheimportantpointisthattheRomans,theRomanelement,thefourthsub-race,cameinordertobetheirwet-nurse.Theseexpressionsareneededtoenableustodrawtheanalogybetweenthefolkelementandtheelementoftheindividualhumanbeing.SotheRomans became wet-nurses and they remained so for approximately as long as theymaintainedtheirdominanceoverthepeoplesoftheNorthwhoweregoingthroughtheirinfancy.

Infantsgrowtobechildren.ThisistheageinwhichthePapacyisfoundedinRomeandin which the Pope in his reign becomes the guardian of the child, just as the RomanEmpirewasthewet-nurseoftheinfant.Again,Iammerelyreporting,andnotmaintainingthatthisisthecase.SonowwehavetheinterplaybetweenthePapacyandwhatisgoingonintheNorth,whatdevelopedthroughCentralEuroperightoutasfarasBritain.Thisisthe education of these people under the guardianship of the Papacy, out of which theRomanelement from the fourthpost-Atlanteanperiod is stillworking.Roundabout thetwelfth century,when thePapacybegan tobeno longerwhat it hadbeen, theyouthofthesevariouspeoplecommenced,thisbeingcharacterizedbytheawakeningoftheirownintelligence. The guardian now withdraws. The youth of these peoples continues untilroughly the end of the eighteenth century. As a rule, when such things are taught thepresent is omitted, because for certain reasons this is thought to be a good thing to do.Peoplemust not be told too clearlywhat one thinks about the present time; they learnaboutthismorethroughsuggestion.

Thus,inthecourseoftimeintheNorth,undertheruleofthewet-nurse,theguardian,andsoon,thepresentmatureconditiongrew.ThisbearswithinitthegermofrenderingBritain therulingnationof thefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod, in thesamewayaswerenotonly the Romans but also the Roman element in the form of the Papacy, which wasderivedfromthem.So,accordingtothisdoctrine,whiletheremainsoftheLatinelementcrumble away from the human race, a new fruitful element expands from the factor inwhich lives theBritish element.Now it is hinted that all external actions andmeasureswhich are to serve any purpose and be fruitful, must bemade under the sign of theseviews.Anythingthatisundertakenwithouttheseviews,anythingthatdoesnottakeintoaccountthattheLatinelementisindeclineandtheBritishelementascending,isdoomedto wither. Of course such things may be undertaken, say these people, but they arecondemnedtoremainmeaningless,theywillnotgrow.Itislikesowingseedsinthewrongsoil.

InthedoctrineIhavesketchedforyouwehaveafoundationwhichseepedintoallthebrotherhoods, even themore esotericones—thosewhoworked in theWest as so-calledhighgradeFreemasonsandsuchlike.Thesethingswereinsinuatedintopublicaffairsbypeoplewhohadeithercloseorlooseconnectionswiththesebrotherhoods,ofteninsuchaveiled way that those concerned had no idea how they had come by their knowledge.ParticularlysincethesixteenthcenturythesethingshavebeencarriedfromtheWestintomuchthatcanbeexperiencedinhumanevolution.

Otherthingsarealsotaught.Itissaid:JustasthosepeopleintheNorthduringthetimeof theRomanelementwerepreparing themselves tobe thefifthsub-race,so today, inasimilarway, theSlav people are coming towards theWest as the developing sixth sub-race; in the sameway theGermanicpeoples cameoutof theNorth tomeet theRomanelement.Thus it is said that living in theEast, under a despotic rule that is doomed todestruction,areanumberofindividualpeopleswho,liketheGermanicpeopleswhentheRomanEmpire started to spread northwards, are not yet nations as such but still tribalpeoples.Thesetribalpeoplesconstitutetheseparateelementsoftheso-calledSlavpeople,whichforthemomentisonlyheldtogetherinanexternalwaybyadespoticgovernmentwhichistobesweptaway.Iamusingthetermswhicharecustomarywithinthesesecretbrotherhoods.

AftersayingsomanypositivethingsabouttheSlavs,letmejustaddinparentheses:itistrue that these peoples are still tribal in a certainway.This became evident at theSlavCongressinPraguein1848.Eachgroupwantedtospeakintheirownlanguage,butthisproved impossiblebecause theywere then incomprehensible to theothers; so theywereforcedtousestandardGermaninstead.IdonotsaythistoamuseyoubutinordertoshowthatwhatistaughtintheWestabouttheSlavsdoeshaveacertainbasisoftruth.

It issaidfurtherintheEnglishbrotherhoodsthatthePoleshaveevolvedaheadoftheother Slavs, for they have developed a homogeneous cultural and religious life of arelativelyhighcalibre.Thedestiniesof thePolesaredescribed to someextent,but it isthenmaintainedthattheyreallybelongtotheRussianEmpire.ThentheBalkanSlavsarediscussed.OfthemitissaidthattheyhavethrownofftheyokeofTurkishoppressionandformedthemselvesintoindividualSlavstateswhich,however—andthisisrepeatedoverandoveragain—aredestinedtoremainastheyareonlyuntilthenextgreatEuropeanwar.In the nineties particularly, these brotherhoods held this great European war to beimminent,and itwas linkedespecially toevolutionary impulseswhichwere toemanatefromtheBalkanSlavs,bornofthefactthatthesestates,whichhadcomeintobeingasaresultoftheirdisengagementfromtheTurkishEmpire,hadtoundergoatransitiontonewforms.OnlyuntilthenextgreatEuropeanwar,itwassaid,wouldtheseBalkanSlavs3beabletomaintaintheirindependence.Afterthattheywouldmeetwithquiteotherdestinies.

Thesepeoplesareatpresent,so it is taught, in their infancy.Soit ishintedthatsincethey are the future sixth sub-race, while the Britons are the present fifth sub-race, theBritons will have to play a role towards them similar to that played by the Romanstowards the northernGermanic peoples, namely that ofwet-nurse; to be awet-nurse tothesepeoplesistheirprimarytask.Thisroleofwet-nursewillceasetobenecessary,itissaid, at the moment when these peoples will have reached a point when the RussianEmpirenolongerexistsandtheyhavesucceededincreatingtheirownformsoutoftheirowndawningintelligence.Butgraduallythewet-nursemustbereplacedbytheguardian.ThismeansthatintheWestakindofpapacymustdevelopoutofthosewhoformthefifthsub-race. For this, a strong spirituality must develop and, just as the Papacy stood inrelation to Central Europe, so a configuration will have to come about which workscomprehensivelyfromtheWestovertowardstheEast.ThismustresultintheEastbeingused as a placewhere certain institutions can be created in amanner similar to that inwhichthePapacycreateditsinstitutionsinEurope.

Ofcoursewehavenowprogressedbyonesub-race.ThePapacycreatedchurchesandreligiouscommunitiesofallsorts.Butnowthewestern‘papacy’,whichistodevelopoutoftheBritishelement,willhavethetaskofcarryingoutcertainquitedefiniteeconomicexperiments,thatis,ofinstitutingacertainformofeconomicsocietyofasocialistnaturewhich, it is assumed,cannotbe founded in theWestbecause there the fifthandnot thesixth sub-race has its being. The East, experimentally at first, must be used for suchexperiments for the future.Political,culturalandeconomicexperimentsmustbecarriedout.

OfcoursethesepeoplearenotsostupidastomaintainthatthedominanceoftheWestwilllastforever,fornoseriousstudentofspiritualmatterswouldbelievethat.Buttheyarequiteclearaboutthefactthatjustasatfirsttheservicesofthewet-nursewereoffered,somust these bemetamorphosed into the role of the guardian—in other words a kind offuture‘papacy’onthepartofwesternculture.

Ihavebeenreporting,mydearfriends!Thesethingsareburieddeeplyintheteachingsof western Freemasonry and it is a matter of recognizing whether the ones I havementioned,whichareveryinfluential,arereallyjustifiedasbeingforthegoodofmankindingeneralinitsevolution,orwhetheritisnecessarytothinkofthemasneedingcorrectioninsomeway.Thisiswhatweareconcernedwith.Weshallreturntoallthisagain.

NowIwanttopointoutthatcertainstagesofevolutionarereallynotmerefantasy,butthat themoredeeplyoneenters into the real facts, themoredoes itbecomepossible toproveintheexternalworldwhatwasfoundatfirstbyspiritualmeans.Externalscience,eventoday,isoccupiedwiththesearchfortheorieswhichprovethatevolutiontakesplacein stages which follow one another. That there is really something correct in what thespiritual scientist says can today be confirmed in some of the symptoms of ordinaryscience,ifonlyonehasthegoodwilltosearchforthem.

Let me mention in this connection something of which I have repeatedly spokenalready.Although external culture cannot comprehend these things there is, in spiritualdevelopment,somethingwhichisexpressedin lawswhichareasdefiniteas the lawsofnature. I oncedrewyour attention to a linguistic law.Humanevolution from the fourthpost-AtlanteanperioduptothepresentshowsthatGreekandLatinrepresentaparticularstage of linguistic development; the next stagewas thenGothic, and the one after thatNewHighGerman.Evolution takesplacehere inaperfectlyregularmanner. Icanonlysketchthisforyou,butthesethingsfollowlawswhichareeverybitasabsoluteasthoseofnature,andexceptionsmerelyseemtobeso.

The sound D in Greek or Latin is transmuted into T and this again into Th which,becauseofcertainlanguagelaws,canalsobeZ.AGreekThorZbecomesaGothicD,andthisbecomesTinNewHighGerman.AGothicThorZbecomesaNewHighGermanT,andsothecirclecontinues.Similarly,aGraeco-RomanBbecomesaGothicP,andthisin turnaNewHighGermanForPf.AGreekForPfwouldbeaGothicBandaNewHighGermanP.ThereisanothercirclewhichgoesfromGtoKtoCh.Takeforexampletreis,three,drei:T/Greek;Th/Gothic;D/NewHighGerman.Thisissoineverycaseandexceptionscanbeexplainedbyspeciallawswhichcomplementthemainlaws.

Wehavethreestages,oneabovetheother:Greek-Latin,Gothic—whichcorrespondstothe timewhen theRomanEmpirewascomingupagainst theGermanic tribes—and thefurther stage of New High German. The strange thing is, as I have said before, thatEnglishhasremainedbehindattheGothicstage.SoifyouwanttofindtheEnglishforaNewHighGermanword,youhavetogobackastage.Take‘Tag’;tofindtheEnglishforthisyouhavetogo,notforwards,butbackwards:‘day’.Take‘tief;againyouhavetogobackwardsto‘deep’;takeNewHighGerman‘zehn’;ifyouwanttheEnglishyouhavetogo backwards: ‘ten’. Take ‘Zahn’; you have to go backwards if youwant the English:‘tooth’;take‘Dieb’;heretooyouhavetogobackwards:‘thief.NewHighGerman‘dick’,ifyougobackwards,becomes‘thick’.So,togofromNewHighGermantoEnglish,the

directionisoppositetothenormal.

Sowecansayquiteobjectively:IfweseektofindtheevolutionoflanguageasafolkelementinrespectofEnglish,wehavetogobacktotheGothicstage.NewHighGermanhasriseninevolutiontobecomeaspecialelement.Thisisnotsaidoutofanypatrioticornationalisticfeelingbutsimplybecauseitistrue,justasthereisnoneedtosaythepolarbeariswhiteoutofanysympathyorantipathyforhim.ThelawIhavedemonstratedtoyouisawell-knownlinguisticlaw,Grimm’slaw.Ihaveonlydemonstrateditwithregardtosomevoicedandunvoicedplosivesandsomeaspiratedsounds,butitcanbedoneforthewholesystemofsounds.4Theevolutionoflanguageproceedsinaccordancewithstrictlawsanditcorrespondstotheimpulsesthatruleinhumanevolution.Littlebylittlenaturalscience discovers these things, though sometimes only sporadically. In spiritual scienceyoumayfindthedeeperfoundationsforallthesethings.

Weshallcometootheraspectsofspiritualandculturallifewhichwillshowthatwhatapplies to the realm of language holds sway in other fields as well. Somethingunconscious,whenit isbroughttolight,bearswitnesstoobjectivelaws.Thiscannotbeturnedandtwistedaccordingtosympathyorantipathy!

Do not imagine that this Grimm’s law on sound-shifts is unknown to those secretbrotherhoodsofwhomwehavespoken.Tomorrowweshallseehowtheycometotermswith suchmatters andhow theyhave relevant things to say about them too.What theyhavetosayisnotfoolishbutperfectlyinkeepingwithacertainkindofoccultism.Itwillbe up to you to decide, when you knowmore about it, how youwant to judge it andwhetherit issomethinglegitimateornot.Throughthekarmaofhumanevolutionitwillcomeabout thatcertain thingsaremademoreeasilyaccessible to thepublicat large, inparticularasa resultof thecircumstance thatacertainamountofconfusionhasenteredintotheMasonicorders.Becauseofthesecircumstancesavarietyofthingsarecomingtolight for the outside world. We, however, want to understand, above all, the deeperfoundationsofallthis.

Somequitebizarresymptomsareindeedcomingtolight.Forinstancethereexiststodayaninterestingdissertation5byamanwhomethisdeath—thistooisaremarkablekarmiccircumstance—onthebattlefieldofthepresentwar.ItisabouttheparallelismthatexistsbetweenFrenchpoliticsandFrenchsecretsocieties,anditshowshowthetworunentirelyparallel, how the same forces live in both.Muchmore intimate and concealed are thecircumstancesofEnglishpoliticswhicharetotallyundertheinfluenceofwhatlieshiddenbehindtheminthisway.Herethemainconcernistofindwaysofplacingsuitablepeoplein the right places. The people in the background who are involved in occultmanipulations are often like a number one; they do not amount tomuch on their own.Theyneedsomethingelse:anought.Noughtsarenotones,butthetwotogethermaketen.Ifmorenoughtsareadded,solongasthereisaonesomewhereaswell,agreatdealcanresult—for instancea thousand—thougheverynought remainsanought.And if theoneremainshidden,thenonlythenoughtsarevisible.Sotheaimistocombinethenoughtsinasuitablewaywiththeones,wherebythenoughtshavenoneedtoknowmuchaboutthewayinwhichtheyarecombinedwiththeones.

Thereis,forinstance,acertainmanwhoisaperfectlyhonestfellow.IhaveoftensaidthatIinnowaylookonhimasthewickedogre—forwhichmanyinCentralEuropewant

to takehim. I thinkhe is anhonest,nicemanwho, inhisownway, longs to speak thetruth.Yetthisdoesnotpreventhimfrombeinganought.Thisman’seducationbeganatWinchesterpublicschool,whenceheproceededtoBalliolCollege,Oxford.Thenhewonsomethingvery important, theMarlyleboneCricketPrize, followedby theQueenAnneTennisPrize.Attheageoftwenty-threehebecameamemberofparliament.Atthatageone is susceptible to all kinds of influences.At thirty he becameSecretary ofState forForeignAffairs.HehadlongbeenForeignMinisterwhenhesetfootoutsideEnglandforthefirsttimeinordertoaccompanytheKingofEnglandonajourneytoAfrica.Healsowrote a little bookon angling entitledFlyFishing. SirEdwardGrey then ascended thesocial ladder before sinking into obscurity. A fellow student at Oxford, ten years hissenior,wasAsquith,6withwhomhespenthisyearsthere.

This is how those appearwho are thevisible accomplices.We shall proceed thus fartodayandcarryontomorrow.

LECTURESEVENDornach,18December1916

Letmebeginbyrepeatingyetagainmyurgentrequestthatyoudonottakenotesduringtheselectures.1Itismystifyingthatmywishinthisrespectseemstomeetwithabsolutelyno compliance. Yet Imustmake this request particularlywith regard to these lectures.Firstly,thecurrentsituationgivesnoopportunityforsomeonewhoisseriouslyconcernedwithhumanevolutiontogiveproperlyrounded-offlectures;atbestonlyisolatedremarksarepossible.Secondly,weallknowwhatmisunderstandingscameaboutatthebeginningof this painful time because parts ofmy lectureswere taken down and disseminated ineverydirection,insomecaseswiththepraiseworthyintentionofsaying:Look,thethingshesaysaren’tasbadasallthat—butinotherswiththelesspraiseworthyaimofraisingpeople’shacklessothattheymightbuildupallsortsofresentments.

Isolated sentences quoted out of context, especially when taken from a series oflectures, can nevermean anything and can be interpreted in all manner of ways. I amconcernedsolelywiththequestforthetruth,inthiscaseparticularlybecauseanumberofourfriendshaverequesteddiscussionsofthissortandhavearealdesireforthem.IamnotconcernedthatitmightbepossibletoreporthereortherethatwhatIhavetosayisreallynotsobadafterall.WhatIamconcernedwithisthetruth.Surelyallthoseofuswhotakespiritual science seriously, andwho are concernedwith the findingsof spiritual sciencewithregardtohumanevolutioninourtime,shouldbeconcernedwiththetruth.

Ishallcontinuetodaytogiveyousomemoreoftheviewpointswhichfurnishabasisonwhichtoformajudgementfittingfortoday—thatis,notforthenextfewdaysorweeks,or even for thenextyear, but for thepresent time in thewider sense.Letus rememberaboveall thatspiritualscienceisaseriousmatterandthat tounderstandit in theproperwaywemust take itmore seriously than anything else. If, on the other hand—as is sofrequently the case when there is a society which serves as an instrument for theendeavours of spiritual science—if spiritual science is approached with all sorts ofprejudicesandprematurefeelingswhichleadtoastateoffuriouszealoverallmannerofthings,thenthisprovesalackofreadinessforspiritualscience.Yetitisperfectlypossibleto understand today that spiritual science alone is suitable for the development of thatearnestnesswhichissoneededinthesetragictimes.

Each individual must set aside his preferences for one direction or another andendeavour to accept thingswithout any prejudice. It is impossible to say certain thingswithout making one person or another feel uncomfortable. There are plenty of peopletodaywho regard it as a sineven tohint at certain facts,because they imagine that themerementionofsomefactorother is tantamount to takingsides—which is,ofcourse,not the case at all. Some factsmust be looked calmly and squarely in the facebecauseonlythencanavalidjudgementbereached.Ofcourse,perhapsapersondoesnotwanttoreachsuchajudgement,buthecouldreachitifhewantedtostandonthefoundationofspiritualscience.

Ishallnowpresentyouwithanumberofpreparatoryremarksinordertobringforward,

attheendoftoday’sdiscussion,somepointswhichmayawakenanunderstandingforthemanner in which certain—shall we say—occult knowledge is forcing its way into thepresent-dayspiritualdevelopmentofmankind.Actually,thisknowledgeisforcingitswaytothesurfaceofitsownaccordasaresultoftheprocessofhumanevolution,sothatitisnotnecessary tomakeanyextraeffort toplace itwithin thedevelopmentofmankind. Ishall takemydeparture fromcertaindetails,which I begyouwill simply accept as thegroundwork,sothatlaterthemainemphasiscanbeplacedonwhatIshallputforwardastheoutcomeoftheseconsiderations.

AtthebeginningofthesediscussionsIsaid:If,asagoodEuropean,onemakeseveryeffort togothoroughlythroughall theeventsandfacts thathavebeentakingplaceoverdecadesandhavealsocometobeknownrecently,ifonemakestheefforttogothoroughlyinto them without prejudice, and if one then examines the judgements made on theperipheryasamatterofcourse—andImeanasamatterofcourse—bypeoplewhohaverightlybornefamousnamesduring theperiod leadingup to today’spainfulevents, thenonecannotbutreachacertainconclusion.Thisconclusionisthatcertainjudgementsaresuchthat,whateveronemightsayorassert,theanswerisalwaysthesame:Nevermind,the German will be burnt—after the old pattern: ‘Never mind, the Jewwill be burnt.’Many,manyjudgementscontainnothingbutacertainaversion—whetherjustifiedornotis open to question—against anything in theworld thatmight be calledGerman. I amweighingmywordscarefully.

This aversion has recently intensified into a burning hatredwhich has no inclinationwhatsoevertoscrutinizeanythingcarefully,nortoacceptanythingthathasbeencarefullyscrutinized, butwhich finds its total justification simply in hating.Yet advantage is notnecessarilytakenofthisjustification.Ifsomeonesays:Ihate—andifhereallywantstodosoandannouncesthatheintendstodoso,thenwhynot?Everyonehastherighttohateasmuch as he likes; no objection can be made to it. But very many people are mostconcerned not to admit to their feelings of hatred in such a situation. They try to lullthemselvesintoforgettingaboutthembysayingallsortsofthingswhicharesupposedtowipeawaythehatredandputinitsplaceasupposedlyobjectiveandjustjudgement.Butthisputseverythingintoafalselight.Ifsomeoneadmitshonestly:Ihatethisorthatperson—thenyou can talkwithhim,or perhapsnot, dependingon the intensityof his hatred.Truthfulness,absolutetruthfulnesstowardsoneselfandtheworldinallthingsisnecessary,andifwefailtocomprehendthattruthfulnessisnecessaryinallthings,thenweshallbeunable to make what spiritual science ought to be for mankind into the most intimateimpulseofourownheartandofourownsoul.Wethensay:Certainly,wewantapartofspiritualscience,thatpartwhichisnotconcernedwithoursympathiesorantipathies,thatpart which is useful for us; but we shall reject those parts which do not suit us. It ispossible to take this stance,but it isnota standpoint that isbeneficial today forhumanevolution.WhatIhavetosayisbasedoncertainremarks,buttrulywithoutanger!

Itisawell-knownfactthatverymanypeopleseeaconnectionbetweentoday’seventsandthefoundationoftheGermanReichwhichliesinthecentreofEurope.It isnotmytasktospeakaboutthepoliticsoftheGermanReichoraboutanyotherpolitics,andIshallnotdoso.Isimplywanttogiveyoucertainisolatedfactsasafoundation.ItispossibletoformanopinionabouttheeventswhichledtothefoundationofthisGermanReich.Itisalso possible to form the opinion—whether justified or not—that it is a calamity for

mankindthatGermansexistatall.Eventhisisopentodiscussion.Whynot,ifsomeoneisopenandhonestenoughtoadmitthatheholdstheseviews?Butthisisnotourconcernatthemoment.

LetuslookatthefactthatthisGermannationledtothefoundingoftheGermanReichduring the final third of the nineteenth century. There are people who challenge thefoundingof theGermanReich fromquiteanotherpointofview.Theyconsider that thefounding of this empire was not good for human evolution. But people who share thestandpointofthewesternempireshavenorighttoformajudgementofthiskind.ForletusnotforgetthattheseverynationsoftheWestareexceedinglyattachedtotheconceptofempire,theconceptofthestate,andthattheirwayofthinkingwithregardtonationalityisvery much linked to the various ideas about the state. Therefore, those who unitepatriotismwiththeideaofthestate,asdothewesternnations,havenorighttoquestionthe ideaofanempireatall. If theydid theywouldbequite illogical, for theywouldbestating that another nation has no right to do what their own nation has done. In adiscussionyouhavetotakeupastandpointwhichprovidesabasisfordiscussionandalsomakesitpossibletoremainlogical.ItwouldbeeasytohaveadiscussionwithBakunin2aboutwhetheraGermanReich inCentralEurope is somethingbeneficial.But thebasisfor such a discussionwould differ greatly if it were held, not with statesmen but withalmostanymemberofawesternnation,becausetheyaresoimmersedintheideaofthestate.Sotheremustbeonepresupposition,namely,thattheideaofempireassuchisnotrejectedoutofhand,otherwisethereisnobasisfordiscussion.Butone’spresuppositionsmustbeknownifonewantstoarriveatvalidjudgements.

People today no longer think of the historical impulses out of which this empire inCentral Europe arose. They do not consider, for instance, that the soil on which thisempirehasbeenfoundedwasformanycenturiesakindofreservoir,akindoffountain-headfortherestofEurope.Yousee,somethingRoman,inthesenseofacontinuationofwhatusedtobeRoman,nolongerexiststoday.WhatusedtobeRomanhas,ifImaysayso, evaporated and has only entered into other folk elements in the form of isolatedimpulses. Take the soil of Italy. During the course of the Middle Ages all sorts ofGermanicelementskeptmigratingtoItaly.Imighthaveanopportunitytodefinethismoreclosely later on. In today’s Italian population, even in their very blood, there flows atremendousamountofwhatcanbecalledGermanic.ThiswasinstilledintothembytheRomanelement,butnotinanywaywhichmightmakeitpossibletodaytocallthepeopleofpresent-dayItalyacontinuationoftheoldRomanpeople.ItwasalwaysthecasethatfromCentral Europe, as from a reservoir of peoples, all sorts of tribesmigrated to theperiphery, toSpain,NorthAfrica,Italy,France,Britain.Andasthepeoplesrayedout inthisway,somethingnotofthesepeoplescametomeetthem:theRomanelement.Inthemiddle,asitwere,wasthereservoir:

Aman such asDante, aboutwhom I spoke to you yesterday, is simply a characteristicexpression of a general phenomenon. Who are today’s French people? Not merelydescendantsoftheLatinelement.Franks,inotherwordsformerGermanictribes,spreadoutoverthisland.Theirmake-upbecamemingledwithfolkelementsnolongertheirown,elements containingLatin aspects, viaRomancivic attitudes,mixedwith ancientCelticaspects;theresultofallthisbeingsomethinginwhichmanymoreGermanicimpulseslivethan might be imagined. A great many Germanic impulses live in today’s Italianpopulationaswell. Ifwewanted to,wecouldstudy themigrationof theLombards intonorthern Italy, a Germanic element which simply absorbed the Roman. Britain wasoriginally inhabited by elementswhichwere then pushed back intoWales andBrittanyand even as far asCaledonia, but not before they had sent outmessengers to draw theJutes,AnglesandSaxonsover to the islandso that theymightdeter thepredatoryPictsand Scots. Out of all this an element emerged in which the Germanic obviouslypredominates.

Thisspreadingouttookplaceinalldirections.InCentralEuropethereservoirremainedbehind.Connectedwiththefactthatthecentrehadtodevelopdifferentlyisthatjump—whichIdonotwanttobragaboutasajumpforward—whichisexpressedinGrimm’slawof sound shifts. This law need not be measured with the yardstick of sympathy orantipathy,foritissimplyafact.Anyonecanimaginewhatledtoit,butthisneednotbeconfusedwithsympathyorantipathy.

When the Roman Caesars were carrying out their campaigns against the Germanictribes,thosewhowerefirstconqueredformedbyfarthegreaterpartofthearmy,sotheRomans fought the Germanic tribes with Germanic tribesmen. Even in later times themassedpeoplesoftheperipherystoodbywhatwastobefoundinthecentretotheextentthatitbecamenecessarytoformtheempirewhich,initsfinalphase,wastheHolyRomanEmpire.Youknowthepassage inFaust3where thestudentsareglad that theyneednotworryabouttheHolyRomanEmpire.But,ontheotherhand,italsocameaboutthatthe

peripherymadeterriblewaronthemiddleelement,itwasconstantlyrebellingagainstthemiddle element. One must also take into account that much of what is present in theconsciousnessofCentralEuropeislinkedwiththewaythesoilofthisempireinCentralEuropehasconstantlybeenchosenas the sceneofbattle for all thequarrellingnations.Thiswasparticularlythecaseintheseventeenthcentury,duringtheThirtyYearsWar,inwhich Central Europe lost up to one third of its population through the fault of thesurrounding peoples.Not only towns and villages butwhole tracts of countrysideweredestroyed.ThepeoplesofCentralEuropewereutterly flayedby thoseof theperiphery.Thesearehistoricalfactswhichmustsimplybelookedatsquarely.

NowitisnotsurprisingthatinCentralEuropetheinclinationarosetowantsomethingotherpeopleshadalreadyachieved,namelyanempire.Butthepopulationofthissoilhasfar less of a relationship to the idea of empire than has that ofwestern Europe,whichclingsparticularlystronglytoit,regardlessofwhetheritisarepublicoramonarchy.Thisis irrelevant. You have to look beyond the mere words and see how the individual,whether in a republic or some other form, stands in relation to the state he belongs to,whether his feeling for theway he belongs to it is of this kind or that. I said it is notsurprisingthattheimpulsearoseinCentralEuropetowantanempire,astatewhichmakesit possible, on the one side, to build up some protection against the centuries of attackfromtheWestand,ontheother,toputupabarrieragainstwhatcomesfromtheEast—whichissomethingthatisstillnecessaryforCentralEuropethoughnot,ofcourse,fortheEast.Thesethingsare,Ibelieve,comprehensible.

TheCentralEuropeanpopulationhas adifferent relationship towhatmightbecalledthe idea of a state; that is it differs from that of theWestern European, especially theFrench,population.InCentralEuropetheideaofastatehasnotbeenlivingforcenturiesasithas,forinstance,inFrance,andfurthermoretheideaofastateasitexistsinFranceisnot suitable for what has remained in Central Europe. On the other hand, in what hasremainedinCentralEuropesomethingdevelopedaroundtheturnoftheeighteenthtothenineteenth centurywhich is of such spiritual stature that itwill even be admired in theWest when one day the hatred will have abated somewhat. And this spiritual stature,whichmankindwill continue to savour for centuries to come,was achieved inCentralEuropeata timewhen theWestwasmaking itutterly impossible forCentralEurope tobuildacoherentstatestructure.Lessing,Goethe,Schiller,Herderandall theotherswhoare connected with this stream did not become great within a coherent state structure.Theybecamegreatdespitetheabsenceofaproperstatestructure.Itishardlypossibletoimagine howdifferent itwas forGoethe,who became greatwithout any coherent statestructure,comparedwithCorneille,orRacine,whocanscarcelybeimaginedwithoutthebackgroundof thatstatestructurewhichwasgivenitsbrillianceandeminencebyLouisXIV,thekingwhosaid:‘L’état,c’estmoi!’Thesethingsshouldbelookedattogether.

However, during the course of the nineteenth century impulses arose among theinhabitants ofCentralEuropewhichwere at first entirely inward, impulseswhich gavebirth to the inclination towant some form of state structure also. This inclination firstcame into being in an intensely idealistic way, and those who are familiar with thedevelopment of the nineteenth century know that the idea of a state whichmoved theinhabitantsofCentralEuropewasatfirstanchored,aboveall,intheheadsofallsortsofidealists,peoplewhoweremoreidealisticthanpractical,whoweremostunpracticalwith

regardtotheideaofastate,comparedwiththepracticalwesterners.

SowefollowthedevelopmentoftheendeavourstoformaGermanReichwhichcouldencompasstheGermanpeoplesofCentralEurope.Wesee,particularlyintheyear1848,howthe idea takesoncertain formswhichhaveadefinite idealisticstamp.Butbecausethenineteenthcenturywastheageofmaterialism,anythingofanidealisticstampwasnotfavouredwithmuchluck.Theblameforthisbadlucklaynotsomuchwiththenationaswiththematerialismofthenineteenthcentury.Sothenitbecamenecessarytoachieveinapracticalwaywhatcouldnotbeachievedinanidealisticway;inotherwordsithadtobeachieved justas ithadalwaysbeenachievedduring thecourseofEuropeanhistory.Forhowdidstatescomeintobeing?Statescameintobeingthroughwars,andthroughalltheotherthingswhichalsoledtotheGermanReichbetweentheyears1864and1870.

ThosewhoexperiencedthedayswhenthenewGermanReichwasbeingfoundedknowhowpain-filledweretheheartsoftheoneswhowerestillimbuedwiththeideasof1848,whentheaimwastofoundthisReichoutoffeelingsandideals.Therewere,inthesixtiesandseventies,thosewhofavoureda‘greatGerman’arrangement,whileothersfavoureda‘littleGerman’ arrangement.Thosewho favoured a ‘greater’Germany stoodby theoldidealisticprinciplesandhopedtofoundtheReichonidealisticfoundationsandimpulses.Theydidnotwanttomakeanyconquests;theysimplywantedtouniteeverythingthatwasGerman,includingAustria,inacommonReichorstate.Anyonewhoimaginesthatthesepeople desired to make even the smallest conquest has failed to grasp the degree ofnational idealism that lived in them.For a longperiod theywere inbitteropposition tothose who favoured a ‘little’ Germany, and who, under Bismarck, founded the presentGermanReich—thatis,theGermanReichundertheleadershipofPrussia.Butintheendthe ‘greater German’ party made their peace with the others because they came tounderstandthatinCentralEuropeinthenineteenthcenturythingshadtogothewaytheydid.TheycametotermswiththisandrealizedthatintheendGermanyhadtobefoundedin the same way as had been France and England. In this way those who favoured a‘greater’Germanygraduallycametotermswithsomethingthatwentutterlyagainsttheirideals.Thesethingshavetobetakenintoconsideration.

Consider further: whatever opinion onemight have about the events that took placebetween 1866 and 1870/71,whomsoever onemight blame or not blame for thewar of1870, onemust not forget that on the side of France effortsweremade to prevent thefoundation of the German Reich,4 that French politics were aimed at preventing thecreationof aGermanReich.Of course this canbe denied, but thingswhich are deniednevertheless remain true.When I speakof theFrench side, or theEnglish side, I nevermean the people themselves. Imean the cohesion of thosewho are at the helm at anygiven time, thosewhocause theexternalevents tohappen.Peoplemay thinkwhat theylikeabouttheSpanishsuccession,oraboutaFrenchoraGermanpartyinfavourofwar.ButthereisnodisputingthefactthattherewerepeopleinFrancewhomadeeveryefforttoimplementtheirjudgement:namely,thatthecreationofanindependentGermanReichinCentralEuropewasnotinkeepingwiththe‘gloire’oftheFrenchstate.Thiswasoneofthecausesof thewarof1870/71.Asacounter-strokeanother impulsedeveloped,aboutwhichonce againonemay thinkwhatone likes.Thiswas theopinion that theGermanReichmightjustaswellbefoundedinthesamemannerastheFrenchEmpire,namely,bymakingwaronaneighbour.Thesethingsmustbelookedatincoldblood.

SothisGermanReichwasfoundedinthemannerwithwhichyouarefamiliar,thoughthereislittleinclinationtodaytoexaminethehistoricalfactsminutely.However,mostofyouknowthem,atleastinoutline.Sowecansay:TheGermanReichwasfounded,whileFranceandGermanywereatwarwithoneanother,insuchawaythattheforcesgeneratedbythiswarwerethosethatbroughttheGermanReichintobeing.

Letus lookat themomentwhenPariswasnotyetundersiegebutwhen theGermanvictorieswerealreadymakingthefoundingoftheGermanReichseemapossibility.TherewascausetoviewtheresistancetothefoundingofthisGermanReichasbroken,andsoinCentralEuropetheideaarosetosetinmotionthefoundingoftheReichfavouredbythe‘little’Germanparty.WearelookingapproximatelyatNovember1870.Indoingthiswecomeupagainstthefactthat,outofallthattookplaceinwhatlaterbecameGermany—thatis,theGermanReich—therearosethefeelingthatthiswayoffoundingtheGermanReichhasdonegreatdamage toEurope, the feeling that the structureof thisReich isastructureofmenace.Tospeakof‘Germany’isnomorethanawantoftactonthepartofthosewho live in the periphery. There is noGermany today, anymore than there is aKaiserofGermany.ThereareindividualGermanstatesandtheonewhohasbeenchosento represent these states before the rest of the world is expressly not called ‘Kaiser ofGermany’but‘GermanKaiser’,whichissomethingquitedifferent.ThishascomeaboutoutofcertaincharacteristicsofthenatureofCentralEurope.ImightpointoutthatwhenthenewRomanianstatewasrecentlyformedtherewasmuchdiscussiononwhether thekingshouldbeentitled‘KingoftheRomanians’or‘KingofRomania’.Suchthingscometomeanagreatdealthemomentonestartstolookatrealitiesandnotonlyillusions.Thetitle ‘King ofRomania’was chosen for quite specific historical reasons in place of theoriginallyintended‘RomanianKing’or‘KingoftheRomanians’.

Nowifweallowjudgementswhichhavebeeninthemakingforsometimetoworkonus,judgementswhichhaverecentlyinsomecasesreachednewpeaksoffolly—again,wearenotdiscussingwhatisjustified,foreverythingis,ofcourse,alwayseitherjustifiableorunjusifiableinitsseparateparts—ifwesummarizethesejudgementswefindthattherehascomeintoabeingafeelingthatgreatdamagehasbeendonetoEuropebythefoundingoftheGermanReich,afeelingthatthestructureofthisReichinCentralEuropeis,inaway,astructureofmenace.InordertomakethisclearIshouldliketoreadtoyouatextwhich,inaddition,containsanumberofotherthingsIamalsoconcernedwithatpresent.Ithasbeensaid:Germany,or theGermans,feel themselvestobethreatenedinsomeway,andyetinfactitisGermanythatposesathreattothewholeofEurope.Ajudgementhasbeenexpressedwhichisrathersignificantinconnectionwiththis.ItwasprintedinthejournalMatindated8October1905.Donotforgetthatwhenweareconcernedwithrealitiesweneedtoknowthatbehindtheopinionofonepersontherealwaysstandthejudgementsofcountless others, and also that realities always proceed from realities. InMatin5 of 8October1905weread:

‘IfHerrvonBülowwantstocomplainthatGermanyisbeingisolated,heoughtfirsttoaskhimselfwhetherperhapsGermanyhasnotisolatedherselffromtherestofEuropeby her actions. The authors of the mistrust and the suspicious hatred which aresqueezing the German Reich ever more tightly by the day are not called Delcassé,Lansdowne,EdwardVIIorRoosevelt,butBismarckandMoltke,WilhelmIIandvonBülow.Theseare theoneswhohavecreatedanddeveloped thisprickly, irritableand

provokingReich,bristlingwithweaponry,whichhasbeencastingchallengingglancesatEuropeforthepastquartercenturyandwhichEuropeintheendcannothelplookingatwith envy. Bymaking her evermore Prussian, they are the oneswho are turningaway the sympathywhich shewasguaranteed in earlier days byher active scientificwaysandhersobermodesty.Theyaretheoneswhoaresendingoutsparksofbarbaricmenaceorbrutalpassioninthistimeofweariness.EuropeisafraidofthefirethatneverstopssmoulderinginBerlin;Europeistakingprecautionarymeasures.’

Sowheredowestandwith this judgement that theGermanReichposesa threatfor thewholeofEurope?

AmongthoseintheWestwhoexpressopinionstodaythereareunlikelytobeanywhodonotseeGermanyasathreatforthewholeofEurope,orwhodonotconsiderthattheworst thing that could possibly have happened was to turn this people, who formerlyshonethroughtheirsciencesandtheirsobermodesty—asissoaptlyexpressedhere—intoathreatforthewholeofEurope.Forthatthisiswhatithasbecomeisrepeatedoverandoveragainbycountlessvoicesandinriversofprinters’ink.

It is easy to saywhat is often said, namely that this Reichwas not created out of ahistoricalnecessitybutoutof‘Germanicarrogance’—amisuse,incidentally,oftheword‘Germanic’—and further that it is filled with people who never cease stressing thatGermans lead theworld, Germans are the saviours of theworld, and so on. Countlesstimeswehavehearditsaid:TheGermanshavegrownarrogant,theythinktheyhavebeencalled to rule the world, they consider the Reich they have founded to be somethingurgentlyneededinmoderntimes,andsoon;thepride,thearroganceoftheGermanshasbecomeutterly insufferable.Such are the judgementswhichonehears in ever-changingforms.

I have no intention of glossing over anything, but I now want to read to you ajudgement which wasmade at the time the Reich was founded, a time I have alreadymentioned. I said: Let us return toNovember 1870.What Iwant to read to youmightmakesomepeoplejumpupanddownwithimpatience—pardontheflippantexpression—andsay:Thereyouhaveit!ThisisthekindofideapeoplehaveabouttheimportanceofthisGermanReich!Ithadhardlycomeintobeing,indeedwasstillintheprocessofbeingfounded,andalreadyitwasbeingpresentedassomethingbeneficial,notonlyforGermansbutforthewholeofEurope,indeedforthewholeworld—evenfortheFrenchthemselves!To show you that I am not glossing over anything I shall read to you a judgementexpressedintheyear1870:6

‘NonationeverhadsobadaneighbourasGermanyhashadinFranceforthelastfourhundredyears;badinallmannerofways;insolent,rapacious,insatiable,unappeasable,continuallyaggressive…Germany,Idoclearlybelieve,wouldbeafoolishnationnottothinkofraisingupsomesecureboundary-fencebetweenherselfandsuchaneighbournowthatshehasthechance.ThereisnolawofnaturethatIknowof,noHeaven’sActofParliament,wherebyFrance,aloneofterrestrialbeings,shallnotrestoreanyportionofherplunderedgoodswhentheownerstheywerewrenchedfromhaveanopportunityuponthem...TheFrenchcomplaindreadfullyofthreatened“lossofhonour”…ButwillitsavethehonourofFrancetorefusepayingfortheglassshehasvoluntarilybrokeninher neighbour’swindows? For the present, Imust say, France looksmore andmore

delirious,miserable,blameable,pitiable,andevencontemptible.Sherefusestoseethefacts that are lying palpable before her face, and the penalties she has brought uponherself…Ministersflyingupinballoonsballastedwithnothingbutoutrageouspubliclies, proclamations of victories that were creatures of the fancy; a Governmentsubsistingaltogetheronmendacity,willing thathorridbloodshedshouldcontinueandincreaseratherthanthatthey,beautifulRepublicancreatures,shouldceasetohavetheguidanceofit:Iknownotwhenorwheretherewasseenanationsocoveringitselfwithdishonour…The quantity of consciousmendacity that France, official and other, hasperpetratedlatterly,issomethingwonderfulandfearful…Itisevidentlytheirbeliefthatnew celestial wisdom is radiating out of France upon all the other overshadowednations; thatFranceis thenewMountZionof theuniverse…IbelieveBismarckwillgethisAlsaceandwhathewantsofLorraine;andlikewisethatitwilldohim,andus,andall theworld,andevenFrance itselfbyandby,agreatdealofgood…Bismarckseemstometobestrivingwithstrongfaculty,bypatient,grand,andsuccessfulsteps,towardsanobjectbeneficialtoGermansandtoallothermen.Thatnoble,patient,deep,pious,andsolidGermanyshouldbeatlengthweldedintoanationandbecomeQueenoftheContinent,insteadofvapouring,vainglorious,gesticulating,quarrelsome,restlessandoversensitiveFrance,seemstomethehopefullestpublicfact thathasoccurredinmytime…TheappearanceofastrongGermanReichbringsaboutanewsituation.Ifthe military states of France and Russia were to join forces, they could crush asplinteredGermanylyingbetweenthem.Butnowtheirarbitraryactionsarefacedwithaconsiderablerestraint…’

NowIamgoingtoomitaphraseforareasonwhichyouwillunderstandinamoment:

‘WhateveryEnglishstatesmanhas longedforhas left therealmof ideasandbecomereality…‘

Youcouldask,isthismegalomania?Dearfriends,Ihavejustreadtoyoualeadingarticlewhich appeared in The Times in November 1870, but I omitted one word in the finalsentence.Thecompletesentencereads:

‘But now their arbitrary actions are faced with a considerable restraint. The strongCentralPowereveryEnglishstatesmanhas longedforhas left the realmof ideasandbecomereality.’

Asyousee,itisnecessarytolookatthingsastheyreallyare.ThosewhoreadTheTimestoday should to some extent take into account the opinion ofThe Times of November1870.Theymightevenattaintoanunusualviewofthatmostghastlyphraseevercoined,thatof ‘Germanmilitarism’, if theywere to thinka little aboutwhatwas said from theEnglishsideatthattime:thattheappearanceofastrongGermanReichbringsaboutanewsituation. If the military states of France and Russia joined forces, they could crush asplinteredGermanylyingbetweenthem.

Timeschange,asyousee.Butpeoplestillbelievetheycanmakeabsolutejudgements,and they are so happy in their absolute judgements. It is truly not enmity towards theEnglishbeingandtheEnglishpeopleifonepassesajudgementwhichmayseemwrongtomanypeople fromEngland, suchas theone IpassedyesterdayaboutSirEdwardGrey.ThoseEnglishwhothinkitisenmityare,infact,theirownworstenemy.ButIamnotin

the habit of passing judgement without any support from what can be regarded as areliablesource.YoucouldsaythatwhoeversaidwhatIsaidaboutSirEdwardGreywasnoEnglishmanandcannothaveknownhim.SonowletmereadtoyouajudgementabouthimbyanEnglishmanwhoknewhimwellbecausehewasafellowminister.Duringthewinterof1912/13thisman7saidaboutSirEdwardGrey:

‘ItisamusingforthoseofuswhohaveknownGreysincethebeginningofhiscareertonotehowmuchheimpresseshisContinentalcolleagues.Theyseemtoassumethereissomethinginhimwhichis,infact,notthere.Heisoneoftheforemostsportinganglersofthekingdomandalsoquiteagoodtennisplayer.Hedoesnot,however,possessanypoliticalordiplomaticcapacities,unlessacertainwearisometediousnessinhismannerofspeakingandalsoanextraordinarytenacity,weretobeseenassuch.EarlRoseberyoncesaidofhimthattheimpressionhegivesofgreatconcentrationstemsfromthefactthatthereisneverathoughtinhisheadwhichmightdistracthimfromwhateverpaperheisstudying.WhenrecentlyasomewhatmorelivelydiplomatexpressedadmirationforGrey’smodestbearing,whichneverrevealswhatmightbegoingoninhishead,aratherpert secretarysaid:“Amoneyboxfilled to thebrimwithgoldsovereignsdoesnot rattlewhenyou shake it.Neither is there a sound if it containsnot somuchas asinglepenny.InthecaseofWinstonChurchill,afewcoppersrattlesoloudlythatitgetsonyournerves. In thecaseofGrey there isnotasound.Only theonewhoholds themoney box in his hand can tellwhether it is full to the brim or completely empty!”Thoughimpertinent,thisiswellput.IbelievethatGreyhasthemostdecentcharacter,thoughhedoessometimesallowaratherunfortunatevanitytomisleadhimintogettinginvolvedwithaffairswhichitwouldbebettertoleavealoneintheinterestofkeepinghis hands clean. He is always excused by the fact that on his own he is unable tocomprehendorthinkanythingthroughproperly.Onhisownheisnokindofschemer,but themomentaskillfulschemer takespossessionofhimhecanappearas themostaccomplished schemer. This is why political schemers have always been tempted tochoosepreciselyhimfortheirtool,andtothisaloneheoweshisposition.’

WemusttakenoteofthesethingssothatwearenottemptedtobelievethatthepeaceofEurope in July 1914was in particularly good hands.By using a number of documentsreferredtoinvariousbooksanythingcanbeproved.Whatmattersiswhetherthesethingswereusedintherightwayinthehandlingofthoseforceswhichareimportant.

Anotherthingyoumustnoteisthathistoricalprocessesgrowoutofoneanother,theygradually takeshape.What led to theeventsof1914hadbeen inpreparationfora longtime,avery long time.Muchhasbeensaidabout thispreparation, for instance, that thecountries of the Triple Entente did not have any agreement which was against CentralEurope;thattheonlypurposeoftheTripleEntentewastocultivatepeaceinEurope.Allsortsoffactshavebeenparadedasostensibleproofforthissupposition.IwouldhavetotellyousomeverylongstoriesifIwantedtoprovefullywhatIhavetosay.Thisisnotpossible,butIwant togiveyouafewpointsofreference.For instance,Ishould like toreadyousomepassages fromaspeechmade inFrance inOctober1905,because in thefuturethiswillhaveacertainparttoplayinhistory.Suchspeechesarealwaysone-sided,ofcourse,butifonebearseverythinginmind—andherethereareanumberofimportantpointstobearinmind—ajudgementcanbemade.AnumberofimportantthingsmaybetakenfromthisspeechbyJaurès8 fromtheyear1905.Iamabletochoosethisexample

becauseIhaverecentlyspokenaboutJaurèsinquiteanothercontext.Asyouknow,Jaurèswasademocrat,indeedasocial-democratand,whateverelseonemightthinkofhim,hewascertainlyamanwhowasseriouslyconcernednotonlywithpeacewhichwouldhavebeen so necessary for Europe, or at least western Europe, but with calling together allthosepeopleintheworldwhoseriouslylongedtokeeppeace.SoinawayJaurèshadarighttospeakashedid.InOctober1905,shortlyaftertheFrenchdemocraticgovernmenthad ditched Delcassé—pardon the flippant expression—when it had become apparentduringasessionofthechamberthathewascapableofendangeringpeaceinEuropeinthenearfuture,Jaurèscommentedasfollows:

‘Englandhas recognizedDelcassé‘sdreamand isquietlypreparing tomakeuseof it.The threat posed by German industry and German commerce, in all markets of theworld,toEnglishtradeandEnglishprofits,isincreasingdaily.

It would by cynical, it would be scandalous, if England were to declare war onGermanymerelyinordertoannihilatehermilitarymight,destroyherfleetandsendhertradetothebottomoftheocean.

But ifonedayaconflictwere toarisebetweenFranceandGermanyinwhichFrancebrought forward legal reasons and the demand for the restoration of her nationalintegrity,thenbehindthesesplendidpretextsthecalculationsoftheEnglishcapitalists,whowant to removeGerman competition by force, could creep in and use this as ameansofachievingtheiraim.

SowhendifficultiesaroseintheMoroccanaffairbetweenFranceandGermany,andthelatter,suspectingacoalitionbetweenFranceandEngland,madeabrusqueinterventioninordertoforcethetwotomakedeclarations,itturnedoutthatEngland—Ihavetosaythis I’m afraid—was all too inclined to fan the flames. It is a fact that, at the verymoment when events were reaching a climax, England offered France an offensive-defensivepactinwhichsheguaranteedusthefullestsupportandcommittedherselfnotonlytosinktheGermanfleetbutalsotooccupytheKaiserWilhelmCanalandlandonehundred thousand troops in Schleswig-Holstein. If this pact had been signed—andMonsieurDelcasséwantedtodoso—thiswouldhavemeantimmediatewar.ThisisthereasonwhywesocialistsdemandedtheresignationofMonsieurDelcassé,andbydoingsowehaverenderedaservicetoFrance,Europeandmankindingeneral.’

Aboveall,Jaurèsknewthosethingswhichmanypeopledonotknowwhentheyarriveatjudgements—mostessentialandimportantthings.Hewasevencarelessenoughtoexpresstheseessentialandimportantthingsinsuchawayastohintthathemightsaymoreinthefuture. It is well known to occultists that in the last third of the nineteenth century amemberof a certainbrotherhoodmadeknown to theworldcertain thingswhich, in theopinionofthebrotherhood,shouldnothavebeenmadepublic.Onedaysoonafterhehaddonethishedisappeared;hehadbeenmurdered.Jaurèswasnotanoccultist,butwemaybeexcusedforbeingcuriousastowhethertheworldwilleverhearwhatledtohisdeathontheeveofthewar.

The things which Jaurès said go back to the session of the chamber during whichDelcassé, thecreatureofEdwardVII,aswellasothercreatureswhoworkedbehindthescenes,wasditchedbythegovernment,perhapsnotsomuchbecausehewantedtosmooth

thewayforwarasforquiteanotherreason.

Weareintheyear1905.RussiaisstillengagedoverintheEastanditis,therefore,tobehopedthatiftheflamesbeingfannedbyDelcasséintheWestreallystarttoflareuptheoutcome will not be what it would be if Russia were no longer busy in the East. ButDelcasséisnotapersonwhotakesthingslyingdown.Whenthosewhodidnotwantawaraccusedhimofdrivingmatters to thebrinkofwar,herepliedthatEnglandhadlet itbeknown toFrance that shewasprepared tooccupy theKaiserWilhelmCanal andattackSchleswig-Holstein with 100,000 troops and, if France so wished, this offer would berepeated in writing. This piece of news, which Delcassé presented to his ministerialcolleagueswhowereabouttoturnhimoutwas,ofcourse,theupshotofnegotiationshehad been conducting behind their backs and inwhichKing EdwardVII had also beenheavilyinvolved.

Icouldquotemanyitemswhichwouldverifythisfact,whichwaspublishedinMatin,andlateralsoinotherjournals.ButIonlywanttodrawyourattentiontothefactthatatleast therewas someone, even at the time,who looked at themattermore closely andfound it suspicious. This was a personality who is possibly not at all liked by people,particularly in France. He was the clerical senator Gaudain de Villaine9 who, on 20November 1906, when Clemenceau’s ministry had already begun, asked what was thesituationbetweenFranceandEnglandaboutwhichsomuchwasbeingheard.Clemenceauansweredthatsofarastheideaofrevengewasconcerned,hewasindignantthataFrenchsenatorcouldhavesetsucha trapforhim,obliginghimeither todisappoint theOrangeLodge or make a declaration of war, and he would therefore refuse to reply. SoClemenceau responded to thequestion froma senatoras towhetheranythingexisted inthewayofacoalitionbetweenFranceandEngland,whichcouldleadtoaEuropeanwar,byrefusingtoreply.ForifheweretoreplyhewouldeitherhavetodisappointtheOrangeLodgewithregardtotheideaofrevenge,orhewouldhavetomakeadeclarationofwar.So you see: if Clemenceau had been open about the relationship at that time betweenFranceandEnglandhewouldhavehadtomakeadeclarationofwar—notadeclarationofpeacebutadeclarationofwar.Hesaidthishimselfin1906.

Wemustnotforgetthatwhatworksineverycaseintheworldiswhatonepersonhearsfromanother.Can you imagine that itwas possible inCentralEurope to believe in the‘peaceful’intentionsofwesternEurope,whileatthesametimehavingtolistentonotone,buttocountlesssuchfacts?Tojudgesuchthingsanumberoffactorsmustbetakenintoaccount.OneoftheseistheutterabsurdityofspeakingofCentralEuropeanmilitarisminthecontextofCentralEurope in itswidestsense.Foranysuchmilitarismisanobviousconsequenceofbeingsandwichedbetweentwomilitarystates.

Peoplewith absolutely no sense of realitymight ask:Were not all sorts of proposalsmadeaboutdisarmament?Youneedonly lookat these suggestions fordisarmament!Aparticular goal can be achieved by quite a number of different routes. Of course somepeople—Idonot saynations, I saypeople—inwesternEuropewouldhavepreferred toachievewhat theywanted,andstillwant,withoutawarwhichwouldspill thebloodofhundredsofthousandsonallsides.Theywouldhavepreferredtogloatgleefullyandsay:Look,wehavecreatedpeace!

OneofthemeanspreferredbywesternEuropeanpoliticiansofacertaincalibrewasthe

disarmament proposal,10 for this was simply a different means of achieving the goal.Whenitturnedoutthatnoheadwaywasmadewithdisarmamentproposals,thisparticularroutehadtobeabandonedasimpassable.IfithadbeenpossibletofetterCentralEuropebymeansofdisarmament thiswould,ofcourse,havebeenpreferred.But thiswasonlyoneofseveralpossiblemethods.

Onemustnotbemisledbywordsorbyillusions;onemustbeclearaboutwhatpeoplewant. So ever and again it is necessary to stand up for people with a healthy way ofthinking,peoplewhoreallywantwhattheysaytheywant,evenif,undertheinfluenceofhate and all sorts of other feelings, they are identified as those who are to blame forsomething.Onemust standup for themandbeclear abouthowunfair it is to say:TheEnglishdid this or that, theEnglish are toblame for this or that.This is not a sensiblejudgement.ButneitherisitsensibleifanEnglishpersonfeelshurtwhenfactssuchastheonejustdiscussedarerevealed.Onemustsitupandtakenoticewhen,onabasisofgoodsense,fingersarepointedtocertainfactorsinthegreatcomplexofcauses.Thuswefindunder the heading ‘The German Scene’ in the Daily News11 of 13 October 1905 adeclarationthatsaysthefollowingabouttheBritishgovernmentofthetime,whichbearssomuchoftheblameforwhatisstillgoingontoday.ImustaddthatSirEdwardGrey’spredecessorwasnotanought.LordLansdowneknewmuchmoreaboutwhatwaswhat.Butfromacertainpointonwards,thosewhostoodbehindthescenesneededanought,inordertobeabletooperatemoreeasily:

‘AnditishightimethatLordLansdowneshouldexplainanddefendthischapterinthediplomacyforwhichheandhiscolleaguesareconstitutionallyresponsible.TherehasbeenatendencyoflatetoplaceLordLansdowneuponapinnacle,butthecountrywillhavelittlereasontothankhimifitbefoundthathehaspermittedthiscountrytodriftintoentanglementsdirectlyinvolvingariskofEuropeanwar…Thebestofcourtswillsometimesharbourfleetingfamilyfeuds,butwhathavethepeopleofGreatBritainorthe people ofGermany to dowith these things?…The anti-German hotheads in thiscountry and the anti-British hotheads in Germany alone stand in the way of such aconsummation [of friendly and stable relations] and for their tempestuous fads vastpopulationsmayonedayhavetosufferdearly.’

Youhavetotakeintoaccounttheessentialthingsintherightplaces.Butnevermindallthefacts;goodsensealonecouldprovethatthetwoCentralEuropeanstateshadnottheleast cause tobringabout awar.Howwould theprospectofwarhave seemed to thosewhothoughtaboutit?FrancewouldhavehadtosaythatintheeventofaEuropeanwar,unlesscertainconditionscameabout,shewouldbelikelytosufferagreatdeal.However,thiswasnotbelieved inFrancebecause therewasstill suchastrongfaith in theFrancewhichhadruledEuropeforcenturies.InItalytheconditionsareratherspecial.Perhapsifwehave timeweshalldiscuss themfurther inanotherconnection.But Italyalso,undercertain conditions, could not imagine that any great advantages would come of a warwhichwouldthroweverythinginEuropeintochaos.InRussia,too,conditionsareratherspecial, as I have already told you in connectionwithRussia’s relationship to the Slavpeoples,theSlavrace.

Thisgivesmeanopportunity,bytheway,toquoteyouanexampleofthedepthsofSirEdwardGrey’s thoughts.What didhis colleagueRosebery say?That the impressionhe

gaveofgreatconcentrationstemmedfromthefactthatheneverhadathoughtinhisheadtodistracthim?Well,onceathoughtwasinfiltratedintohismeditatingmindbythosewhoworkedbyinfiltratingthoughtsintohismind,theupshotwasthathesuddenlysaid:TheRussian race has a great future and is destined to accomplish great things. He hadforgottenthatitwastheSlavpeopleswhohadbeenmeantandthatthereisnosuchthingas a Russian race.When speaking of realities it is absolutely necessary to distinguishbetweenRussianismandtheSlavpeoples.

InRussiaonlythosewhorepresentedRussianismcouldimagineanygreatoutcomeforaEuropeanwar, namely, the realization, at least partially, of the testament of Peter theGreat.Apart from that,agreatdealof sufferingwasexpected,butnot that sufferingonwhichtherepresentativesofRussianismwouldhaveplacedanyvalue.

Englandwasabletosaytoherselfthatshewouldloseandrisktheleast.Nowthatthesorrowfuleventsofwarhavebeengoingonformanymonths,ifanassessmentweretobemadeofwhohadsufferedleast,orindeedhardlyatall—atleastinregardtotheopinionofworldhistory—theanswerwouldbe:England.Englandwillbeable tocontinuewagingwarforalongtimewithoutsufferingtoanygreatdegree.

Buttheso-calledCentralPowerswouldmostcertainlyhavehadnothingtogainfromawarandtheyhadnodesireforsuchawar.Theyalwaysdisplayedtwotendencies.Ontheonehandtherewasacertaincarefreeairwhicharose,notoutofaknowledgeofwhatwasgoing on but out of a basic characteristic; for the Austrian character is fundamentallycarefree.On the other hand emphasiswas always placed on the statement that all theywantedwastokeepwhat theyalreadyhad,andthatanyothersuggestionwasnonsense.Thereisnoquestion,forinstance,thatanypartofSerbiawastobeannexed,ifthosewhoattemptedtodosohadsucceededinlocalizingthewarbetweenAustriaandSerbia.

IfEnglandhadbeenledbyastatesmanwhohadnotsaidasearlyas23July:IfAustriamakeswaronSerbia,thiscouldleadtoaEuropeanwar;ifEnglandhadbeenledbyonewhohadsaid:Weshalldoeverythingpossibletomakesurethatthewarislocalized;theneventswouldhave takenquite adifferent turn.But thiswouldhavehad tobe someonewhoformedhisjudgementsinadifferentwayfromSirEdwardGrey,whowashypnotizedfromthestartby the thought: IfAustriamakeswaronSerbia, therewillbeaEuropeanwar.HeneveraskedwhatRussiahadtodowiththewholematterofwarbetweenAustriaandSerbia.Thisneveroccurredtohimandthesuspicioncannotbedetectedinanythinghe said. All he ever saw was the justification for Russia’s influence in Serbia, ajustificationforaninfluencewhichhadbeenpreparedinaremarkablewayandwasborneonremarkablecurrents,asIhaveshownyou.

Nothing that has taken place in this connection, including the 364 assassinationsbetween the years 1883 and 1887, has anything whatever to do with any kind ofjudgementabout theSerbianpeople.All theyhavedone is to fightbravely,and in theirpresentconditiontheyarestilldoingso.TothemaloneisowedtheonlysuccessachievedinrecentweeksdowntherebytheEntente.12Noonewhounderstandsthesematterswilljudgeagainstanypeople,letaloneonewho,rightintoitsmosttragicdays,hasshownthatitisnotonlywilling—totheextentofsacrificingitsownblood—butalsoabletostandupforitstruenature,alwayspresentandatthereadyingravetimes,ifonlyitisallowedtobe.ButwemustrememberalsothattheassassinationofArchdukeFranzFerdinandwas

only the last great blow in a whole series of assassination attempts against Austriangovernmentofficials tohave takenplacewithin thespaceofa fewmonths.Thiswas infact a particular campaign, which was even quite comprehensible and in keeping withcertain people. You remember what I told you about the occult background of thisindividuality, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. You also remember that it is a fact, aparadoxicalfact,thatthiscouple,kindlydisposedtowardstheSlavsinthehighestsense,were slain by Slavs—or seemingly so. The deeper connections are made moreapproachable by a certain understanding of the heart. We see a human being, kindlydisposed in thehighest sense towards theSlavs, slain—togetherwithhiswife—bySlavbullets.AtthelastmomenttheDuchessespiesfromhercarriageayoungfemalestandingquite near; smiles at her, seconds before the bullets strike, because she notices she is aSlavwoman, and exclaims: ‘Look, aSlavka!’13Then the bullets strike.What a strangekarma this reveals!Before thebullets strikeherdown, theDuchessexclaims indelight,becausehereyehasfallenononeofherbelovedSlavpeople.

I described earlier the far-reaching connection existing between machinations in theBalkan countries and a number of well-prepared situations on the Apennine peninsula.AndInowwanttoaskonceagainaquestionIhavealreadyputtoyou:Whywasitwrittenina rather inferiorParis journal14 inJanuary1913 that itwasnecessaryfor thegoodofmankind forArchdukeFranzFerdinand to be killed?Whywas it said twice in this so-called‘OccultAlmanac’thathewouldbekilled?Itisnecessarytolookatallthefactsatonce.Wewillfindthatthealchemyofthebulletswhichwereusedforthisassassinationwas exceedingly complicated and that, although they stemmed from a Serbian arsenal,theyhadbeen‘anointed’fromquiteanotherquarter—ifImayputitsymbolically.

These are thingswhich expressed themselves inwhat could be seen, for instance, inAustria.ImagineSwitzerlandsurroundedonlybythosewhohateher.Idoubtwhetherthiswouldhaveaparticularlyreassuringinfluence,especiallyifthehatredwereexpressedinsayingssuchasthosewhichhavebecomecurrentinRomania:JosAustriaperfida!—Thatis:DownwithperfidiousAustria!;or:RatherRussianthanAustrian!—andsoon.Ifthisishowthingsstand,andifyouconsiderallthethingsthatwerewritteninItalyquitealongtimebeforethewaragainstAustriabrokeout,thenyouwillunderstandthatthesituationwasfarfromreassuring.InthiswayanextensivecampaignwasorganizedwhichspreadfarandwideinthecountriessurroundingAustria.Iamnotdefendinganyparticularstate,butmerelymentioningfacts.

Consider, for instance, also the following: at the Berlin Congress, Austria received,through the significant influence of Lord Salisbury,15 amandate to occupy Bosnia andHerzegovina.When England gave Austria the mandate to undertake this action in theBalkansduringtheseventies,itturnedoutthatinAustriatherewaspassionateoppositionto the annexationofBosnia andHerzegovinabecause theGermans inAustria said:Wehave enoughSlavs already;we cannot possibly absorb anymoreSlavs. If the idea hadariseninAustriatoseizesomefragmentofSerbiabyanactofwaritwouldhavemetwiththesharpestoppositionintheinterestsofAustria,whichwerewellunderstood,fornothingwouldhavebeenmorestupidthantocovetsomefragmentofSerbianterritory.Theonlydesire was to hold the empire together in order to counteract the campaign. This wasperfectlyhonest,thoughitmayhavebeencareless.Seenobjectively,itbecomesperfectly

obviousthatthewarwouldnothavestartedasaconsequenceoftheultimatumofAustriato Serbia if Russia had not taken up the stance we all know about, despite knowingperfectlywellthatAustriawasnotbentonanyformofconquest.Inallthis,however,wemustrememberthemoods.Theconsequenceofeverythingwehavebeendiscussingwasthatmoodsarose,notonlyintheperipherybutalsoinCentralEurope.

Now Iwant to give you a small example to show you how, despite everything, it ispossibletoformajudgementaboutthesethingsifonereallysetsoutinearnesttoachieveavalid judgement. It is interesting to lookatcertainpointsatdefinite times, foronly inthisway can one recognize something. For example,wemight ask:Whatmust it havelookedlikeinthesoulofsomeonewhofeltresponsibleforAustria,letussayroundaboutthe time of the assassination of the heir to the throne—Imean immediately before andimmediatelyafterthis?

InordertoreachavalidjudgementwithregardtothemoodamongsthonestpeopleinAustria, the best moment to choose would be that which immediately preceded theassassination,forpeoplewerenot theninfluencedbywhathappenedin theaftermathoftheassassination.YouseehowcautiousIamtryingtobe.Iamnotgoingtoconsiderthenervousandanxioussoulsastheywereimmediatelyaftertheassassination.Instead,letuslookatwhatlivedinthesoulofthehonestAustrianunderalltheinfluenceswhich,sinceDelcassé,hadmadethemselvesfeltcomingfromwesternEuropeandconnectingupwitheastern Europe, with Russia. Now, I can place before your souls such a judgement byreading to you a passage from an essay16 which was written just at the moment inquestion.Thoughitappearedaftertheassassinationitwasalreadyintheprocessofbeingprinted when it happened. So it was written by an Austrian in the weeks immediatelyprecedingtheassassination:

[Gapintheshorthandreport.]

Here you have the judgement of a man whose thoughts are based on common sense,someone who saw all the factors at work in Europe just before the final event, theassassination,tookplace.EveryoneknewthatattheinstigationofRussiatheBalkanstateswould be forced to declarewar onAustria. Therefore, the right thing to do in order toavoidwarwouldhavebeentostartjustatthispointwithattemptstolocalizethesituation,forexternallytheprospectslookedquitegood.

It is necessary when making judgements according to one’s own feelings—for us,judgements are facts—to look at the facts themselves and use them as the foundation.Today Ihaveonlybeenable togiveyoua few isolated facts inorder toexplainwhat Imean.ButIgavethemtoyouexpresslyforthepurposeofdevelopingthefacts;nothingmore. Let us be clear about the purpose of introducing such facts: the purpose is topromotethetruth.Thetruth,evenif,paradoxically,itmaybedamaging,canneverbeasdamagingasanuntruth.

Those who understand the facts knowwhat unending lies were fabricated, from themoment it became possible to lie, unhindered, as a result of the possibility of makingoneselfheardabovetheotherside—thatis,ofdrowningouttheothersidebymeansofthevariousmethodswhichcame to the fore in suchagrievousway.Butweare concernedwith truth and with the admission of the truth. It is quite definitely not the truth to

maintainthatthiswarwasprovokedbyCentralEurope.Perhapspeoplecannotspeakthetruthbecausetheydonotknowit.Obviously,whensomethinglikethiswarcomesabout,bothpartiesareusuallypartlytoblame,butindifferentways.ButIamnottalkingaboutblame, I am talkingabout theuselessnessof judgementswhichhavebeenmade,whichtake no account of the actual truth of thematter.Of course, I do not expect that thesejudgementswill cease tobemade, forobviously I knowwhathappens in the courseofhuman evolution and that, especially in our time, there is no inclination to basejudgements on valid foundations; for there is so much in our time that preventsjudgementsbeingbasedonvalidfoundations.Butonereallyoughttostateproperlywhatoneistalkingabout.

Thosewho are connectedwith certain sources of thesegrievousworld events,whichfrom sheer negligence of thought still tend to be called ‘war’, thosewho therefore feelconnected with what is emanating in the periphery from certain centres, should admitquiteopenly:Yes,wewantwhatcertaincentresintheperipherywant,wewantthepeopleofCentralEuropetobepartlyexterminatedandpartlycondemnedtoserfdom.

Certainpeopleinthesecentres,however,donotwanttheculturallifeofCentralEuropetoperish.Theytalkofthewonderfulscienceandcultureandofthesobermodestywhichused to exist. In other words, they would be happy to lord it over these territories ofculture and modesty by acting in the way the Romans behaved towards the Greeks.Obviously,Greekculturewashigher;andtheRomansdidnotdestroyit.Similarly,nooneintheEntentewantstodestroyGermanculture.Onthecontrary,thesepeoplewillbeonlytoo pleased if German culture continues to flourish vigorously, but they want arelationshipsimilartothatoftheRomanstotheGreeks:thatis,theywanttomakeakindofculturalhelotryoutofwhatexists inCentralEurope.All right, then let themsayso!Whydeckitoutwithsomethingsoutterlyridiculous!ForGermanmilitarism—whichisnot to be denied—has its true origin inFrench andRussianmilitarism.WithoutFrenchandRussianmilitarismtherewouldbenoGermanmilitarism.

Let them say that what they want is to helotize Central Europe! Let them say theywouldbequite content if this couldbe theoutcome!Let themadmit that theyhate thepresence of such a people in themiddle of Europewhowant to dowhat all the othersurroundingpeoplesaredoing!Ifsomeonesays:IhateeverythingGerman;IdonotwanttheGermanstohavewhatotherpeopleshave—wellandgood.Youcanthentalkwithhimabout it,ornot ifhedoesnotwant to,buthe isnevertheless telling the truth.But ifhekeeps repeating: I want to destroy German militarism, I don’t want the Germans tooppressotherpeoples, Iwant theGermans todo thisor that—as is said todayandhasbeenconstantlyrepeatedforyears—thenheislying.Perhapshedoesnotknowthatheislying—but he is lying, he really is lying.Objectively he is lying, even though perhapssubjectivelyheisnot.

Whatmattersistostandonthefoundationoftruth,evenifthistruthisperhapsharmful,evenifitisembarrassing.Itisnecessarytoadmitthesethingsandnotanaesthetizeoneselfwith empty phrases aboutGermanmilitarism forwhich one has a hatred towhich onedoesnotwant to admit, even tooneself.Onemust admit thatonewants tohelotize theGermanpeople,yetcannotfaceuptowantingthis.Perhapsananaestheticisneeded;butitis not the truth! It is most important to stand on the foundation of truth. To have the

courage to face the truth always leads one a little step further. But onemust have thecouragetostandbythetruth.

It is a fact that everypeople, as apeople,has amissionwithin the total evolutionofmankind. Every people has amission, and all these variousmissions together create awhole, namely, the evolutionofmankind.But it is equally true that certain individuals,especiallythosewhocometobefamiliarwiththemissionofmankind,havethearrogancetosetintraincertainthingswhichareintheinterestofalimitedgroup,andforthistheymakeuseofwhatliesinhumanevolution.

LetustaketheEnglishpeople.Ifwhatisnecessarilymeanttocomeaboutinthefifthpost-Atlantean period through the English people really does come about, then it willneverbepossible, through theverynatureof thisEnglishpeople, forEngland tostartawar.ForthetruebeingoftheEnglishpeopleintheirmissioninworldhistoryisopposedtoanykindofwarlikeimpulse.TherealnatureoftheEnglishpeoplemakesthemtheleastwarlikenationpossible.AndyetforcenturiestherehaveneverbeentenconsecutiveyearsduringwhichEnglandhasnotbeeninvolvedinwar.Weareliving,afterall,intherealmof maya. But despite this, truth is truth. In the nature of the English people lies theexclusionofanykindofwar,justasforcenturiesithasbeeninthenatureoftheFrenchpeople—not any longer; now it has to be artificially incited—to conductwar over andoveragain.ItisnotinthenatureoftheEnglishpeopletowagewar,andthereasonforthisis that the special configuration of the English folk spirit means that its purpose is toevolvewhat is tobe incorporated into theconsciousnesssoulof thefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Thisinturnisachievedthroughallthoseconnectionsbetweenpeoplearisingfromlogical and scientific thinking on the one hand, andon the other, fromcommercial andindustrial thinking. And when Brooks Adams placed before the world the ideas Imentioned to you earlier, this was an advance thrust, coming from America, pointingtowardswhattheEnglishpeoplemustrecognizeastheirmissioninworldhistory,basedon their deeper nature which contains none of those warlike and imaginativecharacteristicssuchasthosepresent,forinstance,inthenatureoftheRussianpeople.

Nowmuchwilldependonwhether thisdeepernatureof theEnglishpeoplewillonedaycometobeunderstoodinadeeper,spiritualscientificsense.Inamoreexternalwaysome individuals have understood it. The work of Herbert Spencer17 and John StuartMill18 shows that the most inspired spirits have fully understood it, though from theirmorematerialisticstandpointandnot,asyet, fromaspiritualscientificstandpoint. Icanrecommend thatyou readwith someenthusiasm thepolitical essaysofHerbertSpencerandJohnStuartMill,foryoucanlearnaverygreatdealfromthem.Thisspiritofpeacewhich, among other things,makes possible in a specialway a certain kind of politicalthinking,inthemannerIhavealreadydescribed,hasindeedoverflowedtoEuropefromEngland.SomeonewhohasenteredintoEuropeanlife,fromasmanyandvariedpointsofviewasIcanreallyclaimtohavedone,knows,forinstance,thatallthepoliticalsciencesofCentralEuropehavecertainlybeeninfluencedfromthedirectionofEngland.Anditisno coincidence that the founders of German socialism,Marx and Engels, founded thisGermansocialismfromEngland.

It happens very easily that the nature of Central Europe is misunderstood. The truenature ofCentral Europe is still almost alwaysmisunderstood inwesternEurope.How

might it be otherwise? The culture of Central Europewas so permeated by the Frenchelementthatoneofthegreatest,mostimportantworksofGermanliterature,onewhichsetthe tone at the zenith of German culture, Lessing’sLaokoon,19 had a peculiar destiny:Lessingconsideredseriouslywhetherheshouldwrite it inGermanorFrench.EducatedpeopleinCentralEuropeintheeighteenthcenturywroteGermanbadlyandFrenchwell.Thismustnotbeforgotten.AndinthenineteenthcenturyCentralEuropewasindangerofbecomingtotallyanglicized,ofbeingfullytakenoverbyEnglishness.Itisnowonderthatthe nature of Central Europe is so little known, since it is constantly being submergedfromall sides,evenspirituallyandculturally.Think, for instance,ofGoethe’s theoryofevolution in respectof animals andplants.This is truly a stage in advanceofDarwin’smaterialismjustas, inrespectofGrimm’slaw,theGermanlanguageisastageaheadofGothic-English.YetinGermanyherselfmaterialisticDarwinismwasfavouredbyfortune,andnot her ownGermanGoetheanism.So it is not surprising that theGerman spirit ispoorly understood and that little effort is made to really understand it as it should beunderstood,ifjusticeistobedonetoit.

AsIsaid, thepoliticalsciences, inparticular,werestronglyinfluencedbytheEnglishway of thinking. But what is urgently needed now is that the different peoples shouldcome to a certain degree of self-knowledge. Without this self-knowledge, for whichHerbert Spencer and John Stuart Mill are not adequate—but which must be based onspiritual science and on a sense for what spiritual science can give—without this, nohealingcancome.

Justconsiderhowdifficultitis,forexample,tograspthefollowing—wherebynoaridtheory is meant, but something at the basis of life: There exists in the soul a certainrelationshipbetweenthethoughtandtheword.This isafact.Letus imaginethat in thestructureofthesoulthewordliesinthisfield,andthethoughtinthisone:

TheFrenchpeoplehave the tendency topush the thought rightdown to theword; thus,when they speak, the thought is pushed right into what they are saying. That is why,especiallyinthisfield,thereissoeasilyanintoxicationwithwords,withphrases—andImeanphrasesinthebestsense:

TheEnglishpeoplepressthethoughtdownbelowtheword,sothatthethoughtmingleswiththewordandseeksrealitybeyondtheword:

TheGerman language has the peculiarity of not taking the thought as far as theword.OnlybecauseofthiswasitpossibleforphilosopherssuchasFichte,Schelling,Hegel—whoitwouldbeimpossibletoimagineanywhereelseintheworld—todotheirwork.TheGermanlanguagedoesnottakethethoughtasfarastheword,itretainsthethoughtinthethought.Becauseofthis,however,peoplewillveryeasilymisunderstandoneanother.Fora true translation in this situation is impossible, it is always only a substitute. It is notpossibletosaywhatHegelsaid, inEnglishorFrench.It is impossible;suchtranslationscanonlyeverbeasubstitute.The fact that someunderstanding ispossiblecomesaboutsolelybecausecertainbasicLatinelementsarecommontomorethanonelanguage,foritis thesamewhetheryousay‘association’inFrench,or‘association’inEnglish;bothgobacktotheLatinelement.Suchthingsbuildbridges.Buteverypeoplehasitsownspecialmission and it is only possible to approach this through a longing to attain such anunderstanding.

TheSlavpeoplepushthethoughtinwardssothatitishere:

There,thewordisquitefarawayfromthethought.Itfloats,separately.

The strongest coincidence of thoughtwithword, so that the thought disappears overagainsttheword,isinFrench.ThestrongestindependentlifeofthethoughtisinGerman.Therefore, a saying formulated byHegel and theHegelians: ‘The self-consciousness ofthought’, is meaningful only in German.20 Something that is an abstraction for non-Germansis,foraGerman,thegreatestexperienceitispossibletohave,ifheunderstandsitinalivingsense.TheGermanlanguagesetsouttofoundamarriagebetweenwhatisofitself spiritual andwhat is spiritual in the thought. Nowhere in theworld, by no otherpeople,canthisbeachievedexceptbytheGermanpeople.

ThishasnothingtodowithanykindofaReich,butitwillbeendangeredforcenturiestocomeifpeoplerejectwhatisatpresentgoingthroughtheworldasthethoughtofpeace.ForthennotonlywillaReichinCentralEuropebeendangeredbutalsothewholeessence

ofwhat isGerman.That iswhy these timesareheavilypregnantwithdestiny for thosewhounderstandthesethings.Letusatleasthopethatthingswillbejudgeddifferentlythistime,differently from theprevious timewhenan impulseof destiny came intoplay, animpulseofdestinytowhichmuchthoughtshouldhavebeengiven—butwasnot—whenAustriavoluntarilydeclaredherwillingness21togivetoItalywhatsheneededtohelpherextricateherselffromIrredentistideasandtheGrandOrient.Buttherewasnothoughtinthe periphery forwhat itmeant at that time to think little ofwhat Italy, or rather thosethreepeople,weredoing.22Letushope that,whateverhappens, theworldwillbemoreinclinedthistimetotakethesethingsseriously.

TheGermanelementhasitsparticulartaskbecauseofthespecialsituationofGermanthought. If this independently living thought is not brought into play it will never bepossibletoaccomplishthespiritualevolutionwhichmustbeaccomplished.Thingsmustbeseenastheyreallyare.TheEnglishfolkelementmakesittoacertainextentnecessaryto materialize what is spiritual. This is not something to be held against the Englishpeople;itissimplyafact.WithintheEnglishfolkelementthingsthatarespiritualhavetobemadematerial to a certaindegree.That iswhy therewill beagreaterunderstandingthere forwhatcomes from the folkelementasopposed to theelementofmankindasawhole,namelymediumisticandotheratavisticactivities.Itisjusttherethatancientthingshave their source: the ancient Rosicrucians, the ancient Indians, and so on. This mustalwaysbereveredthereinacertainway,justasthelanguageitselfhasremainedbehindattheGothic stage,where ‘remainedbehind’ isnot amoral judgement, norone involvingsympathyorantipathy,butsimplyanindicationofapositioninrelationtoothers.Itisaquestionofhowthingsarearranged,notofgettingleftbehindinevolution.

Letustakethingsastheyare.Obviouslyeverynationtodaycanunderstandeverything.Yet it is true to say that all really fruitful English spiritualism, in the best sense of theword,stemsfromCentralEuropeandhasbeenimported.ItsoriginisinCentralEurope,orelse it is takenfromelsewhere.Since intellectuality issowell-developed inEngland,this is where spirituality can be systemized, organized. A mind such as that of JakobBöhme23wouldbeimpossible,forinstance,inFrance.ButwhileJakobBöhmewasbornentirelyoutofthespiritualthoughtofCentralEurope,hegainedagreatfollowingthroughSaint-Martin,24 theso-calledphilosopheinconnu, theunknownphilosopher, thefollowerofJakobBöhme.

Thus,thesethingshavetoworktogether,sothereisnopointinmakingjudgementsonthebasisofnationalfeelings.Onehastotakewhatispresentedtomankindatfacevalue.Themomentonetakesintoaccountthatkarmaissomethingserious,thatoneisconnectedtoone’snationthroughkarmainthewayIdescribedyesterday,themomentoneseesthesethings from the point of view of karma and not of passions, one will find the properattitude.IcanimagineatimewhenevenapeopleaspassionateaboutnationalmattersastheFrenchwillcometounderstandthefactofnationalityassomethingkarmic.IcanevenimaginethatwiththeirgreattalentforspiritualitytheEnglishnationwillcome,throughacertain science of the spirit, to recognize that there exist other nations who might beaccorded some degree of equal status, something for which at present there is not theslightestunderstanding.Thisisnotareproach;leastofallisitareproach!Butoneneverknows how often one keeps on saying things which one understands perfectly well

oneself,whileothersthinkthemcuriousbeyondbelief.ThatattitudeissurpassedbythatoftheAmericans.Withthemthetotallackofawareness,thattheremightbeotherswhointendtoevolveinaccordancewiththeirowncharacteristics,isevenmoreparadoxical;ofcourse,onlyforthosewhodonotsharethesamestandpoint.

BecauseofthegreattalentpossessedparticularlybytheEnglishpeopleforspirituality,agooddealcouldbeexpectedtoenterthispeopleviathedetourofspirituality,especiallytakingintoaccountthatinthemtherealsoliesthegreatesttalentforpurelylogical,thatis,unspiritual thinking, as well as for systemizing everything. Nothing could be a betterexpressionofthisorganizationaltalentthanthewritingsofHerbertSpencer.Inregardtoeverything scientific the English people have the greatest organizational talent. That iswhytheyhavesuchaflairforinstitutingsystemsforeverythingallovertheworld.Onlythose who prefer empty phrases can say that the Germans have a particular talent fororganization. Suchpeople leave unconsidered the fact that the talent for organization ismostremovedofallfromthetruenatureoftheGermanpeople.

ItmustnotbeforgottenthatwhathasseeminglybeenachievedrecentlybyGermansincertaindirections,bothterritoriallyandculturally,hascomeaboutasaresultofthewayGermany is wedged between East andWest. Because of this, during the course of thenineteenth century certain characteristics came to be developed more precisely inGermany than among those peoples to whom they really belong. This is eminentlyunderstandable. Self-knowledge has not penetrated to every corner yet, and since theGermans are so capable of assimilation and are able to take in and absorb somuch incertain respects, the peoples of the West—not the East—have had an opportunity todiscover, in certain respects, much about themselves through what the Germans haveabsorbed from them.Suchcharacteristics,whenseen inoneself, arealways found tobeexcellentandobvious—naturallyenough!Butwhentheyaremetinanother,onenoticesforthefirsttimewhattheyreallyare.YouhavenoideahowmuchofwhattheWestfindsobjectionable inCentralEurope isnomore thana reflectionofwhathasbeenabsorbedfromtherebyCentralEurope.

Peoplehavenoideawhatmysterylieshiddenhere.Lookingatthematterobjectively,itismostremarkabletodiscoverhowsomemembersinparticularoftheFrenchnationarequite incapable of seeing in themselves thingswhich they find terribly objectionable inotherswhohadabsorbedthemunderFrenchinfluenceinthefirstplace.Perhapsitisnotall thatnice if itcomestomeetyouasanimitation.But ifmankindis toprogressatallthen,asIdescribeditinmyrecentbookVomMenschenrätsel,25itwillbeessentialforthiscollaborationofCentralEuropeanthoughttotakeplace.Thisisnecessaryanditcannotbeeliminated;anditmustnotbebrutallydestroyedeither.

Mankind is now faced with having to solve certain quite specific problems.26 Thisapplies, above all, to something I have already spoken about, which is connectedwithtoday’s much-admired technology—a consequence of natural science—which is alsomuchadmiredbyspiritual science. In thecomparativelynear future, thismuch-admiredmoderntechnologywillreachafinalstagewhereitwill,inacertainway,cancelitselfout.Incontrast,somethingwillcomeintobeing—Ihavementioneditinpassinghere—whichwill enable people to make use of the delicate vibrations in their etheric bodies as adriving forcewithwhich to runmachines.Machineswill existwhich are dependent on

peopleandpeoplewilltransfertheirownvibrationstothemachines.Peoplealonewillbecapableofsettingthesemachinesinmotionbymeansofcertainvibrationsstimulatedbythemselves.Peoplewho todaysee themselvesaspractitionersofsciencewill, in thenottoo distant future, find themselves faced with a complete transformation of what theytodaycallthepracticalapplicationofscience;forthehumanbeingistobetunedinwithhiswilltotheobjectivesphereoffeelingintheuniverse.Thisisoneoftheproblems.

Thesecondis,thatpeoplewill,inacertainway,understandwhatwecalltheforcesofcoming-into-being and dying-away, the forces of birth and death. First of all they willhave tomake themselvesmorally ready for this.And to thiswill belong thegainingofinsight intothingsaboutwhichnothingbutnonsenseis talkedtoday.Ihavepointedthisoutbeforeinconnectionwiththequestionspeopleaskabouthowtoimprovethebirthratewhen it is declining.But they talkutter nonsensebecause theyknownothing about thematter, and because themethods they suggest will certainly not achieve what they aretalkingabout.

ThethirdmatterIwanttomentionis,thatinthenottoodistantfutureatotalreversalinthewholeway people think about sickness and healthwill become apparent.Medicinewillbecomefilledwithwhatcanbeunderstoodspirituallywhenonelearnstoseeillnessastheconsequenceofspiritualcauses.

Ihavealreadysaiditisnotasyetfairtosaytothespiritualscientist:Showuswhatyoucandowithregardtosicknessandillhealth!Firsthisshacklesmustberemoved!Solongas the field is still totally occupied by materialistic medicine it is impossible to doanything,eveninindividualcases.InthisfielditisindeednecessarytobetrulyChristian—thatisPauline—andtoknowthatsincomesfromthelawandnot,conversely,thelawfromsin.27

Butnoneofthesethingswhicharesupposedtocometomankindwithinthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiodwill,infact,comeunlessaneffortismadetoallowthespiritualthinkingto work with us on human evolution.We need this spiritual thinking. But for it to bepossible it will have to cease being the preserve of the few and become commonknowledge. Thus it is necessary, particularly in the English folk element, that a basicreversal inadefinitedirectionshould takeplace.Toshowyou thatwhat Iamsaying isfounded in reality, Iwant toquote toyoua judgementbyLordActon28whichyouwillfind very revealing. Lord Acton says: The foreigner has no mystic fabric in hisgovernment,andnoarcanumimperii.Weseehow,intheninetiesofthelastcenturyLordActonwasthinkinginahealthywaybycombiningmostbeautifullyEnglishrationalismwith the English capacity for what is spiritual—even though he himself does not yetpossessanythingspiritual:heseesthemysticelementthatunderliesEnglishimperialism.Imperialism is a product of recent times; but it has received its stamp from themysticappearanceitgainsfromEnglishimperialism.Andthismysticalelement—strangethoughitmay seem that I call it ‘mystical’, nevertheless it is correct to do so—has also foundexpressioninexternalevents.

Right up to the nineties, England was the perfect example of honest and uprightparliamentarianism, since it was the task of Parliament to give its impulses to externalpolitics.ThroughthevariousparliamentaryinstitutionsinEnglandthepeoplewereabletoplayagenuinepartinexternalpolitics.DuringthetimewhenthethingsIhavehintedat

werebeginningtotakeaholditbecamenecessarytocreateaspecialinstitution,foritwasnotpossible topullall sortsofstrings ifeverythinghad tocomebeforeParliament.ForthisreasontheconductofforeignaffairswastakenawayfromParliamentandalsofromtheMinistry of ForeignAffairs andmade the preserve of a committeewhosemembersconsistedexclusivelyoftheCabinetandcertainofficialsintheForeignMinistry.InsuchacommitteefarmoregoesonthanwhatseemstobepresidedoverbysomeonelikeGrey.Inthenineties theplacewhereall the threadscame togetherwasseparated from‘external’politics, which became nothing much more than a kind of shadow politics, no longerhavinganythingmuchtosayandrevealingonlywhatwasreallygoingonifonehappenedto look at it at the right moment. So, at the moment when it became necessary tocommence pulling threads, the scene of actionwas transferred from external view to ahiddenplace,29 toaso-calledcommitteeof theMinistryofForeignAffairs.LordActonsaid:

‘Theforeignerhasnomysticfabric30 inhisgovernment,andnoarcanumimperii.Forhim,thefoundationshavebeenlaidbare;everymotiveandfunctionofthemechanismis accounted for as distinctly as the works of a watch. But with our indigenousconstitution,notmadewithhandsorwrittenuponpaper,butclaimingtodevelopbyalaw of organic growth; with our disbelief in the virtue of definitions and generalprinciples and our reliance on relative truths, we can have nothing equivalent to thevivid andprolongeddebates inwhichother communitieshavedisplayed their inmostsecrets of political science to every man who can read. And the discussions ofconstituentassemblies,atPhiladelphia,VersaillesandParis, atCadizandBrussels, atGeneva,FrankfortandBerlin,abovenearlyall,thoseofthemostenlightenedStatesinthe American Union, when they have recast their institutions, are paramount in theliteratureofpolitics,andproffertreasureswhichathomewehaveneverenjoyed…’

And, despite this, it is the countrywith the perfect example of parliamentarianism, thecountry with the perfect example of political life, because none of this is actuallynecessary,sinceitcouldbemysticalifonlyitweredevotedtothepeoplethemselves,thepeoplewho,sincethenineties,havebeenleftoutofaccount.

BecauseEnglandhasaquitespecifictaskwithregardtotheconsciousnesssoulofthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod,certainwaysofthinkingbelongtothepeopleasawhole;theyneednotbethewayofthinkingofindividuals, theybelongtothewholepeople.Thisissomething for which there is no place at all in Central Europe. Let me give you anexample.

OneofthegreatestspiritsofalltimeisFaraday.31MichaelFaradayexpressedhowhe,asanaturalhistorian,relatedtomattersofreligionandhissentencesare,Ireallymustsay,monumental:

‘Beforeenteringuponthissubject,Imustmakeonedistinctionwhich,howeveritmayappear toothers, is tomeof theutmost importance.Highasmanisplacedabove thecreaturesaroundhim, there isahigherandfarmoreexaltedpositionwithinhisview;andthewaysareinfiniteinwhichheoccupieshisthoughtsaboutthefears,orhopes,orexpectationsofafuturelife.Ibelievethatthetruthofthatfuturecannotbebroughttohisknowledgebyanyexertionofhismentalpowers,howeverexaltedtheymaybe;thatit ismadeknowntohimbyanyother teaching thanhisown,and is received through

simplebeliefof the testimonygiven.Letnoone suppose for amoment that the self-educationIamabout tocommend, inrespectof thethingsof this life,extendstoanyconsiderationsofthehopesetbeforeus,asifmanbyreasoningcouldfindoutGod.Itwould be improper here to enter upon this subject further than to claim an absolutedistinction between religious and ordinary belief. I shall be reproached with theweaknessofrefusingtoapplythosementaloperationswhichIthinkgoodinrespectofhighthingstotheveryhighest.Iamcontent tobear thereproach.Yeteveninearthlymatters Ibelieve that “the invisible thingsofHim from thecreationof theworldareclearlyseen,beingunderstoodbythethingsthataremade,evenHiseternalpowerandGodhead,”andIhaveneverseenanything incompatiblebetween those thingsofmanwhichcanbeknownbythespiritofmanwhichiswithinhim,andthosehigherthingsconcerninghisfuture,whichhecannotknowbythatspirit.’

With convictions similar to these, Darwin,32 too, was able to found his materialisticDarwinismandyetremainapiousmaninquiteabigotedsense.Newton33wasthemostbigoted man in the world in a dogmatic sense. When Darwinism had been carried toCentralEuropeandtakenupbyHaeckel34itcouldnolongerbeseparatedfromreligiousfeelings. This was because of the characteristic nature of thought in German. In thethinking of Haeckel, Darwinism became a religious system. All these things have thedeepestfoundations.Theyshowushowpeoplecanworktogetherwithoutdifferentiatingbetween religions, nationalities and so forth, if they are able to distinguishbetween themissions of the different peoples. Mankind as a whole will have to come to anunderstandingofthis.Whenthishasbeenachieved,ontheonehandjusticewillbedoneto thedeepernaturesof thedifferentpeoples and,on theotherhand, sad times suchasthoseoftodaywillnolongeroccur:timeswhicharesad,notonlybecauseofallthebloodthatisbeingspiltbutalsobecausetheyprovehowlittlesensefortruththereisinmankindquitegenerally.Thisiswhyweareallowedtospeakaboutsuchthingshere.Forourmottois: ‘Wisdom lies solely in truth’.Especially in timesasgraveas these is itpermitted todrawattentiontosuchthings,timesinwhichourheartsbleedterribly.Insteadofpassingtimewithallsortsofthingspeopledoundertheinfluenceofjournalism,itwouldbemoreusefultomakeastartonagreatmanyotherthings.

Onepositive thoughtonwhich to founda judgement is, for instance, the terrible factthatthiswarisnotonlybeingwagedfromtheperipherybutisbeingwagedinsuchawaythatitislastinglongerthanitneed,notbecauseofunavoidablecircumstancesbutbecauseofculpableactions.Thisisutterlyscandalouswhenyouconsiderhowmuchitmattersthatthewarshouldnotlasttoolong,ifithastobewagedinthefirstplace.Thewarisbeingconductedfromtheperiphery,notmerelyconducted,butconductedinawaythatwouldnever be possible if only people would see that, under the influence of their owndilettantismandincapacity,theykeepavoidinganyusefulaction,andbytheveryfactofdoingnothingtheyarecausingittodragonsoendlessly.

Butatimehasnowcomewhichcouldrevealwhetherthosewhomatter—notthepeoplethemselves, who will only show whether or not they have learnt anything in all thesemonthsofwar—whetherthosewhomatterareexpressingeventhesemblanceofasparkoftruthwhentheysaythatthey,too,wantsomekindofpeace.Isayasemblance,forinrealityitissomethingelse.Forifpeacedoesnotcomeverysoon,everychildwillbeable

toseewhodoesnotwantpeace!Indeedeverychildcanalreadyseehowlaughablearetheexcusesbeingmadeatthismoment.ThereisnoneedtogosofarastosetanystorebyareportinajournalinoneoftheEntentecountries—andthestoryseemstobetrue—that,amongothers, thesentencewasprinted:Toall themissilesGermanyhassentus isnowaddedtheworstmissileofall—peace.

Therewasnoneedforittocometosuchexcessesofmadnessasareexpressedinthesayingthatpeaceistheworstmissileofall.ItwouldbeenoughtosaythattheGermanshaveinventedthisorthatrefinement,havethisorthatintention.Briand35orLloydGeorgewouldbequitecapableofthinkingupallsortsofmotivestheGermansmighthave,butitisnotaquestionofthesemotives;indeed,theymightjustaswellbepresumedtoexist.Ifyouwere to take the trouble toanalyseall thedifferentmotiveswhichhavesofarbeenmentioned, you could not fail to reach the conclusion: if things really are asMonsieurBriand, or whoever else, presumes them to be, then any true friend of peace must belongingtoachievepeaceassoonaspossible!Ifonly,mydearfriends,farfrominfluencingpeople’sjudgements,itwerepossibleatleasttoclearawaythehugemountainsofrubblepiledontopofpeople’sabilitytojudge!

Youcannotimaginehowtheheartsofthosewhoseewhatisgoingonbleedwhentheyseepeoplestill capableof listening toor reading,withoutanykindofholy indignation,what iswrittensoparadoxically today.For if these thingswerenot rooted insomethingthatexists,theycouldnotbewritten.Somerelytocomplainaboutthejournalistswillnotgetusveryfareither.Itisperfectlypossible,perhapsnotexactlytothrowsandincertainpeople’seyes,butcertainlytoobscuretheeyeoftheirsoulbysaying:Watchout,theyareabout toscatterpoisonamongstus! It ischild’splay toconvinceoneselfwhatnonsensethisis,forevenifoneassumesitistrue—whynotassumeit?—itisstillnoreasonfornotdoingwhatmustbedoneforthegoodofmankind,namely,bringingthebloodshedtoanend!Noneoftheallegationsthathavebeenmadesofarhavebeensufficientreasonfornotdoingthis.

Icanonlythinkofonecategoryofpeoplewho,asaresultoftheirdelusions,wouldnotcome to their senses, namely, those who still exist even now and who say: We wantabsolutelypermanent,totallyperfectpeace,anduntilwecanhavethatwecannotendthewar.Therearemanysuchpeople;quiteoften theycall themselvespacifists.Somehavejustbeguntobeashamedoftheirextremeviewsandarestartingtoexpressmoresensiblejudgements.But it really has happenedduring all these terrible events that people havesaid:Wearefightingforpermanentpeace.Theydonotnoticethatthisisrubbish,foritisquite possible to talk rubbish while giving the impression of proclaiming the highestideals.

No, my dear friends! The ideal of perfect peace can never be achieved if even thesmallestdropofbloodisshedbymeansofaninstrumentofwar.Perfectpeacemustcomeintotheworldinquiteanotherway!Andwhoeversaysheisfightingforpeace,andmustcontinuetomakewartilltheenemyisannihilatedinordertoachievepeace,islying,evenifhedoesnotrealizeit,andregardlessofwhohemaybe!

These are things which are hardly considered today. What we all need is spiritualsciencetobeourteacherinformingjudgements.Therefore,Idonothesitatefromtimetotime to call a spade a spade and express a judgement that has trulynot been arrived at

lightly.However,wehadbetternotgoontillmidnighttoday,soletusdrawtoacloseforthemoment.36

LECTUREEIGHTBasel,21December1916

Manypeoplehave thecustomofcelebratingeveryyear thephysicalbirthof thatBeingWhoenteredintoearthlyevolutioninordertogivemeaningtothisearthlyevolution.Inkeepingwiththetaskofourspiritualscientificmovement,ataskofwhichwemustneverceasetobeaware,andinanefforttoavoidfallingintoamerelyroutinecelebrationsuchasisfoundinmanyplacestoday,itwillbefittingtobringbeforeoursoulsinthesegravetimessomeaspectsofwhatisconnectedwiththemeaningofthephysicalbirthofChristJesus.

WehaveoftencontemplatedwiththeeyesofourspiritthefactthatinChristJesustwoBeings flow together to formone: theChrist-Beingand thehumanJesus-Being.This issomething that people on earth are capable of experiencing. As Christianity hasdeveloped,therehasbeenmuchconflict,muchdogmaticconflictaboutthesignificanceofthe uniting of Christ with Jesus in the body whose physical birth we celebrate in theChristmas festival. Let us start with what we know. In Christ we recognize a cosmic,super-earthlyBeing,OneWhocamedownfromspiritualworldsinordertogivemeaningto earthly evolutionbybeingborn in aphysical humanbeing.And in thehumanbeingJesuswerecognizeonewhowasdestined,inthemannerknowntous,touniteasahumanbeing with the Christ-Being, to take this Being into himself after thirty years ofpreparation.

Not only is much argument, much dogmatic conflict connected with the manner inwhichChrist unitedwith Jesus. There is also, in the relationship ofChrist to Jesus, anindicationofimportantmysteriesrelatingtothewholeofmankind’sevolutiononearth.Inendeavouring topursuewhat hashappened so far, so as tounderstand something aboutthis uniting of Christ with Jesus, and in considering what must still happen in humanevolutioninordertobringthisrelationshipintoaproperfocus,wefindourselvestouchingononeofthegreatestmysteriesofhumanknowledgeandhumanlife.

AsthetimeapproachedwhenhumanevolutionwastotakeintoitselftheChrist-Beingthere came about a possibility, like an inheritance from the ancient days of clairvoyantwisdom,ofgainingapicture,anideaofthewholeloftystatureoftheChrist-Being.Thereexisted at this time a wisdom about which people often speak today in what could becalledasacrilegiousway,thoughtheyhavescarcelyanyideaofwhatitrepresented.Itwassomething which has now been eliminated from human evolution by certain streamswhich are opposed tomore profoundChristian revelation.ThiswasGnosis,1 awisdomintowhichmuchoftheknowledgerevealedtomankindbyancient,atavisticclairvoyancehadflowed.EverylastfragmentofGnosis,bothverbalandwritten,hadbeenrootedoutbywestern dogmaticChristianity, but not untilGnosis had also endeavoured to find ananswertothequestion:WhoisChrist?

Today there isno longeraquestionof returning toGnosis for,of course, the lightofGnosishasmeanwhilegoneout.ButtheeliminationofGnosis,rootandbranch,thoughaconsequence of evil, ignorance and hostility towards knowledge and wisdom sprang,

nevertheless, in a way from a necessity of earthly evolution. So the accusation thatanthroposophicalspiritualscienceintendstowarmupancientGnosisisnothingmorethanoneof themanymalevolentattacksnowbeingmadeonus.Thisaccusation ismadebypeoplewhoknownothingaboutGnosisand,similarly,littleaboutAnthroposophy.Wedonotwant towarm upGnosis, butwe dowant to recognize thatGnosiswas somethingpowerful, something great, for that timenineteen centuries agowhen it endeavoured togivesomekindofananswertothequestion:WhoisChrist?

TheeyeoftheGnostic—hisspiritualeye—sawthespiritualworlds.Hethoughtofthespiritualhierarchiesarrangedinawonderfulway,rankuponrank.HealsosawhowChriststrode down through the world of the spiritual hierarchies in order to enter into theenveloping bodies of a mortal human being. All this was revealed to the soul of theGnostic.And this soul strove togainapictureofhowChrist camedown fromspiritualheightsandwasreceivedonearth.YoucangainanideaofthescaleoftheseeventsifyouimaginethateverythingthathascomeintotheworldsincetheeliminationofGnosishasbeensmallandpetty incomparisonwith themightyChrist-pictureof theGnostics.TheMystery-wisdomthatliesbehindtheGospelsisinfinitelygreat,greaterthananythingthatsubsequent theology has been capable of finding in them. In order to understand howsmallandinsignificantistoday’scustomaryunderstandingoftheChrist-BeingcomparedwiththatofGnosis,youmighttrytoimmerseyourselvesintheChrist-ideaoftheancientGnostics.When you place this before your soul youwill grovel in the dust before thegreatness of this picture of the Christ-Being Who came down from spiritual heights,spiritualdistances,spiritualbreadthsintoahumanbody.

So, longago, therewasonceamongsthumanbeingsa lofty conceptofChrist. It hasrecedednow.Forallthosedogmasthatcameintobeingsubsequently,thecreedsofAriusor Athanasius or whatever,2 are trifling compared with the Gnostic concept whichcombinedwisdomabout thestructureof theuniversewith theviewof theChrist-Being.OnlyremnantsofthisgreatGnosticconceptofChristremain.

ThisisoneaspectoftherelationshipofChristtoJesus,namely,thatChristcameintotheworldata timewhen thewisdomwhichcouldhavecomprehendedHim,whichhadendeavouredtocomprehendHim,hadalreadybeenstampedout.Yet,allalong,thosewhospoke of Gnosis as an oriental fantasy which had to be stamped out for the good ofwesternmanconsideredthemselvesgoodChristians.Intruth,itwasonlytheincapacityofthattime,itsincapacitytolinkearthlyconceptswithheavenlyconcepts.Youreallyneedasenseoftragedyifyouwanttounderstandhumanevolution.

How long was it after the event of the Mystery of Golgotha that the Temple ofJerusalem, the place of peace, was destroyed? The city of Jerusalem surrounded theTempleofSolomon.WhatGnosiswasaswisdom,theTempleofSolomonwasassymbol.IntheTempleofSolomonweresymbolizedallthemysteriesoftheuniverse.Thepurposewas that those who entered the Temple of Solomon, where they were surrounded bypictureswhichweremirroredintheirsouls,shouldthereabsorbsomethingintotheirsoulswhichonlythentransformedthemintotruehumanbeings.TheTempleofSolomonwastopourthemeaningoftheuniverseintothesoulsofthosewhowerepermittedtoenterthere.WhattheTempleofSolomoncontainedwasnotdirectlycontainedanywhereontheearth,for it contained everything in theway of universalmysteries that shone down into the

earthoutofthebreadthsofthecosmos.

WhywastheTempleofSolomonbuilt?Mydearfriends, ifyouhadaskedanancientinitiatewhoknewabouttheTemplehewouldhavereplied:Sothatthereshallbeasignhere on earth whichmay be seen by those powers who accompany the souls who areseekingawayintoearthlybodies.Letusgraspthisrightly.TheseancientinitiatesoftheTempleofSolomonknew,as theyaccompanied thehumanbeingsdown throughall thesignsof theZodiac into theirearthlybodies, that theymustguidespecial souls to thosebodies which were capable of mirroring in themselves the symbols of the Temple ofSolomon.

Naturallyenough,thiscouldbecomeareasonforsuccumbingtoarrogance.Ifthiswasnot taken in with humility, with the humility of the Essenes, it became a reason forsuccumbing to thewisdomof thePharisees!But the truth is as follows: theearthlyeyelooksuptotheheavensandseesthestars.ThespiritualeyeofthosewholedsoulsdowntotheearthfromthebreadthsoftheuniversewasdirecteddownwardsandsawtheTempleofSolomonwithitssymbols.ItwasforthemastarbywhoselighttheycouldaccompanythesoulsintobodiesofacalibrecapableofcomprehendingthemeaningoftheTempleofSolomon. It was the star at the mid-point of the earth which shone out strongly intospiritualheights.

WhenChristJesushadcometotheearth,whentheMysteryofGolgothahadtakenitscourse, then this greatMystery ofGolgothawas to bemirrored in every single humansoul:‘Mykingdomisnotofthisworld!’Sotheexternal,physicalTempleofSolomonfirstofall lost its significance,and itsdestiny fulfilled itself ina tragicway.Basically, therewasnooneleftatthattimewho,bymirroringallthesymbolsoftheTempleofSolomon,couldreallytakeinthefullextentoftheChrist-Being.ButtheChrist-BeingHimselfhadenteredintoearthlyevolutionandwasnowwithinit.This—ashassooftenbeenrepeatedinour circles—is the factwhichmatters.TheGnosticswere the last stragglersof thosebearers of that wisdom which was extensive and intensive enough to understandsomethingofChristoutofman’sancient,atavisticearth-wisdom.

That isonesideof therelationshipbetweenChristandJesus.At that timetheChrist-Being could have been comprehended byGnosis. But this was not part of the plan ofevolution,althoughinwhathadbeenGnosistherehadbeencontainedthefullwisdomoftheChrist.ButnowitcanbesaidthatthepathtakenbyChristianitythroughthecountriesoftheSouth—throughGreece,Italy,Spainandsoon—wassuitedtoextinguishingmoreand more the knowledge of what Christ really was. Rome in decline, Rome indisintegrationwasdestinedtoextinguishtheunderstandingofChrist.

Itisaremarkablethingthat,ontheonehand,therelationshipofChristtoJesusworkedinsuchawaythat,inGnosis,ahighconceptofChristshinesoutandthendiesawayasChristianity passes through the Roman element, and that, on the other hand, whenChristianitymeets the peoples coming down towards it from theNorth, the concept ofJesusstartstotakeshape.TheconceptofChristhasdiedawayintheSouth.Then,intheNorth,theconceptofJesusappears,certainlynotinaloftyway,butinawaythatspeakstothesoulsofhumanbeings;somethingwonderfulentershumansoulsatthethoughtofhowachildisborninaconsecratednight,achildwhowilltaketheChristintohimself.JustasintheSouththeconceptofChristwasinadequate,sointheNorthwasthefeeling

forJesus.Nevertheless,thefeelingwassuchthatitdeeplymovedpeople’shearts;yet,initself,itisnotfullycomprehensible.YouhaveonlytocomparethegreatnessandmajestyofwhatChristJesusmeansforhumanevolutionwithallthesentimentaltriflescontainedinsomanypoemsandsongsabout the ‘darling infant Jesus’,whichmove theheartsofthosewho, in theiregoism,believe that theyareexperiencingheavenlyecstasies. Ifyoumakethiscomparisonyougainanimmediateimpressionofsomethingthatwantstoenterintolifebutcannotquitedoso,somethingthatcombineswiththatotherinsuchawaythatthewholedeepermeaningandsignificanceremainsinman’ssubconscious.

Now what is it that remains in man’s subconscious while the concept of Jesus, thefeelingforJesus,theexperienceofJesusrisestothesurface?Itisextraordinaryhowthishappened! The understanding of Christ sank down into the subconscious and theunderstandingofJesusbegantoglowinthesubconscious.Inman’ssubconscious,notinconsciousness,whichwaspowerless,therewastobeameetingandabalancingoutoftheChristconsciousnesswhichwasfadingandtheJesusconsciousnesswhichwasbeginningto glow in the subconscious.Why did the peoples who came down from Scandinavia,fromwhatistodaynorthernRussia,nottakeupinChristianitytheChristideawhich,tobeginwith, remainedutterlyunknown to them?Whydid they takeup the Jesus idea inChristianity?WhywasittheChristmasfestivalwhich,aboveall,spoketohumanhearts,awakeningintheminfinitefeelingsofholytenderness?Whywasthis?Whatwasthereinthis Europe which received from the South what was basically an utterly disfiguredChristianity?Whatwas there in thisEurope thatcaused that idea to lightup inpeople’shearts, that idea inwhichtheChristmasfestivalwith itsdeep,deepcontentoffeelingisexperienced?

The people had been prepared but, to a certain extent, they had forgotten what hadprepared them.Theyhadbeenpreparedoutof theancientnorthernMysteries.But theyhadforgottenthemeaningoftheancientnorthernMysteries.Todiscover,outoftheinnermeaningofthenorthernMysteries, thatdeepsecretofhowthefeelingforJesusenteredintoEuropeansoullifeitisnecessarytogoveryfarbackindeed.

These northern Mysteries were founded on something utterly different from thefoundationoftheMysteriesofAsiaMinor,theMysteriesoftheSouth.TheseMysteriesoftheNorthwerefoundedonsomethingthatwasmoreintimatelyboundupwiththelifeofthestars,withnature,withtheearth’sgrowthforces,ratherthanthatwhichwasshowninthesymbolsofatemple.Mystery-truthsarenotthetriflescertainmysticsectsplayaroundwithtoday.Mystery-truthsaregrandandpowerfulimpulseswithinhumanevolution.Justaswecannot findourwayback today throughAnthroposophy toGnosis, to theancientGnostics, neither can mankind return to what the ancientMysteries of the North oncemeant forhumanevolution. Itwouldbea foolishmisunderstanding tobelieve thatsuchMystery-truthsarebeingrevealednowbecauseofadesiretoreturninsomewaytowhatlivedinthem.Forthesakeofself-knowledgeitisnecessaryformankindtodaytoknowwhat lived in such Mysteries. For what in the northern Mysteries involved the wholeevolution of the universe was connected with what came from the earth, whereas theGnosticwisdom inspired by the cosmoswas connectedwithwhat tookplace in the farreachesoftheuniverse.Themysteryofmankindinitsconnectiontoallthemysteriesofthe cosmos, how it works when man enters on the physical earth into his physicalexistence,allthis,atacertainperiodofearthlyevolution,laymoredeeplythananywhere

elseatthebasisoftheseancientnorthernMysteries.

Butitisnecessarytogoaverylongwayback,approximatelytothethirdmillenniumBCorperhapsevenfurther,inordertounderstandwhatlivedinthosesoulswholatertookintothemselvesthefeelingforJesus.JustaboutwherethepeninsulaofJutlandispartofDenmark today, thereexistedacentre fromwhichemanated in thoseancient timesveryimportant Mystery-impulses. However people may judge this with their modernunderstanding, I can tell you that theseMystery-impulseswere connectedwith the factthat,inthethirdmillenniumBCinthisnorthernregion,therelivedcertaintribeswhoonlyconsideredthosepeopletobeproperresidentsoftheearthwhowerebornduringcertainweeksinwintertime.ThiscameaboutbecausethetemplepriestsofthissecretMysterycentreon theJutlandpeninsuladecreed that incertain tribes, theIngaevones3asTacituscalled them, the sexual union of human beings must only take place during the firstquarteroftheyear.EverysexualunionoutsidethisperioddecreedbytheMysterycentrewas taboo; and anyone not born during the season of the darkest nights, in the coldestseason towards thenewyear,wasconsideredby these tribesof theIngaevones tobeaninferiorhumanbeing.TheimpulsewassentoutbytheMysterycentreatthetimeofthefirstfullmoonafterthespringequinox.Thiswastheonlytimewhenthosewhofelttrulyconnected with the spiritual worlds were allowed to practise sexual union. The forceswhichareusedupinsexualunionweresavedforthewholeremainderofeachyearandthus contributed to the growing strength of the people. Therefore, they were able todevelop that remarkable power of which even the dying echo so astonished Tacitus—writingacenturyaftertheMysteryofGolgotha.

InthiswaythetribesoftheIngaevones,andtheotherGermanictribestoalesserextent,underwentatthetimeofthefirstfullmoonafterthespringequinoxaparticularlystrongexperience of the process of conception, not in a state of waking consciousness butthrough a kind of dream annunciation. They knewwhat this meant with regard to theconnection between themystery ofman and themysteries of heaven.A spiritual beingappeared to theonewhowasconceivingandannounced toher,as throughavision, thehumanbeingwhowastocometotheearththroughher.Therewasnoconsciousness,onlyasemi-consciousnessinthatspherewhichhumansoulsexperiencedduringtheprocessofentering intophysical,earthly reality.Subconsciously thepeopleknew themselves toberuledbygods, theVanir.4Theywerenot fullyconscious in their intellectbut lived ina‘knowingdream-consciousness’.

Practiceswhichexistatacertain time,andarefittingfor that time,oftensurviveintolatertimesinexternalsymbols.Inoldentimestheholymysteryofbirthwasshroudedinthesubconscious,which in turnmeant thatallbirthswerecrowded together inacertainpartofthewinterseason,anditwasregardedassinfulifhumanbeingswerebornatothertimes. Later on this was partly preserved, but only fragments passed over into laterconsciousness,fragmentsofwhichthemeaninghassofarremainedundiscoveredbyanylearning. Indeed, it isopenlyadmitted thatno scholarhas succeeded indiscoveringanymeaning.Fragmentsremainintheso-calledErthasaga.Exceptforafewnotes,everythingnow known externally about the Ertha, orNerthus saga is contained in thewritings ofTacitus,whoreportsaboutitasfollows:5

‘The Reudigni, the Aviones, the Anglii, the Varini, the Eudoses, the Suardones, and

Nuithones,Germanictribeswhoarefencedinbyriversorforests’—thesearemoreorless those tribeswhotogetherconstitute theIngaevones—’venerateNerthus,Ertha,orMotherEarthandbelievethatsheinterposesinhumanaffairs,andvisitsthenationsinherchariot.’

Inoldentimeseverywomanwhowastogivetheearthanewcitizenknewinherdreamconsciousness, through the religious worship of the Vanir, that the goddess laterworshippedasErthaorNerthuswouldappeartoher.Thisgodlybeingwasperceivedasmale-female rather than purely female. Only later did a corruption lead to Nerthusbecomingawhollyfemaleprinciple.JustastheAngelGabrielcametoMaryso,inancienttimes,didNerthuscomeinherchariottothosewhoweretogivetheearthanewcitizen.Thewomenwhowere going to give birth saw this in spirit. Later, when theMystery-impulseinthisformhadlongfadedaway,thepeoplestillcelebratedthedyingechoofthiseventinsymbols.ThisiswhatTacitussaw,anddescribedasfollows:

‘Inanislandoftheoceanthereisasacredgrove,andwithinitherconsecratedchariot,coveredoverwithagarment.Onlyonepriestispermittedtotouchit.’

ThispriestwasthoughtofastheinitiateoftheErthaMystery.

‘Hecanperceive thepresenceof thegoddess in this sacred recess, andwalksbyherside with the utmost reverence as she is drawn along by heifers. It is a season ofrejoicing,andfestivityreignswherevershedeignstogoandbereceived.Theydonotgotobattleorweararms;everyweaponisunderlock;onlypeaceandquietareknownandwelcomedatthesetimes,tillthegoddess,wearyofhumanintercourse,isatlengthrestoredbythesamepriesttohertemple.’

Thiswasexactlywhatthevisionwaslike.Suchancientdocumentsdescribethingsreallyquite exactly, only people no longer understand them. ‘It is a season of rejoicing andfestivity.Theydonotgotobattleorweararms;everyweaponisunderlock.’Thusitwasindeed at the seasonwhich is now our Easter time. Out of their inner soul life peoplebelievedtheseasonoftheearth’sfruitfulnesstohavecomeforthemtoo,andthosesoulswereconceivedwhowerelaterbornintheseasonwhichisnowourChristmastime.Theseason of Easter was the time for conception. This was seen as a holymystery of thecosmosandlateritwassymbolizedintheworshipofNerthus.Allofitwasshroudedinthesubconsciousandwasnotallowedtobreakthroughintoconsciousness.ThisshimmersthroughinwhatTacitussaysaboutthisworship:

‘Onlypeaceandquietareknownandwelcomedatthesetimes,tillthegoddess,wearyofhumanintercourse,isatlengthrestoredbythesamepriesttohertemple.Afterwardsthechariot, thevestmentsand thedivinityherselfarepurified inasecret lake.Slavesperformtherite,whoareinstantlyswallowedupbyitswaters.’Apenaltytoensurethatallwhoknowaboutthesemattersaresubmergedinthenightoftheunconscious.‘Thusreignsamysteriousterrorandapiousignoranceconcerningthenatureofthatwhichisseenonlybymendoomedtodie.’

Everything that takes place in the world comes to have a luciferic and an ahrimaniccounter-image. The practices of the Ingaevones, which fitted properly into humanevolution,relatedtothetimeofthefirstfullmoonafterthespringequinox.Butowingtotheprecessionof theequinox,what remained inancient timesofwhathadoncebeena

dreamexperiencetookplacelaterandlater,andthusbecameahrimanic.Whentheeventsof true,ancientErthaworshiphadgraduallymoved toa timeapproximatelyfourweekslater, they had become ahrimanic. It was ahrimanic because the union of the humanwomanwith the spiritualworldwas sought in an unlawfulway, that is, at an unlawfultime.Thisthencametobecaughtandheldin‘WalpurgisNight’6whichfallsonthenightof30Aprilto1May.Thisispurelytheconsequenceofanahrimanictime-shift.Youknowthata luciferic time-shiftgoesbackwards;anahrimanicone is theopposite, sohere theequinoxisshiftedforwardssothattheremnantfromearliertimesmanifestslater.Thustheahrimanic, mephistophelean reverse side of ancient Ertha worship, its reversal intosomething devilish, later became ‘Walpurgis Night’, which is connected with themostancientMysteriesofwhichonlythisweakechoremains.

Much of theseMysteries lived on in the ScandinavianMysteries.7 There in place ofErthaisFrigg,whointhesymbolismoflaterages—asspiritualsciencereveals—actuallyappearsasatraitortowhatreallylayatthefoundation.

Something else also should be mentioned in connection with the customs of theseMysteries. From the time of the spring full moon until the depths of winter the fruitripenedinthemothers’wombs.Thenonesuchhumanbeingwasthefirsttobebornintheholynight.AmongthetribesoftheIngaevonesthishumanbeing, thefirst tobebornintheholynight,waschosentobecome,attheageofthirty, theleaderforthreeyears,foronlythreeyears.Inmostancienttimesthisoccurredeverythirdyear.WhatthenhappenedtohimImightbeabletotellyoulateron.

CarefulresearchrevealsthatnotonlyisFrigg,Frea,FrijaakindofsecondarynameforNerthus,but that thenameIng,afterwhomthe Ingaevonesnamed themselves, isalsoasecondarynameforNerthus.ThoseconnectedwiththisMysterycentrecalledthemselves‘theoneswhobelongtothegod,orgoddess,Ing’:Ingaevones.Intheexternalworldonlyfragments remained of what was actually experienced. One of these are the words ofTacitus which I have read to you. Another fragment is the famous Anglo-Saxon rune-song8consistingofonlyafewlines.EverystudentofGermanphilologyknowsitbutnoneunderstanditsmeaning:

‘IngwasfirstseenbythemenoftheEastDanes.Laterhewenteastwards.Acrossthewaveshestrode,andhischariotfollowedafter.’

This Anglo-Saxon rune-song contains an echo of what had happened in the ancientMystery-custom of conception at Easterwith the view to a time of birth at Christmas.What took place in this connection in the spiritualworldwas known, above all, on theDanishpeninsula.Thatiswhytherunesongsaysquiterightly:IngwasfirstseenbythemenoftheEastDanes.’Thencametimeswhenthisancientknowledgefellmoreandmoreintocorruption, so thatonlyechoesandsymbols remained.Altogetherhumanevolutionbecame more suffused with what came from warmer climes. From warmer countriescomessomethingwhichisunlikewhatcomesfromcolderclimes,wheretheseasonoftheyear is intimately linked with what human beings experience in their inner being. Inwarmerclimestheseedofmanwassownalltheyearround.Ofcoursethishappenedalsoin the colder countries evenwhile theold atavistic clairvoyance still existed,but itwassuffusedintheancientprinciples.ItcametothethenorthernregionswhentheVanirwerebeingreplacedbytheAesirandwhen, inthesouthernregions, thenatureMysterieshad

long been replaced by the templeMysteries. It came northwards, of course stillmixedwiththeancientways,whentheVanirwerebeingreplacedbytheAesir.JustastheVanirwereconnectedwith‘imagining’,soweretheAesirconnectedwith‘being’,withbeingorexisting in thematerialworldwhich external understandingwishes to grasp.When thenorthern people had entered an age in which individual intelligence was beginning todevelop, when the Aesir took the place of the Vanir, the Mystery-custom becamecorrupted.Itmigratedtoisolated,scatteredMystery-communities in theEast.Onealoneremained.Theoneinwhomthewholemeaningoftheearthwastoberenewed,theoneinwhomtheChristwastodwell,waschosentounitewithinhimselfwhathadoncebeenthecontentofthenorthernMysteries.

SoincontemplatingintheLukeGospelthestoryofhowtheArchangelGabrielappearstoMary, we may seek its origin in the true visions which occurred in what was latermirrored in theNerthusMysterywith its symbols. This hadmigrated over to the East.Spiritual science now reveals it and only spiritual science can find a meaning for theAnglo-Saxonrunesong.ForNerthusandIngareoneandthesame.AndofIngitissaid:‘Ingwas first seenby themenof theEastDanes.Later hewent eastwards.Across thewaveshestrode,andhischariotfollowedafter.’Hestrode,ofcourse,acrossthewavesoftheclouds,justasNerthusstrodeacrossthewavesoftheclouds.Whathadbeengeneralinthecolderregionsbecamesingular,asingleevent.It tookplaceasasingleeventandassuchcomestomeetusagaininthedescriptionintheLukeGospel.

Nowoncesomethingisthere,onceithasbecomecustomaryandfirmlyanchoredinthesoul,thenitremainsthere,itremainsfirmlyinthesoul.SowhenthepeopleoftheNorthreceivedthetidingsofChristianityfromwhathadbeenancientRomeintheSouth,thesetidingswerelinkedwitholdMystery-customswhichlivednolongerinfullconsciousnessbutinthesubconsciousandwerethusonlydimlysensed.ThatiswhythefeelingforJesuscouldbeespeciallystronglydevelopedthere.WhathadlivedintheoldNerthusMysteryhadsunkdownintothesubconsciouswhereitwasstillpresent,whereitwassensedandfelt.

In those distant days in the farNorth,when the earthwas still covered in forests inwhich lived theaurochsand theelk, thefamiliesgathered in theirsnow-coveredhuts inthelamplightaroundanewbornchild.Theyspokeofthisnewlifeandofhowitbroughtto them the new light which the heavens had announced to them in the days of earlyspring.Thiswas theancientChristmas, theconsecratednight.When they later receivedtidingsofonewhowasbornintheholiesthourandwhowasdestinedforgreatthingsitreminded them of another who had been the firstborn after the twelfth hour of theconsecrated night. The ancient knowledge was gone, but the ancient feelings lived onwhenthetidingscameofsuchaonebornindistantAsia,oneinwhomlivedtheChristWhohaddescendedtotheearthfromthestarryheavens.

It isourdutyinthepresent timetounderstandsuchthingsmoreandmoresothatwemaylearn tograsp themeaningofearthlymankind’sevolution.HolyWrit is filledwithwhatisunimaginablygreat,notwiththekindoftrivialitysooftendiscussedinreligioustracts. It is filledwithholy truthswhich run through thewholeofhumanevolutionandthrill us to themarrow, flooding our heartswithwonder.All this resounds inwhat thegospels contain. Once spiritual science has revealed the profound background to what

lives in thegospels, thesegospelswillbecomeformankindsomething inestimablydearandvaluable.OnedaymankindwillknowwhyitissaidintheLukegospel:

‘Anditcametopassinthosedays,thattherewentoutadecreefromCaesarAugustus,thatalltheworldshouldbetaxed.AndthistaxingwasfirstmadewhenCyreniuswasgovernorofSyria.Andallwent tobe taxed,everyoneintohisowncity.AndJosephalso went up fromGalilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city ofDavid,whichiscalledBethlehem,(becausehewasofthehouseandlineageofDavid):TobetaxedwithMaryhisespousedwife,beinggreatwithchild.Andsoitwas, that,while theywere there, thedayswereaccomplished thatsheshouldbedelivered.Andshebroughtforthherfirstbornson,andwrappedhiminswaddlingclothes,andlaidhiminamanger;becausetherewasnoroomforthemintheinn.’

ForHim,thefirstbornamongthosewhoweretofindoneanotherinthesoul,theancientMystery-forceshadmigratedtothedistantEastfromtheDanishpeninsula.

‘Andtherewereinthesamecountryshepherdsabidinginthefield,keepingwatchovertheirflockbynight.Andlo,theangeloftheLordcameuponthem,andthegloryoftheLordshoneroundaboutthem;andtheyweresoreafraid.’

In the same way had Ertha, who rode through the countryside in her chariot, broughttidings of the arrival of human beings on earth in a way fitting for the ancientconsciousnessoftheVanir,thatis,forsubconscious,atavisticclairvoyance.

‘Andtheangelsaiduntothem,Fearnot:for,behold,Ibringyougoodtidingsofgreatjoy,whichshallbetoallpeople.Foruntoyouisbornthisday,inthecityofDavid,aSaviour,whichisChristtheLord.Andthisshallbeasignuntoyou;Yeshallfindthebabewrappedinswaddlingclothes,lyinginamanger.AndsuddenlytherewaswiththeangelamultitudeoftheheavenlyhostpraisingGod,andsaying,’

Sayingwhat theErthapriest had spoken in the ancient northernMystery to thewomanwhowastoconceive:

‘Therevelationofthedivinecomesfromonhighinthetimeofpeaceamongthosewhoareofgoodwill!’

AsTacitussays:‘Itisaseasonofrejoicingandfestivity.Theydonotgotobattleorweararms;everyweaponisunderlock.’

It is to thisgreatness thathumanbeingsmust ascend: theymust lookdeeply into thecourse of human evolution. For even the Mystery of Golgotha, which gave a deepermeaning to thewholeofearthevolution,onlybecomes fullycomprehensiblewhen it isshown how it stands within human evolution as a whole. When materialism hasdisappearedandpeoplewant toknow,notonly in theabstractbut alsoquiteconcretelyabouttheirdivineorigin,therewillonceagainbeanunderstandingfortheholyMystery-truthsofancientdays.ThenwilltheintervaloftimebeoverinwhichChrist,thoughHelives on the earth, can only be minimally understood in full consciousness. For theunderstandingofChristamongtheGnosticsfadedaway;andtheunderstandingofJesusgrewonlyunconsciouslyinconnectionwiththeancientworshipofNerthus.Inthefuturemankindwillhavetobringintoconsciousnessandbindtogetherboththeseunconsciousstreams. Then an understanding of Christ will gainmore andmore prominence on the

earth,andthiswillbethelinkbetweenancientMystery-knowledgeandarenewedgreatflourishingofGnosis.

Those who take seriously the anthroposophical view of the world, and also theMovement connected with it, will see that the things it has to say to mankind are nochildishgamesbutgreatandserioustruths.Wemustallowoursoulstobedeeplymoved,becausethesethingsaremeanttomoveusdeeply.

Theearthisnotonlyagreatlivingcreature.It isalsoaloftyspiritualbeing.Justasagreat human genius cannot evolve to full staturewithout suitable development throughchildhoodandyouth,sotheMysteryofGolgothacouldnothavetakenplace, thedivinecouldnothaveunitedwithearthevolutionif,inthedaysofearth’sbeginning,otherdivinebeingshadnotdescendedinadifferent,thoughequallydivineway.TherevelationofthedivineonhighincorporatedintheworshipofNerthusdifferedfromthewayitwaslaterunderstood;butitexisted.

Theknowledgecontained in thisancientwisdomissolelyatavistic,yet it is infinitelyhigherthanthematerialisticworldviewwhichistodaymakinghumanbeingsintoanimalsasregardstheleveloftheirknowledge.

InChristianityweareconcernedwithafact,notwithatheory.Thetheoryhastofollowafterthefactanditisimportantforthehumanconsciousnessthatistodevelopduringthefurthercourseofearthevolution.ButChristianityassuch,theMysteryofGolgotha,existsasa fact, and itwasnecessary that it shouldenterat first into theunconscious streams.ThiswasstillpossibleinAsiaMinoratthetimewhenChristunitedwiththeearth.

Shepherds, people resembling those amongwhom the worship of Nerthus lived, arealsodescribedintheLukegospel.Icanonlysketchallthisforyou.IfonlywehadmoretimeIcouldshowyouhowdeeply foundedare the things Ihave to tellyou today. It isbecausemancamedownfromspiritualheightsthattherevelationofthedivinecamefromtheheavens.Ithadtobeexpressedinthiswaytothosewhoknew,fromancientwisdom,thatthedestinyofmanislinkedwithwhatlivesinthestarsoftheheavens.ButwhatistoliveontheearthasaresultoftheincarnationofChristintoahumanbeingwillhavetobeunderstoodgradually.Thetidingsaretwofold,theyareintwoparts:‘Therevelationofthedivine from on high’ and ‘Peace to earthly souls who are of good will.’ Without thissecondpart,Christmas,thefestivalofthebirthofChristismeaningless!

Not only was Christ born for mankind; mankind also crucified Him! There is anecessityforthis,too,butitisnolesstruethatmankinddidcrucifyChrist.AnditmaybeknownthatthecrucifixiononthewoodencrossatGolgothawasnottheonlycrucifixion.AtimemustcomeinwhichthesecondpartoftheChristmaswordsmaybeunderstood:‘Peace tomen on earth who are of good will!’ For the negative, too, may be felt andsensed,namely,thatmankindtodayisfarremovedfromaproperunderstandingofChristandtheChristmasMystery.

Surely itmustcutus to thequick thatwe live inanagewhenmankind’s longing forpeaceisshouteddown.9Itisalmostdishonestinthesedays,whenmankind’slongingforpeaceisshouteddowninthewayitis,tocelebrateChristmasatall.Letushope,sincewearenotyet confrontedwith theabsoluteworst, that achangeof soulmay takeplace sothat, in place of the shouting-downof the longing for peace, theremay comeChristian

feelings,awill forpeace. If itdoesnot, itmaynotbe thosewhoarestriving inEuropetodaybut,instead,otherswhocomeoverfromAsiawhowillonedaytakerevengefortheshouting-down of the longing for peace and bring tidings of Christianity and of theMysteryofGolgotha to theruinsofEuropeancultureandspiritual life.Then therecordwill be indelible: at Christmas in the nineteen hundred and sixteenth year after theannunciation of peace on earth to human souls who are of good will, in the nineteenhundredandsixteenthyearafterthetidingsofChristmas,mankindsucceededinshoutingdownthelongingforpeace!

May it not come to this!May the good spirits whowork in the Christmas impulsesguardEurope’sunfortunatepopulationagainstthis!

LECTURENINEDornach,24December1916

TodayIwouldliketorequestyou1onceagain,withoutexception,torefrainfromtakingnotes.Thisappliestoallthreedays.2

MostofyouwerepresentlastThursdayatourdiscussioninBasel.3Inowwanttobringto your attention once more quite a short extract of what we talked about then, as Iconsideritnotunimportantforthesethoughtstobecomeknowntous.

IdescribedhowthewisdomaboutChristwasdestroyedrootandbranchbydogmatism,namely,thatwisdomwhichwaspresentinGnosiswhichitselfwasrootedout,sincewhatremains of it now is no more than a fairly good number of fragments. Gnosis was aremnantofancientwisdomarisingoutofanatavisticknowledgeofthespiritualworldsinthe days of earlymankind. Those who possessed this ancient wisdom, which was stillunderstoodbytheGnosticsatthetimeoftheMysteryofGolgotha,knewthatitcontainedaview—thenamesweredifferentthen—ofthehierarchieswhichunderliethecreationoftheworld,andtheywerethusabletoconceiveofthesignificanceofChrist.TogetherwithGnosis theredisappeared thepossibilityofcomprehending theChrist-Beingasacosmicbeing. Instead there remains dogma which has perpetuated certain incomprehensibleconcepts—theCredoandsoon—abouttheChrist-Being.

What was important in centuries now gone by was not so much the wisdom aboutChrist as the fact itself, the fact that Christ turned towards the earth and fulfilled theMysteryofGolgotha.AtrueunderstandingoftheChrist-BeingwillfirsthavetobewonthroughthenewGnosis,whichissomethingentirelydifferentfromtheoldGnosis,foritisanthroposophicalSpiritualScience.

More important for our point of departure today is something else I introduced lastThursday,namelythatintheNorthinveryearlypre-Christiantimes—Isaid3000yearsBC—therewasa certaincustomamongpeopleswhomTacitus called the Ingaevones.Thiscustom was guided by Mystery priests in a Mystery centre focused on what is todayJutland,partofDenmark.ThisMysterycentrewasabletoworkatthattimeandinthosepartsbecauseall theclimaticconditionsinthosecolderregionsdifferedfromanyinthesouthern, warmer regions—for all material conditions also have their own spiritualbackground.WhilethewarmerregionsweremoresuitedtodevelopinganunderstandingoftheChrist-BeinginGnosis,thecolderpartslentthemselvesmoretoevolvingfeelingsaboutJesusbecauseofideasstillprevalentaboutancientcustoms.

Thus it was that, in the South, Gnosis had more of an understanding of the EasterMystery,theChristMystery.Buttheunderstanding,asIhavesaid,wasdestroyedrootandbranch by dogma. In theNorth, in contrast, therewasmore of a comprehension of theJesusMystery,afeelingforthechildwhocomesintotheworldtosavemankind.Thiswasbasednotsomuchonactualideas,whichhaddiedout,butonfeelingswhichlivelongerthanideas.Thefeelingoftheseancientcustomsmadecomprehensionpossible.Soitcameabout that in the South it was the task of the church to root out the Christ Mystery,

whereasintheNorthitwasitstasktorootouttheChristmasMystery,totransformitintosomething innocuous. Thus later, in theMiddleAges, the idea of Christmas came intobeingwhich, onemight say, reckonedwith the rise of bourgeois values ofmore recenttimes, which appeared increasingly as the age of materialism dawned. For bourgeoisvaluesinthewidestsenseareaconcomitantofmaterialism.Wehavetobeclear,though,thatgreater,moresignificantideas,intheformoffeelings,livedinCentralEuroperightinto the eighth, ninth and even the tenth centuries, for these feelings originated fromprevalentusages,suchasprocessionsandotherfolkcustoms.

Letmebrieflysketchtheseancientcustomsonceagain.AmongtheIngaevonesthelifeofthepeoplewasfirmlyguidedbytheMysterycentrewhichlaiddowntheseasonwhenprovisioncouldbemade forprocreation.Theunionofmanwithwomanwaspermittedonly in the days of spring, around the first full moon after the spring equinox. It wasapproximatelythetimewenowcallEastertime.Theremainderoftheyearwastabooasfar as human reproductionwas concerned, and those born at a timewhich showed thattheir conception had been out of season were regarded, in a way, as not quite properpeople.

Sothebirthsofpeopleconceivedatthecorrecttimeallcametogetherinthemiddleofwinter,justafterourpresentChristmastime.AllthoseregardedbytheIngaevonesasfullyhumanhadtobebornatthistime.Thebirthshadtofallatthetimeofthedarkestwinterdays, when the trees were covered in snow and the people confined to their primitivehomesteads.Tousethelanguageoftoday,everychildwasinawayaChristmaschild,achildofthewintersolstice.

Thisaffectedpeople’sframeofmindandsoul.Becausenothingtodowithprocreationoccurredatothertimesoftheyear,theolddream-consciousclairvoyancewaspreserved.And when the time of conception approached as the permitted spring days drew near,conditions of unconsciousness took over. Conception was brought about in a state ofunconsciousness,notinwakingconsciousness.Thewomanwhowasconceivingwastrulyconscious, however, of the visionary appearance of a spiritual being descending fromspiritualworldstoannouncethecomingchild.Thesewomenevenforesawthefaceofthecomingchild.Andthisannunciation,aswesaw,isechoedinthetimeoftheLukegospelin the annunciation toMaryby theArchangelGabriel.We saw that there even exists afragment of an Anglo-Saxon rune song which tells of what existed in the oldconsciousnessandthatontheJutlandpeninsulatherereallywasaMysterycentrewhichthenmigratedeastwards.

Nowmankindis,ofcourse,developing,anddevelopmentisapartofmankind.SothisMysterycentrecouldonlyexist inmostancient times, for,had itpersisted, therewouldhavebeennodevelopmentofthetypeofconsciousnessneededasthetaskofthefourth,and then of the fifth post-Atlantean period. To clairvoyant consciousness the custom ishardlytobefoundanywhereinnorthernregions,whereitflourished,eveninthesecondmillenniumBC, and it is seen to have disappeared fully by the firstmillenniumBC. Bythen,humanconceptionandbirthwerespreadmoreorlessoverthewholeyearandthereis no more knowledge of a coming-down out of cosmic worlds via the starryconstellations, nor of how much depends for a person’s destiny on earth on theconstellation under which he is born. Human conception and birth are spread over the

wholeyear.

Parallel with this development is the rise of a new consciousness, the rise of thepossibilityoffreedomforthehumanbeingandsoon.

Onelastthingremained,however.SomethinghadexistedintheregionwhereDenmarkis today; itmigratedfromtribe to tribeuntil it reachedtheEast,where theChrist-Beingwastobeincarnatedinonelastbodystillseeninconnectionwiththeconstellations.Thefirstborn ofmany brothers became the last-born of thosewhowere seen in connectionwiththestarryconstellations.Inevolutionthelastremnantoftheoldalwayslinksupwithwhatisnew.

Because innorthernregions thefeelinghadevolved that thehumanbeingappearsontheearthduring theconsecrated season, it cameabout thathere, too, surroundedby theechoofthoseatavisticfeelings,thefeelingforJesuscouldevolve.Thusyouwillfindinthese northern regions that the paramount feeling and better understandingwas for theLuke gospel, and that the Christmas Mystery worked more strongly than the EasterMystery,whichwasimprisonedamongthesecretsof thechurch,whereas theChristmasMysterybecamequitegeneral.

IhintedlastThursday,andshallperhapsbeabletofollowthroughinmoredetailduringthesethreedays,thateverythreeyearsspecialattentionwaspaidtotheonebornfirstafterthetwelfthhourofthenightthatwenowcallChristmasEve,thefirst-bornofeveryfourthyear,thefirsttobebornafterthreeyears.Thisfirst-bornwasdestinedtoundergocertainproceduresuntilhisthirtiethyear.UntilhisthirtiethyearhewaskeptapartandbroughtupbytheMysterypriests.Hissoulwasgivenadistinctdirection.Hissoulwasdestined toundergoexperiencesinaquitespecialwayduringthefirstthirtyyearsofhislife.Theseexperiencesandproceduresweretoleadhim—thisisbarelycomprehensibletoday—inhisthirtieth year to an inner understanding of the link between the human being and thesurrounding spiritualworld. Certain quite specific inner experiences during these thirtyyearsweretoleadhimgraduallytothispoint.

Firstofallthisfirst-bornwastounderstand,evenasatinychild,howthehumanbeingis linked to the spiritualworld throughhis angel. Separated from the rest of theworld,undisturbedbytheconceptswhichusuallyenterachild’ssoulfromhisenvironment,hewastoremainclosetospiritualworkingsandspiritualeventsand,tostartwith,developaprofoundawarenessofhislinkswiththeangel-beingwhowashisguide—hisangelos.Inthisway this childwas equippedwith a soulwhichwas taught somethingvery special,aboutwhichwemayperhapsspeakduring thenextfewdays.Thisspecial learningwasexpressedby saying that the child hadbecome a ‘raven’.Thiswas a stageof initiationwhichwasdisseminatedoverwideregionsandwascontainedparticularlyinthePersianMithrasinitiation,ofwhichIhavespokeninpastyears.Thenthissoulwastoascendtoanevenmoreintensefeelingforitsconnectionwiththespiritualworlds;thisfirst-bornwastoreliveinhissoulthesecretsofthespiritualworlds.

This would not be possible today, for our consciousness develops under differentconditions. But, in those ancient times, when it was possible to develop a dreamconsciousnessthiswasstillperfectlypossible.Whenthechildhadgrownintoayouth—itwas always a boy, a girl did not count—he was given the leadership over individual

districts, smaller sectionsof the tribe.Finally,hehad to serve in theadministrationandgovernmentofsmallercommunities.Butitisimportanttorememberthattheseaffairsofgovernmentwerealwaysconductedinsuchawaythattheyouthwaseverprotectedfromexternal influences, especially shielded from the influences of various egoisms; hewasmostcarefullyshieldedfromtheinfluencesofegoisms,frominfluenceswhichcameaboutonthebasisofexternalexperiences.

Thus itwasachieved that, towards theendof these thirtyyears,hecould takeon theroleofrepresentativeofthewholetribe.Whenhereachedtheageofthirtyhewasreadytoabsorbconsciouslytheconnectionsofmanwiththewholecosmos.HebecamewhatiscalledintheMysterycentresa‘sunhero’.Nowhewasdestinedtorulethetribeforthreeyears.Nonebuta‘sunhero’couldrulethetribe.Hewaspermittedtoruleforonlythreeyears.Attheendofthethreeyearssomethingelse,aboutwhichIshallspeak,wasdonewithhimunder theguidanceof theMysteries. Inparticular, inall thearrangements thatemanatedfromthetribeoftheIngaevones,nobodywasallowedtobekingforlongerthanthreeyears, andnonewasallowed tobecomekingwhohadnotundergonewhat Ihavedescribed.

Yousee,forminginthesetribes,asitweretheskeleton,outofwhichthegospelslatercreated the life of Christ Jesus. These communities lived in very ancient times. Onlysymbols of what had gone before come down to later ages. Thus the vision of theannunciationofthechildtothemothercamedowntolateragesastheworshipofNerthus,ofErtha.AndthefactthattheactofconceptionhadtotakeplaceunconsciouslyinoldentimesisstillhintedatintheNerthusmythtoldbyTacitusahundredyearsafterthebirthofJesus.HedescribeshowErtha—whoismale-female,notonlyfemale,forsheisthesameasthegodNerthus—arrivesinherchariot;inotherwords,sheisnoneotherthantheangelof the annunciation.Then thosewho have served her have to be drowned in the sea—slain.Thisisanechoofthesubmergenceintounconsciousnessoftheactofconceptioninthoseancientdays.

InthismythofErthainherchariotandtheslaveswhoaccompanyherbutaredrownedassoonastheirserviceisconcluded,inthismythofNerthus,wehaveinthefeeling-lifean echo of something that was formerly an astral reality, something that had beenexperiencedastrally.Nerthusprocessionswereheldinsomedistrictsuntilquiterecentlyinhistory, right into the early Christian centuries. There were Ertha processions even inSwabia.Thesewere echoes of ancient days.Thosewho in olden times, through certainriteswhichstillexistedasanechoofancientheathentimes,knewsomethingabouttheseearliermillennia,feltandthoughtabouttheseprocessionsofErthainherchariot: this iswhatourancestorsdid.Andwhen thatsingleevent thenoccurredwhichwas the lifeofJesus,itwasbroughtintoconnectionwithwhathadbeenmoregeneralinancienttimes.Thiswasthenbetterunderstoodinthefeelings,atthelevelofthefeelings.

Therefore themonks andpriestsmade every effort to root out anythingwhichmightremind their flocksof these things.Such thingswere rootedout just as carefully in theNorth as was Gnosis in the South. Otherwise people would have known, by bringingtogethertheseancientcustomswiththeMysteryofGolgotha,thatthisMystery,insofarasitisaChristmasMystery,wasnotanancient,naturalcustombroughtintothepresentbutratherthatitwasreplacedinthefeelingfortheChristmasMysterybysomethingata

higherlevelofconsciousness.Butthiswasnottobeknownconsciously.Thiswastobesuppressedintothesubconscious,fortherearealwayscertainpowerswhoreckonwiththeunconscious. A great part of what happens in history comes about because thingsconsciousandthingsunconsciousarebroughttogetherbythosewhoknowhowtobringsuchthingstogether.

Werightlyspeakofwhathappensingoingfromthefourthtothefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Buteveninthetransitionfromthethirdtothefourththerewasastepforwardinhuman consciousness towards increased ego-consciousness, increased wakingconsciousness.Theancientdreamvisionsofthespiritualworldhavedisappeared.IntheNorth this was expressed by saying that the Vanir,4 who were connected with what isgiven in visions, had been replaced by the Aesir, who are indeed gods for a well-developeddayconsciousness.ThisiswhatwassaidintheNorthduringthefourthpost-Atlanteanperiod,untilallsuchmemorieshadbeenrootedoutbythepriests.Inthefifthpost-Atlantean period, when materialism, or rather ‘Christianityism’, appeared, thesethings had already disappeared. While in the South the Greeks had their gods: Zeus,Apolloandtheothers,thepeopleoftheNorthhadtheAesir,5awordwhichisconnectedwithesse,tobe,whichinturnisconnectedwithbeingseen,beingseenwiththeeyes.Butduring the third post-Atlantean period the ancient peoples who inhabited the North ofEuropehadtheVanir.TheseVanirwerefarclosertothepeople.Nerthus,whichbecameNörtintheNorth,isoneoftheVanir,whoannouncedeveryconceptionorbirth.

NowIsaidthatwhathadexistedearlierwasalwayspreservedinlatertimesinsymbols.ThussomethingthatIhavesofaronlysketchilydescribedtoyouandwhichwemaybeabletogointomoredeeplyinthenextdayortwo,namely,theknowledgeboundupwithbecoming ‘king’,becoming the ‘sunhero’,wascarriedover first into thecult-mythandthenintothemyth.Wehavetodistinguishbetweenthecult-mythandthemythassuch.The cult-myth is something that is still performed in external customs like a ‘dreamperformance’ofwhatremindspeopleoftheancientclairvoyantvisions.

Thus,atatimewhenwhatIdescribedtoyounolongerworked,wehaveintheBaldurmyth,themythofthegodBaldurwhichwasperformedinmanytribesasamysteryplay,anechoofwhatwasinvolvedin‘becomingking’.Firstitexistedasareality.Lateritwasperformed as a mystery play. Then it became a myth that was merely recounted. Andfinallyitwasrootedoutbythemonksandpriests.BaldurisoneoftheAesir,thatis,hewasoneoftherulingspiritualpowersatatimewhenmanhadalreadyawakenedtoego-consciousness.TheVanirhadalreadyfaded,andyetBaldurremainsasarepresentativeofthatbeingwhowastobecomeking,thefirstbornwhocameeverythreeyears.

It is told that, at a certain time in his life,Baldur had dreams announcing his death.Laterthesedreamscametrue.Butthisdidnotmeanmerelythathehadfelttheapproachofhisphysicaldeath.Itmeantthat,havingaccomplishedthreeyearsofserviceasking,hewasraisedfromtheconsciousnessappropriateforthat,toahigherlevelofconsciousness.Until thenhehadbeen shielded fromcontactwith theoutermaterialisticworld.Akingsuchas thiswas to livewithin thepriesthood so that all egoismshoulddepart fromhissoulandnonecouldenterin.Hewasnotpermittedtobekingformorethanthreeyears.TowardstheendofthethreeyearsBaldursensedtheapproachoftheendofhistimeofkinglydignity.Thismeant,accordingtotheancientbeliefs,thathewasreadyforcontact

withtheoutsideworld.Firsthehadtorule,buthehadtodothissolelyinaccordancewiththewishesofthespiritualworld.Afterthathewastobecomesomethingelse;hewastoentertheoutsideworld.

Forsomeonewhohadneverhadsuchcontactbeforethiswas,intruth,akindofdeath.Thisiswhatwasexpressedinhisdreams.Themythdescribeshowthegodsheardaboutthesedreamsandbecameuneasy.WemustalwaysthinkofthehumanelementinrelationtothedivineelementinthewaythatthetwoareunitedintheancientMysteries.When,towardstheendofhistimeasking,Baldurfeltthemomentapproaching,thegods—thatistheMysterypriests—becameuneasyandmadeallthecreaturesandalltheconditionsoftheearthswearthattheywouldnotharmBaldur.Theyforgotonlyoneinsignificantlittleplant—mistletoe,theChristmasplant.Loki,theenemyoftheAesir,foundthemistletoe.Andhemadeuseofitatthefestivalofthegods,thatis,attheeventofthegodBaldur’sfirstcontactwiththeoutsideworld.

Here we have an ancient Christmas festival, and the mistletoe custom linked withChristmasisstilltodayamemoryofthisancientcustomwhichhadtodowithestablishinga new king in place of the old. The contact of the old kingwith thematerialworld isdepicted in themystery play and themyth.All created things have sworn not to harmBaldur.TheyarenowusedbythegodswhothrowthematBaldurandshootthemathim.Nothing—no plant, no animal, no illness, no poison—can harm him. Only Loki hasdiscoveredthemistletoe,whichhehasbroughtamongstthecommunityofgods—thatis,the priests—and given to the blind god Hödr. Hödr says: What shall I do with themistletoe?IamblindandcannotseewhereBaldurisstanding,Icannotshootathimastheothergodsdo.ButLokishowedhimthedirectionandheshotatBaldurwiththemistletoetwig.Baldurwaswoundedanddied.

SoHödristheonewhoappearsastherepresentativeoftheoutside,materialworld,insofarasthismaterialworldisnotcomprehendedinitsconnectionwiththespiritualworldbutliveslikeaparasite.‘Höd’istheancientnameforbattleorwar,while‘Baldur’,asitstill exists today, can be traced back to another designation of which the best, stillpreserved,appearsinAnglo-Saxon.AsIshowedrecently,‘Tag’appearsatanearlierstageof the sound shift as ‘day’. ‘Bal day’ is a possible name, even thoughAnglo-Saxon. Itmeans ‘shining day’,which expressesBaldur’s connectionwith daytime consciousness,thatconsciousnesswhichdidnotcometomankinduntilthefourthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Hödrisarepresentativeofmatter,ofdarkness,butalsoofbattleandconflict.Balduristherepresentativeofunderstanding,ofknowledge,of light—namely, that lightwhichshinesinthehumansoulinthestateofconsciousnesswhichhasdevelopedsincethefourthpost-Atlanteanperiod.

SointheBaldurmythwehaveaspecialversionoftheChristmasMystery.AwarenessoftheconnectionbetweentheBaldurmythandtheChristmasMysterywasalsorootedoutbythemonksandpriests.ForBaldurhassomeofthegoodqualitiesofLucifer,andHödrhassomeofthegoodqualitiesofthelaterMephistopheles-Ahriman.Idonotmean‘good’inthemoralsensebutratherinthesenseofwhatisnecessaryforevolution.Suchthings,too,areconnectedwithevolutionasawhole.During thefourthpost-Atlanteanperiod itwasstillpossible forahumanbeing tobeguided into the spiritualworld in theancientwayaswasthecaseintheoldnorthernMysteries.Thishadtobechangedastimewent

on,forthetentativeway,lateronlypresentinanatavisticform,thetentative,clairvoyantway—stillwith a certain echoofdreamconsciousness,whichwas fitting for the fourthpost-Atlanteanperiod—couldnotresistthemorerobustdemandsofthematerialisticage.This relationship of ancient clairvoyance from the fourth post-Atlantean period towhatcamelaterisexpressedinthemythdepictingthecontrastbetweenBaldurandHödr.Whatis working here, what is behind the fact that Baldur—the representative of humanconsciousness, which can be illuminated by the divine—can be killed through theinfluenceoftheevilpowerofLokioverHödr,thegodofbattle,ofwarandofdarkness?Behindallthisliesthefactthatinourage,asithasbeenforalongtimeandasitwillstillbeforsometimetocome,theremustalwaysbeaworkingtogetheroflightanddarkness.To tryandmakepeoplebelieve thatanything in thephysicalworld, theworldofmaya,can be totally good, is nothing but religious egoism. Every light has its shadow, and athoroughcomprehensionofthisfactisextremelyimportantandsignificant.

Let us take an example. Under the influence of the Christmas Mystery it will bepossibleforustogomoredeeplyintoanumberofmatterswehavediscussedrecently.Soletustakeanexample.IhaveoftensuggestedthatifSpiritualSciencecomestobetakenupmorefullybypeoplethen,forinstance,itwill influencemedicine,theartofhealing.Certainmorephysicalmethodsof healingwill be found for sicknesses of the soul, andmorespiritualmetnods forbodily illnesses. I toldyouwhy this isnotyetpossible: it issimplybecausethesinshavebeencreatedbythelawandnotthelawbythesins.6Solongasthelawsworkinsuchawaythatmaterialisticmedicineisconsideredtorepresentthem—andthatisthecasetoday—solongwillindividuals,howeverthoroughtheirinsight,beunabletodoanythingand,indeed,theyoughtnottodoanything.Butatimewillcomeinthenottoodistantfuturewhenmedicine,theartofhealing,willincorporatetheimpulseswhich come from spiritual knowledge. Imerelywant to point this out for themoment,since I am actually leading up to something else. Knowledge of the healing forces isinseparablefromknowledgeof theforcesofsickness.Onecannotbe taughtwithout theother.Nooneintheworldcangainknowledgeofthehealingforces,withoutatthesametimelearningabouttheforcesofsickness.Soyoucanseehowimportantitisforpeopletobemorallygoodthroughandthroughasregardssuchseriousmatters.Forsomeonewhocanhealaperson’ssoulcanalsomakeaperson’ssoulsickinthesamedegree.Thereforesuch truthsmaynot be impartedby thegods tomanuntil a stageofmoralityhasbeenreachedatwhichthehealingmedicinecannotbetransformedintopoison.

Thisappliesnotonlytothesituationinwhichwearedealingwithabnormalstatesofbodyorsoulbutalsotowhatgoesoninsociallife.Inwhathasbeensaidinrecentlecturesyouwill have seen quite clearly that impulseswork in the social life of humanbeings,goodandbadimpulses,whichcanbeguidedbythosewhounderstandsuchthings,andareindeed often guided in rather extraordinary ways. You will realize that it is simplynecessaryforthistobeso,formankindmustlearnonitsownaccounthowtoachievethegood.Iknowverywellhowlittlethesethingsaretakenseriously,eveninourcircles,andhownarrow-mindedaretheexcusesandobjections.Butthisalsohastobesoatpresent.

Aswith the individual,so is italso insocial life:certain impulsescanbesteeredandguidedtoonesideortheother.Insociallife,inparticular,itisstillpossiblenowadaystomakeuse toaconsiderableextentof theunconscious, foreveryagehas itsunconsciousaspect. As soon as you start to reckon with the unconscious or the subconscious it is

possibletoachieveeffectswhichdifferconsiderablyfromwhatcanbedoneconsciously,fortoday’sconsciousnesswillnotachieveitsnaturalconnectionwiththecosmosuntilthesixth post-Atlantean epoch.Today, thosewho reckonwith the unconscious bring thingsoverfromthefourthpost-Atlanteanepochineitheramephistopheleanoralucifericway.Now, it fits in well with our present endeavours in these grave times to apply generaltruthsofthiskindtospecificsituations,foritisappropriatenotjusttoplaytheosophicalgames but to gather serious knowledge which affects reality, even though this seriousknowledgemightmake demands as to the degree of prejudice existing in our feelings.Also,weareinaccordwithafeelingforChristmasifwemakethedecisiontoapproachthe earnestness of life. Nowadays we cannot allow ourselves to indulge luxuriously insentimentalChristmas-treefeelings,foratrueChristmasmoodinvolvesfeelingone’swaytoitsconnectionwiththegraveandshatteringexperiencesofthepresenttime.

You can see, particularly in people’s everyday lives, what happens if they are beinginfluencedatasubconsciouslevel.Youcanhypnotizeanindividualperson,sothatoncehe ishypnotizedhe is inyourpower, andyoucanmakehimdo thingshewouldneverevenconsiderdoinginawakingstate.Youcanhypnotizehim,whichmeansputtinghimintoastateofconsciousnessbelonging toages longpast,andyoumayhaveallsortsofintentionsfordoingso.Inthesamewayitispossibletohypnotizewholecommunities.Anindividual person is stronger in the physical world than is a group, and it is thereforenecessary to lower his consciousness considerablymore in order to work through himwhileheisinthisotherconsciousness.Inthecaseofacommunityorgroupofpeopletheloweringofconsciousnessneednotevenbenoticeable,foritcanbefarmoreslight.Yetcertainthingswouldnotbeachievedbycontinuingtospeak,forinstance,inthewaywespeakwith one another.Therefore Imust stress again and again: I shall never considerspeakingotherthanindifficultconceptswhichrequireintellectualunderstanding,sothateachperson is forced to follow the line of thought and formconcepts ofwhat is beingsaid.Ifwetakethefifthpost-Atlanteanperiodanditsrequirementsseriously,therecanbenoquestionofwishingtobringaboutanykindofintoxication,orofintendingtoworkonanythingotherthantheintellect.EvensomeonewhoknowsnothingofSpiritualScience,buthasacertainawarenessofwhatitmeanstobeinthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod,willrespecttheinnerfreedomofthehumanbeingandspeakinawaywhichdoesnotdupethefeelingsorcreatedisturbancesinthesoul.

ItwouldbedifferentwithapersonwhowantedtoachieveeffectsdifferentfromthoseIhavedescribed,thatis,ifsomeonewantedtomakeuseofaloweredconsciousness,whichcanbeachievedfarmoreeasilywithacrowdthanwithanindividual,sinceforacrowdnohypnosis is needed. You know how a crowd, a group, can be seized by a certainintoxicationifitishandledinasuitableway.IhavesaidonearlieroccasionsthatIhavemetoratorswhoknewbyinstincthowtospeakinawaywhichdoesnotdirectlyaddressthe intellect but uses slogans and telling images to speak to a consciousness that issomewhat askew, somewhat delirious.As I said, the approachhas to be stronger in thecaseofanindividual,butforacrowdnomoreisneeded.Ihavegivenyouexamplesofthis.

It isentirely fitting tocontemplate these things inamoodof inwardnesswhichbefitsthese days, for they are deeply bound up with the Christmas and Easter Mysteries. IdescribedsometimeagohowIwasmovedinmyyouthwhenImetwithsuchaneffectin

acertainsituation.Ihaverecountedthisexamplequiteoften:mykarmaledmeattherighttime to hear the sermons of a very important Jesuit father.7 I couldwatch as a certainimage was intensified in the people by means of particular words; I saw them beingconvincedinamannerthatdidnotinvolvetheirintellectbutbroughtaboutacertainkindof delirious mood. Let us look at the example. The Jesuit was preaching about thenecessityofbelievingintheEasterconfessionandhesaid,ineffect,thefollowing:Well,ofcoursenon-believersthinkthattheEasterconfessionwasinstitutedbythePopeorthecollegeofcardinals.Whatanidea,mydearChristians!SomeonewhomaintainsthattheEaster confession has been established by the Pope and the priestsmight be comparedwithsomebodywatchingatrooperstandingbesidehiscannon,withanofficernexttohimgiving orders.The trooper only has to light the fuse and the cannon goes off.MydearChristians,comparethetrooperwiththePopeinRomeandtheofficergivingtheorderswithGod!Justimaginetheofficerstandingthereshouting‘Fire’,andthetrooperlightingthefusewithoutanywillofhisown.Thecannongoesoff.ThisiswhatthePopedoes.HelistenstoGod’scommandments.Godcommanded—thePopewaslikethetrooperwholitthefuse—andtherewastheEasterconfession.Wouldyousaythatthetrooperstandingbythecannonand lighting thefusehadalso invented thegunpowder?It isasunlikely thatyouwouldsay the trooper invented thegunpowderas it is thatyouwouldmaintain thatthePopeinventedtheEasterconfession!Andallthepeoplewereconvinced,ofcourse!Itwasperfectlyobvious.

Incertaincommunitiesthesethingshavetobelearned,namely,howtodescribethingsinpictures,howtouseimages,bringaboutintensifications,andemploycomparisons.Thisisaspecialartwhichisdiligentlypractisedinthegreybrotherhoods.Butthereisnoneedtobelongtoagreybrotherhoodinordertopractisesuchanart.Onecanbedependentinone way or another on the grey brotherhoods, perhaps without even knowing howdependentoneis,andthenonecanusethesemethods.

What is all this based on? It is based on the fact that a different kind of soul life ispresentwhenwe speakwith one another in amanner suited to the fifth post-Atlanteanperiod, for thenwedirectourselves to the intellect andnot toakindofdeliriumwhichwouldbebroughtabout ifweusedsomeof themeans Ihave just sketched. In the fifthpost-AtlanteanperiodwehavetolearntowithstandHödr,wehavetolearntowithstandtheremnantsofanearliertimethatresemblethemistletoewhichhasbecomeaparasiteintheplantworld.WehavetolearntowithstandHödr,theunconsciousone,theblindone,thepassionateone,thedeliriousone.

We can onlywin this capacity bymaking our understanding such thatwe feel quiteisolated from the world, whereas those who develop a delirious type of consciousnessimmediatelyattracttothemselvescosmiceffects;theydrawcosmiceffectsdownintothepresent.Withtheconsciousnessofthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiodwestandinisolationontheearth.Inadeliriousconsciousness,cosmiceffectsaredrawnintothesoul.Andthese,ofcourse,havetobeutilizedinanappropriateway.Letustakeanactualcase.

Someone who today wants to work on others, on those whose consciousness isdelirious, with the aim of achieving a particular end, can do the following: he canrememberwhensomethingsimilarexistedinanearlieragewhenthestarryconstellationswerealsosimilar.Nowsinceeverythinggoes inwaves in theworld,so thataparticular

wavereturnstothesurfaceafteracertaintime,inordertoachievecertaineffectshecanmakeuseofaneventwhichundersimilarcosmicconditions is likeacopyofanearlierevent; he canmake it a copyof an earlier event.Let us assume that someonewants toachievesomethingbyinfluencingothersintheirdeliriousconsciousness,bycarryingoutcertainproceduresinvolvingcertainfacts.Hegoesbackinhistoryandrecallssomethingwhichhappenedatanearlierdateunderasimilarstarryconstellation.

Assumesomeonewantstobringsomethingaboutonadayinthespringofaparticularyear.HavingestablishedthatitisWhitsuntide,hegoesbackthroughtimeuntilhefindsaneventthatissimilartotheonehewantstobringabout.Anditmustfallinayearwhenthedate of Whitsun fell approximately on similar days of the month. Then the starryconstellationwillalsoberoughlythesame.Byutilizingallthisitwillthenbepossibletowork on those in a delirious state of consciousness. In a sense it will be possible, bybringingaboutastateofdeliriousconsciousnessunderaparticularstarryconstellation,tohit the target of a group of people who are always a kind of Baldur in the fifth post-Atlanteanperiod;inotherwords,toplayLokiwithblindHödr,orthroughblindHödr.

Nowletustakeanactualcase:inanearlierageWhitsuntidefellon20May1347.Atthistimeonaparticulardaytheheralds,flourishingtheirtrumpets,marchedwithacrowd—it does not matter that their relationship to theWhitsunMystery differed from ourstoday—leadingColadiRienzi,8whomadetheproclamation,fromthatimportantplaceinRomeunder thatverystarryconstellationwhichfellon20May,whichwas togivehimthetitleof tribuneofRome.Theimpressionhemadewascomparabletotheimpressionmadeonagrouporcrowdinastateofdeliriousconsciousness.For thecrowdbelievedthatColadiRienzihadbroughttheHolyGhost;andutilizationofthestarryconstellationofthetimemadeitpossible,thoughforaveryshorttimeonly,forhimtoachievewhatheintended.

Aremarkablecopyofthiseventtookplaceunderthesamestarryconstellationin1915when,notColadiRienzi,butSignord’Annunzio9 called together a crowdon the samespot in a very similarway!Again a delirious consciousnesswas affected by ideas andsymbols which conjured up pictures that were eminently suitable for speaking to thisdeliriousconsciousness.Iamnotcriticizinganybody’sconsciousnessbutmerelyreportingfacts—facts which, if you like, have been pushed as far as possible down into theunconscious. But this does not alter their effectiveness.OnWhitsunday 1915 the samehappenedinRomeashadhappenedonWhitsunday1347,whichalsofellon20,21May.Onedaymakesnodifference.Onthecontrary,theconstellationwasallthemoreidentical.AtWhitsun 1915 therewas a repeat performance ofwhat had happened underCola diRienzi in 1347. The new eventwas thus particularly effective, for it was borne on thesamevibrations,thesamewaves,thesameconditions.

Historywillonlybeunderstoodwhensuchfactsareknown,whenitisknownwhatcanbeachievedwith thehelpofsuch facts.Regardlessofwhat the influenceswere,Signord’Annunzio,throughthelifehehadledsofar,hadthepotentialofsuccumbingtoallsortsofinfluences,andhehadthestrengthtoputtheseinfluencestouse.Letmeremarkmerelythat,becauseofhisearlierpoetry,thispoetwascalledbyanumberofcriticsrepresentingthehealthysideofItaly‘Thesingerofallshamefuldegeneracy’.InordinarylifehisnamewasRapagnetta,whichIamtoldmeans‘littleturnip’,buthecalledhimselfd’Annunzio.

Under this starry constellation Signor d’Annunzio gave a speech10 which you mayjudgeforyourselvesbecauseIamgoingtoreaditaloudtoyoutothebestofmyability.Toputyouinthepicture:thereweretwopartiesinItalyatthattime,theNeutralistsandthe Interventionists, andSignor d’Annunzio set himself the task of transforming all theNeutralists into Interventionists. The Neutralists wanted to preserve neutrality, andGiolitti,11amanwhohadbeenveryactiveinItalianpoliticallifeforalongtime,wasforneutrality.Thatspeechbyd’Annunzio,whichwaslikearepetitionoftheonemadelongagobyColadiRienziunderthesamestarryconstellation,wentasfollows:

‘Romans!

Yesterdayyoupresentedanoble show to theworld!Yournever-ending,well-orderedprocessionresembledthosesolemnprocessionsofancientdayswhichgatheredhereinthe templeof JupiterMaximus; and every street throughwhich suchpowermarches,suchpowercoupledwithsuchdignity,becomesaViaSacra.Invisibleinyourmidstyoudrew,onaninvisiblecarriage,thestatueofourgreatmother.

BlessedbetheRomanmothersIsawintheprocessionyesterday,themotherswhoboretheirsonsintheirarmsandworeontheirforeheadsthemarkofresignedcourageandsilentsacrifice.

Is there any need for exhortationswhen the very stones are eloquent?The people ofRomewerepreparedtotearupthepavingstonestrampledbythehorseswhichoughtlong since to be standing firm at the borders of Istria, instead of remaining here,humbledbyshame, todefend thenestsofpoisonouscreatures, thehousesof traitors!Whatmusthavebeen thesadnessofouryoungsoldiers!—Whatashowofdisciplineand self-denial they gave, when they protected, against the just anger of the people,thoseverymenwhodenigrateandslanderthem,humiliatingthembeforetheirbrothersandbeforetheenemy.Letuscry:“Longlivethearmy!”Thatisthecallofthishour!OfallthevileactionscommittedbyGiolittiandhispackthisisthevilest:thedenigrationof our arms and of our national defence. Until yesterday they got away with thedisseminationofdoubt,suspicion,anddisregardforoursoldiers—ourhandsome,good,strong, brave, impetuous soldiers, the flower of our people, the reliable heroes oftomorrow.Withwhat heavyhearts did they fix their bayonets in order to repulse theverypeoplewhoseonlypurposewastoavengethem!

Omy admirable comrades!Today every good citizen is a soldier for the freedomofItaly!Throughyouandwithyouwearevictorious,wehavebroughtconfusiontotheranks of the traitors.Hear,Ohear!The crimeof high treason has been declared andproved, andpublicly announced.Thedishonourablenames areknown;punishment isneeded!

Do not be taken in, do not be moved to pity. A rabble like that has no twinges ofconscience,noremorse.Whocanteachanothertastetothebeastwhoisaccustomedtothefilthinwhichherollsandthetroughfromwhichhegorges?

OnthetwentiethofMayinthesolemngatheringofourunion,12weshallnottoleratetheshamelesspresenceofthosewho,formonths,havebeennegotiatingthesaleofItalywiththeenemy.Clownsmaynotbepermittedtoclothethemselvesinthetri-colouredmantle,andbellowfromuncleanthroatstheholynameofthefatherland.Writeoutyour

listofproscriptionwithoutpity.Itisyourright,itisyourduty!WhosavedItalyinherhourofdarkness,whobutyou,herpeople,pureandprofound?

Neverforgetthat!Theothersmayescapepunishmentonlybyflight!Letthemgo!Thisistheonlyleniencypermittedtowardsthem.Wasnotacertainone,eventhismorning,stillinclinedtojoinintheplotswhosenetisbeingspunamongtheblossomingrosebedsof the villa on the Pincio13—now to be confiscated—by the fat German spider wholivesthere?Weneverbelievedforoneminute,ofcourse,thataministryformedbyHerrBülow could have received the approval of theKing—or rather, that theKing couldhavebecomeanaccomplicetosuchathing.

InhisgreathearttheKinghasheardtheexhortationofCamilloCavour:ThehouroftheHouseofSavoyhascome!

Thehourhascome.IttollsunderthehighheavenswhicharchoveryourPantheon,ORomans,andoverthiseternalCapitol!Here,wheretheplebeiansheldthemeetingsoftheircouncil;here,whereeveryincreaseintheempireofRomewasconsecrated,wherethe consuls exacted the levies and received the oaths of the soldiers; whence themagistratesoftherepublicdepartedtotakeovercommandofthearmiesandcontroltheprovinces; where Germanicus set up the trophies of his victory over the Germans;wherethetriumphantOctaviansolemnlyconfirmedRomandominanceoverthewholeoftheMediterraneanbasin;here,atthisplace,thestartingpointandthegoalofallourvictories,we celebrate the voluntary sacrifice,we cry thewords of consecration anddesire:Long live thewar, long liveRome, long live Italy, long live thearmyand thefleet,longlivetheKing!Gloryandvictory!’

Thus spoke thenewColadiRienzi.Thenhe received thedaggerpresented tohimasaspecial souvenir ofNinoBixio. This dagger stemmed from ancient days and had beentreasuredbythePodreccafamily.Thedaggerispresented—pardonme,butthisisreallytrue—by the editor of Asino! Asino is a particularly obscene satirical journal. Butd’Annunzio takes hold of the dagger, kisses it solemnly, strides through the crowd andenters—not,likeColadiRienzi,ahorse-drawntriumphalchariot,fortimeshavechanged—he enters a motor car, having first commanded all the church bells to be rung. Thedelirious consciousnessmust not be allowed to fade too soon.All the bells are rung tokeep it going a little longer. Then d’Annunzio halts his car at the telegraph office andsendsatelegramtotheeditorofLeGauloiswhoanswers—IamsorryIdonotknowhowtopronouncethisinFrenchsoIshallhavetosayitintheGermanway—whoanswerstothenameofMeier:

‘Rome, 1 p.m., great battle fought.Have just spokenon theCapitol to an enormous,deliriouscrowd.Thebellsaresoundingthealarm,thecriesofthepeopleriseuptothemostbeautifulskyintheworld.Iamdrunkwithjoy.AftertheFrenchmiracleIhavenowwitnessedtheItalianmiracle.’

WithoutmakinganycommentsortakingsidesIsimplywantedtopointoutcertainfactsinordertoshow,bythewayinwhichtheyareconnected,howthingshappenthatarehardlynoticedbyourunobservantcontemporaries.Iwantedtoshowthatalthoughthe‘singerofallshamefuldegeneracy’,ashewascalledinItaly,probablydidnotbelieveverystronglyin the miracle ofWhitsun, he nevertheless succeeded very well in working on certain

unconsciousimpulsesbyusingarepetitionofaneventwhichmadeavailableconsiderableforceswithinadeliriousconsciousness.Thisman,whoinhisowncountryiscalled‘thesinger of all shameful degeneracy’ and who has succeeded in writing a novel whichtrumpetsforthhisrelationshipwithafamouswomaninthemostcontemptibleway—thismanfoundanotherwholeseriesofeffective images inanother longspeech, this time intheConstanzitheatre.Theimageofthecannon,whichIhavealreadymentioned,isratherlesssignificant.Icannotreadthewholespeechtoyouasthiswouldtaketoolong.Letmegiveyouapassagefromthebeginningandanotherfromtheend.Itbegins:

‘Romans, Italians, brothers in faith and in yearning, my new friends, and mycompanionsofold!’

Well,sohesays‘ofold’!

‘Yourgreetingsofwarmkindness,ofgenerousrecognition,arenotintendedforme.Itisnotthehomecomerinmeyouarewelcoming,Iknow,itisthespiritthatleadsme,thelovethatfillsme,theideathatIserve.

Yourwelcomegoesthroughmeandbeyondmetoahighergoal.IbringyouthetidingsofQuarto,RomantidingstotheRomeoftheVillaSpadaandofVascello.

ThiseveningthedaylighthasnotgonefromtheAurelianwallsanditwillnotgo:theglimmer remains on San Pancratio. Let us this evening confront cowardice withheroismandrememberthatsixty-sixyearsagotodaytheleaderofmenledhislegion,alreadydestinedtobecometheJunemiracle,fromPalestrinabacktoRome.Letusthiseveningconfrontshamewithfameandrememberthatfifty-fiveyearsagoatthisveryhour the thousand on the march from Marsala to Salemi were bivouacking, theirmuskets stacked together, eating their bread or sleeping quietly. In their hearts theycarriedthestarsandthewordsoftheirleaderwhichstillsoundvitalandcommandingtothisday:“Ifweunite,ourtaskwillbeeasy.Toarms!”ItwasthecallofMarsala,whichcontinuedwiththerobustthreat:“Thosewhodonotarmarecowardsortraitors!”Ifhe,the saviour, could but descend from the Janiculus into the plain,would he not brandwithoneor theotherof these signsandchargewith shameall thosewho secretlyorpubliclyworktowardsdisarmingItaly,shamingourfatherland,returningittoastateofservitude,nailing itbackon itscrossor leaving it todie inabed thathas sometimesseemedtousagravewithoutacover?

Some need fifty years to die in their beds, some need fifty years to complete theirdisintegrationintheirbeds.Isitpossiblewewouldallowstrangersinourmidstorfromwithout,enemieswholiveinourhouseorwhohaveentereditforcibly,toimposethiskindofdeathonapeoplewhoyesterdayraisedwithashudderofpoweran imageoftheirhighestmythupontheirshore,amonumentoftheirtruewill,theirRomanwill,Ocitizens? For three days now an indefinable stink of treachery has been seeking tosuffocateus.’

Andsoitgoeson.Then,attheendwefindanew,warmed-upversionofsomethingweknowsowellfromthegospels.14D’Annunzioofallpeopledarestospeakthefollowingwords:

‘Blessedare theywhohavemore, for all themore shall theygive, all themore shall

theirenthusiasmbeinflamed!

Blessed are they who have for twenty years a pure spirit, a hardened physique, acourageousmother!

Blessedare theywhorefrained,waitingandtrusting, fromsquandering theirstrength,preservingitinsteadwithawarrior’sdiscipline!

Blessedaretheywhoscornedunfruitfuldalliance,savingtheirvirginityforthisfirstandlastlove!’

D’Annunzioofallpeoplesays:‘Blessedaretheywhoscornedunfruitfuldalliance,savingtheirvirginityforthisfirstandlastlove!’

‘Blessedaretheywhoshalltearoutthehaterootedintheirbreastwiththeirownhandsandthenoffertheirsacrifice!

Blessedaretheywhoyesterdaystillresistedtheevent,yettodaysilentlyacceptitasaprofoundnecessity,desiringnowtobenolongerthelastbutthefirst!

Blessedaretheyoungmenwhohungerandthirstforglory,fortheyshallbesatisfied!

Blessedarethecompassionate,fortheyshallwipeawaytheshiningbloodandbindupthelustrouspain!

Blessedarethepureinheart,blessedthosewhoreturnvictorious;fortheyshallseethenew countenance of Rome, the re-crowned head of Dante, the triumphant beauty ofItaly.’

Soeveninourowntimesuchthingsaresometimessaid!Anditissoimportant,mydearfriends,nottopassbythesethings.FornotallpeopleactinaccordwiththeOneWhosebirthwecelebrate in theholynight—not thosewhoscreamoutsuchbeatitudes into theworld.Tobelong,not to thedarkness,but to the lightwhichhasenteredinto theworld:this is a feelingwithwhich to fill our souls at the time of this holy feast. To dedicateourselvestothelight,insteadoftothatinattentivenesswhichbringsusonlydarkness:thistoo,canbesomethinginthesegravetimeswhichitisimportantforustoinscribeinoursoulsonChristmasEve.

LECTURETENDornach,25December1916

Yesterday we began by considering the Baldur myth which, as we saw, goes back toancient customs, and it is precisely such considerations that make clear for us howChristianity had to, and indeed should, link on to what mankind had previouslyunderstood.Thethreegreatfestivalsoftheyear,astheyarestillcelebratedtoday,areverymuchlinkedwiththingswhichhaveslowlyandgraduallycomeaboutduringthecourseofhumanevolution.WecanonlycompletelyunderstandwhatstillwantstoexpressitselfintheChristmas,Easter andWhitsunMysteries ifwedonot shyaway from linking thesethings with the thinking and feeling and experience of mankind gradually developingduringthecourseofevolution.WesawhowtheChristideagoesbacktoearly,earlytimes.

To understand this more exactly you only need to call before your soul what iscontainedinthebookTheSpiritualGuidanceofManandHumanity.1ThereyouwilllearnhowthefoundationoftheChristideacanbetracedbacktothemysteriesofthespiritualworlds.InthebookisshownthepathfollowedinthespiritualworldsbytheBeingWhounderlies theChrist ideabeforeHerevealedHimself inphysicalhumanincarnationatacertainpoint inearthlyevolution.Incomingtogripswiththeseconceptsconcerningthespiritual guidance of mankind it is possible to sense what connection, or even lack ofconnection,thereexistsbetweenanthroposophicalspiritualscienceandancientGnosis.Todescribe the path of Christ through the spiritual worlds in the way it is done in TheSpiritualGuidanceofManandHumanitywouldnotyethavebeenpossible for ancientGnosis.But thisancientGnosisalsohad itsownimageofChrist, itsChrist idea. Itwascapableofdrawingsufficientunderstandingoutofitsatavisticorclairvoyantknowledgeto comprehend the Christ in a spiritual way, saying: In the spiritual world there is anevolution; thehierarchies—or,asGnosisput it, theaeons—followoneanother;andonesuchaeonistheChrist.Gnosisshowedhow,asaeonafteraeonevolved,ChristgraduallydescendedandrevealedHimselfinahumanbeing.Thiscanbeshownevenmoreclearlytoday, and you may read about it in the book The Spiritual Guidance of Man andHumanity.

It is good, in our spiritual scientific Movement, to feel many aspects of the deeperconnections in order to free oneself of purely personal affairs. For in this fifth post-Atlanteanperiodmankindhasreachedastageinevolutionatwhichitisverydifficultfortheindividualtoescapefromhispersonalaffairs.Theindividualisindangerofmixinguphispersonalinstinctsandpassionswithwhatiscommontomankindasawhole.

Even the various festivals have deteriorated into purely personal affairs becausemankindhaslosttheearnestnessanddignitywhichalonemakeitpossibletoapproachthespiritualworldintherightway.Itisperfectlynaturalinourfifthpost-Atlanteanperiod,inwhich man is supposed to comprehend himself to a certain extent and becomeindependent, that there should exist such a danger of man to some extent losing hisconnectionswith the spiritualworld. Inearlier timesmanwasawareofhisconnectionswith the spiritual world, yet unaware of certain other things, such as I pointed outyesterday. Todayman is, above all, unaware of those things I havementioned in these

lecturesbysaying:Peoplearenolongerinclinedtopayattentiontothem;theyallowthemtopassbywithoutbeingconcernedaboutthem.

ItisagoodthingonoccasionssuchastheChristmasfestivaltosaytooneself:Spiritualimpulses, both good and evil, play into the evolution of ourworld.We have seen howtheseimpulsescanbeusedinanevilwaybyindividualswhoknowaboutthemeitherforsome personal, egoistic purpose, or in the interests of the egoism of a group.Wemustlearn to adjust our feelings to more comprehensive affairs and more comprehensiveconditions.Eventhoughwecannotalwaysadvertisesuchfeelings,wemustneverthelesscultivatethem.

Iamnowgoingtogiveyoutheopportunity—inconnectionwithacertainmatter—to,asitwere,tearyoursoulawayfromanysortofpersonalinterpretationofAnthroposophyandturninsteadtowardssomethinggeneralwhichisconnectedwithourAnthroposophicalMovement. If you understood properlywhat I said yesterday, youwill say to yourself:That twentieth day of May in 1347, that May Whitsuntide when Cola di Rienziaccomplished his important manifesto in Rome, was repeated in a certain way atWhitsuntideintheyear1915.Thosewhohavebeenfollowingtheeventswillsoonnotice,or would soon notice, that this May Whitsuntide was selected entirely purposely andentirelyconsciouslybythosewhobrought thisabout.Itwasknownto thesepeople thattheseoldimpulseswouldonceagainrevive,andthattheheartsandsoulswhosuccumbtotheblindnessofHödrcanbecaughtwhenLokiapproachesthem.Butpeoplecanonlybecaught so long as they do not have thewill to accustom themselves to look at, and beimpressedby,connectionsthatareperfectlyobviousandcomprehensible.Oneisonlyatthemercyofconnections that remain in theunconsciousso longasone isso tiedup inpersonalmattersthatonecannotseeproperconnections—connectionsinthegoodsense—solongasonehasnointerestforthosethingswhichinvolvemankindasawhole,whicharethingsthatinevitablyleadintothespiritualrealm.

IexplainedtoyouthatinGnosistherewasstillanunderstandingoftheChristidea;thatwhenGnosiswasrootedouttheChristideadegeneratedintodogmaandthat,intheSouth,therefore,thegenuineChristideamoreorlessdisappeared.Nowspiritualsciencehasthetask,inaccordancewithspiritualevolution,ofonceagaincomprehendingthisChristidea,of forming a Christ idea that is not an empty phrase but filled with content, with realcontent.

In the North the very thing that could take root there has disappeared, namely, thefeeling for Jesus. As I said the day before yesterday, the feeling for Jesus was reallyformed in the North and lingered on into the eighth, ninth, tenth centuries after theMystery ofGolgotha. In ancient times theChrist-childwaswelcomedwherever a birthtook place, wherever a worthy new member could be taken into the tribe, especiallyamongtheIngaevones,whilethosebornatthewrongtimewereoutofplace—ofcourseIam not being pedantic. We then saw how, as external Christianity spread, all thingsconnectedwith the ancient feeling for Jesus, even themyths and processions—in otherwords, any remnantsof religiouscustoms—werepushedaside.Wealso sawhow, sincetheMiddleAges,strenuouseffortshavebeengoingon toobliterateall thatspreadfromJutlandacrossEurope,especiallyCentralEurope.

Situatedin theregionofDenmarkwasthechiefMysterycentrewhichlaiddownand

watched over the conditions which then appeared in the regulation of conception andbirth.Thereitwasthatageneralconsciousnessofthesocialconnectionsofhumanbeingsgrewup,connectionsthatwerealsosacramental,atruesocialsacrament.Theyearassuchwas arranged as a sacrament and human beings knew they were contained within thissacramentoftheyear.Forpeopleinthosedaysthesundidnotfornothinggoindifferentwaysacrossthedomeofheavenatdifferentseasons,forwhattookplaceonearthwasamirror image of heavenly events. Where human beings as yet have, or can have, noinfluence, where elemental and nature beings still regulate what is now regulated byhumanbeingsinsociallife—therethesacramentcanexist.Today,thoughpeoplearenotasyetawareofit,quitestrongahrimanicimpulsesliveinindividualhumanbeings.ImeanitwhenIsaythatpeoplearenotyetawareofthis.Theseahrimanicimpulsesaredirectedtowardsseizingfromcertainelementalnaturespiritstheirsacramentalinfluenceonearthlyevolution.

Whenmoderntechnologyhasmadeitpossibletowarmlargeareaswithartificialheat—Iamnotfindingfaultbutmerelytellingyouofsomethingthatwillofnecessitycomeabout in thefuture—thenplantgrowth,aboveall thatofgrain,willbe takenawayfromthe nature and elemental spirits.Therewill be heating installations, not only forwintergardens and smaller spaces for plants to grow, but for whole cornfields. Deprived ofcosmic laws,grainwillgrow ineveryseason, insteadofonlywhen itgrowsof itsownaccord—that is,when it grows through theworkingof thenature and elemental spirits.For the seeds thiswill be similar towhat happenedwhen the ancient consciousness ofsacramentallawsaboutconceptionandbirthfadedsothattheseeventscametobespreadover the whole year. The task of Mystery centres such as that in Denmark, which Idescribed as regulating, as a sacrament, the social life of the people,was to search forwaysinwhichspiritualbeingscouldworkinthesocialandsacramentalfield,justastheywork on the sprouting and growing of plants in the spring and their fading in autumn.From this centre in Denmark there spread what we were able to find in the thirdmillenniumbeforetheMysteryofGolgotha,butwhichthenfadedgraduallytomakewayforsomethingnew,withoutwhichhumanbeingswouldhavebeenunabletoascendtotheuseoftheirintellect.Thesethingsarenecessaryandweoughttorecognizethemassuch,insteadoftryingtomeddlewiththehandiworkofthegodsbysaying:Whyhavethegodsdoneit likethis,whydidtheynotarrangethingslikethat?—whichalwaysmeans:Whyhavetheynotmadethingsmorecomfortableforhumanbeings!

SoinJutland,inDenmark,originatedthereceptivityforthefeelingforJesus.Yousee,itisimportanttothinkaboutwhatishappening,notonlyinconnectionwitheventswhicharemoreorlessimportant,butalsotoconsidertheconnections.Butthisthinkingmustbestraightandtrue,notfulloffantasticaberrations.Manypeopleliketobroodontheweirdandwonderful,butproper thinkingmeans toconsiderhowactual events are linkedandthentowaitandseewhatarisesinthewayofunderstanding.

After all I have said in the last few days itmight occur to you to ask the followingquestion, and those of you who have already asked yourselves this question havedefinitely sensed inyour soul something that is right. If youhavenot yet asked it, youcouldstriveinfuturetoaskyourselvesthiskindofquestion.Forsuchquestionsaretobefoundeverywherewhenthereisdeterminationthatthereshallbetruth,notonlyinwhatissaid, but also in what is done. The World Logos, Whose birth we celebrate in the

ChristmasMystery,canonlybeunderstoodrightlyifwethinkofItasbeingasgeneralanduniversalaspossible,ifwethinkofthisWorldLogosactuallyvibratingandpulsatinginallthingsthathappen,ineveryevent.Andwhenwehavethehumilityanddevotiontofeelourselvesinterwovenwiththisuniversalprocess, thenwerecognizetheconnectionsandlinkswhichholdsway.

Whatisthequestionoursoulmightplacebeforeus?Inrecentdaysyousoulmighthavethought: We have now seen that in Gnosis there was an important Christ idea; itdisappearedintheSouthand,inacertainway,wasunabletomakeitswaytotheNorth.Tomeet itcametheJesus idea,whichis linkedasafeeling to theMysteriesofJutland.Thisiswhatwehaveseen.

Having recognized thisandhavingseen the linksbetween these two,would itnotbenaturaltohavethedesiretobringtogetherwhathasbeenunabletocometogether?Intheworld evolution of theWest theChrist idea has been unable to come togetherwith theJesusidea.Outofthismustsurelycomethedesiretounitethem.

In all modesty, modern Anthroposophy is to take on this task. It is the affair ofAnthroposophy to endeavour to do what is right in this matter and bring these thingstogethertosomeextentintheconstellationoftheuniverse.SoinattemptingtodescribehowmodernAnthroposophy,asaGnosisbroughtforwardintothepresentday,canonceagainunderstandtheChrist,thewishmightarisetounitethisChristideawithsomethingthatcanliveagaininacertainplacewhereonceitlivedasthefeelingforJesusinsuchanintenseway.Todothis,onewouldendeavour tospeakabout theChrist ideaandhowitfits inwith the spiritualguidanceofmanexactly at that spot, or asnear to that spot aspossible,whencethefeelingforJesusoriginallyemanated.

This is why, years ago, in response to an invitation from Copenhagen2 I spokeparticularly there about thepathofChrist through the spiritual evolutions.Whydid theneedarisejustatthattime,todevelopatthatparticularplacethethemeoftheChristideaas it is woven into The Spiritual Guidance of Man and Humanity? It is a statement,expressednot in spokenwordsbut in theconstellation! It isup topeople tounderstandsuch things. There is no need to speak about it publicly everywhere, but one mustunderstandthatnotonlywhatissaidbutalsowhatisdonewillbringthingstoexpression,andthatinthesethingstheUniversalLogoslivesinacertainway.

Itseemstobethecasenowadaysthatpeopleobviouslybringmorefeelingtobearonwhatisnotright,onwhatisevil,seenuniversally,thantheydowhen,byexpressingarealfact, one endeavours to incorporate something that is essentially good in the sense ofhumanevolution.Butthefeelingonereallywantstoinspire,especiallynowinconnectionwiththeChristmasMystery,isthatofparticipationintheAnthrosophicalMovement,thefeelingoflivingwithinsomethingthatisabovemereexternalmaya.Alsoonehopesthatpeoplewilltakeseriouslytheknowledgethatwhathappensonthephysicalplane,thewaythingshappenonthephysicalplane,ismaya,andnotrealityinthehighersense.

Not until we feel that what takes place on the earth also, in a way, takes place in‘heaven’—touseaChristianexpression—notuntilwefeelthatthefulltruthonlycomesabout when we bring the two together in the human spirit—that is, in this fifth post-Atlanteanperiod,thehumanintellect—areweseeingthefullreality.Thefullrealityliesin

the bringing-together ofwhat happens on earth and in heaven.Without this,we remainheldfastinmaya.Wehave,today,thisgreatdesiretoremainheldfastinmayabecause,inthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod,wearefartooexposedtothedangeroftakingthewordforthefact.Toagreatextentwordshavelosttheirmeaning,bywhichImeanthelivingsoul-connectionofthewordwiththerealitythatunderliestheword.Wordshavebecomemereabbreviations,andtheintoxicationinwhichmanypeoplelivewithregardtowordsisnolongergenuineecstasy,becauseonlyadeepeningasregardsthespiritualworldcanmakegenuinethewordswespeak.Wordswillonlyregainrealcontentwhenhumanbeingsfillthemselveswithknowledgeofthespiritualworld.Ancientknowledgeislost,andforthemostpartwespeakinthewaywedojustbecausetheancientknowledgeislostandwearesurroundedbymaya,whichgivesusnothingbutmerewords.Nowwemustonceagainseekaspirituallifewhichgivesthewordstheircontent.Welive,inaway,inamechanismof words, just as externally we shall gradually completely lose our individuality in amechanismoftechnologyuntilweareatthemercyofexternalmechanisms.

It isour task tobring togetherwhat lives in thespiritualworldwithwhat lives in thephysicalworld.Todothiswehavetotackleveryseriouslythegraspingofreality.Inthismaterialisticagepeoplearetoomuchaccustomedtolivingwithinnarrowhorizonsandtoseeing thingsconfinedwithin thesehorizons.Theyhaveevenarranged their religion socomfortablythatitgivesthemanarrowhorizon.Peopletodayavoidwidehorizonsanddonotwanttocallaspadeaspade.Thatiswhyitissodifficultforthemtounderstandhowakarma could come about that is as terrible as that besetting Europe today. Everybodyregards this karma—today, at least—from a narrow national standpoint, as it is called,althoughthereismuchthatisuntrueinthistoo.Butatthefoundationthereliesthekarmaofmankindasawhole,somethingthatiseverybody’sconcern,whichcanbeexpressedinasinglesentencewithregardtooneparticularpoint—thoughtherearemanyotherpointsaswell.Peopleareinclinedtopassbytheverythingthatmatters.Thisthingthatmattersistheflightfromtruthintowhichsoulshavefallentoday!Soulsrunawayfromthetruth;theyhaveaterribleabhorrenceofgraspingthetruthinallitsstrengthandintensity.

Consider the following: we have gradually built up a picture for ourselves of theevolution of mankind and we now know how to assess the fact that, during a certainperiod in thisevolution,warscameupon thescene, thatwarswerewhat firedmankind.Butitwasatimewhenmankindbelievedinwar.WhatdoImeanwhenIsaythatitwasatimewhenmankind believed inwars?What does itmean: to believe inwars?Well, abelief inwars isverysimilar toabelief in theduel, in thefightbetweentwo.Butwhendoes a duel have a real meaning? It has a meaning only when the two concerned areinwardlyfullyconvincedthat,notchance,butthegodswilldecidetheoutcome.Ifthetwowhotakeuptheirpositionsinordertofightaduelfullybelievethattheonewhoiskilledorwoundedwill receivehis deathorwoundbecause a godhas sided against him, thenthereistruthintheduel.Thereisnotruthintheduelif thisconvictionislacking;then,obviously,theduelisagenuinelie.Itisthesameinthecaseofwar.Iftheindividualswhoconstitutethewarringpeoplesareconvincedthattheoutcomeofthewarisdivine,thatthegods govern what is to happen, then there is truth in the actions of war. But then theparticipantsmust understand themeaning of thewords:A divine judgementwill comeabout.

Askyourselveswhetherthereisanytruthinsuchwordstoday!Youneedonlyask:Do

peoplebelievethatactionsofwarexpressdivinejudgements?Dopeoplebelievethis?Askyourselveshowmanypeoplebelievethattheoutcomeisdivine!Howmanypeopletrulybelievethis,howmanyhonestlybelievethis?Foramongthemanyliesbuzzingaboutintheworldtodayaretheprayerstothegods,ortoGod,offeredup—naturally—byallsides.Obviously,inthismaterialisticagetherecannotbearealbeliefthatadivinejudgementisgoing to take place. So it is necessary to look seriously and soberly at thismatter, andadmit that one is doing something without believing in its inner reality. One does notbelieve in this inner reality, andonebelievesall the less in this inner reality the furtherwestwardsonegoesinEurope—quiterightly,becausethefurtherwestwardsonegoes,themoredoesoneenterwesternEurope,whichhasthetaskforthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiodofbringingaboutmaterialism.

Things are different going eastwards, however. I am not in the habit of constructingtheoriesaboutsuchthingsorofsayingsuchthingslightheartedly.WhenIsaysomethingof this kind it is based on actual facts. It is nowadays already possible to make aremarkable discovery.Coming from theWest toCentral Europe you discover that herethereexistsasporadicbeliefindivinejudgement.IntheWestthisisimpossibleunlessithas been imported from Central Europe. But in Central Europe there are isolatedindividualswhohaveakindofbeliefindestinyandwhousetheword‘divinejudgement’.AndifyougorighttotheEastwherethefutureisbeingprepared,youwill,ofcourse,findnumerouspeoplewhoregardtheapproachingoutcomeasadivinejudgement.ForRussianpeople are not averse—as are the people of theWest—to seeing a divine judgement inwhattakesplace.

These thingsmust be facedwith full objectivity.Only then canwe speak truly; onlythendoourwordshavemeaning.Mankindhasthetaskoflearningtogivemeaningbacktowords.

SometimeagoIdrewyourattentiontowhatalmostamountstoareligiouscultivationofsomethingthatisentirelywithoutthoughtorfeeling,namely,thelackofdesiretoknowthatmodernreligions,whentheyspeakof‘God’,actuallyonlymeananangelbeing,anangelos.Whenhumanbeingstodayspeakof‘God’theymeanonlytheirangel,theangelwhoguides themthroughlife.But theypersuade themselves that theyarespeakingofabeinghigherthananangel.Itismayathatmodernmonotheismspeaksofasinglegodfor,in reality, seen froma spiritual point of view,mankindhas the tendency to speakof asmanygodsastherearehumanbeingsontheearth,sinceeachindividualmeansonlyhisownangel.Underthemaskofmonotheismishiddenthemostabsolutepolytheism.Thatiswhymodern religionsare indangerofbeingatomized, sinceeach individual representsonlyhisownideaofGod,hisownstandpoint.Whyisthis?Itisbecause,today,inthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod,weareisolatedfromthespiritualworld.Ourconsciousnessremainssolelyinthehumansphere.

In the fourth post-Atlantean period human consciousness reached someway into thespiritual sphere, namely, as far as the region of the angeloi. In the third post-Atlanteanperioditpenetratedasfarasthearchangeloi.OnlyinthisthirdperiodcouldsuchathingastheMysteriesofJutland,ofDenmarkcomeintobeing.Whatkindofabeingwasitwhoannouncedtoeachindividualmotherthecomingbirthofherchild?ItwasthebeingaboutwhomtheLukegospelspeaks:anarchangel,abeingfromtheregionofthearchangeloi.

Onewhocanseeonlyasfarastheangeloiandcallsanangel-beinghisgod—regardlessofwhetherhebelievesthisisreallyGod,foritisrealityandnotbeliefthatmatters—suchaone is incapableof findinganyconnection thatgoesbeyond the timebetweenbirthanddeath to those regions which are today hidden by external maya. In the third post-Atlanteanperiod,however,hewasstillabletolookintotheregionofthearchangels,fortherewasstilla livingconnectionwith that region. In thesecondpost-Atlanteanperiod,the ancient Persian period,whatwas open to human consciousnesswas still connectedwiththearchai.Thenmandidnotfeelhimselftobeinwhatwetodaycallnature.Hefelthimself to be in a spiritual world. Light and darkness were not yet external, materialprocesses,butspiritualprocesses.IntheoriginalZarathustrareligion,inthesecondpost-Atlanteanperiod,thiswasso.

Somankindgraduallycamedowntotheearth.Inthesecondpost-Atlanteanperiodhisconsciousnessreachedupintotheregionofthearchai,sothathewasthenstillabletosay:Asahumanbeing Iamnot solelyanarticulateddollconsistingofmusclesand flesh—whichiswhatmodernanatomists,physiologistsandbiologistsmaintain—butabeingwhocan only be understood in connection with the spiritual world, immersed in the livingweavingoflightanddarkness,forIbelongtotheweavingoflightanddarkness.

Thencamethethirdpost-Atlanteanperiod.Naturebegantotakeholdofmaninsofaras itworkedonhim.For theprocessesofbirthanddeath link thesoul lifeofmanwithnature.Forexternalmayathesearenaturalprocesses.Birth,conception,deatharenaturalprocessesforexternalmaya.Theyareonlyspiritualprocessesforonewhocanseewherespiritual reality intervenes in these natural processes, and that is in the region of thearchangeloi.Thisconnectionwasseenduringthethirdpost-Atlanteanperiod.

Gradually,natureitselfbecamerealityforman.Thiswasfromthefourthpost-Atlanteanperiodonwards.Beforethatnaturewasnotspokenofinthewaywespeakofittoday.Butmanneeded to stepoutof the spiritualworldanddwellalonewithnature, isolated toacertainextentfromthespiritualworld.Butthenheneededaneventwhichwouldenablehimonceagaintoforgelinkswiththespiritualworld.Inthesecondpost-Atlanteanperiodthedivineelementappearedtohimintheregionofthearchai;inthethird,intheregionofthearchangeloi;and,inthefourth,intheregionoftheangeloi.Inthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod he had to recognize the divine asman. This was prepared in themiddle of thefourthperiodwhen thedivine appearedasMan—in theChrist.What thismeans is thatChristmustcometobeunderstoodeverbetterandbetter;HemustcometobeunderstoodinHisconnectionwiththehumanbeing.ForChristappearedasMansothatmanmightfind the connection ofmankindwith the Christ. Such things wemustmake especiallycleartoourselvesinconnectionwiththeChristmasMystery.Mankind’sconnectionwiththespiritualworldmustbefoundinthewaythathasbecomepossiblesincemansteppeddown from this spiritualworld inorder todwellwithinnature.Thiswasprepared, as afact, during the fourthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Now, in the fifth post-Atlanteanperiod, itmustbeunderstood—reallyunderstood!

Human beings must find their way to an understanding of the fact of Christ, to anunderstandingofthisinitsconnectionwiththewholeofthespiritualworld.ThereissomuchtodaywhichisnotunderstoodaboutChrist,andsomuchwhichisnotunderstoodabout Jesus. Yet these are the two constituent parts necessary for the understanding of

ChristJesus!LookingatthehistoricalcontextwecanseethattheunderstandingforChristdisappeared when Gnosis was rooted out. Looking at the mysteries expressed in theBaldurmythwecanunderstandhowthefeelingforJesuswasrootedout.

Ifwe remain truthfulwe can see now, in the present, how external life corroborateswhatwefind inhistory.Forhowmanyrepresentativesof religion todaybelieve in theirhearts—not merely with their lips but in their hearts—how many believe in the trueResurrection,intheMysteryofEaster?Theycanonlybelieveiftheycancomprehendit.How many priests do? Modern priests and pastors think themselves particularlyenlightened when they succeed in disavowing the Easter Mystery, the ResurrectionMystery, if they manage somehow to discuss it to bits, to make it disappear throughsophistry. They are delighted every time they discover a new reason for not having tobelieveinit.

First of all, theChrist idea,which is inseparable from theResurrectionMystery,wasmade into dogma.Then gradually it became a subject for discussion, and the tendencynowis todroptheResurrectionMysteryaltogether.But theMysteryof theBirthisalsonotunderstood.Peoplenolongerwanttohavedealingswithitbecausetheydonotwantto accept itsvalidity in all itsprofounddepths as amystery.Theywant to seeonly thenaturalside;theydonotwanttobeawarethatsomethingspiritualcamedown.Inthethirdpost-Atlanteanperiodhumanbeingsstill sawthisspiritualelementdescending,but thentheirconsciousnesswasatadifferentlevel.Whatistodaycalledmodernreligion,modernChristianity, really has no desire to comprehend either the birth or the death of ChristJesus.Somestillwanttomaintainadogmaticconnection.Butacomprehensionofthesethingsthatgoesbeyondmerewordsistodayonlypossiblethroughspiritualscience.Forthistobepossible,thehorizonofcomprehensionmustbewidened.Butpeopletodayfleefromthetruth;theyliterallyfleefromwhatcouldleadthemtoanunderstandingofthesethings.

Onlyanthroposophicalspiritualscience is inaposition tocreateoutof itself—notbywarmingupancienthistory—certainconceptswhichwillnowexist forconsciousratherthanatavisticunderstanding.Longagotheseconceptsexistedatavistically;today,peopleno longerhaveanyreal feeling for them.LetmeremindyouofsomethingImentionedyesterday.ThekingshipoftheancientEuropeantribeswasconnectedwithallthosesocialinstitutionsImentionedasemanatingfromtheMysteriesofJutland.Thefirstchildbornintheholynight in the thirdyearwasdestinedtobeking.Hewaspreparedfor this in thewayIexplainedandhegrewuptobethemanwhocouldbekingforthreeyears.Hehadreached the stage I describedwhen I said that he grew beyond his national limits—hesteppedoutofthecontextofhistribe.Anindividualofthefifthdegree—called‘Persian’bythePersians—boreineverytribethenameofthattribe;hestillstoodwithinthegroup.Theonewhowastobekingforthreeyearshadtobefilledwiththemysteryofthe‘sunhero’.Thiswas the sixthdegree,and for thishehad tohavegrownbeyondhis tribeorgroupand stand in thecontextofmankindas awhole.Buthecouldonlydo this ifhisconnectionswerenotonlyearthlybutalsocosmic, ifhewasa ‘sunhero’,whichmeantthat he lived in a realmgovernednot onlyby earthly lawsbut also by those lawswithwhichthesunisinterwoven.Ifmanistoactontheearthhehastohavecontactwiththeearthly realm, and contact with this realm brings about a certain process. This processmustberecognized.Forbyrecognizingthisprocesswegainanunderstandingforcertain

transitions, for certain things intowhichwe need insight if we are to gain insight intoreality.

In ancient times a man belonging to the tribe of the Ingaevones was called an‘Ingaevoni’.Buttheonewhoruledthetribeforthreeyearsasa‘sunhero’couldnotbecalled an Ingaevoni, because he had grown beyond his tribe. It would not have beentruthfultocall the‘sunhero’anIngaevoni,becausehehadbecomesomethingelse.Youseewhatanexactconceptwasattached toanearthly realitybecause thespiritualworldwasfelttobestreamingin.

Nowadays,whenwemerelyplaywithwords insteadofadhering strictly toconcepts,whowouldtakeitintohisheadtosaythatitisuntruetocallthePopeaChristian,sincethisisaparadox,justasitwouldhavebeenparadoxicaltocallthekingoftheIngaevonesanIngaevoni?IfthePopereallywantedtobea‘pope’,thatis,ifhereallywantedtostandwithintheactualspiritualprocess,itwouldnotbepossibletotakehimforaChristian.WecanonlybeChristians if thePope isnotaChristian.Tosay thiswouldbe to speak thetruth.

Whowouldtakeitintohisheadtodaytowanttothinkthetruthaboutsuchimportantmatters?Andwhowouldtakeitintohisheadtoseeinearthlythings,whichherecognizesas maya, the playing in of divine, of supernatural forces? This would be quiteuncharacteristicof thepresentday.Only ifweare forceddowe recognize these things;onlyifforceddowebowtothelawsofthecosmos.Weareforcedtorecognizethattheblade of wheat sprouts from the earth at a given season, develops ears which in turnproducenewseeds;thatthereisadefiniterotationsothatwhathascomeintobeinghastofadeagainindueseasoninaccordancewiththelawsofnature.Eventhiswewouldnotrecognizeifwewerenotforcedtodoso.

In ancient times it was recognized that the ‘sun hero’ called to be the leader of theIngaevoneswouldceasetobesoafterthreeyears.Theselawswerefelt,justaswerethoseofthegrowingplants.Itisimportanttoendeavourtothinkofallthesethingsresoundingin unison, in harmony. Only by doing so can one come to the truth and widen one’shorizons.Forthetruthisnotachild’sgametobearrangedaccordingtopersonalinterests.Toadheretothetruthisagraveandholyactofworship.Thismustbefeltandsensed.Yetthewholetendencytodayisnoneotherthantomakemayaabsoluteanddeclareit tobethetruth.

What is the historical criticism cultivated today in historical seminars? It is a neatparing down to the bare sense-perceptible facts, and this can only lead to error. For bystriving topare thingsdown to the sense-perceptible factswedrift over intomaya.Butmaya is illusion.Soany scienceofhistorywhichendeavours to exclude every spiritualelementand,instead,bringmayatothefore,mustofnecessityleaddirectlytomaya.Justtry, by using modern seminar methods applied in historical departments today, to parethingsdowntothetruthbyeliminatinganythingspiritualandacceptingonlywhattakesplaceonthephysicalplane,thatis,onlysense-perceptiblefacts,andyouwillfindthatyoufallavictimtomayaandneverreachanunderstandingofhistory.Takeamodernhistorybookforwhichanythingsupersensibleisanabsurdityandinwhichgreatcareistakentoattachvalidity only to physical events, andyouhave in your hand the striving to bringmayatothefore.Butmayaisillusion.Soyouhavetofallavictimtoillusion;andthisis

exactlywhatyoudo.Themomentyoubelievehistoryasitiswrittentodayyoubecomeavictimofmaya,ofillusion.

But history has not always beenwritten in thisway.Theway itwas done in formertimesisscornedtoday.Itisaterribleaspectofhumankarmathateveninman’sviewofhistorythespiritualelementisexcluded.Letuslookbacktothetimewhentheattitudeofthefourthpost-Atlanteanperiodwasdominant.Historywastoldquitedifferentlythen.Itwas told in a way whichmakes today’s professors turn up their noses and say: Thesefellowsweretotallyuncritical;theyletthemselvesbelumberedwithallsortsofmythsandsagas; theyhadno feeling for tidycriticismwhichwouldhaveshown them the factsasthey reallywere. This iswhat historians say today, and of course also thosewho copythem.Thepeopleinthosedayswerechildish,theysay.Ofcoursetheywerechildishwhencomparedwith today’snotions!Letus listen to theoldwayof tellinghistory,of tellingwhatcountlesspeoplewiththeattitudeofmindofthefourthpost-Atlanteanperiodsawashistory.Letuslistentothistodayandlookatitasanexamplewhichwecanuseasabasisforwhatistobesaidtomorrow:

Onceupona time3 there lived inSaxon lands anEmperorwhompeople called ‘RedEmperor’, theEmperorwiththeredbeard:Ottoof theRedBeard.4ThisEmperorhadawifewhocamefromEnglandandwhoseheart’sdesireitwastoendowachurch.SoOttothe Red decided to endow the archbishopric of Magdeburg. The archbishopric ofMagdeburgwastohaveaspecialmissioninCentralEurope.ItwastolinktheWestwiththeEastinsuchawaythatthisveryarchbishopricwouldbetheonetobringChristianitytotheneighbouringSlavs.ThearchbishopricofMagdeburgmadegoodprogress,carryingoutcharitableworksoverawidearea,andOttooftheRedBeardsawwhatgoodeffectshisendowmentwashavinginthedistrict.Hewasverypleasedatthis.Hesaidtohimself:Mydeedsaresufficientasablessinginthephysicalworld.HealwayslongedforGodtorewardhimforhisbenevolentdeedstowardsthepeople.Thatwashisaim:thatGodmightrewardhimbecause,afterall,everythinghedidwasdonefrompiety.

Oncehekneltinchurchinprayerwhichroseuptobecomeameditation,beseechingthegodstorewardhim,whenhedied,forhisendowment,inthesamewayashehadfoundhisrewardonthephysicalplane,inallthegoodthathadcomeaboutintheenvironmentofthearchbishopricofMagdeburg.Thenaspiritualbeingappearedtohimandsaid:Itistrue, you have endowed much that is good, you have acted with much benevolencetowardsmanypeople.Butyouhavedoneallthiswithaviewtoreceivingtheblessingofthedivineworldafteryourdeath,justasyouarenowenjoyingtheblessingoftheearthlyworld.Thisisbadanditspoilsyourendowment.

NowOttooftheRedBeardwasveryunhappyaboutthisandhespokewiththisbeingwhowas—washenot?—abeingfromtheranksof theangeloi.Wemayfeel this in theattitude ofmind of the fourth post-Atlantean period.He spokewith this being and thisbeingsaidtohim:GotoColognewhereGerhardtheGoodlives.AskwhereyoucanfindGerhard the Good. If you can make yourself more virtuous through what Gerhard theGoodwillsaytoyou,thenperhapsyoucanavoidwhatIhavejustsaidwillhappentoyou.This,moreorless,wastheconversationofOttooftheRedBeardwiththespiritualbeing.

With a speedwhich those around him could not understand, theEmperorOttomadereadytojourneytoCologne.InColognehecalledagatheringoftheBurgomasterandall

‘wiseandbenigncouncillors’.Oneofthosewhocameherecognizedbyhisappearanceasanunusualman, theonewhomhehad reallycome to see.Heasked theArchbishopofCologne,whohadaccompaniedhim,whetherthiswasGerhardtheGood.Andindeeditwas.Then theEmperor said to thecouncillors: Iwished toconsultwithyou,butnowIshallfirstspeakapartwiththismanandthendiscusswithyouwhatIhavegleanedfromhimwhenIhavespokenwithhim.

Perhapsthisputthecouncillors’nosesoutofjointsomewhat,butweshallnotgointothis.SotheEmperortookasidethecouncillorknowninCologneasGerhardtheGoodandasked:WhydopeoplecallyouGerhard theGood?Hehad toask thisquestion, for theangelhadpointedout that it alldependedonwhetherhecould recognizewhy thismanwascalledGerhard theGood.Forhewas tobehealed throughhim.Gerhard theGoodanswered:PeoplecallmeGerhardtheGoodbecausetheyarethoughtless.Ihavenotdoneanythingspecial.ButwhatIhavedone,whichissomethingquiteinsignificantandaboutwhichIshallnottellyou,hasbecomeknowntosomeextentand,becausepeoplealwayswanttoinventphrases,theycallmeGerhardtheGood.TheEmperorsaid:Surelyitcannotbeassimpleasall that,and it isextremely important formeandmywholereign that Idiscover why people call you Gerhard the Good. Gerhard the Good did not want todisclose anything,but theEmperorpressedhimeverharder tillGerhard theGood said:Verywell,IwilltellyouwhytheycallmeGerhardtheGood,butyoumustnottellanyoneelse,fortrulyIseenothingspecialinit:

Iamasimplemerchant,Ihavealwaysbeenasimplemerchant,andonedayIpreparedtosetoutonajourney.FirstIjourneyedonlandforawhile,andthenatsea.ItravelledasfarastheOrientwhereIpurchasedverymanyvaluablematerialsandvaluableobjectsforverylittlemoney.Iplannedtosellthesethingselsewherefordouble,treble,orevenfourorfivetimestheprice,forthisisthecustomamongmerchants;thiswasmybusiness,mytrade. Then I continued my journey by ship. But we were blown off course by anunfavourablewind.Wehadnoideawherewewere.SoIfoundmyselfoffcourseinthewindontheopenseawithafewcompanionsandallmycostlyobjectsandmaterials.Wecameashoreandfromthisshoreacliffroseup.Wesentoutascouttoclimbtheclifftoseewhatwasbeyondit,forwehadbeenstrandedontheshore.Thescoutsawagreatcitybeyondthecliff; itwasobviouslyagreat tradingcity.Caravanswereapproachingalongroadsfromallsidesandariverflowedpastit.Thescoutreturnedandshowedusthewaytoapproachthecityfromaspotwherewecouldmakefastourship.

Herewewere,inacitytotallystrangetous.SoonitbecameobviousthatweChristiansweresurroundedbyheathens.Wesawabusymarket.IthoughttomyselfthatIwouldbeable tosellall sortsof things in themarket, for thebargainingwas lively.But Ididnotknowthecustomsofthecountry.ThenIsawcomingtowardsmealongthestreetamanwho looked trustworthy.Tohim I said:Couldyouhelpme to sellmywareshere?ThemanevidentiyfeltthatItoolookedtrustworthyandsaid:Wherehaveyoucomefrom?Itold him I was a Christian from Cologne. He said: Despite that, you seem quiterespectable.HithertoIhaveentertainedtheworstsuspicionsaboutChristians,butyoudonotseemtobeamonster.Ishallassistyouandwillfindyoulodgings.Afterthatyoumayliketoshowmeyourwares.

Whenthemerchant,GerhardtheGood,hadsettledinhislodgings,theheathenmanhe

hadmetcameoneday,inspectedhiswaresandfoundthemexceptionallycostly.Hesaid:Thoughtherearequiteafewrichpeopleinthetown,noneofthemisrichenoughtobuyallthis.Iamtheonlyonetopossessanythingequivalenttothesewares.Ifyouwanttosellthemtome,Icangiveyouwhattheyareworth,butIamtheonlyonewhocoulddothis.ThemerchantfromColognewantedtoseeforhimself,sotheheathenofferedtoshowhimthathedidindeedpossesswaresofanequivalentvaluetothoseextremelycostlypiecesgatheredfromallovertheworld.

SoGerhardwent to thehomeof theheathen,wherehe saw immediately thathewasdealingwithamostimportantcitizenofthetown.Firsttheheathenledhimtoachamberinwhichtwelveyouthslaychained.Theywereprisoners,starvingandwretched.Hesaid:See,thesearetwelveChristianswhomwetookprisoneronthehighseaswheretheyweredriftingaimlessly.Nowcomeandseetherestofthewares.Hetookhimtoanotherroomandshowedhimthesamenumberofmiserableoldmen.Gerhard’sheartbledmorefortheoldmenthanithadfortheyouths.Thenheshowedhimanumberofwomen—fifteen,Ibelieve—whohadalsobeentakenprisoner.Andhesaid:IfyougivemethewaresIwillgiveyoutheseprisoners.Theyareexceedinglyvaluableandyoucanhavethem.

Then Gerhard, the merchant from Cologne, discovered that one of the women wasexceedinglyvaluablebecauseshewasadaughterof theKingofNorwaywhohadbeenshipwreckedwithherwomen—onlysomeofthefifteen,theotherswerefromelsewhere—andtakenprisonerby theheathen.TheotherwomenwerefromEngland,aswere theyouthsandoldmen.TheyhadsetsailwithWilliam, thesonof theKingofEngland, tofetchhisNorwegianbride.WhenhehadcollectedhisNorwegianbridefromNorwaytheyhadmetwithmisfortuneandbeenwashedouttosea.William,theKing’sson,hadbeenseparatedfromtheothers.Theydidnotknowwhathadbefallenhim.Asfarastheywereconcernedhewaslost.Buttheothers,thewomenandtheKing’sdaughterfromNorway,the twelve noble youths, the twelve noble old men, and the English women who hadaccompaniedWilliam to collect his bride, had all been shipwrecked and fallen into thehandsofthisheathenprince.HenowwantedtosellthemtoGerhardinexchangeforhisorientalwares.Gerhardweptbittertears,notonaccountofthewaresbut,onthecontrary,because he was to receive such valuable commodities in exchange for them.With hiswholeheartheagreed to thedeal.Theheathenprincewasmuchmovedand thought tohimself: These Christians are not at all the monsters I thought them to be. He evenequippedafullyprovisionedshipsothatGerhardmighttaketheyouthsandtheoldmen,theKing’sdaughterandthemaidensacrosstheseawithhim.Inpartingfromthemallhewas much moved and said: On account of you I shall henceforth be very just to allChristianswhocomeintomycare.

NowthemerchantGerhardfromColognesetoffacrossthesea,andwhentheycametothepointwheretheconfigurationofthelandshowedthatthepassagestoLondonandtoUtrechtmustseparate,hesaidtohistravellingcompanions:ThosewhobelongtoEnglandmay sail that way. Those who belong to Norway, the King’s daughter with her fewwomen,maycomewithmetoCologneandIshallseewhethertheonewhosebrideshewastobehasperhapsbeenfoundsothathemaycomeandcollecther.

InCologneGerhardkepttheKing’sdaughterinaccordancewithherstanding.Shewasmostlovinglycaredforbyhisfamily.Onlyatfirst—GerhardtheGoodpermittedhimself

toremark—washiswife’snoseputslightlyoutofjointwhenhearrivedwiththeKing’sdaughter. But soon she loved her like her own daughter. These things are quiteunderstandable.Shegrewuplikeadaughterofthehouseandwascaredforlovingly.HeronlygreatsadnesswasthatsheneverstoppedweepingforherbelovedWilliam,forshenaturallypresumedthatifhehadbeensavedhewouldscourtheworldtofindher.Buthedidnotcome.ThefamilyofGerhard theGoodlovedher,andGerhardhadason,sohethoughttohimselfthatthisbeautifulmaidenmightbecomeawifeforhisson.Ofcourse,inaccordancewithopinionsatthattime,thiscouldonlyhappenifthesoncouldberaiseduptoanequalstanding.ThearchbishopofColognedeclaredhimselfpreparedtomaketheson a knight. Everything was done in a suitable way. Gerhard was very rich andeverythingwentwell.TournamentswereheldandafterwaitingstillanotheryearincaseWilliam should turn up—the King’s daughter had begged for this—preparations weremadeforthewedding.

Duringtheweddingapilgrimappeared,amanwithabeardsolongthatitwasplaintoseethatmuchtimehadpassedsinceithadlastseenablade.Andhewasverysad.Gerhardthe Goodwas filled with pity at the sight of the pilgrim and asked himwhat was thematter.Itisimpossibletosay,saidthepilgrim,forfromnowonhemustcarryhissorrowthroughthewideworld;fromtodayheknewthathissorrowwouldnevercease.Forthepilgrim was William who had lost all his companions, had found land at last, hadwandered about and arrived at the verymomentwhen his bridewas almostmarried toGerhard’s son in Cologne. Then Gerhard said: Of course you shall have your rightfulbride;Ishallspeakwithmyson.Sincethebridelovedherlostbridegroom,William,morethanGerhard’sson,everythingwasarrangedand,afterhermarriagetoWilliamhadbeencelebratedinCologne,GerhardaccompaniedWilliam,theheir tothethroneofEngland,with his bride to England. There he left them. Since he was known in London as amerchant he walked about the town and heard that a great meeting was in progress.Everythingwasinturbulenceanditwasplaintoseethatarevolutionmightbreakout.Heheardthatthiswasbecausetherewasnoheirtothethrone.Theheirhaddisappearedyearsago. He had quite a number of supporters in the land, but all the others were indisagreementandthemeetingwasnowtodecideonanewheir.

Gerharddonnedhisbestrobeandwenttothemeeting.Hewasallowedinonaccountofhis best robe—which was exceedingly splendid because he was such a rich merchant.There he found four-and-twenty men discussing who should replace the beloved heir,William. Gerhard saw that the four-and-twenty were the selfsamemen he had rescuedfromtheheathenprinceandhadsent toLondonat thepointwhere theways toLondonandUtrechtparted.Theydidnotrecognizehimimmediately.TheytoldhimthatWilliamhadbeenlost—William,whomtheylovedaboveallothers.Butthentheyrecognizedeachother.NowGerhard explained that hewould bringWilliam to them.So thematterwassettled.IneednotdescribetoyouthejoywhichnowbrokeoutalloverEngland.Atfirst,in themeeting, before they knewwhoGerhardwas about to bring to them, but havingrecognized him as the one who had saved them, they evenwanted to declare Gerhardhimselfking.NowWilliambecameKingofEngland.ThenWilliamwantedtoconferonGerhard theDuchyofKent,buthedidnotaccept this.EvenfromthenewQueen,whohad for so long been his foster daughter, he refused the gold treasures she wished tobestow on him, accepting only a ring and a few other trinkets to bring to his wife as

keepsakesfromtheirfosterdaughter.Sohedepartedforhome.

Allthishasnowunfortunatelybecomeknownhere—saidGerhardtheGoodtoOttotheRed—andthatiswhypeoplecallmeGerhardtheGood.Butitisnotforpeople,orevenmyself,tojudgewhetherwhatIdidwasgoodornot.ThereforeitisnonsenseforpeopletocallmeGerhardtheGood,forthewordscanhavenomeaning.

OttotheRed,theEmperor,listenedattentivelyandrealizedthatotherattitudesthantheone he had developed were possible and existed, even in the heart of a merchant ofCologne.Thismadeadeepimpressiononhim.Hereturnedtothecoucilmeetingandsaidtothecouncillors:Gentlemen,youmaygohome,forIhavelearnedallIneededtoknowfromGerhardtheGood.Thisputthenosesofthewiseandbenigncoucillorsthoroughlyoutofjoint,buttheattitudeofsoulofOttotheRedwasentirelytransformed.

This ishowa story—history—was told in thosedays.What is toldhere is criticized,obviously,bythehistoriansoftoday,whoseaimistoparehistorydowntothefactsofthephysicalplane, factswhichhave their feeton theground.Notonly thiseventbutmanyothers also were told, when the feeling for history was still that of the fourth post-Atlantean period, with the inclusion of not only the physical facts but also with themeaning theyhad in relation to thespiritualworld.Therewasan interweavingbetweenwhathappenedonthephysicalplaneandwhatflowedthroughit,givingitmeaning.

ThereisverydeepmeaninginthestoryofOttotheRedandGerhardtheGood.

Iwantedtotellyouthisstory,whichwasonceseenashistory,sothattomorrowwecanuse it,amongother things,asa foundationfor furtherdiscussionswhichwillwidenourhorizonsstillfurther.

LECTUREELEVENDornach,26December1916

YesterdayItoldyouthestoryofGerhardtheGood—whichmostofyouprobablyknow—so that today we can illustrate various points in our endeavour to increase ourunderstandingofthematterswearediscussing.ButbeforeIinterpretpartsofthisstoryforyou,insofarasthisisnecessary,wemustalsorecallanumberofotherthingswehavetouchedonatvarioustimesduringtheselectures.Fromwhathasbeensaidoverthepastfewweeksyouwillhaveseenthatthepainfuleventsoftodayareconnectedwithimpulsesliving in themore recentkarmaofmankind,namely, thekarmaof thewhole fifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Forthosewhowanttogomoredeeplyintothesemattersitisnecessaryto link external events with what is happening more inwardly, which can only beunderstoodagainstthebackgroundofhumanevolutionasseenbyspiritualscience.

Tobeginwith, take at facevalue certain factswhich I havepointedout anumberoftimes. Ihave frequentlysaid that, in themiddleof thenineteenthcentury,anendeavourwas made to draw the attention of modern mankind to the fact that there exist in theuniversenotonlythoseforcesandpowersrecognizedbynaturalsciencebutalsoothersofa spiritual kind.The endeavourwas to show that just aswe take inwith our eyes—or,indeed,withalloursenses—whatisvisiblearoundus,soaretherealsospiritualimpulsesaroundus,whichpeoplewhoknowaboutsuch thingscanbring tobearonsocial life—impulseswhichcannotbeseenwiththeeyebutareknowntoamorespiritualscience.

We knowwhat path thismore spiritual science took, so I need not go over it again.Aroundthemiddleofthenineteenthcentury,then,itwastheconcernofacertaincentretodrawpeople’sattention to theexistence,as itwere,ofaspiritualenvironment.Thishadbeenforgottenduringtheageofmaterialism.Youalsoknowthatsuchthingshavetobetackledwithcautionbecauseacertaindegreeofmaturityisnecessaryinpeoplewhotakein such knowledge. Of course, not all those can be mature who come across, or areaffectedby,thisknowledgeinaccordancewiththelawsofourtime,whichunderliepubliclife.Butpartofwhatmustbedoneatsuchatimecanbetherequirementtotestwhethertheknowledgemayyetberevealedpublicly.

Nowinthemiddleofthenineteenthcentury1twopathswerepossible.One,eventhen,would have beenwhatwe could describe bymentioning our anthroposophical spiritualscience, namely, to make comprehensible to human thinking what spiritual knowledgerevealsaboutourspiritualenvironment.Itisafactthatthiscouldhavebeenattemptedatthattime,inthemiddleofthenineteenthcentury,butthispathwasnotchosen.Thereasonwas,inpart,thatthosewhopossessedthisesotericknowledgewereprejudiced,becauseoftraditions that have come down from ancient times, againstmaking such things public.They felt that certain knowledge guarded by the secret brotherhoods—for it was stillguarded at that time—should be keptwithin the circle of these brotherhoods.We havesince seen that, so long as matters are conducted in the proper way, it is perfectlyacceptabletodaytorevealcertainthings.Ofcourseitisunavoidablethatsomemaliciousopponentsshouldappear,andalwayswillappear, incircles inwhichsuchknowledge ismadeknown—peoplewhoareadherentsforatimebecauseitsuitstheirpassionsandtheir

egoism,butwhothenbecomeopponentsunderallsortsofguisesandmaketrouble.Alsowhen spiritual knowledge is made known in a community, this can easily lead toarguments,quarrellinganddisputes,ofwhich,however,nottoomuchnoticecanbetaken,sinceotherwisenospiritualknowledgewouldeverbemadeknown.But,apartfromthesethings,noharmisdoneifthematterishandledintherightway.

But at that time thiswas not believed. So ancient prejudicewon the day and itwasagreedtotakeanotherpath.But,asIhaveoftensaid,thisfailed.Itwasdecidedtousethepathofmediumisticrevelationtomakepeoplerecognizethespiritualworldin thesameway as they recognize the physical world. Suitable individuals were trained to bemediums.Whattheythenrevealedthroughtheirloweredconsciousnesswassupposedtomake people recognize the existence of certain spiritual impulses in their environment.Thiswasamaterialisticwayofrevealingthespiritualworldtopeople.Itcorrespondedtosome extent to the conditions of the fifth post-Atlantean period, in so far as this ismaterialisticincharacter.

This way of handling things began, as you know, in America in the middle of thenineteenthcentury.Butitsoonbecameobviousthatthewholethingwasamistake.Ithadbeenexpectedthatthemediumswouldrevealtheexistenceofcertainelementalandnaturespiritsintheenvironment.Instead,theyallstartedtorefertorevelationsfromthekingdomofthedead.Sothegoalwhichhadbeensetwasnotreached.Ihaveoftenexplainedthatthelivingcanonlyreachthedeadwithanattitudewhichdoesnotdependonloweringtheconsciousness.You all know these things.At that time thiswas alsoknownand that iswhy,whenthemediumsbegantospeakofrevelationsofthedead,itwasrealizedthatthewhole thing was a mistake. This had not been expected. It had been hoped that themediumswouldrevealhowthenaturespiritswork,howonehumanbeingaffectsanother,whatforcesareatplay in thesocialorganism,andsoon.Ithadbeenhopedthatpeoplewouldstarttorecognizewhatforcesmightbeusedbythosewhounderstandsuchthings,so thatpeoplewouldno longerbedependent solelyononeanother in theway theyarewhenonlytheirsenseperceptionscomeintoplay,butwouldbeabletoworkthroughthetotalhumanpersonality.Thiswasonethingthatwentwrong.

The other was that, in keeping withman’smaterialistic inclinations, it soon becameobviouswhatwouldhavebeguntohappenifthemediumisticmovementhadspreadinthewayit threatenedtodo.Usewouldhavebeenmadeofthemediumstoaccomplishaimswhich ought only to be accomplished under the influence of natural, sense-boundreasoning.Forsomeindividualsitwouldhavebeenhighlydesirabletoemployamediumwho could impart themeans of discovering the knowledgewhich such people covet. IhavetoldyouhowmanylettersIgetfrompeoplewhowrite:Ihavealotteryticket;or,Iwanttobuyalotteryticket;Ineedthemoneyforanentirelyselflesspurpose;couldyounottellmewhichnumberwillbedrawn?Obviously,ifmediumshadbeenfullytrainedinthetechniquesofmediumship,theresultingmischiefwiththiskindofthingwouldhavebeen infinite, quite apart from everything else. People would have started to go tomediumstofindasuitablebrideorbridegroom,andsoon.

Thusitcameaboutthat,intheveryquarterthathadlaunchedthemovementinordertotestwhetherpeoplewerereadytotakeinspiritualknowledge,effortswerenowmadetosuppressthewholeaffair.Whathadbeenfearedinbygonetimes,whentheabilitiesofthe

fourthpost-Atlanteanperiodstillworkedinpeople,hadindeednowcometopass.Inthosedayswitcheswereburnt,simplybecausethosepeoplecalledwitcheswerereallynomorethan mediums, and because their connections with the spiritual world—though of amaterialisticnature—mightcauseknowledgetoberevealedwhichwouldhavebeenveryawkward for certain people. Thus, for instance it might have been very awkward forcertain brotherhoods if, before being burnt at the stake, a witch had revealedwhat laybehind them. For it is true that when consciousness is lowered there can be a kind oftelephoneconnectionwiththespiritualworld,andthatbythisrouteallsortsofsecretscancomeout.Thosewhoburntthewitchesdidsoforaverygoodreason:Itcouldhavebeenveryawkward for them if thewitcheshad revealedanything to theworld,whether in agoodorabadsense,butespeciallyinabadsense.

Sotheattempttotesttheculturalmaturityofmankindbymeansofmediumshadgoneawry.Thiswasrealizedevenbythosewho,ledastraybytheoldrulesofsilenceandbythematerialistic tendencies of the nineteenth century, had set this attempt in train.Youknow,ofcourse,thattheactivitiesofmediumshavenotbeenentirelycurtailed,andthatthey still exist, even today. But the art of training mediums to a level at which theirrevelationscouldbecomesignificanthas,sotospeak,beenwithdrawn.Bythiswithdrawalthecapabilitiesofmediumshavebeenmademoreorlessharmless.Inrecentdecades,asyouknow,thepronouncementsofmediumshavecometoamounttonotmuchmorethansentimentaltwaddle.Theonlysurprisingthingisthatpeoplesetsomuchstorebythem.But thedoor to thespiritualworldhadbeenopened tosomedegreeand,moreover, thishadbeendoneinamannerwhichwasuntimelyandamistake.

InthisperiodcamethebirthandworkofBlavatsky.2Youmightthinkthatthebirthofapersonisinsignificant,butthiswouldbeajudgementbasedonmaya.Nowtheimportantthingisthatthiswholeundertakinghadtobediscussedamongthebrotherhoods,sothatmuch was said and brought into the open within the brotherhoods. But the nineteenthcentury was no longer like earlier centuries in which many methods had existed forkeepingsecretthosethingswhichhadtobekeptsecret.Thusithappenedthat,atacertainmoment,amemberofoneofthesecretbrotherhoods,whointendedtomakeuseinaone-sidedwayofwhathelearntwithinthesebrotherhoods,approachedBlavatsky.ApartfromherothercapacitiesBlavatskywasanextremelygiftedmedium,andthispersoninducedher toactasaconnecting linkformachinations3whichwereno longerashonestas theearlier ones.The first, aswehave seen,werehonest butmistaken.Up to this point theattempt to test people’s receptivity had been perfectly honest, though mistaken. Now,however,camethetreacheryofamemberofanAmericansecretbrotherhood.Hispurposewastomakeone-sideduseofwhatheknew,withthehelpofsomeonewithpsychicgifts,suchasBlavatsky.Letusfirstlookatwhatactuallytookplace.

WhenBlavatskyheardwhatthememberofthebrotherhoodhadtosay,she,ofcourse,reactedinwardlytohiswordsbecauseshewaspsychic.Sheunderstoodagreatdealmoreaboutthematterthantheonewhowasgivinghertheinformation.Theancientknowledgeformulatedinthetraditionalwaylitupinhersoulasignificantunderstandingwhichshecould hardly have achieved solely with her own resources. Inner experiences werestimulated in her soul by the ancient formulations which stemmed from the days ofatavisticclairvoyanceandwhichwerepreservedinthesecretbrotherhoods,oftenwithoutmuch understanding for their meaning on the part of the members. These inner

experiencesledinhertothebirthofalargebodyofknowledge.Sheknew,ofcourse,thatthisknowledgemustbesignificantforthepresentevolutionofmankind,andalsothatbytakingtheappropriatepaththisknowledgecouldbeutilizedinaparticularway.

ButBlavatsky,being theperson shewas, couldnotbeexpected tomakeuseof suchloftyspiritualknowledgesolelyforthegoodofmankindasawhole.Shehitupontheideaofpursuingcertainaimswhichwerewithinherunderstanding,havingcometothispointinthemannerIhavedescribed.Sonowshedemandedtobeadmittedtoacertainoccultbrotherhood inParis.Through this brotherhood shewould start towork.Ordinarily shewouldhavebeenacceptedinthenormalway,apartfromthefactthatitwasnotnormaltoadmitawoman;butthisrulewouldhavebeenwaivedinthiscasebecauseitwasknownthatshewasanimportantindividuality.However,itwouldnothaveservedherpurposetobe admittedmerely as an ordinarymember, and so she laid down certain conditions. Ifthese conditions had been accepted, many subsequent events would have been verydifferent but, at the same time, this secret brotherhoodwouldhavepronounced its owndeath sentence—that is, it would have condemned itself to total ineffectiveness. So itrefusedtoadmitBlavatsky.ShethenturnedtoAmerica,whereshewasindeedadmittedtoa secret brotherhood. In consequence, she of course acquired extremely significantinsightsintotheintentionsofsuchsecretbrotherhoods;notthosewhichstriveforthegoodofmankindasawhole,disregardinganyconflictingwishes,butthosewhosepurposesareone-sidedandservecertaingroupsonly.But itwasnot inBlavatsky’snaturetoworkinthewaythesebrotherhoodswished.Soitcameaboutthat,undertheinfluenceofwhatwastermed an attack on the Constitution of North America, she was excluded from thisbrotherhood.

Sonowshewasexcluded.Butofcourseshewasnotapersonwhowouldbelikelytotake this lyingdown. Instead, shebegan to threaten theAmericanbrotherhoodwith theconsequencesof excludingher in thisway,now that sheknewsomuch.TheAmericanbrotherhoodnow found itself sittingunder the swordofDamocles, for if, as a resultofhavingbeenamember,Blavatskyhadtoldtheworldwhatsheknew,thiswouldhavespeltits death sentence. The consequencewas thatAmerican andEuropean occultists joinedforcesinordertoinflictonBlavatskyaconditionknownasoccultimprisonment.ThroughcertainmachinationsasphereofImaginationsiscalledforthinasoulwhichbringsaboutadimmingofwhatthatsoulpreviouslyknew,thusmakingitvirtuallyineffective.Itisaprocedurewhichhonestoccultistsneverapply,andevendishonestonesonlyveryrarely,butitwasappliedonthatoccasioninordertosavethelife—thatistheeffectiveness,ofthatsecretbrotherhood.

ForyearsBlavatskyexistedinthisoccultimprisonment,untilcertainIndianoccultistsstarted to take an interest in her because they wanted to work against that Americanbrotherhood.Asyousee,wekeepcomingupagainstoccultstreamswhichwanttoworkone-sidedly.ThusBlavatskyenteredthisIndiancurrent,withwhichyouarefamiliar.TheIndian brotherhood was very interested indeed in proceeding against the Americanbrotherhood, not because they saw that theywere not servingmankind as awhole, butbecausetheyinturnhadtheirownone-sidedpatrioticallyIndianviewpoint.BymeansofvariousmachinationstheIndianandtheAmericanoccultistsreachedakindofagreement.TheAmericanspromisednottointerfereinwhattheIndianswantedtodowithBlavatsky,andtheIndiansengagedtoremainsilentonwhathadgonebefore.

Youcanseejusthowcomplicatedthesethingsreallyarewhenyouaddtoall this thefact,whichIhavealsotoldyouabout,thatahiddenindividual,amahatmabehindamask,hadbeeninstitutedinplaceofBlavatsky’soriginalteacherandguide.ThisfigurestoodintheserviceofaEuropeanpowerandhadthetaskofutilizingwhateverBlavatskycoulddointheserviceofthisparticularEuropeanpower.Onewayofdiscoveringwhatall thisisreallyaboutmightbetoaskwhatwouldhavehappenedifoneorotheroftheseprojectshadbeenrealized.

Timeistooshorttotellyoueverythingtoday,butletuspickoutafewaspects.Wecanalwayscomebacktothesethingsagainsoon.

SupposingBlavatskyhadsucceededingainingadmissiontotheoccultlodgeinParis.Ifthishadhappened,shewouldnothavecomeunder the influenceof that individualwhowashonouredasamahatmaintheTheosophicalSociety—althoughhewasnosuchthing—and the life of the occult lodge in Pariswould have been extinguished.A great dealbehindwhich this sameParis lodgemaybe seen to standwouldnothavehappened,orperhaps itwouldhavehappenedin theserviceofadifferent,one-sided influence.Manythings would have taken a different course. For there was also the intention ofexterminatingthisParislodgewiththehelpofthepsychicpersonalityofBlavatsky.Ifithadbeenexterminated,therewouldhavebeennothingbehindallthosepeoplewhohavecontributedtohistory,moreorlesslikemarionettes.PeoplelikeSilvagni,Durante,Sergi,Cecconi, Lombroso and all his relations,4 and many others would have had no occultbackers behind them.Many a door,many a kind of sliding door,would have remainedlocked.

Youwillunderstandthatthisismeantsymbolically.Incertaincountrieseditorialoffices—I mean this as a picture!—have a respectable door and a sliding door. Through therespectabledooryouentertheofficeandthroughtheslidingdooryouentersomesecretbrotherhood or other working, as I have variously indicated over the last few days, toachieveresultsofthekindaboutwhichwehavespoken.Sotheintentionwastoabolishsomethingfromtheworldwhichwouldhavedoneawaywith,atleast,onestreamwhichwehaveseenworkinginourpresenttime.Signord’Annunziowouldnothavegiventhespeechwequoted.

Perhapsanotherwouldhavebeengiveninstead,pushingthingsinadifferentdirection.Butyou see that themoment things arenot fullyunder control, themomentpeople arepushed about through a dimming of their consciousness, and when occultism is beingused, not for the general good of mankind—and above all, in our time, not with trueknowledge—but for thepurposeofachievingone-sidedaims, thenmatterscancome tolookverygraveindeed.

Anyway, the members of this lodge were, from the standpoint of the lodge, astuteenoughnottoenterintoadiscussionofthesethings.Lateron,certainmatterswerehushedup,obscured,bythefactthatBlavatskywaspreventedbyheroccultimprisonmentfrompublicizingtheimpulsesofthatAmericanlodgeandgivingthemherownslant,whichshewoulddoubtlessotherwisehavedone.Onceallthesethingshadruntheircourse,theonlyone to benefit from Blavatsky was the Indian brotherhood. There is considerablesignificance for the present time in the fact that a certain sumof occult knowledgehasenteredtheworldone-sidedly,withanIndiancolouring.Thisknowledgehasenteredthe

world;itnowexists.ButtheworldhasremainedmoreorlessunconsciousofitbecauseoftheparalysisIhavedescribed.

Those who reckon with such things always count on long stretches of time. Theypreparethingsandleavethemtodevelop.Thesearenotindividuals,butbrotherhoodsinwhichthesuccessortakesoverfromthepredecessorandcarriesoninasimilardirectionwithwhathasbeenstarted.

OnthebasisofthetwoexamplesIhavegivenyou,ofoccultlodges,youcanseethatmuch depended on the actual impulses not being made public. I do not wish to bemisunderstoodandIthereforestatedexpresslythatthefirstattemptIdescribedtoyouwasfounded on a certain degree of honesty. But it is extremely difficult for people to beentirely objective as regards mankind as a whole. There is little inclination for thisnowadays.Peoplearesoeasilyledastraybythegroupinstinctthattheyarenotobjectiveas regardsmankind as a whole but pay homage to one group or another, enjoying thefeelingof‘belonging’.Butthisissomethingthatisnolongerreallyrelevanttothepointwehavereachedinhumanevolution.Therequirementofthepresentmomentisthatweshould,atleasttosomedegree,feelourselvestobeindividualsandextricateourselves,atleast inwardly, fromgroup things, so thatwe belong tomankind as human individuals.Even though, at present,we are shown so grotesquely how impossible this is for somepeople,itisneverthelessarequirementofourtime.

Forexample,letmerefertowhatIsaidhereafewdaysago.Anationasawholeisanindividuality of a kindwhich cannot be comparedwithhuman individualities,who livehereon thephysical plane and thengo through their development betweendeath and anew birth. Nations are individualities of quite a different kind. As you can see fromeverythingwefindinouranthroposophicalspiritualscience,afolkspirit,afolksoul, issomethingdifferentfromthesoulofanindividualhumanbeing.Itisnonsensetospeakinamaterialisticsense,as isdonetoday,of thesoulofanationwhileat thebackofone’smind thinking of something resembling the soul of an individual—even though one, ofcourse,doesnotadmit this tooneself.Thusyouhearpeoplespeakof‘theFrenchsoul’;thishasbeenrepeatedlysaidinrecentyears.Itisnonsense,plainnonsense,becauseitisan analogy taken from the individualhuman soul andapplied to the folk soul.Youcanonlyspeakofthefolksoulifyoutakeintoaccountthecomplextotalitydescribedinthelecturecycleonthedifferentfolkspirits.5Buttospeakinanyothersenseaboutthefolksoulisutternonsense,eventhoughmany,includingjournalists,doso—andtheymaybeforgiven,fortheydonotknowwhattheyaretalkingabout.Itismereverbositytospeak—ashas beendone—for instanceof the ‘Celtic soul and theLatin spirit’.6Maybe suchathing is justaboutacceptableasananalogy,but there isnoreality in.WemustbeclearaboutthemeaningoftheMysteryofGolgotha.SooftenhavewesaidthattheMysteryofGolgothawasaccomplishedinsuchawaythatwhathasbeenunitedwithearthevolutionever since is there forallmankind,but that if an individual speaksofamysticalChristwithinhim,thisisnomorethanidletalk.TheMysteryofGolgothaisanobjectivereality,asyouknow frommuch thathasbeen saidhere. It tookplace formankindasawhole,whichmeans for every individual human being.Christ died for all human beings, as ahumanbeing for humanbeings, not for anyother kindof being. It is possible to speakabout a Christian, about one whose attitude of mind is Christian, but it is completenonsense to talkof aChristiannation.There is no reality in this.Christ didnotdie for

nations,nationsarenottheindividualitiesforwhomHedied.AnindividualwhoisclosetotheBeingoftheMysteryofGolgothacanbeaChristian,butitisnotpossibletospeakofaChristiannation.Thetruesoulofanation,itsfolksoul,belongstoplanesonwhichtheMysteryofGolgothadidnottakeplace.SoanydealingsandactionsbetweennationscanneverbeinterpretedorcommenteduponinaChristiansense.

Iampointingoutthesethingssimplybecauseitisnecessarythatyouinparticular,mydear friends, should understand just how important it is today to arrive at clear-cutconcepts.Thiscanonlybedonebyapplyingspiritualscience,andyetmankindasawholestrivestofishinmuddywaterswithconceptsthatareutterlynonsensicalandobscure.Sothe important thing is, above all, to arrive at clear-cut concepts, to see everything inrelation to clear-cut concepts, and also to understand that in our time certain occult,spiritualimpulseshavebeenworking,chieflythroughhumanbeings.Thisisfittingforthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.

Now ifBlavatskyhadbeenable to speakoutat that time,certain secretswouldhavebeenrevealed, secrets Ihavementionedasbelonging tocertainsecretbrotherhoodsandconnectedwiththestrivingofawidespreadnetworkofgroups.Isaidtoyouearlierthatdefinitelawsunderlietheriseandevolutionofpeoples,ofnations.Theselawsareusuallyunknownintheexternal,physicalworld.Thisisrightandproper,forinthefirstplacetheyoughttoberecognizedsolelybythosewhodesiretoreceivethemwithcleanhands.Whatnowunderliestheterribletrialsmankindisundergoingatpresentandwillundergointhefuture is the interference in a one-sidedway, by certainmodern brotherhoods,with thespiritual forces thatpulse throughhumanevolution in the region inwhich, for instance,nations,peoples,comeintobeing.Evolutionprogressesinaccordancewithdefinitelaws;itisregularandcomesaboutthroughcertainforces.Buthumanbeingsinterfere,insomepart unconsciously, though if they aremembersof secret brotherhoods, then theydo soconsciously.

TobeabletojudgethesethingsyouneedwhatyesterdayIcalledawiderhorizon;youneed the acquisition of a wider horizon. I showed you the forces of which Blavatskybecametheplaything,inordertopointouthowsuchaplaythingcanbetossedabout,fromWesttoEast,fromAmericatoIndia.Thisisbecauseforcesareatworkwhicharebeingmanagedbyhumanbeingsforcertainends,bymeansofutilizingthepassionsandfeelingsof nationality,which have, however, in their turn first beenmanufactured.This ismostimportant.Itisimportanttodevelopaneyeforthewayinwhichapersonwho,becauseofthetypeofpassionsinher—inherblood—canbeputinacertainpositionandbebroughtunder theswayofcertain influences.Equally, thosewhodo thismustknowthatcertainthings canbe achieved, dependingon theposition inwhich theperson is placed.Manyattempts fail. But account is taken of long periods of time and of many possibilities.Aboveall, account is takenofhow little inclinationpeoplehave topayattention to thewider—thewidest,contexts.

Letusstophereandturntoyesterday’sstory.Ittellsusaboutthetimearoundthetenthcentury,whentheconstitutionofsoulswasstill thatof thefourthpost-Atlanteanperiod.WesawhowthespiritualworldintervenedinthelifeofEmperorOttooftheRedBeard.HiswholelifeistransformedbecausethespiritualworldmakeshimawareofGerhardtheGood.FromGerhardtheGoodheistolearnthefearofGod,truepiety,andthatonemust

notexpect—forlargelyegoisticreasons—ablessingfromheavenforone’searthlydeeds.Sohe is toldby the spiritualworld to seekoutGerhard theGood.This is theone side:whatplaysinfromthespiritualworld.

Thosewhoknowthatage—notasitisdescribedbyexternalhistory,butasitreallywas—areaware that thespiritualworlddid indeedplay in through realvisionssuchas thatdescribedinconnectionwithEmperorOttotheRed,andthatspiritualimpulsesdefinitelyplayedameaningfulpart.Theonewhowrotedownthisstorysaysexpressly that inhisyouthhehadalsowrittenmanyotherstories,ashadothercontemporariesofhis.Themanwhowrote down the story ofGerhard theGoodwasRudolf von Ems, an approximatecontemporaryofWolframvonEschenbach.7Hesaidhehadwrittenotherstoriesaswellbutthathehaddestroyedthembecausetheyhadbeenfairytales.Yethedoesnotconsiderthisstorytobeafairytalebutstrictlyhistorical,eventhoughexternallyitisnothistorical—thatisitwouldnotbeincludedintoday’shistorybookswhichonlytakephysicalmayaintoaccount.Inthewayhetells it, itcannotbecomparedwithexternal,purelyphysicalhistory; and yet his telling ismore true than purely physical history can be for, on thewhole,thatisonlymaya.Hetellsthestoryforthefourthpost-Atlanteanperiod.

Youknow, for I have repeatedly said this, that I amnot taking sides in anywaybutsimplyreportingfactswhicharetoprovideabasisonwhichjudgementsmaybeformed.OnlythosewhodonotwishtobeobjectivewillmaintainthatwhatIshallattempttosayis not objective. Someone who does not wish to be objective cannot, of course, beexpectedtofindobjectivityinwhatis,infact,objective.ThefactthatthespiritualworldplaysintohumanaffairsisnottheonlyimportantaspectofthestoryofGerhardtheGood.It is also significant that a leading personality receives from the spiritual world theimpulse to turn to amember of the commercialworld, theworld of themerchant. It isindeed a historical fact that, in Central Europe, at that time themembers of the rulingdynastytowhichOttotheRedbelongeddidstarttopatronizethemerchantclassesinthetowns.InEuropethiswasthetimeofthegrowthofcommerce.

Weshouldfurthertakeintoaccountthatatthattimetherewereasyetnooceanroutesbetween Orient and Occident. Trade routes were definitely still overland routes.Merchants suchasGerhard theGoodwho,asyouknow, lived inCologne,carried theirtrade overland fromCologne to theOrient and back again.Anyuse of shipswas quiteinsignificant. The trade routes were land routes. Shipping connections were not muchmorethanattemptstoachievewiththeprimitiveshipsofthosedayswhatwasbeingdonemuch more efficiently by land. So in the main the trade routes were overland, whileshipping was only just beginning. That is what is characteristic of this time, forcomprehensiveshippingoperationsonlycamemuchlater.

Wehavehereacontrastarisingoutoftheverynatureofthings.SolongasOrientandOccident were connected by land routes, it was perfectly natural that the countries ofCentralEuropeshouldtakethelead.LifeintheseCentralEuropeancountrieswasshapedaccordingly.Muchspiritualculturealsotravelledalongtheseroutes.Itwasquitedifferentfromwhat came later. As the centuries proceeded, the land routes were supplanted byoceanroutes.Asyouknow,Englandgraduallytookcontrolofall theoceanconnectionswhichothershadopenedup.Spain,HollandandFrancewereallconqueredasfarastheirseafaring capacities were concerned, so that in the end everything was held under the

mighty dominancewhich encompassed a quarter of the earth’s dry land, and graduallyalsoalltheearth’soceans.

You can see how systematic is this conquering, this almost exterminating, of otherseafaring powerswhen you remember how I told you some time ago that in the secretbrotherhoods, especially those which grew so powerful from the time of James I8onwards,itwastaughtasanobvioustruththattheAnglo-Saxonrace—astheyputit—willhavetobegivendominanceovertheworldinthefifthpost-Atlanteanperiod.Youwillseehow systematic the historical process has been when you consider what I have alsomentioned andwhatwas also taught: that this fifth post-Atlantean race of the English-speakingpeopleswillhavetoovercomethepeoplesoftheLatinrace.

Tostartwith,themainthingistheinterrelationbetweentheEnglish-speakingpeoplesand those whose languages are Latin in origin. Recent history cannot be understoodwithouttherealizationthattheimportantaim—whichisalsowhatisbeingstrivenfor—isfor world affairs to be arranged in such a way that the English-speaking peoples arefavoured,whiletheinfluenceofanypeopleswhoselanguageisbasedonLatinfadesout.Undercertaincircumstancessomethingcanbemadetofadeoutbytreatingitfavourablyforawhile,thusgainingpoweroverit.Thiscanthenmakeiteasytoengulfit.

Inthosesecretbrotherhoods,aboutwhichIhavespokensooften,littlesignificanceisattached to Central Europe, for they are clever enough to realize that Germany, forinstance,ownsonlyonethirty-thirdoftheearth’slandsurface.Thisisverylittleindeed,comparedwithawholequarterofthelandsurfaceplusdominanceoverthehighseas.Sonot much importance is attached to Central Europe. A great deal of importance wasattached,however—especiallyduringtheperiodwhenpresenteventswerebeingprepared—totheovercomingofallthoseimpulsesconnectedwiththeLatinraces.

It is remarkable how short-sighted the modern historical view is and how littleinclination there is to go more deeply into matters which are quite characteristic ofsituations.Ihavealreadypointedoutthatwhathassolongbeenpractisedasapragmaticviewofhistory isnot important, reportingas itdoesononeevent, followedbyanother,andanother,andyetanother.Whatisimportantistorecognizethefactscharacterizedbythemany interrelationships in the eventswhich follow one another.Whatmatters is topoint out what is characteristic about the facts, namely, what reveals the forces lyingbehindmaya.Pragmatichistorymusttodaygivewaytoahistoryofsymptoms.9

Thosewho see through things in this waywill be in a position to form judgementsabout certain events which differ considerably from those of people who reel off theeventsofworldhistory—thisfableconvenue—oneaftertheother,asisdoneinhistoricalsciencetoday.ConsidersomeofthethingsyouknowwellinconnectionwithsomeothersaboutwhichIshalltellyou.Firstofall,asimplefact:in1618theThirtyYearsWarbeganbecause certain ideas of a reformative kind developed within the Czech Slav element.ThencertainaristocratsbelongingtotheseSlavcirclestookupthemovementandrebelledagainst what might be called the Counter-Reformation, namely, the Catholicism fromSpainwhichwasfavouredbytheHabsburgs.ThefirstthingusuallytoldabouttheThirtyYearsWar is the story of the rebels going to the town hall in Prague and throwing thecouncillorsMartinitzandSlavataandthesecetaryFabriziusoutofthewindow.Yetthisisquiteinsignificant.Theonlyinterestingpointisperhapsthatthethreegentlemendidnot

hurtthemselvesbecausetheyfellontoadunghill.ThesearenotthingswhichcanbringtheThirtyYearsWar10tolifeforusorshowusitsrealcauses.

ThereformativepartyelectedFrederick,ElectorPalatineoftheRhine,ascounter-KingofBohemiain1619.Thenfollowed,asyouknow,thebattleoftheWhiteMountain.11UptotheelectionoftheElectorPalatine,alltheeventswerecausedbythepassionatefeelingsofthesepeopleforareformmovement,byarebellionagainstarbitraryactsofpowersuchastheclosureordestructionofProtestantchurchesatBraunauandKlosterGrab.Thereisnot enough time forme to tell you thewhole story. But now think: Frederick, ElectorPalatine of theRhine, is elected king.Up to this point the events are based on humanpassions,humanenthusiasm,itisevenjustifiedtosayhumanidealism—Iamquitehappytoconcedethis.

But why, of all people, was the Elector Palatine of the Rhine chosen as King ofBohemia?Itwasbecausehewastheson-in-lawofJamesI,whostandsatthebeginningoftherenewalofthebrotherhoods!Here,then,wemaydiscernanimportantfingerinthepieifwe are trying to look at history symptomatically.Attemptswere beingmade to steereventsinaparticulardirection.Theyfailed.Butyouseethatthereisafingerinthepie.Themost significant sign of what kind of impulseswere to be brought to bear in thissituation is that the son-in-law of one of the most important occultists, James I, wasthrownintothisposition.

Yousee,thefactisthatthewholeofrecenthistoryhastodowiththecontrastbetweenthe ancientRoman-Latin element and that element, not of theEnglishpeople—for theywould get on perfectly happily with the world—but that element which, as I havedescribedsufficiently, is tobemadeoutof theEnglishpeople if theyfail toputupanyresistance.Itistheconflictbetweenthesetwoelementsthatisatwork.

Meanwhilesomethingelseismanipulated,foragreatdealcanbeachievedinoneplacebybringingabouteventsinanother.

Letuslookatalaterdate.YoumightpickupahistorybookandreadthehistoryoftheSevenYearsWar.12Ofcoursethehistoryofthiswarisreadjustasthoughtlesslyasanyother.Fortounderstandwhatisreallygoingonandinvestigatewhatforcesofhistoryareplaying a part, you have to look properly at the various links between the differentcircumstances.Youhave to consider, for instance, that at that time the southern part ofCentralEurope,namelyAustria,was linkedwith every aspectof theLatin element andevenhadaproperalliancewithFrance,whereasthenorthernpartofMiddleEurope—notat first, but later on—was drawn towhatwas to bemade, by certain quarters, into theEnglish-speaking,fifthpost-Atlanteanrace.

Whenyoulookcloselyatthealliancesandeverythingelsethatwentonatthattime—thosethingswhichwerenotmaya,ofcourse—youdiscoverawarthatisinrealitybeingwaged aboutNorthAmerica and India between England and France.Whatwent on inEuropewasreallyonlyaweakmirrorimageofthis.Forifyoucompareeverythingthattook place on the larger scale—do extend your horizons!—then you will see that theconflictwasbetweenEnglandandFranceandthatNorthAmericaandIndiawerealreadystartingtohavetheireffect.ItwasamatterofwhichofthesetwopowerswasclevererandmoreabletodirecteventsinsuchawaythatdominionoverNorthAmericaorIndiacould

be snatched away from the other. Atwork in thiswere long-term future plans and thecontrolofimportantimpulses.Itistrue:theinfluencesnatchedbyEnglandfromFranceinNorthAmericawaswononthebattlefieldsofSilesiaduringtheSevenYearsWar!

Watchhowthealliancesshiftwhenthesituationbecomesalittleawkwardanddifficult;watchthealliancesfromthispointofview!

Now, another story. It is necessary to look at these things, and once one is notmisunderstood,onceitisassumedthatone’sgenuinepurposeistogainaclearpictureofwhatisgoingonintheworld,onceonestrivestobeobjective,itwillnotbetakenamisswhen such stories are told; instead it will be understood that our concern is forcomprehensionandnotfortakingsides.Infact,itispreciselythosepeoplewhofeeltheyareaffectedbyaparticularmatterwhooughttobeparticularlygladtolearnmoreaboutit.Forthentheyareliftedabovetheirblindnessandgivensight,andnothingisbetterforapersonthanrealinsightintohowthingsworkintheworld.Soletusnowtakeanexamplewhichcanshowyouadifferentsideofhowthingswork.

Through circumstances which you can look up in a history book, the kingdoms ofHanoverandEnglandwereoncelinked.Thelawsofsuccessioninthetwocountriesweredifferent—weneednotgointothisindetail—andasaresultofthis,whenVictoria13cameto the throne of England, Hanover had to become separate. Another member of theEnglishroyalhousehadtotakethethroneofHanover.Thepersonelected,orratherthepersonjostledontothethroneofHanoverwasErnstAugust,DukeofCumberland,14whohadpreviouslybeenconnectedwiththethroneofEngland.SothisErnstAugustcametothe throne of Hanover at the age of sixty-six. His character was such that, after hisdeparture tobecomethekingofHanover, theEnglishnewspaperssaid:Thankgoodnesshe’sgone;let’shopehedoesn’tcomeback!Hewasconsideredadreadfulpersonbecauseof the whole way he behaved. When you look at the impression he made on hiscontemporariesandthosewhohaddealingswithhim,acertaintypeofcharacteremergeswhichisstrikingforonewhounderstandscharactersofthiskind.TheHanoverianscouldnotunderstandhim.Theyfoundhimcoarse.Hewasindeedcoarse,socoarsethatthepoetThomasMoore15said:HesurelybelongedtothedynastyofBeelzebub.Butyouknowthesaying:TheGermanliesifheispolite.Sotheyhadacertainunderstandingforcoarseness,but they did presuppose that someone who is coarse is at least honest. Ernst August,however,wasalwaysa liar aswell asbeingcoarse, and this theHanoverianscouldnotunderstand.Hehadothersimilartraitsaswell.

First,ErnstAugustrepealedtheHanoverianconstitution.Thenhedismissedthefamous‘sevenprofessors’ofGöttingenUniversity.Hehadthemsentstraightoutofthecountry,so that it was not until they reached Witzenhausen, which lay beyond his majesty’sborders, that theirstudentswerepermitted to take leaveof them.Ineednot tellyou thewholestory.Butwhatistheexplanation?ThosewhoseeknofurtherforanexplanationofthisextraordinarymaskmerelyfindErnstAugustcoarseanddishonest.HeevencheatedMetternich,whichissayingmuchindeed,andsoon.But there issomethingremarkablysystematic inall this.Andthesystematicaspect isnotchangedby thefact thathe livedmost of his life up to the age of sixty-six in England, where he was an officer of theDragoons.

Anexplanationmaybefoundinthefactthatinhiswholemannerhewasmanifesting

theimpulsesonehaswhenoneisamemberoftheso-called‘OrangeLodge’.Hiswholemanner was an expression of the impulses of the Orange Lodge, of which he was amember.

What we must do is learn to understand history symptomatically and widen ourhorizons.Weneedtodevelopasenseforwhatisimportantandwhatreallygivesinsight.So I told you the tale ofGerhard theGood in order to demonstrate how, through suchphenomena as theOrange Lodge, and so on, what had been Central Europewas quitesystematically drawn over to the West. I am not uttering any reproach, for it was ahistorical necessity. But one ought to know it and not applymoral judgements to suchthings.Whatisessentialistodevelopthewilltoseethings,toseehowhumanbeingsaremanipulated,toseewheretheremightbeimpulsesbywhichpeoplearemanipulated.Thisis the same as striving for the sense for truth. I have often stressed that this is notsomethingthatenablesonetosay:ButIreallybelievedit, itwasmyhonestandsincereopinion! No indeed. One who possesses the sense for truth is one who unremittinglystrivestofindthetruthofthematter,onewhoneverceasestoseekthetruthandwhotakesresponsibility for himself even when he says something untrue out of ignorance. For,objectively, it is irrelevantwhethersomethingwrong issaidknowinglyorunknowingly.Similarly it is irrelevant whether you hold your finger in the candle flame throughignoranceoronpurpose;eitherwayyouburnit.

Atthispointwemustunderstandwhathappenedatthetransitionfromthefourthpost-Atlantean period—when commerce was still just under the influence of the spiritualworld, as is indicated in the story of Gerhard the Good—to the fifth period, wheneverythingcommercialwasdrawnoverintotheoccultspherewhichisguidedbytheso-called‘BrothersoftheShadow’.Thesebrotherhoodsguardcertainprinciples.Fromtheirpointofviewitwouldbeextremelydangerousiftheseprinciplesshouldbebetrayed.Thatiswhy theywere so careful to preventBlavatsky frommaking them public or causingthemtopassoverintootherhands.Theywere,infact,tobepassedoverfromtheWesttotheEast;nottoIndiabuttotheEastofRussia.

Someone with a sense for what lies behind maya can understand that externalinstitutions and external measures can have differing values, differing degrees ofimportanceinthetotalcontext.Consideranincidentinrecenthistory.Ihavetoldyousomanyoccult,spiritualthingsthatIhave,inaway,‘donemytime’andamnowfreetogoonandgiveyousomeindicationsoutofmorerecenthistory.NooneshouldsaythatIamtakingthistimeawayfromthatdevotedtooccultmatters;thesethingsarealsoimportant.

So letus takeanexample frommore recenthistory. In1909ameetingwasarrangedbetweentheKingofItalyandtheTsarofRussia.Sofartherehadnotbeenmuchlovelostbetween these two representatives, but from then on itwas considered a good thing tomanoeuvrethemintoeachother’scompany.SothemeetingatRacconigi16 tookplace.Itwasnoteasytoarrange.In thedescriptionofall themeasureshehadto taketoprevent‘incidentsofanassassinatorynature’youcanreadhowdifficult itwasforpoorGiolitti,whowasPrimeMinisteratthetime.

Then therewas the question of finding a suitable personagewhowould payRome’shomagetotheTsar.Thishadtobeapersonageofaparticularkind.Suchthingshavetobepreparedwellinadvancesothatwhentherightmomentarrivestheycanbesetintrainon

thespot.Forareally‘juicy’effecttobeachieved,notjustanypersonagewoulddoforthepurposeofpayingRome’shomagetotheTsar—thehomageoftheLatinWesttotheself-styledSlavEast.Itwouldhavetobeaspecialpersonage,evenonewhomightnoteasilybepersuadedtoundertakethistask.Now‘bychance’,asthematerialistswouldsay,but‘notbychance’,asthosewhoarenotmaterialistswouldsay,acertainSignorNathan17—what avery Italianname!—wasat that time themayorofRome.Formany reasonshisattitudewas rather democratic and not at all one thatwouldmake him inclined to payhomage to the Tsar, of all people. He had only taken Italian citizenship shortly beforebecomingmayorofRome.Before thathehadbeenanEnglishcitizen.The fact thathewasofmixedbloodshouldbetakenintoaccount;hewasthesonofaGermanmotherandhadassumedthenameofNathanbecausehisfatherwasthefamousItalianrevolutionaryMazzini.18Thisisafact.

So persuading him to pay homage to the Tsar made it possible to say: See howthoroughlydemocracyhasbeenconverted.Herewassomeonewhowasnotanordinarypersonbutonewhohadbeenanointedwithalltheoilsofdemocracy,but—alsosomeonewhohadbeenwellprepared.From thatmomentonwardscertain things start tobecomeembarrassing. Today it is known, for example, that from that moment onwards all thecorrespondencewithintheTripleAlliancewaspromptlyreportedtoStPetersburg!Humanpassionsalsoplayedsomepart in thematter,sinceaspecial rolewascarriedout in thisreportingbyaladywhohadfounda‘sisterly’route19betweenRomeandStPetersburg.Suchthingscanobviouslybeascribedtocoincidence.Butthosewhowanttoseebeyondmayawillnotascribethemtocoincidencebutwillseekthedeeperconnectionsbetweenthem.Then,whenoneseeksthesedeeperconnections,oneisnolongercapableoflyingasmuch, isno longercapableofdeceivingpeople inorder todistract themfromthe truth,whichiswhatmatters.

Forinstance—Iamsayingthisinordertodescribethetruth—itwouldobviouslyhavebeenmostembarrassingforthewidestcirclesifpeople’sattentionhadbeendrawntothefactthatthewholeinvasionofBelgiumwouldnothavetakenplaceifthatsentenceIhavealreadymentioned,whichcouldhavebeenspokenbyLordGrey—SirEdwardGreyhasnow become a lord—if that sentence had really been spoken. The whole invasion ofBelgiumwouldnothavetakenplace.Itwouldhavebeenanon-event,itwouldnothavehappened. But instead of speaking about the real cause, in so far as this is the causebecauseitcouldhavepreventedtheinvasion,itwasobviouslymorecomfortabletowastepeople’stimebytellingthemaboutthe‘Belgianatrocities’.Yetthese,too,wouldnothavehappenedifSirEdwardGreyhadtakenthisone,briefmeasure.Inordertohidethesimpletruthsomethingdifferentisneeded,somethingthatarousesjustifiedhumanpassionsandmoralindignation.Iamnotsayinganythingagainstthis.Somethingdifferentisneeded.Itisacharacteristicofour time,even todaywhen it isparticularlypainful, tomakeeveryefforttoobscurethetruth,toblindpeopletothetruth.

This,too,hadtobepreparedcarefully.Anygapinthecalculationwouldhavemadeitimpossible.Thewholeof theperiphery,whichhadprudentlybeencreated for thisverypurpose,wasneeded.

But these things were very carefully prepared, both politically and culturally. Everypossibility was reckoned with; and this was certainly necessary, since the most

unbelievablecarelessnesssometimesprevailed,eveninplaceswheresuchathingwouldbeleastexpected.Letmegiveyouanexample,anobjectivefact,whichwillallowustostudythiscarelessness.

AtonetimeBismarckhadaconnectionwithacertainUsedom20inFlorenceandTurin.Ihavetoldyoubefore:modernItalycameintobeingbyroundaboutmeansandactuallyowesherexistencetoGermany;butthisisconnectedwithallsortsofotherthings.WhatIamsayinghasprofoundfoundations,andinpoliticsallsortsofthreadsinterweave.ThusatonetimethreadswerewovenwhichweretowinovertheItalianrepublicans.Inshort,atacertaintimeonesuchlinkexistedbetweenBismarckandUsedominFlorenceandTurin.Usedom was a friend of Mazzini and of others who enjoyed a certain prominence innationalistic circles. Usedom was a man who posed very much as a wise person. Heemployed as his personal secretary somebody who was supposed to be a follower ofMazzini.Lateritturnedoutthatthispersonalsecretary,ofwhomithadbeensaidthathewas initiated intoMazzini’s secret societies,wasnothingbutanordinary spy.Bismarcktellsthistalequitenaivelyandthenadds,asanexcuseforhavingbeensomistaken:ButUsedomwasahigh-gradeFreemason.Manythingscouldbetoldinthiswayandoftenitwould turn out that those involved are totally innocent because the ones who pull thestringsremaininthebackground.

Youcannotmaintainthat thereisnopoint inaskingwhysuchthingsarepermittedtohappenbythewiseguidesofworldevolution—whyhumanbeingsare,toalargedegree,abandonedtosuchmachinations,bymakingtheexcusethatthereisnowayofgettingtothebottomof these things.For, indeed, ifoneonlyseeks themhonestly, therearemanywaysof findingoutwhat isgoingon.Butwesee, even inourownSociety,howmuchresistanceisputupbyindividualswhenthereisaquestionoffollowingthesimplepathoftruth.Weseehowmanythingswhichshouldbetakenobjectivelyinpursuitofknowledge,when they would best serve the good of mankind, are instead taken subjectively andpersonally.Thereare—aretherenot?—withinourSocietygroupswhohavestudiedveryattentivelyanessay21of,Ibelieve,287pageswhichtheyhavetakenutterlyseriouslyandaboutwhichtheyarestillpuzzling,astowhetherthewriter—whoiswellenoughknowntous—mightberight.Inshort,withinourowncircleswemaysometimesdiscoverwhyitis so difficult to see through things.Yet it is, in fact, not at all difficult to see throughthings ifonlyonestriveshonestlyfor the truth.ForyearssomuchhasbeensaidwithinourSociety.Ifyouweretobringtogetherallthathasbeensaidsince1902youwouldseethatitcontainsmuchthatcouldhelpustoseethroughagreatdealthatisgoingonintheworld.Yetouranthroposophicalspiritualsciencehasneverbeenpresentedasbelongingtoasecretsociety.Indeedthemost important thingshavealwaysbeendealtwithinpubliclecturesopentoanybody.Thisisacontrastwhichshouldbenoted.

I might as well say now: If certain streams within our Anthroposophical Societycontinue toexistand if, for thesakeofhumanvanity, theycontinue to interpret to theirown advantage certain thingswhich have been said behind closed doors—for nomorereasonthanonewouldexcludefirst-yearstudentsinauniversityfromwhatistoldtothoseintheirsecondyear—then,eventuallytherewillbenothingesotericleft.Ifthingsarenottakenperfectlynaturally,ifpeoplecontinuetostandupandsay:Thisissecret,thatisveryesoteric,thisisoccult,andIamnotallowedtospeakaboutthis!—ifthispolicycontinuestobefollowedbycertainstreamsinourSociety,iftheycontinuallyfailtounderstandthat

anydegreeofvanitymust stop, theneverythingmankindmustbe toldabout todaywillhavetobediscussedinpublic.Whetherit ispossible tomakeknowncertainthings, theneedsofthemomentwilltell.ButtheAnthroposophicalSocietyisonlymeaningfulifitisa‘society’,thatis,ifeachindividualisconcernedtomakeastandagainstvanity,againstfolly and vanity and everything else which clothes things in false veils of mysticism,servingonlytopuzzleotherpeopleandmakethemspiteful.ThemysteriousnessofcertainsecretbrotherhoodshasnothingtodowithourSociety,forwemustbeconcernedsolelywithbringing aboutwhat is needed for thegoodofmankind.As I haveoften said, ourenemies will become more and more numerous. Perhaps we shall discover what ourenemiesaremadeofbythemannerinwhichtheyquarrelwithus.Sofarwehavehadnohonestopponentsworthmentioning.Theywould,ineffect,onlybetoouradvantage!Thekind of opposition we have met hitherto is perfectly obvious through their ways andmeansofoperation.Wemightaswellwaitpatientlytodiscoverwhetherfurtheropponentswillbefromwithinourcircle,asisfrequentlythecase,orfromelsewhere!Ihavejusthadnewsofoppositionfromonequarterwhichwillemptyitselfoveruslikeacoldshower.Aforthcoming book has been announced during some lectures.22 The author, a conceitedfellow,hasneverbelongedtoourSocietybuthasbeenentertainingtheworldwithallsortsof double egos and such like.He has nowused the opportunity of the various nationalhatredsandpassionstomountanattackonourAnthroposophyofakindwhichshowsthathishandsarenotclean.

Sowemustnotlosesightofthesethingsandwemustrealizethatitisuptoustoholdfast tothedirectionwhichwill leadtotruthandknowledge.Evenwhenwespeakaboutcurrent issues itmust only be in pursuit of knowledge and truth.Wemust look thingsstraight intheeyeandtheneachindividualmaytakeuphisownpositioninaccordancewith his feelings. Every position will be understandable, but it must be based on afoundationoftruth.

Thisisawordwhichmustoccupyaspecialplaceinoursoultoday.Somuchhastakenplaceinourtimewhichhaspuzzledpeopleandwhichshouldhaveshownthemthatitisnecessarytostriveforahealthyjudgementbasedonthetruth.Wehaveexperiencedhowtheyearningforpeaceonlyhadtomakeitselffeltintheworldforittobeshouteddown.23Andwe still seehowpeople actuallyget angry if peace ismentioned inonequarter oranother.Theyareangry,notonlyifoneofthecombatantsmentionspeace,butevenifitismentionedinaneutralquarter.

Itremainstobeseenwhethertheworldwillbecapableofsufficientastonishmentaboutthesethings.Experiencesofarhasbeentelling,tosaytheleast.InAprilandMay1915alargeterritorywastohavebeenvoluntarilyceded,buttheofferwasrejectedsothatwarcouldbewaged.Sinceworldopinionfailedtoformanevenpartiallyadequatejudgementaboutthisevent,thereseemstobereallynothingforitbuttoexpecttheworst.Wemightaswellexpecttheworst,becausepeopleseembentontelling,notthetruth,butwhatsuitstheir purposes. Their thinking is strange and peculiar to a degree. Yet to tackle thingsproperlytherightpointshavetobefound.

LetmereadyouashortpassagewrittenbyanItalianbeforetheoutbreakofthepresentwar,atatimewhentheItalianswerejubilantabouttheTripoliconflict—whichIamnotcriticizing.IshallneversayanythingagainsttheannexationofTripolibyItaly,forthese

things are judged differently by thosewho knowwhat is necessary and possible in therelationshipsbetweenstatesandnations.Theydonotformjudgementsbasedonliesandexpress opinions steeped in all kinds of moralistic virtues. But here we have a man,Prezzolini,24whowritesaboutan Italywhichpleaseshim,whichhasevolvedoutofanItalywhichdidnotpleasehim.HestartsbydescribingwhatthisItalyhadcometo,howithadgonedownintheworld,andhethencontinues—directlyundertheimpressionoftheTripoliconflict:

‘Andyet, totallyunawareof thiseconomicrisorgimento, Italyunderwentat thesametime theperiodofdepressiondescribedabove.Foreignerswere the first tonotice thereawakening.SomeItalianshadalsoexpressedit,buttheywerewindbagscarryingonaboutthefamousandinfamous“primacyofItaly”.ThebookbyFischer,aGerman,waswritten in1899,and thatbyBolton-King,anEnglishman, in1901.Todateno Italianhaspublishedaworkcomparabletothese,eventocelebratethefiftiethanniversaryof“unification”. The exceptional good sense of these foreigners is notable for, truly,outsidershaveneitherwanted,nordotheynowwant,toknowanythingaboutmodernItaly.Then, asnow,people’s judgement,or ratherprejudgementof Italy amounted tosaying:Italy isa landof thepast,not thepresent;sheshould“restonherpastglory”andnotenterintothepresent.TheylongforanItalyofarchives,museums,hotelsforhoneymoonersandfor theamusementofspleenand lungpatients—anItalyoforgan-grinders, serenades,gondolas—fullof ciceroni, shoe-shiners, polyglots andpulcinelli.Though they are delighted to travel nowadays in sleeping cars instead of diligences,theynevertheless regreta little theabsenceofCalabresehighwaymenwithpistolandpointed velvet hat.Oh, the glorious Italian sky, defaced by factory chimneys.Oh, labellaNapoli,defamedbysteamshipsandtheunloadingthereof;RomefilledwithItaliansoldiers;suchregretforthewonderfuldaysofPapal,BourbonandLeopoldineRome!ThesephilanthropicfeelingsstillprovidethebasisforeveryAnglo-SaxonandGermanopinionaboutus.Toshowhowdeeplytheyrun,rememberthattheyareexpressedbypeopleofhighstandinginotherdirections,suchasGregoroviusandBourget.TheItalywhoreformedherselfandgrewfat,theItalywhoisseentocarrylargebanknotesinherpurse—this is the Italy who has at last gained a proper self-confidence. We shouldforgiveandunderstandherifshenowreactsbygoingalittlefurtherthansheoughtinherenthusiasm.TenyearshavehardlysufficedfortheideaofthefutureandstrengthofItalytopassfromthosewhofirstsawit,tothepopulaceatlargewhoarenowfilledandconvincedbyit.Itwouldhavebeeninvainhadourgreatthinkerspiledupvolumesofjournals,statisticalpapers,philosophicalworksandbooksofmodernart.’

This is theattitude,mydear friends! ‘Itwouldhavebeen invainhadourgreat thinkerspiledupvolumesofjournals,statisticalpapers,philosophicalworksandbooksofmodernart.’Allthiswouldbeworthless,hethinks,toraiseupapeople.Thismodernmanhasnofaithintheworthandworkingofcultureandspiritualvalues!

‘It would have been in vain had our great thinkers piled up volumes of journals,statisticalpapers,philosophicalworksandbooksofmodernart;neitherthepeoplenortheforeignerswouldeverhavebeenconvinced,atleastnotbeforethepassageofverymanyyears.’

Sothismanhasnoconfidenceincreatingspiritualcultureinthisway.

‘A great and brutal force was needed to smash the illusion and give every last andmiserablevillagesquareasenseofnationalsolidarityandupwardprogress.’

Towhatdoesheattributethecapacitytoachievewhatnospiritualculturecouldproduce?Hesays:

‘Itisthewarwhichhasservedtodothis.’

Thereyouhaveit!Thisiswhatpeoplebelieved.Tripoliwasthereandithadtobethere.Moreover, theyalsosaid:War isneeded tobring thenation toapointwhich itwasnotfoundnecessarytoreachbymeansofspiritualculture.

Indeed,mydearfriends,suchthingsspeaktouswhenweplacethemsidebysidewithanothervoicewhichsays:Wedidnotwantthiswar;weareinnocentlambswhohavebeentakenbysurprise.Evenfromthissidecomesthecry:Tosavefreedom,tosavethesmallnations,weareforcedtogotowar.Thismancontinues:

‘Weyoungpeople born around the year 1880 entered life in theworldwith the newcentury.Ourlandhadlostcourage.Itsintellectuallifewasatalowebb.’

Thesewerethepeoplebornaroundtheyear1880.

‘Philosophy: positivism. History: sociology. Criticism: historicalmethod, if not evenpsychiatry.’

ThismayindeedbesaidinthelandofLombroso!

‘Hot on the heels of Italy’s deliverers came Italy’s parasites; not only their sons, ourfathers,butalsotheirgrandsons,ourelderbrothers.Theheroictraditionofrisorgimentowas lost; therewas no idea to fire the newgeneration.Among the best, religion hadsunkinestimationbuthadleftavacuum.Fortherestitwasahabit.Artwasreelinginasensuousandaestheticfrenzyandlackedanybasisorfaith.FromCarducci,whompapareadtotheaccompanimentofaglassofTuscanwineandacheapcigar,theyturnedtod’Annunzio,thebibleofourelderbrothers,dressedaccordingtothelatestfashion,hispocketsfullofsweets,aladies’manandvainbraggart.’

Yetthismarionette—ofwhomitissaidherethathewas‘dressedaccordingtothelatestfashion,hispocketsfullofsweets,aladies’manandvainbraggart’—thismarionettehadmade clear to the people atWhitsuntide in 1915 that theyneededwhat noworkof thespiritcouldgivethem!

Whentimesaregraveitismostnecessarytomaketheefforttolookstraightatthetruth,tojoinforceswiththetruth.Ifwedonotwanttorecognizethetruthwedeviatefromwhatmaybegoodformankind.Thereforeitisnecessarytounderstandthatpreciselyinthesetimesseriouswordsneedtobespoken.Forweareinapositiontodayinwhichevenonewho is seven-eighths blind should see what is happening when the call for peace isshouted down. Someone who believes that you can fight for permanent peace whileshoutingdown thecall forpeacemight,conceivably,holdworthwhileopinions in someotherfields;buthecannotbetakenseriouslywithregardtowhatisgoingon.If,nowthatwe are facedwith this,we cannot commit ourselves to truth, then the prospects for theworldarevery,verybadindeed.

It is for me truly not a pleasant task to draw attention to much that is going on at

present.Butwhenyouhearwhatissaidonallsides,yourealizethenecessity.Wemustnotlosecourage,solongastheworsthasnotyethappened.Butthesparkofhopeistiny.Muchwilldependonthistinysparkofhopeoverthenextfewdays.Muchalsodependsonwhethertherearestillpeoplewillingtocryouttotheworldtheutterabsurdityofsuchgoingson—ashasbeendonejustnow,eveninthegreatcitiesoftheworld.

Theworldneedspeaceandwillsuffergreatprivationifpeaceisnotachieved.Anditwill suffer great privation if credence continues to be given to those who say:We areforced to fight for permanent peace; and if these same people continue to meet everypossibilityforpeacewithscorn,howeverdisguisedincleverwords.Butwehavereachedapoint,mydearfriends,whenevenaLloydGeorge25canbetakenforagreatmanbythewidestcircles!Wemaywellsay:Thingshavecomeaverylongwayindeed!

Yetthesethingsarealsoonlytrialstotestmankind.TheywouldevenbetrialsifwhatIpermittedmyselftoexpressattheendoftheChristmaslectureweretohappen,namely,ifitwere toberecordedforall timethat, in theChristmasseasonof thenineteenhundredandsixteenthyearaftertheMysteryofGolgotha,thecallfor‘peaceonearthamongmenandwomenwhoareofgoodwill’wasshouteddownonthemostemptypretexts. If thepretextsarenotentirelyempty,thentheyareindeedmoresinisterstill.Ifthisisthecase,thenitwillbenecessarytorecognizewhatisreallyatworkinthisshoutingdownofeverythoughtofpeace:thatitisnotevenaquestionofwhatissaidintheperiphery,butofquiteotherthings.ThenitwillbeunderstoodthatitisjustifiedtosaythatwhathappensnowiscrucialforthefortuneormisfortuneofEurope.

Icannotgofurthertonightbecauseofthelatenessofthehour.ButIdidwanttoimpressthesewordsonyourheart!

LECTURETWELVEDornach,30December1916

Ourrecentconsiderationshave,ontheonehand,referredtohumanevolutionasawhole,in so far as this has been affected by the Mystery of Golgotha. We have concernedourselves to somedegreewith the loftiest, themost significant aspectsofuniversal andhumanevolution.Ontheotherhand,itissurelyunderstandablethatwehavegoneintotheeventsofthemoment.Itwasespeciallynecessarytodothisbecausealargeproportionofourfriendshadexpressedthewishtohearsomethingaboutthesecurrentevents.Wehavetoadmitthatthegravityofthetimesencouragesustolinktheconcreteexperiencesofthedaywiththenervecentre,theinmostimpulse,ofourspiritual-scientificstriving.Foraftermuchinvestigationwecansurelysaythatthereasonsforthecatastrophewenowseeallaroundusinhumanevolutionareburiedverydeeplyindeed,andthat it issuperficial tolookatcurrenteventssolelybytakingaccountofonlythemostexternalramifications.

Lookingonlyatthesewewouldneverreachafruitfulviewofpresentevents.Afruitfulviewwould be onewhichwould give us the possibility of finding thoughts on how toextricateourselvesfromthecatastropheinwhichtheworldnowfindsitself.Soletuslookatsomemoredetails.Ithenintendtomorrowtoshowanimportantconnectionrevealedbyspiritualscience,aconnectionwhichwilltouchoursoulsinawaywhichwillenableustogainanactiveandunderstandinggraspofthesethings.Soletusnowprepareforthiswithsomemoredetails.

First, let me stress once again that nothing is further frommy intention than to putforwardpoliticalconsiderations.This ismostcertainlynotour task. It isour task touseourconsiderationstogainknowledge,knowledgeofhowthingsare linkedtogether.Forthiswehavetolookatthedetails.Andforthisveryreasonourconsiderationsareveryfarremoved from any form of taking sides. Especially in this respect I beg you not tomisunderstandme.Whateverpointofviewoneorotherofusmighthave in relation tonational aspirations must not be allowed to interfere in any way with the deeperfoundationsofourspiritual-scientificstriving.Myintentionissolelytomakesuggestionsonwhichajudgementmightbebased.InnowaydoIwanttoinfluenceanyone’sopinion.

Misunderstandings can easily arise in this field, and it seems tome that someof thethingsIhavesaidrecentlyhaveindeedbeenopentomisunderstanding.Letmethereforesay immediately—since anyone can be misunderstood in this way—that, for instance,whenIhavespokenaboutthequestionofBelgianneutrality1andeventsconnectedwithit,Ihavehadabsolutelynointentionofdefendingorattackinganythingbutmerelywantedtostatefacts.Indeed,thefirsttimeImentionedthisIwassimplyquotingGeorgBrandes2who,soitseemstome,hasexpressedatrulyneutraljudgement.

Ithasnotbeenmyconcerntocriticizepoliticallyonemeasureoranothertakenbyonesideoranother.Myintentionhasbeentostresstheimportanceoftheprincipleoftruthintheworld, to stress that thekarmawhichhas fulfilled itself inmankindhasoftencomeabout because the attention paid to facts, the attention paid to historical and otherconnectionsoflifeinourmaterialisticage,isnotpermeatedwiththetruth.Whentruthis

notatwork,whenthatextraordinaryoppositeoftruth,namely,thelackofinclinationtoseekthetruth,isatwork,whenthereislittleyearningfortruth—allthisisconnectedwiththekarmaofourtime.Thisiswhatwemuststudy.

Whenweseewhatisbeingsaidduringtheseyearsinwhichmankindisliving,throughwhat is today called war, we cannot object that such things are said only by thenewspapers.Whatmattersistheeffect.Thesethingshavepowerfuleffects.Whenwepayattention towhat is said and to how these things are said,we find that it is just in this‘how’thatsomethingworkswhichtrulydoesnotrunconcurrentlywiththetruth.Donotbelievethatthoughtsandstatementsarenotobjectiveforcesintheirownright!Theyareobjective, actual forces! It is inevitable that theyare followedbyconsequences, even ifthesearenot translatedintoexternaldeeds.Whatpeople thinkisfarmoreimportantforthefuturethanwhattheydo.Thoughtsbecomedeedsinthecourseoftime.Welivetodayon the thoughtsofpast times; theseare fulfilled in thedeedscommitted today.Andourthoughtswhichfloodthroughtheworldtodaywillflowintothedeedsofthefuture.

Iamnowcomingtosomethingwhichhaseasilyledtomisunderstandings,soletmesayinadvance:Iamusingthefollowingasamodelforthemannerinwhichonemayseekthetruth.IsaidsomedaysagothatpeacewouldhavebeenpreservedifSirEdwardGreyhadreplied in the affirmative to thequestion from theGermanambassador inLondonas towhether England would remain neutral if Germany respected Belgian neutrality. Thisstatementmaybedisputed.Imaintain,however,thatitcannotbedeniedthatthingswouldcertainlyhavetakenadifferentcourseifSirEdwardGreyhadansweredintheaffirmative;forthentheviolationofBelgium’sneutralitywouldnothavetakenplace.

IfyourecalleverythingIhavesaid—andpleaseconsiderthatwhatmattersherearethenuances—youwillseethatwithnotasinglewordhaveIanywheredefendedtheviolationofBelgianneutrality.Icertainlyhavenotdonethis.ButneitherdoIneedtobranditasaviolationof the law.Todosowouldbe tocarrycoals toNewcastle,as thesayinggoes.Rightat thebeginningof thewar theGermanChancellorhimselfadmitted that itwasaviolationof the law. It cannotbemy task toaddanything to thisor toexcuseanythingabout it. Ithasbeenadmittedby thosecompetent to judge that itwasaviolationof thelaw.

Thefactremains—andIbegthatweshouldunderstandoneanotherproperlytoday,mydearfriends—thefactremainsthaton1AugusttheEnglishForeignMinisterwasasked:Would England remain neutral ifGermany refrained from violatingBelgian neutrality?Andhegaveanevasiveanswer!Thewaythequestionwasframedleavesnodoubtthat,iftheanswerhadbeenaffirmative,Belgium’sneutralitywouldnothavebeenviolated.

YoucouldsaythattheneutralityofBelgiumhadbeenguaranteedsince1839,andthatas matters stood there was no need to ask, since Germany was obliged to respect theneutrality ofBelgium.ThereforeGermanyhad no right to demand thatEngland shouldremainneutral ifGermanywere to respect the law, since itwasher duty todo so.TherespectingofBelgium’sneutralityoughtnottohavebeenmadedependentonEngland’sneutrality.YoucouldsaythattheGermanambassadormerelyasked:WillEnglandremainneutralifGermanykeepsherpromise?

So if someonemaintains that it was formally correct of Sir EdwardGrey to answer

evasively,heisabsolutelyright.Heissorightthatit ispointlesstogointoitanymore.But legally formal judgements are never what matters in world evolution. Suchjudgements never conform to reality!World history proceeds inwayswhich cannot beencompassed by formal judgements. A formal judgement is foreign to reality. Butsomeonewhomakesaformaljudgementwill,ifonlyheshoutsloudlyenough,alwaysbein the right because, of course, sensiblepeopledonot object to the rightnessof formaljudgements. Formal judgements are also very easily understood; but they do notencompasstherealities.

MayIremindyouthatinmyrecentbookVomMenschenrätsel3Istressedthatitisnotonly the formal correctness of a judgement thatmatters but also the degree inwhich itconforms to reality. The important thing is that judgements must encompass reality.Nobodycanhaveanyobjection to the formalcorrectnessofSirEdwardGrey’sanswer.Thereisnothingtodiscuss,foritisperfectlyobvious.Butitisthefactswemustlookat,although thewaywe lookat the factsmustbe suchas to showhowweought to judgeexternalmattersifwewanttoprepareourselvestowincorrectperceptionsaboutspiritualmatters also. Spiritual matters must be comprehended in all their reality; and for this,formal judgements are insufficient. So we must accustom ourselves to keep the factstogetheraswellaswepossiblycaninexternalmattersalso.

I could argue for a long time on this, forwe could speak for days solely about thisquestion.Firstofall,ifitwereamatterofestablishingalegalbasis—forifneutralityistobeviolated,itmustfirstexist—weshouldhavetodiscoverwhetherBelgium’sneutralitydid, in fact, exist at the time when it was supposed to have been violated. I am notreferringheretodocuments4whichhavebeenfoundduringthewar.Thereisnopointindiscussingthesesincetheyarequestionableandvariousopinionsarepossible.Butifthematter were being discussed, and if everything relevant were being scrutinized andassessed in theway other things are also judged in ordinary life, then this pointwouldhave tobe raised too:surely theoldneutrality formalized in1839 lost itsvaliditywhenBelgium occupied the Congo.5 If a state creates new circumstances by entering intointernationalrelationsatalevelwhereitcouldgiveawayorsellterritoriesasextensiveasthoseoftheCongo—ordoanythingelsewiththeminrelationtootherstates—then,surelyitsneutralitymustbesuspect.

Iknowthatin1885theCongowasdeclaredneutralaswell;butitwouldbeamatterofdeciding whether or not this was contestable. But I do not want to decide anything. Imerelywanttodrawyourattentiontothedifficultieswhichexistandtothefactthatitisnot so easy to form a truly objective judgement about such things. A number of otherthingsofequalcalibrecouldbebroughtintotheargument,sothisiswherethedifficultiesbegin.Neither shallwe discuss how far the old agreement of 1839 could still be valid,sinceGermanywasnotfoundeduntil1871.Allthesethingswouldhavetobeconsidered.For into the objective progress of events there flow not only fantastic ideas which weformalize,butalsoactualfacts,withoutanycontributionfromhumanbeings;actualfactsalsoplaytheirpart.

Now, is it really true that the German ambassador formulated a question aboutsomethingthatshouldhavebeenamatterofcourse?Thequestionheaskedwas:WouldGreatBritainremainneutralifGermanykeptthepromiseof1839,eventhoughGermany

didnotexistatthattime!Earlieron,Belgianneutralitywasnottakenasamatterofcourseeither. When, in 1870, war broke out between Prussia—together with the Germanprincipalities allied with her— and France, an agreement6 was reached between GreatBritain under ForeignMinister Gladstone andGermany on the one hand, and betweenGreatBritainandFranceontheotherhand.IneachcaseitwasagreedthatGreatBritainwouldremainneutraliftheothertworespectedtheneutralityofBelgium.

So, in theyear1870,GreatBritainwas inexactly thesamesituation.Yetshedidnottake the attitude that the old agreement of 1839 was definitely valid. Instead, in caseanything should happen, she balanced the neutrality of Belgium against her own. If aprejudgementsuchasthisoccurs,itcannotafterwardsbesaidthatsimilarstepsshouldnotbe taken at a later date. So let us refer oncemore to something I have stressed severaltimes: there iscontinuity in the life thatruns throughhistory; thingsare linkedtogether.Justasanindividualcannotdosomethingtoundowhathasoncebeendone,soitiswithnations. You cannot take something for granted if it has not previously been taken forgranted.

Sothis,too,mustbetakenintoconsideration.Evenifthematterhadbeensosimplethatitcouldhavebeensaid:Theagreementof1839wasobviouslyvalid,andsotherewasnoneedtorequestGreatBritainforanadditionalcommitment—evenifthiscouldhavebeensaid—thenthecounterargumentis:thatin1870GreatBritainherselftooktheinitiative.ItwasGreatBritainwhoaskedFrance,ontheonehand,andGermany,ontheother,whethertheywouldrespecttheneutralityofBelgium.Soatthattimediscussionstookplaceaboutneutrality.Andwhendiscussionstakeplace,otherscanfollowfromthematalaterdate.

Thefollowingcanalsobesaid.Youknowthatitisnotmytasktodefendtheviolationofneutrality,but I can say: If anaffirmativeanswer fromGreatBritainhad led tonon-violationofBelgium’sneutrality,theneverythingintheWestwouldhavetakenadifferentcourse. But this was not my final word, for I added expressly: In addition, Germanyoffered to respectFrance andher colonies ifEnglandwere to remainneutral.Whennopositiveanswerwas forthcoming to thisquestioneither, the furtherquestionwasasked:Underwhat conditionswouldEngland remain neutral? Englandwas actually invited toname theconditionsunderwhichshewould remainneutral.Thiswasalloveranddonewithon2August, for ithappenedon1August.Englanddeclined.GreatBritaindidnotwant to give any answer to questions on this subject. So you can really say: If GreatBritainhadgivenanykindofananswer,everythingwouldhavetakenadifferentcourseintheWest;eventheexternalcourseofhistoryshowsthis.

ButIdidnotstophereeither,forIsaidtoyouthatIknewfromothercircumstancesthateven thewholewarwith France could have been avoided ifGreatBritain had given asuitableanswer.Thefact that therewereother,moreprofound,reasonswhythisdidnothappenissomethingthatweighsdownthescalesontheotherside.Buteverythingmustbecarefullyconsidered ifwewant toforma judgementabout theopinion thathasbeenbuzzingaroundtheworldforthelasttwoandahalfyears.Fortherearestillmanypeoplewhobelieve thatEnglandentered thewarbecauseof theviolationofBelgianneutrality,wheninfactthisverythingcouldhavebeenavoidedifshehadnotenteredthewar!

Nowyoumightsay:ThewholewarsituationintheWestwouldhavebeendifferentifGermanyhadnotviolatedtheneutralityofBelgium.Butthenyouarenotdistinguishing

betweenwhatisformallyandlegallycorrectandallthatisconnectedwiththetragedyofworld history. It is very important to distinguish between what is tragic and what isformally correct. Of course, things would have been different.What would have beendifferent?Without,Ibegyou,bringingmoralaspects intothediscussion, letusnowseewhatwouldhavebeendifferent.

Let us assume that Belgium’s neutrality had been respected despite Great Britain’srefusaltomakeacommitment,whichmeantthatatanyminuteshecouldbeexpectedtoenterthewar.Asthingsstood,theattitudeofGreatBritainmadeitabsolutelyinevitablethatwarwouldbreakoutintheWest.Thismustbeobvioustoanyonewhoreallystudiesthematter,notonlytheBluePaperbutalltheotherdocumentsaswell.WhetheritcouldhavebeenavoidedwiththemoodinFrancebeingasitwasatthattimeisanotherquestion—hardly, perhaps! But let us assume that war broke out in theWest because of GreatBritain’s attitude.What would have happened if Belgium’s neutrality had neverthelessbeenrespected?AsIhavesaid,Iamnotleadinguptoamoraljudgementinanydirection.

The following would have happened: by far the greatest part of the German army,whichhasbeenaccusedofsomuch,wouldhavebeenentangledinFrance’sdefencesanduseduponthewesternside.DespiteallthetalkofPrussianmilitarism,theFrencharmyishardlylesspowerfulthantheGerman—thefiguresarevirtuallyidentical—andthiswasthecasebeforethewaraswell.Therefore,obviouslytheGermanarmywouldhavebeenused up in the West, and the invasion from the East which began in August andSeptember,wouldhavecommencedwithavengeance.FortheexpertssaidthatitwouldhavebeenimpossibletowagewarintheWestwithoutengagingalmostthewholeoftheGermanarmyallthetime.GermanywouldhavebeentotallyexposedtotheinvasionfromtheEast.

This was the situation. It might have been said that this was a wrong strategicjudgement.Thiswasarguableduringtheearlymonthsofthewar,butnotanylonger.ForsincethefailedattemptatVerdun,thosewhosaidthatthewholeGermanarmywouldbeusedupifitwasdeployedsolelyintheWesthavebeenprovedtoberight.

So therewas a choicebetweenpassing thedeath sentenceonGermanyor taking thetragicstepofbreaking in throughBelgium,whichwas theonlyalternative ifwar in theWestcouldnotbeavoided;forintheEastitcertainlycouldnotbeavoided!AnyonewhosaystodaythatitcouldhavebeenavoidedmusthavetheeffronterytosayYesandNoatthe same time. People today are hardly capable of consideringwhatmight be true andwhatfalse,butgiventhatsomemighthavetheeffronterytosayYesandNoatthesametime,thisiswhattheywouldmaintain:wehavebeenattackedbytheCentralPowers;wearenottoblameforthecommencementofthewar;butweshallnotendthewaruntilwehaveattainedourwargoal,namely,toconquerthisoneorthatone!

ThereyouhaveYesandNointhesamebreath!Wearenottheoneswhowantanything,itistheotherswhowantsomething;theywanttoconquer,thatiswhytheyhaveattackedus;we,however,shallnotendthiswartillwehaveachievedourlong-standingaimofthisorthatconquest!ItisreallyunbelievablethatpeopleexistwhohavetheeffronterytosayYesandNointhesamebreath.PerhapsinthenextfewdaysyouwilldiscoverthatthereisindeedapersonwhoiscapableofsayingYesandNointhesamebreath.Hereisprobablythemostappallingdocument7evertohavebeenpublishedinrecenttimes,foritdepictsa

logicrivenbeyondallmeaning.Thisisindeedsomethingthatbelongstothekarmaofourtime.

Sowhatwehave todo isdistinguishbetweenwhat is logical and formally legal andwhatispurelytragic.Wemustnotsuccumbtothepeculiarmisconceptionthatitcouldbepossibleinmaya—thatis,intheworldofthephysicalplane—forrealeventstotakeplacesolely inaccordancewithwhat ismerelyformalandlogical.But letus lookfurther:wedid not set out to defend or attack anything. Our intention was to show that it is notjustifiable—especiallywhilethoseaccusedarenotinapositiontodefendthemselves—totrumpetabroadthatthiswarisbeingfoughtbyoneofthesidesbecauseoftheviolationofBelgian neutrality, without also proclaiming that one possessed the possibility ofpreventingthisviolation.TheonlypossibilityofescapingthetragedywouldhavebeentheneutralityofEngland.Fornostatesmanmayproclaim inadvance thedeathsentenceonhisowncountry.

Ofcourseitisreasonableifallthosewhoaresatisfiedwithreasonablejudgementssay:Agreementsmustbekept.Mydearfriends,ifyouweretoseealistofalltheagreementsinpublicandprivatelifewhicharenotkept,andifyouwerethentobeshownwhatthebreakingoftheseagreementshasbroughtaboutintheworld,youwouldbegintorealizejustwhatforcesinmayaarethereallyeffectiveones.

Butwastherereallysuchagoodconscienceonthesidewhichfailedtoanswerintheaffirmative?Thefactsseemtospeakagainstthepossibility.Forwhen,atalaterdate,thequestion of this discussion between theGerman ambassador and Sir EdwardGreywasonceagainplacedontheagenda,andwhenitwassaidthatEnglandcouldhavesavedtheneutralityofBelgium,theEnglishgovernmentdefendeditself.Itdidsonotbyinvokingtheargumentofmereformalandlegalcorrectness—forthisthereweretoomanyexcellentstatesmen in the English government at that time. Although I do not withdraw thejudgement8 of SirEdwardGrey—formed not byme but by hisEnglish colleagues—hewas,nevertheless,toogoodastatesmantofallbackontheposeofmaintainingthatsinceanagreementhadbeenformulated in1839,Germanywasobliged toabideby iteven ifEnglandhadgivenanevasiveanswer.InsteadofdoingthistheEnglishstatesmenexcusedthemselves in a different manner. Grey said that Lichnowsky had indeed asked thisquestionbut that hehaddone so in a private capacity andnot on the instructionof theGermangovernment.HadhedonesoontheinstructionoftheGermangovernment, thiswould have been different. Though Lichnowsky had acted from the best intentions ofmaintainingpeaceintheWest,hehadnothadtheGermangovernmentbehindhim!

Do you not think that in any private situation thiswould be called a lame excuse, aperfectlyordinarylameexcuse!ForthewholeworldknowsthatwhentheambassadorofacountryspeakswithaForeignMinisterhemustdosowiththefullpowerofhiscountrybehindhim,andthathiscountrycannotbutratifywhatherambassadorsays,unlessshewantstoappearquiteimpossibleintheeyesoftheworld.Sothiswasaperfectlyordinarylameexcuse,graspedatbecausenoonewanted towithdraw to apositionwhichwouldhavetobedefendedbysaying,simply:Whatwedidwascorrect.TheycertainlyfelttheweightofthefactthatEnglandcouldhavepreventedtheviolationofneutrality,quiteapartfromwhether theviolationwas justified from thepoint of viewof theother side. If anavalanche is threatening to fall and the one at the top of the mountain refrains from

holding it backbecause, for some reason—whichmayormaynotbe justifiedandmaycertainlybeunjustified—heisforcedtoletitgo,andthenifsomeonefurtherdownalsofailstoholditback,withthejustificationthattheoneatthetopshouldhavedoneit—no,youcannotargue in thisway!But toformjudgementsabout these thingsalwaysentailsweighingthemup.Sothefollowingwouldalsohavetobetakenintoconsideration:

When did it happen?We have now arrived at 2 August. On 2 August the King ofBelgiumrequestedtheinterventionofEngland,thatis,herequestedEnglandtointervenewith Germany. The Belgian King saw it as a matter of course that England shouldnegotiatewithGermanyabout theneutralityofBelgium. Initially,Englanddidnothing.Shewaited awhole daywhile SirEdwardGrey spoke to his Parliament inLondon. Indoingsoheconcealed theconversationhehadhadwith theGermanambassador.Notaword did he breathe about it. If he had mentioned it, the whole session in Parliamentwouldhavetakenadifferentcourse!

SoafterthediscussionwiththeGermanambassadorhadtakenplace,andaftertheKingof Belgium had requested the intervention of England, everything paused in England,nothingwasdone.Whatwaseverybodywaitingfor?Theywerewaitingfortheviolationof Belgium’s neutrality to be accomplished! As long as it remained unaccomplished,matterscouldstillhavetakenacoursealongwhichitwouldnothappen.Powerfulforceswereworkingagainstithappeninganditwashangingbyasilkenthread.Iftherequestofthe Belgian King had been fulfilled quickly enough, if England had intervened, it isquestionablewhether the violation of neutralitywould have taken place. Butwhen didGreyintervene?Onthefourth,whentheGermanarmieshadalreadysetfootonBelgiansoil!Whydidhewait,evenaftertherequestoftheKingofBelgium?Thesearequestionswhichhavetobeasked.

Muchcouldbeaddedtoallthisifthedocumentsweretobestudiedbothforwardsandbackwards.But this isnotnecessary,forIbelieveIhavemadeitclear toyouthat thesethingswereverywellpreparedyearsinadvance.Sothereisnoneedtobesurprisedthatevents took the course they did in recent years.Of course, if you study the documentsforwardsonly,youwillonlycomeupwithformalanswers.

Ithasbeenmyintentionnottotakesidesonewayortheother,butonlytoshowwhatisnecessarytocometoajudgementonthesethings.Forinaccordancewiththenervecentreof spiritual science, wherewe strive for a lofty viewpoint, I would rather refrain fromlight-heartedlymakingderogatoryjudgementsaboutwhathappensinworldhistorywhenstatescollidehead-on;fordonotforget:notnations,notpeoples,wagewar;stateswagewar!

Inthisfieldwetendtoconsidertoolittlethat, inadditiontotheforcesofgrowthandbecoming,worldeventsalsoneedtheforcesofdestructionanddecay.Isitanydifferentwiththeindividualhumanbeing?Aswedevelopourcapacitiesduringthecourseofourlifetime,wecauseourbodytodecayandbedestroyed.TomorrowIshallshowyouwhatprofoundconnectionexistsbetweenoursoullifeandbelladonna,jimsonweed,andotherpoisonsfoundoutsideintheworld.Thesearetruthswhichdelvedeeplydownintothings.Onemusthavethecouragetogivethesetruthsavalidityinworldhistory.Thereforeitismuchbettertounderstand,ratherthantojudgeinaccordancewithsomeso-callednormorother.Anycondemnationofstatesornationsusuallystandsoninsecurefoundations.Ifwe

areatlasttoascendtowardsthespiritualworldandbeabletounderstandanythingthere,we must accustom ourselves to simply looking at facts, without any criticism—whichbelongstoquiteanotherrealm.Onlythenshallweunderstandwhatforcesareatworkinworldevolution.

From this point of view let us now look at certain events—without anger, but bystudyingthemcarefully—certaineventswhichIhavehithertoobservedhavesofarbeenconsideredsolely fromamoralpointofview.Suchapointofviewmust,ofcourse,beappliedtotheactionsofindividuals,althoughitisabsurdtoapplyittothelivesofstates.OneorotherofyoumightevenfinditstrangethatIshouldlookattheseeventswithoutjudgingthemmorally;yettheycancertainlybeconsideredwithoutanymoralundertones.

OneofthechiefelementsinthemightyBritishEmpireisitsdominionoverIndia.ThisdominionoverIndiahasundergoneanumberofearlierstages.IttookitsdeparturefromtheEastIndiaCompany,atradingorganizationwhich,tobeginwith,enjoyedtheprivilegeof being the sole company permitted to tradewith India onEngland’s behalf. Then, astimewenton,theredeveloped,inexorablyandappropriately,outofthevariousprivilegesenjoyed by the East India Company, the dominion of England over India—indeed, theEnglishEmpire of India.From this, indeed also through theEast IndiaCompany, therealsodevelopedEngland’stradewithChina.Fromtheendoftheeighteenthcenturytherewas a lively trading relationship between India and China, and the English East IndiaCompanywasalreadyinvolvedatthattime.YouknowthatEnglandthengraduallygrewtobetheforemostmerchantoftheworld.

Then, as the element of trade became established in the Orient, something else wasbrought to bear on it; it came into contact with something else. From the seventeenthcenturyonwardsthehabitofsmokingopiumhadbecomewidespreadinChina.9Probablyit was the Arabs who taught the Chinese how to smoke opium, since before theseventeenthcenturytheyhadnotdoneso.Forthosewhodoit,smokingopiumprovidesaquestionablebutpowerfulpleasure.Theopiumsmokercreatesforhimselfthemostvariedfantasiesoutoftheastralworld.Inthesehelives.Itistrulyanotherworld,butreachedbyapurelymaterialpath.

WhenthepeoplewhoconductedEngland’stradewithChina,inthemannerdescribed,noticed that the habit, the passion of opium smokingwas spreading rapidly among theChinese, theyestablishedvastpoppyplantations inBengal for theproductionofopium.Those who are familiar with the laws of commerce know that not only does demandstimulatesupply,butsupplyalsostimulatesdemand.Anyeconomistwilltellyouthatifalargeamountofsomearticleisputonoffertherewillsoonbeagreatdemandforit.TheEastIndiaCompanywasgrantedthemonopolybyEnglandfortheexportofopiumfromIndiatoChina.AndthemoreopiumarrivedinChina,themoretheevilhabitspread.From1772onwardsseveralthousandchestswereimportedannually,eachtothevalueofabout4,800marks.

I have chosen this example for it has a very profound cultural and historicalbackground, if all factors are taken into account. Only consider that, by introducingopium, which works on the soul, you are interfering with the spiritual life of a wholenationor,atleast,ofthosetowhomyouaresupplyingit.IcanusethisexamplebecauseIhavenointentionofcondemninganyonewhowantstotrade.Tradeissomethingthatmust

movefreely in theworld.This isaperfectly justifiableprinciple. Ihaveno intentionofcondemninganyonewhomightgrowpoppiesinBengalinordertomanufactureopiumforChinaandtakegoldinexchange.

But the Chinese saw their pathetically wasted opium smokers. Opium smokersgradually deteriorate, and after a while it was noticed that the habit was causing thedegenerationofwidesectionsof theChinesepopulation.WhentheChinesenoticed thistheyoutlawed the smokingofopium in1794.Theywanted toprevent anymoreopiumfromenteringthecountry.

Butas is thewaywithsuch things,prohibitionsdonotnecessarilyprevent tradewiththeforbiddenarticle.Waysandmeansarefoundtocarryontrading.Soitturnedoutthatdespite the formal prohibition, despite the lawwhich forbade the import of opium, theopiumtradeflourished.Thereareallsortsofways,ofwhichbriberyisonlyone.Inshort,the opium trade flourished and increased from a few thousand chests in 1773 to thirtythousandchestsin1837:thatis,overonlyafewdecades.Theprofits,aboutthirtymillionfrancsayear,flowedintoBritishIndia.

Once things had got out of hand to this extent, the Chinese could think of no othermeasure than the confiscation of the opium consignments as they arrived. To Canton,whichwas the usual destination of the consignments, they sent a capable Chinese—anenergeticman,Linbyname,whoconfiscatedthechestsastheyarrived.TheEnglishalsohad a capableman in their consulate,CaptainElliot,whowas very energetic and evensucceededononeoccasioninbreakingthroughtheChineseblockadewithawarship.

Nowtherearose thequestionofhowtogetoutof this fix.Mountainsofchests filledwithopiumwerewaitingtobedealtwith,buttheChinesewouldnotrelent.Thesituationwasmostawkward.SoElliot,whowasinapositiontodothis,had20,283chestssignedovertohimselfpersonallyandthenhandedthemtotheChineseGovernment.Thiswasthewayoutforthemoment.

However, thisdidnotremovetheopiumtradefromthefaceof theearth, for insomequarters therewas nodesire to rid theworld of the opium trade.So theChinese foundtherewas nothing for it but tomakenew lawsonce again, very strict laws indeed.Lindecreed that anyone caught trading with opium would be condemned to death by theChinesecourtsandthatfromnowonallshipsweretobeconfiscated.ThustheChinesewerenowfacedwiththeprospectofthedeathpenaltyiftheytradedwithopium.

ButtheBritishwouldnotconsidertheabolitionoftheopiumtrade,justbecauseafewpeoplemightlosetheirheads.Insteadtheysaid—andIquote10—’Withthisdemand,theChineseGovernmenthas finallydestroyedany senseof security.’Then theyorderedallBritish nationals living in China to leave, while armed assistance was requested fromIndia. They, so to say, occupied the whole area. The Chinese meanwhile stood quitebravelyby theirdecision tobeheadanyonecaught trading inopium.So itappeared thatthe opium trade had ceased. Since theChinese intended to confiscate anyBritish shipscarryingopium,thereappearedtobenomoreBritishships.WhathappenedwasthattheopiumwasloadedinIndiaontoAmericanshipsinstead!So,justasmuch—indeedmoreandmore—opiumcontinuedtoarriveinChinaonAmericanships.

Elliot,thecivilservant,said:Thequestionunderlyingourconflictisquitesimple.Does

Chinawish to conduct honest and increasing tradewith us, or does shewant to acceptresponsibility for allowing her coastal waters to fall victim to open piracy andfreebooting? The harbour at Canton was blockaded with help from India. In theskirmishing this involved, a Chinese was killed by an English sailor. Of course theChineseGovernmentdemanded theextraditionof thesailor.Everysooften theChinesetiredof thewholeaffair, sometimeswanting toprove theywere in therightandyetnotwanting to prove the English wrong either. It is quite possible to do this! One day anEnglish sailor drowned by accident. SoElliot, a very cleverman, agreedwith Lin, therepresentativeoftheChineseGovernment,thattheywouldconfirmthedrownedsailortobe the one who had killed the Chinese. The drowned sailor was handed over and thematterthussettledforthemoment.Butallthesethingsledintheend,in1840,tothewarbetweenEnglandandChina.

Sothewholecourseofeventswasinexorableandcouldnothavegoneanyotherway.An incisive influence was exercised in a material way on the soul life of a people.Something tookplacewhich isconnectedwith thewholeprocessofworldevolution. InEnglandpeople ‘knew’what itwas all about!What did they know? InEnglandpeople‘knew’ that England had been ‘surprised’ by China—that is how they put it—and thereason givenwas thatChina could not tolerateEngland’s cultivation of opium in Indiabecause the Chinese wanted to build up their own cultivation. This is what was said.Everybody‘knew’allaboutthis,andanotherthingtheyknewwasthattheChinesewerebarbarians!ThatiswhatpeopleinEnglandknewatthattime.LordPalmerstonsaid:Theprotection of poppy cultivation in India must gain ground; it is a matter of protectingpoppycultivationinIndia;furthermore,theeconomistsinChinadonotwanttoallowoutoftheircountrythemoneywhichshouldbyrightsbepaidtoIndia.Allthesewerethingswell‘known’andunderstoodinEurope!

Warraged;andinwar,inevitably,atrocitiesoccur.Atrocitieswerecommitted,bothbytheChineseandby theEnglish.Wholevillageswere found inwhich thewomen lay inpools of blood in their houses; the Chinesemen, having fought bravely, saw that theywouldhave tokill themselvesorsurrender, so first theykilled theirwivesandchildren.Thiswarof1840wasasadwar.StrangerumoursbegantocirculateaboutElliot,whohadobserveditthroughoutandwhoactuallyhaditonhisconscience.Therumours—perhapstheyweretrue—saidthathewasinclinedtoinitiatepeacenegotiationswiththeChinese.Sohewasoverthrown.Then—no,notLloydGeorge!—acertainPottingerwasgiventhepositionofElliotwhohadwantedtoinitiatepeacenegotiations.Thewarwastobefoughttoitsbitterend,thatis,untiltheislandofChusanandthecitiesofNingpoandAmoyhadbeentaken,untiltheEnglishhadadvancedasfarasNankinganduntil,in1842,Chinahadbecometotallydemoralized.HongKongwasmadeover toEngland,fiveports inChinawereopenedforunlimitedopiumtrade,andBritishconsulsestablished.Inadditiontotheearliertwenty-fivemillionextorted—Idonotquitemeanextorted,thereisanotherwordwhichIcan’tfindforthemoment—inadditiontotheearliertwenty-fivemillionextortedfromtheChinese,afurtherdemandwasnowmadeforninety-sevenandahalfmillionwardamages.

AsIhavesaidbefore,Iwouldnotdreamofinterpretingthisprocessasanythingotherthanahistoricalnecessity.Iwouldnotdreamofaccusinganybody.Thosewhounderstandnecessitiesofthiskind,thosewhounderstandhowthingstakeplaceonthephysicalplane,

know that such things are perfectly possible in the normal physical way of worldevolution. The profits made from opium are now absorbed into the English nationaleconomy,andtheEnglishnationaleconomyincludesagoodpartofEnglishculture.JustasitwouldbenonsensetounderestimateEnglishculture,soisitalsononsensetodoubtthe necessity of such events, though perhaps the trifling satirical epilogue to thewholeaffairmightbeexcludedfromthatnecessity:

When the first instalment of the ninety-seven and a half million war damages wasreceived,certainpeoplecameforwardclaimingtheyhadbeenthefirst tohavechestsofopiumconfiscatedandthatthecompensationtheyhadreceivedhadbeenminimal.Now,theysaid,wehaveseenthatourcountryregardstheopiumtradewithChinaaslegitimate,sowedemandfullcompensation,sinceweweremerelydoingsomethingoverwhichourcountryhassincebeenwagingwar.TheministerwhosetaskitwastodecidethematterdrewfromhispocketanotehehadgivenCaptainElliotatthetime,statingthatsolongasChineselawforbadetheopiumtrade,theEnglishGovernmentwouldneveragreetopaycompensationtoanyonewhomightsufferlossesasaresultofcarryingonthistrade.SincethisChineselawwasinforceatthetime,hesaid,yourdemandhasnofoundationbecauseyouwerecontraveningthislawwhichwasonlylaternullifiedbythewar.

Weneednotdecidewhetherthisepiloguewasalsooneofthehistoricalnecessities.Butwhat is a necessity is that we should look at the facts.When this Anglo-Chinese warstarted in 1840, mankind stood at the beginning of a time about which we have oftenspoken.Ihavementionedthisveryyear toyouas that inwhichmaterialismattained itszenith. It isgood tounderstandhowsuch thingsdevelop.As I said, just as itwouldbenonsensetounderestimateEnglishcultureorEnglishlife—Englishcivilization—sowouldit be nonsense to believe that something of this nature could have been avoided in theoverallcontextofEnglishevolution.Itbelongstoit.Soit isentirelywrongtoformanykindofmoraljudgementaboutit.Ifwedid,wewouldbemakingthemistakeofjudgingwhole nations, whole groups in the manner which is only appropriate when we judgeindividuals.Thisistheverythingwhichitisimpossibletodo.

Yetagainandagain it ismaintainedthatsucha thingispossible. Ihavejustreceivedanotherpamphlet—therearesomanypeacemakingpamphletstobehadatthemoment—which says: States have their own thinking, feeling and willing, just as do humanindividuals. Of course this is utter nonsense because you cannot, by analogy, transfersomethingwhichhasrealityonahigherplanetothelevelofthehumanbeingwhohashisthinking, feeling andwilling in the physical sphere.Of course the folk spirits, the folksouls,alsohavetheircharacteristics,buttheseareasIhavedescribedtheminthelecturecycle11 Imentioned the other day. But to speak of the thinking, feeling andwilling ofnationsissimplynonsense.

Mydearfriends,todayIhaveintroducedyoutocertainmatters,forthesimplereasonthatitwasnecessarytoaddsomestrikingexamplestoourbasicmaterial.Tomorrowweshallcontinuetolinkthistomorefar-reachingviewpoints.

LECTURETHIRTEENDornach,31December1916

Youwill understand that for onewho followswith sympathy the destiny ofmankind itwillbedifficulttospeaktoday,onNewYear’sEve.IexpectitwillbeunderstandableifwhatIhavetosaytodaycannotberoundedoff inthewaywehavecometoexpect,forthat‘NewYear’sEvegift’1receivedbymankindwillhardlyallowthefreeunfoldingofwhatisinmysoul.

Yesterday Iendeavoured todescribe toyouahistoricaleventand to show thatonnoaccountmaysuchaneventbe judged inamoralsense, foreventsfoundedonhistoricalnecessitymaynotbeassessedmorally.WehavetobequiteclearthatjustastheMysteryofGolgothahasnothingtodowithpeoplesorgroupsofpeople—foritslightfallsonlyontheindividualhumanbeing—so,byanalogy,isitalsoimpossibletotransfertogroupsthewayinwhichwemorallyjudgethethinking,feelingandwillingoftheindividual.

Thereareothercases,also,towhichmoralyardsticksmaynotbeapplied.Forinstance,itwouldnotoccurtoanyonetoapplyamoralyardsticktothebuildingofahouse;noonewould find one roof less moral than another because of its shape. It is just that thisexample is more extreme, so it is more obvious that people would not apply moraljudgements to such things; in such an extreme case they would be unlikely to letthemselvesbe ledastraybymoral judgements. Incontrast,however, thosewhowant toworkonpeople’s souls,whichare everopen to such things, choose just thismethodofdecking-outwithmoralreasonsthingstowhich,intruth,moraljudgementsdonotapplyandwhichcannotbejudgedmorally,exceptbyhypocrites.ThatiswhyIputbeforeyouaneventwhichhadthecapacityofthrowinglightoncertainmotiveswhichareatworkinhumanevolutiononthephysicalplane.

Itisnotpermissibletomakemoraljudgements,eitherpositiveornegative,abouteventssuch as theOpiumWar I described to you yesterday.Wherewould amoral judgementlead, even if itwere onewhichmightmake people consult their consciences? Supposesomeoneweretosay:Thatwasindeedanimmoralventure,butnowwehaveputitbehindus.Thiswouldbeoneofthosejudgementsintendedtolullustosleep!ForthankstothemillionswhichflowedfromAsiatoEuropeatthattime,thereexiststoday,inallitsglory,thatkingdomwhichoughttoconsultitsconscience.

Tobelogicalitwouldthenalsobenecessary,fromthesamestandpointofconscience,tocondemnthepresent intrigues justasfirmlyandsharplyasonecondemnstheOpiumWar!Ifonedidnotdosoitwouldbeliketakingintoaccount,inthecaseofahouse,onlythefirst,secondandthirdfloorsandtheattic,whileleavingoutwhatcannotbeleftout—namely, the ground floor. What was won at that time belongs now to the wholeconfigurationoftheBritishEmpire.PerhapsyouhaveheardtheexampleofhowmuchapennyoracentimeinvestedatthetimeofthebirthofChristatcompoundinterestwouldhaveincreasedbynow.Thisshowsyouwhatincreaseofrichesispossibleovertheyears.SoifyouwanttojudgetheyieldoftheOpiumWaryoumustlookatitasawhole.Thenyouwillseethatwhathasgrownoutofthosemillions—afterall,thishasbeengoingon

for a century—is somethingwhich ispreparing to rule theworld, tooverrun theworld;thisiswhatmaybefoundinwhatwaswonatthattime!

Yousee,itwouldbeanoffenceagainstalltruthtoconsiderinisolationasingleeventwhichispartofanongoingevolution.WhatyoucansayisthatwhathassincedevelopedisoneoftheconsequencesoftheOpiumWar.Youcansaythisquiteobjectively,withouttakingupapositiveornegativemoralstance.Itisnotpermissibletopaintoverthefactswith shades of morality. If we do this today, we are preventing the possibility of anysubsequentinsightintowhatisgoingonnow.Onkarmicandmoralgroundswehavetopresumethat,lookingbackontoday’seventsinthedecadesorcenturiestocome,peoplewill condemnwith an equal degree of certainty and convictionwhat is today defendedwith noble moral patriotism. In the centuries to come, today’s events will look verysimilar.

Itbehovesustolookmoredeeplyintosuchthingsastheyoccuronthephysicalplane,especiallyatamomentlikethiswhen,ontheonehand,theturnoftheyearshouldawakenafestivemoodinoursouls,whileontheotherhandthebitternessofeventsmustmoveusdeeply—unlessweareutterlysuperficial.Regardlessofanysidewemightsupport,noneof us can fail to realize that on thewordswe have read today2 could depend themostterribledestinyforthewholeofmankind.

I said: Itbehoves thoseofuswhostand for spiritualknowledge to lookmoredeeplyinto things.Sotoday,sinceIdonotknowhowmuchlonger itwillbepossible tospeakaboutsuchspiritualmattersinEurope,Iwanttodrawyourattentiontosomethingwhichmay serve as an example to help us look more deeply into conditions which aremanifestedoutwardlyinwhatweseeonthephysicalplane.Yousee,evenmorethanisthecasein thescienceswhichapplytothephysicalplane, it isnecessarytobeclear that inspiritualsciencethefactsandthewaytheyrelatetooneanotherarenotsimpleatall,butverycomplicated indeed. Ihaveoftenstressed thecomplicatednatureof thesefactsandhavebeggedyoutounderstandthatalthoughthegeneralformulae,ideasandlawsaboutthe relationships between the different aspects of life which we receive from spiritualscienceareabsolutelycorrect,nevertheless theyarenaturallyextraordinarilycomplexintheirapplicationtoactualcases.

Wehaveoften spokenabout the timebetweendeathandanewbirthandofhow thehumanbeingdescendsagaintothephysicalworldinordertoincarnatehissoul-and-spiritbeingintoaphysicalbody.Sowecanrealizethatwheneverweraiseourspiritualeyetothespiritualworldwealwaysfindsoulswho,withtheforcestheyhavegatheredbetweendeathandtheirnewbirth,arepreparingtodescendintophysicalbodies.Inotherwords,here downbelow the possibilities await the creation of those physical bodies,while upabovetherearetheforcesinthesoulswhichguidethemtothesephysicalbodies.

Nowyoumustconsideranumberofother things togetherwithwhatIhave justsaid.Youknowthatoneoftheobjectionstotheconceptofrepeatedearthlylivesis:thehumanpopulationisincreasingallthetime,sowheredoallthesoulscomefrom?

Ihaveoftenrepliedthatthisisasuperficialobjection,forthesimplereasonthatpeopleforgettotakeintoaccountthat thisso-calledincreaseinthepopulationoftheworldhasonlybeenobservedinveryrecentcenturies.Forinstance,thosescientistswhoaresovery

proudoftheexactitudeoftheircalculationswouldbehighlyembarrassedifoneweretoquestionthemaboutthepopulationstatisticsoftheyear1348whenAmericahadnotyetbeendiscovered.Theobjectionsoftenmentionedareindeedstaggeringlysuperficial.Itisafactthatinsomepartsoftheworldthebirthratediminisheswhileitriseselsewhere,sothatthepopulationdensityvariesindifferentplaces.Thisbringsaboutacertainamountofdisharmony.Itcanhappenthat,inaccordancewiththeconditionsprevailinginrelationtotheincarnationofsoulswhoarelivingbetweenbetweendeathandanewbirth, therearecertainsoulswho,asaresultofpreviousincarnations,areinclinedtodescendtoacertainpartoftheworldbutthattherearetoofewbodiesavailablethere.Thiscanindeedhappen.Furthermore,thereissomethingelsethatcanhappenaswell,whichIwouldlikeyoutoconsiderinconnectionwithwhatwehavebeensaying.

Sometimeago—andyouwillseefromthisthatthelecturesIhavegivenhereinrecentweekshavenotbeenwithoutawidercontext—ImentionedthatJohnStuartMill,3andtheRussianphilosopherandpoliticianHerzen,4 havebothpointedout that inmanywaysakind of ‘Chineseness’ is beginning to manifest in Europe,5 as though Europe werebecoming‘chinesified’.Thiswasnoidleremarkonmypart.IfJohnStuartMill,whowasa keen observer, considered that many people in his vicinity were beginning to shownoticeableChinesetraits,thenincertainrespectshewasquiteright.

Considerthefollowing:soulsexistwho,asaresultoftheirformerlives,areinclinedtoincarnate in Chinese bodies during the nineteenth century or at the beginning of thetwentieth.NowsincetheChinesepopulationisnowherenearasgreatasitwasinformertimes, it is, in any case, not possible for all these Chinese souls to incarnate there. InEurope,on theotherhand, thephysical populationhas increased considerably in recenttimes, and so many souls can be accommodated here who were really destined forincarnation inChinese bodies. This is one reasonwhy keen observers are beginning tonoticethatEuropeisbecoming‘chinesified’.

But this alone would not have sufficed to prepare Europe for that European karmawhichwastocomeabout.Ahelpinghandwasneededtoassistacertainaspectofthegreatlaws of existence.Now if over a long period something is brought about of the kind Imentionedyesterday,namely,thatverymanybodiesinawholepopulationarecausedtobecomeemaciated, thenasituationwillarise inwhichsoulswhowere inclined towardsthatareawillnot,afterall,incarnateinthosebodies.Bybringingaboutthe‘opiumising’of Chinese bodies and causing generations to come into being under the influence ofopium’s forces, it was possible to condemn the Chinese to take in, to a certain extent,some very immature, sub-standard souls,whose qualities I shall not discuss. But thosesoulswhohadthemselvesdecidedtoincarnateinChinesebodiesweretherebypreventedfrom approaching these ‘opiumised’ bodies. They were diverted to Europe where theybroughtaboutamongtheEuropeanpopulationthosetraitswhichhave,meanwhile,beennotedbythosekeenobserversImentioned.

So you see that an event on the physical plane such as the OpiumWar has a quitedefinitespiritualbackground.Inthefirstinstance,itspurposeisnottohelpcertainpeoplemakemillionsandgrowrichbuttopreventcertainsoulswhowouldhavecomefromthespiritual world round about now, to strengthen the cultural forces of Europe, fromincarnating yet, and instead to surreptitiously fill European bodies with Chinese souls.

This is really so, however paradoxical it may seem. This momentous event has trulybecomefact.InagreatmanyEuropeanpeopleadisharmonybetweensoulandbodyhasbeenbroughtaboutinthewayIhavejustdescribed.Suchdisharmonybetweensoulandbody always has the consequence ofmaking it impossible to use the tools of the bodyproperly.Thismakes it possible, instead, for others to busy themselveswith errors anduntruths.Itwouldnotbesoeasytoworkbymeansoferrorsanduntruths,ifthosewhoseethroughtheseerrorsanduntruthswerenotcondemned,bytheconventionsoftheirday,topreachinthewilderness.

Yousee,therefore,thatIcertainlydidnotmentionwhatItoldyouyesterdaymerelyinorder to link it in an insulting manner with a particular nation. I mentioned it as anexampleofhowactionsbyhumanbeingshereonthephysicalplanecanbringaboutfar-reachingchangesinthespiritualevolutionofmankindasawhole.Furthermore,pleasedonotimaginethatItoldyouwhatIdidaboutthehotbedsofdeception,andthemannerinwhichtheybringabouterrorsandillusions,simplyformyownamusement.Here,too,myintentionwastoshowyoumuchthatgoesoninourmaterialisticage.AndtodayIhavesought to demonstrate the kind of result one discoverswhen one observes not only thephysicaleventsbutalsothespiritualbackgroundofwhathumanbeingsbringabout.Seeninthisway,thatOpiumWarmeanttheswitchingofasoulelementfromapartoftheearthtowhichitbelonged—andwhereitmighthavebeenofuse,becauseitwouldhavebeenunitedwithbodiesintowhichitwouldhavefitted—toanotherpartoftheearthwhereitcouldbecomeatoolforforceswhosedesignsarebynomeansnecessarilybeneficialformankind.

Wemustrealize,ofcourse, thatanordinaryhistorianwillonlynoticesomedegreeofdegenerationincertainstrataoftheChinesepopulationresultingfromtheOpiumWar.Butonewho, inaddition,observes the spiritualaspectsofculturalhistorywillhave to lookmoredeeplyinorder toseewhat isbroughtaboutbythisdegenerationfor thewholeofmankind. For only in this fifth post-Atlantean period, which is entirely permeated bymaterialism,isitpossibletoobservethingsinamannersodeeplyahrimanic—amannerwhich pervades all thinking and all ideas—that if something good or something bad isdonetoapartofmankind,peoplereallycanbelievethatthiswillnotaffectmankindasawhole.Whateverisdoneinconnectionwith,orby,apartofmankind,willalwaysaffectthewholeofhumanevolutionbecauseofthewaytheforcesbehindthescenesofphysicalexistencearrangethings.

Notuntilthesixthpost-Atlanteanperiodwillasenseofresponsibilitybecomegeneralamong mankind so that each individual feels responsible for what he does, not onlytowards himself but towardsmankind as awhole. Todaywe are surrounded by such amoodofcatastrophebecausetheveryoppositeof this is thegeneral trend,andfromtheattitudesprevalenttodaymankindwillpreparetocrystallizeouttheoppositeastherightview.

Sothisisanexamplewhichcanshowyouthatwhattakesplaceonthephysicalplanereally does affect even the spiritualworld, and is therefore not only significant for thephysicalplanebutisalsoechoedintheeventsofthespiritualworldandthusofthewholeuniverse. This is expressed quite deliberately in themystery drama,6 not for the poeticeffectbut,foronce,inordertogiveembodimenttoatruthwhichneedstobeplacedinto

ourpresenttimeequallyasmuchaseverythingelsethatiscontainedintheMysteries.

Manhasasyetnotprogressedveryfaralongtheroadtowardstheachievementofwiderhorizonsinhisviewoftheworld.Somehowhedoesnotreallywantwiderhorizonsinhisview of theworld.At the same time, science today is intent on restricting the horizonmoreandmore.Forscienceissecretlyafraidofwhatthetruthreallyis.Fearofthetruthistaking hold of mankind increasingly, both in everyday matters and in wider contexts.Indeed, if this were not the case in the wider contexts, neither could it come about ineveryday situations.For instance,peoplewouldno longer continue todrawout thewarmerelybecause theyareafraid that ifanunderstandingwere tobereachedbymeansofproper discussion, certain matters would then be revealed of which they are—well, ofwhichtheyareafraid.

Someofyouwill remember the lecture cycle I gave inVienna in the springof1914when I summarizedmuch ofwhat I have said over the years about the tendencies andinclinationsofourtime.Isaidtherethatitispossibletospeakaboutasocialcarcinoma.7Imust admit to being somewhat astonished by the way such remarks—which throw aprofound light on certain existing things—are very frequently taken simply as remarkswhichsatisfycuriositytosomeextent,justlikeanyotherremarkthatmightbemade.

I was trying to point out—at the beginning of 1914—that in our life today certainimpulses are active comparable with the impulse in the physical human organismunderlying the formation of a carcinoma, the disease of cancer. I said that just as onestudiesthesickphysicalorganism,itwouldmoreandmorebecomeataskformankindtostudy the social organism.Although poisons causing the disease are not present in thesamewayastheyareinaphysicalorganism,neverthelesstheyarenolesspoisonswhichcreatethedisease.Buttodothis,asenseforwhatisspiritualisneeded.Andyoucannothaveasenseforthespiritualifyoudenyitsexistence.Ofcoursethesocialorganismisnotinfiltratedwithbacterialpoisonasthoughitwereaphysicalorganism.Thepoisoninthesocialorganismcanonlybefoundifyouhaveasenseforthespiritualasit interweaveswithphysical existence.But if there is a possibility of doingmore thanmerelymakinganalogies—whichare inadmissibleanyway—if there isapossibilityof followingeventson thedifferentplanes, then itwill bepossible to forman ideaofwhat is behind thesethings.

Itmightbeaskedhowitcanbepossibleatallinthesociallifeoftheglobetomove,intheway I have described, a whole company of souls from one part to another, just asthoughanillnesswerebeingartificiallycultivatedinahumanbody.Butifthesethingsareunderstood,iftheyare,tobeginwith,studiedindependentlyofwhatcomestomeetusinhumanlife,muchmaybenoticed.Considerthatplantlife,animallifeand,ofcourse,alsotheminerals,areallcapableofsecretingpoisons.Asyouknow, thesepoisonshave twodifferentcharacteristics.Ontheonehandtheyare‘poisons’,theydestroyhigherformsoflife; they destroy and slay, for instance, the human organism. But on the other hand,suitablypreparedandtakeninsuitabledoses,theyaremedicaments.

This arises from profound interconnections in the whole realm of nature.We oughtgraduallytoacquirecertainideasaboutthis,notbasedonhypothesesor,evenworse,onfantasies,butonspiritualscience.Weknow,forinstance,thetruthabouttheevolutionofmanand,connectedwith this,ofwaytheworldhaspassedthroughtheSaturn,Sunand

MoonexistencesandhasnowreachedEarthexistence.WeknowthatbeforethepresentEarth existence there was the Moon existence. I have described this to some extent,though hitherto more physically, depicting the substantiality, the substances of Moonexistence.FrommydescriptionsyoucanseethatthisMoonexistencewasquitephysical,that itwas—at least incertainstages—justasphysicalasEarthexistenceis today.Eventhough themineral kingdom did not exist,Moon existencewas physical. The physicalstructures were held by different conditions, but they were physical. So the questionarises:HowcanthesubstantialityofancientMoonbecomparedwiththesubstantialityofEarth,withwhatflowsandpulsatesinthesubstancesofourEarth?

Spiritual investigation reveals that the substances existing onEarth today have reallyonlycomeaboutduringthecourseofEarthexistence.Theyaresuchthatthehumanbody,which needs them for its nourishment, can unite itselfwith them.They passed throughearlierstagesbutonlyreached theirpresentstageduringEarthexistence.Youcouldnotspeakof‘wheat’or‘barley’duringMoonexistence.

Sowhat substances now present on Earthwere there duringMoon existence? Everymineral, plant and animal poison, every poison that flows through these kingdoms,everythingwetodaycallpoisonandwhichtodayworksaspoison—thesewerethenormalsubstances of Moon! You need only recall something I have pointed out quite often,namely,thatprussicacid8waspresentassomethingquitenormalonancientMoon.Ihavementionedthisanumberoftimessincetheyear1906,whenIspokeaboutitforthefirsttime,inParis.Allthesethingsareconnectedwithprussicacid.

OnancientMoonthesubstanceswhicharetodaypoisonousplayedthesameroleasdotheplantjuicesonEarth,thosejuiceswhichagreewithman.Butwhyarethepoisonsstillpresenttoday?ForthesamereasonthatAhrimanispresent.Theyarewhathasremainedbehind, something that has remained behind in physical forms. So we now have whatagreeswithman, that is,whatever has progressed in the normalway, and certain othersubstanceswhich have remained behind at theMoon stage, which is now the stage ofpoisons.

There is also another aspect to this matter. We know that today’s spirituality onlydevelopedasapossibilityduringthetransitionfromancientMoontoEarthexistence.Ournormaldevelopmentwas alsoparalleled in the substancesof the lowerkingdoms.Onlythepoisons remainedbehind.But there is a link,not in the spiritualbut in thephysicalsense, between the substances onwhichour higherman is founded—that is, the higherorganswhichmakeushuman,thoseorganswhichonlydevelopedduringEarthexistence—and thepoisonous substancesofMoonexistence.To a certaindegreewebearwithinourselvesthefurtherstageofdevelopmentofthepoisons.Thesubstanceswetodayregardas poisonous are something which has remained behind at an earlier stage. Thosesubstances from the lower kingdoms which man cannot tolerate have developed in aretrograde direction. But those substances that have developed in a forward direction,those substances that live in us in such a way that they can transform themselves tobecomethebearerofourego,thesearethetransformedpoisonoussubstancesofancientMoon.

ItisonlybecausewebearwithinusthesetransformedpoisonoussubstancesofancientMoon that we have to some extent the capacity to be ego-conscious beings. I have

mentionedthis,eveninpubliclectures,bysayingthat,inordertolive,manneedsnotonlyconstructive but also destructive forces. Without the latter, ego intelligence would beimpossible.Frombirthonwards,breaking-down,growing-oldanddeatharenecessary,foritisintheprocessesofbreaking-down—notthoseofbuilding-up—thatthepossibilityforourspiritualdevelopmentlives.Thebuilding-upprocesslullsustosleep.Thebuilding-upprocess is like rank, abundant growth which sends us to sleep. It dampens downconsciousness.Consciousnesscanonlylivebyusingupspiritualforces.Thosestructureswithin us, together with their substances, which use up spiritual forces—these are thetransformedpoisonoussubstancesofancientMoon; theyare transformed in suchawaythattheynolongerworkinthewaytheydidonancientMoon.

Itisdifficulttoimaginethisinconnectionwithcertainpoisonoussubstances.Butwhatwehavetoimagineaboutthedevelopmentofthesepoisonsisthattheirintensityhasbeenreducedbyoneseventh,ortwosevenths,orthreesevenths.PoisonoussubstancesinplantsareastheyaretodaybecausetheyhaveremainedbehindfromMoonexistence.Butotherpoisonous substanceshavehad theirpoisonouspotential reducedmany times, and thesehave been inoculated into us during the course of evolution. Because of this we arecapableofgrowingoldduringourlifetime.Alsobecauseofthiswearecapableofusingthesepoisonouseffects—for theyarepoisonouseffects—whichare connectedwith thewaythemaleelementworkson thefemaleelement inhumanprocreation.Theeffectofthepoisonisexpressedin thefact that,without it, thefemalealonewouldtendtobringforthonlyanethericbeing.Forthisethericbeingtofindaphysicalform,therankgrowthofethericlifehastobepoisoned.Ihintedatthisinmylectureonphysiologysometimeago inPrague.9 The act of fertilization provides this poisoning, just as in plant life theeffectofethericmaterialonthepistil—whichisthefertilizationactoftheplant—providesapoisoningbylight.

HereyouhavesomethingwhichhascomeintoexistenceformansincethebeginningofEarthexistence:procreation. It isakindofdistilledpoisonouseffect,apoisonouseffectwhichexistedonancientMoon inan intensityequalling thatof thepoisonswhichhavenowremainedbehindinthelowerkingdoms.YoucannowunderstandasentencewhichIsimplywanttoplacebeforeyouforthemoment:Ordinarypoisons,whichareahrimanicsubstances left over from ancient Moon, are the opponents of progressive evolution;distilled,inawaydiluted,theyprovidethephysicalsubstancewhichisthebearerofourspirituallife.

Whathappenswhenadiseasedformcomesintobeing,whenaformfallsill?Medicalsciencewillhavetoconcernitselfmoreandmorewithsuchthings,sothatitcanwidenitsviewthroughspiritualscience.Whenadiseasedformcomes intobeing, thismeans thatevolutionisadvancingfaster,andwithitourphysicalorganism.Ifsomeform—andthisneednotonlybeagrowth,itcouldbesomethingfluidornotevenfluidintheorganism—ifsuchaformcomesintobeing,thismeansthatapartofthephysicalorganismisgrowingfaster thannormal.Acarcinoma,for instance,comesaboutwhenapartof theorganismexcludesitselfandstartstoevolvemorequicklythantherestofthehumanorganism.Inphysicallife,thelifeofsubstances,thisissomethingluciferic.Idonotmeanlucifericinthe moral sense; it is simply objectively luciferic. And it is balanced out by poison,because poison is ahrimanic—and that is the opposite. If you can find the proper polaropposite then the luciferic growthwill be balanced by the poison, which is ahrimanic.

Thesetwocanbalanceeachotheroutiftheyworkintherightway.

Fromthisyouseethattheconceptsofwhatislucifericandwhatisahrimanicmaybepursuedrightdownintotherealmsofnaturallife.Theymayalsobepursuedupwardsintohuman life,humansocial life. Ifwewanted tobecleverer than thegods,wemightaskwhytheydidnotmaketheworldwithoutallthesepoisons.WewouldhavetobeascleverasthatKingofSpain,10whofirstaskedthisinrelationtoaparticularcase.Now,justasthese poisonswork as actual substances in the human organism, so do they alsoworkspirituallyinsocial life.Andinsocial lifeit ispossibletoguideandleadthem.Whatisgreymagicreally?Greymagic isnothingother than theguidingofpoisonouseffects insuchawaythattheycausedamageandbringaboutsicknessinthesocialsense.

This is, in the firstplace, somethingwhichmustbe taken into accountby thosewhoseriouslywish to learnabout life.Soasnot togoonfor too longaboutonesubject,weshallcontinue—probablytomorrow—totalkfurtheraboutpoison,sicknessandhealth.

Meanwhile,wemightfindinoursoulthequestion:Whatistheconsequenceofallthis?If youmeditate on it youwill not fail to see the connection. The consequence is that,havingevolvedbeyondtheformeratavisticknowledgeofthesethings,mankindnowhasthetaskofstrivingfortruthwiththenewconsciousnesswhichhasbeenachieved.Withoutthis, nothing ispossible.The linkswith theold atavisticknowledgehavebeen severed,preciselybecausemankind is tobecomefree todevelopego-consciousnessever further.Sothereisafadingawayofwhatwasstillquiteclear to theoldatavisticconsciousnessand which is expressed in certain myths. I have demonstrated to you the connectionbetween amyth such as theBaldurmyth and great all-encompassingmanifestations ofhumanevolution.

Our scientific simpletons who conduct research into myths and legends can go nofurtherthantomaintainthattheyareanexpressionofcreativefolkimagination.Inreality,however,theyencompassdeeplysignificanttruthswhicharerevealedparticularlythroughthefactthattheyaretrulyworkedoutdowntothelastdetailiAsanexample,theBaldurmyth, amongmanyother things,givesus averygood ideaof thegradationofpoisons.Thataparasiticplantexudesacertaindegreeofpoison isexpressedwonderfully in thewayBaldur is slain by themistletoe.This shows that there existed a knowledge of thegradation of poisons in theworld, for instance, thatmistletoe is poisonous to a degreewhichcannotbetoleratedbyman.Everythingisdifferentiatedbydegrees,everythingisgraded.

When certain things are said to be ‘poison’, what is meant is that they are strongerpoisonwhichhasremainedbehindattheMoonstage—theyhavenotcontinuedtoevolve.Buteverything is to somesmallextentpoison, ineverything there isa littlepoison; theonly difference is in the degree.Although I cannot back a certain doctor and professorwhostoodupinfavourofalcoholandmaintainedhecouldprovethatmanymorepeoplehad died of the poison ‘water’ than of the poison ‘alcohol’, nevertheless the point hemakesisimportant:inallpoisonstherearedegrees,anditistruethatmorepeoplehavebeenkilledbywaterthanbyalcohol.Itisafactthatsomethingcanbetruebutatthesametimeitmay,withoutbecominguntrue,beinapplicabletoacertaincase.Ihaveoftensaiditisnotenoughforsomethingtobetrue.Whatmattersiswhetheritcanbeincorporatedintoreality,whetheritbelongstoactualreality.

The ancient truths have, to a great extent, faded away. That is why significantindications about the truth of ancient myths still given, for instance, by the so-called‘unknown philosopher’ Saint-Martin, remained totally incomprehensible to those whofollowedhim.Saint-Martin,whoconsideredhimselftobeapupilofJakobBöhme,11wasstilljustabletopointtothetruecoreofthemyths.Thatwasintheeighteenthcentury.Bythenineteenthcenturythemosttotalandutternonsensewasbeingputforwardbywayofinterpretation of themyths.All this is connectedwith theway our time lacks a strong,intenseurgeforthetruth.Ifthisurgefortruthhadbeensufficientlystrong,itwouldhavesufficedtoleadmankindfarmoreextensivelytowardsspirituallifethanhasactuallybeenthecase. It is theweaknessof theurge for truthwhichhasbrought itabout that so fewpeopleexperiencealongingtodeepentheirspirituallife.

Thisshowsitselfintheexternal,concreteworldaswell.Thesadandpainfuleventsoftodayshowthatthesensefortruthdoesnotflowthroughtheworldlikethebloodofthesoul,andthisisnotalwaysthefaultofhumanbeings.Thesensefortruthmustbeproperlyawakened.Thatiswhy,duringthepastweeks,ithasbeennecessarytopointtoconcrete,sense-perceptible affairs in so far as they are the expression of spiritual impulses andspiritual events. It is becauseof the striving for truth—or rather the lackof striving fortruthtoday—thatcurrentaffairsarehandledandthingsaresaidwhicharebelievedinthewidestcircles,althoughtheyareinfactnothingbutabsoluteinversionsofthetruth.Inanagewhen it is possible tomake the truth conform to any kind of antipathy, passion orinstinct,agreatdealofeffortwillbeneededinthisagetoawakenastrongsenseforthetruthwhichcanthenleadtoaspirituallife.Thedetailsshowthatthisisso.

Onlyconsiderall the things thathavebeensaid in the two-and-a-halfyearssince thiseventcalledthewarstartedtorage.Considerfurtherallthethingsthathavebeenbelieved.AsIsaidyesterday,thestrivingfortruth,thesearchfortruth,hasbeentheonlystandpointforeverythingIhavesaid;therehasbeennointentionoftakingsidesinanywayatall.Itisnecessary,however,whenmakinganassertion—evenifonlyinyourownsoul,forthatisjustasmuchareality—tohavethewilltotakeintoaccountthatinaparticularcasethetruthmightnotbeentirelyavailabletoyouandthatitisthereforeamatterofholdingbackand searching for ways which can then make it possible to come to a judgement ofsomething.

Let us look at a particular case. Think of all that was disseminated in America inconnectionwithEuropeanlifeduringthebuild-uptothiswar!MuchthathasechoedbacktoEuroperevealswhatisbelievedinAmerica.Whyarethesethingsbelieved?Theyarebelieved because people over in America have, of course, just as little possibility ofunderstanding European life as did the English with regard to life in China after theOpiumWar.Pangsof consciencemight inspire someone today toadmit that theOpiumWarwasafauxpas.IshouldliketoremindsuchapersonthatamongthoseintheBritishParliamentwhosangthepraisesoftheoutcomeoftheOpiumWaras‘anachievementofBritishculture’wasoldWellington12himself—notoneoftheworst.

SometimeagoanAmericanwroteanessayforhiscountrymenwhichtheyobviouslyfailedtonote.ToconcludethiseveningIshallreadsomepassagestoyousothatyoucanseethejudgementofamanwhogenuinelyendeavourstounderstandthings.Donotrejointhat after seeing what has happened in recent weeks a different judgement could be

reached.Ofcourseamoreprofoundbackgroundmightbefound.Buttoformajudgementsuch things are not needed. To form a judgement it is enough to have a true sense ofobjectivityabouttheexternaleventswhicharetakingplace.Thissenseofobjectivityhasbeenlittleinevidence.

This is what George Stuart Fullerton,13 a professor at New York University, writesabout Germany. Allowme to read to you from this document, which provides such acontrasttothatNewYear’sEvedocumentwhichisnowcirculatingintheworld.Fullertonwrites:

‘IamanAmericanwithoutadropofGermanbloodinmyveins,sothatIcannotbesuspectedofhavingthenaturalpartialityforGermanywhichcharacterizestheGerman-American.Moreover,IcanclaimtherighttobeastrulyanAmericanasanyone,sincemyfamilyhasbeenAmericanaslongastherehasbeenanAmericanNation.Ilovemycountry, and pray that itmay have before it a great future, and a prosperity foundeduponrightandjustice.Nevertheless,nomanhastherighttobeonlyanAmerican,butmustrememberthatheisalsoaman,andthat,asaman,itisamatterofconcerntohimthatjusticeshouldprevailinothercontinentsthanhisown.WeAmericansareneutrals,butwehavearighttoknowthefactsaboutthegreatwar,anditisourdutytoaimatintelligentcomprehensionofthesituation.’

Heisamanwhoappliesonlyhiscommonsensetowhathesees;heisnotanoccultist.

‘For thirtyyearsIhaveknownGermany,andhavebeen interested inherscience,herliterature,andherpoliticalandeconomicdevelopment.Atfirst,Isawthelandthroughtheeyesofamerevisitor,butoflateyearsIhavehadtheopportunitytoknowitmuchmoreintimately.Ihaveseenapeople,formerlycomparativelypoor,notverystrong,notverycloselyweldedintoaunit,becomerich,powerful,united,andsoadvancedinitssocial development that its internal organization compels the admiration of theeconomist and of the humanitarian. The land has prospered exceedingly in theintelligent pursuit of the arts of peace. Austria I have visited in past years, and lastwinter Ispent in thatEmpire in thecapacityof firstAmericanExchangeProfessor totheAustrianUniversities,lecturingatVienna,Graz,Innsbruck,CracowandLemberg.Imetmanypersonsinpublicandinprivatelifeandhadanopportunitytofeelthepulseofpublicopinion.

I say without hesitation that no class, either in Germany or in Austria, desired toprecipitate this terrible war. Peace was desired, and earnestly desired, for economicreasons.Butwarwasforceduponbothnations.Thatwarcamejustwhenitdidmayberegardedasanaccident,forthewarwassuretocomeinanycase.

Asmany ofmy fellow-countrymen are imperfectly acquaintedwith the conditionswhichprevailinEurope;astheythemselvesliveunderconditionssodifferentthatitisdifficultforthemtorealizethesignificanceevenoffactswhicharetrulybroughtbeforethem;andas theyhave,moreover,been systematicallymisinformedbycertainof theparties interested, who have had the opportunity to cut the German cables, it is notsurprisingthat thereshouldbe, inAmerica,muchmisunderstandingof thesituation.Ithink it my duty to make a brief contribution towards the clearing up of thismisunderstanding.

Americanshaveheardagreatdeal latelyofGermanmilitarism,andmanyof themhave a vague notion that it is a menace to European civilization. Of what the wordreally stands for theyhaveno intelligentnotion. InAmericawehavebrief attacksofmilitarism—asatthetimeoftheSpanish-Americanwar,orwhenthereiscommontalkof a possible war withMexico—but militarism, as a permanent condition of things,doesnotexist.AndifitisnottobemetwithintheGreatRepublic,whyshoulditexistinGermany?TheAmericanwhoisnotacquaintedwithGermanyandwiththepositioninwhichshefindsherselfcanfindnosatisfactoryanswertothisquestion.Anansweris,however,notfartoseek.

TheGermansareapeace-lovingpeople.WeAmericansknowthatthereisnoelementin our own population more orderly, industrious, and law-abiding, than the Germanelement.TheGermaninGermanyhasthesamecharacteristics.Thelandisanorderlyland, and the population is enlightened, disciplined, and educated to respect the law.The rights of even the humblest are jealously guarded. The courts are just. Thesuccesses of the Germans are attained as the result of careful preparation andunremittingindustry.Evencompetitioninbusinessiscarefullyregulatedbylaw,andthelaws against what the community regards as ‘unfair competition’ are rigorouslyenforced.NoonewholivesamongtheGermansandlearnstoknowthemcanfeelthathehastodowithanaggressiveandpredatorypeople.AndthosewhospentinGermany,asIdid,themonthofAugust1914,minglingfreelyinthecrowdsonthestreetsduringthe twoweeks of themobilization,when the public excitementwas the greatest, canonlywonder that a people so peaceable and self-restrained should be capable of thedaringcouragewhichhassincestormedfortresses,andhasgatheredlaurelsonlandandseainawaywhichcompelstheadmirationofallwhohavenotbeenkeptinignoranceofthefacts.

Yetthisorderlyandpeace-lovingpeople,apeoplewhichhasnotonlylovedpeace,buthas formore than forty years kept the peace,while other nations carried onwars, apeople that has, in the pursuit of the arts of peace, grown exceedingly rich andprosperous—thispeoplehasallthewhiletrainedthemassofitsmalepopulationtobepreparedforwar incaseofemergency,andhasbuiltupa formidable fleet.Finally, ithasgonetowaragainstwhatseemed,atfirst,tobeoverwhelmingodds,andtherisinghasnotbeenthatofaclass,butofanation.NeithertheEmperor,northeGovernment,northeofficersinthearmyandthenavyareresponsibleforthepublicsentimentwhichmakesthismovementinGermanyanationaluprising.EventheSocial-Democratsandthoseofakindredwayofthinking,menwhohaveneverbeenaccusedofservilitytotheEmperor or the Government, nor suspected of a weakness for army and navy, havestood by their country to a man, and are now fighting bravely and dying without acomplaintat thefront. In thepast threemonthsIhavenotmetwithaGermanofanyclass,fromthehighesttothelowest,whohasnotbeenheartandsoulforthewar.Ihaveheardnolamentsfromthosewhohavesenttheirsons;Ihaveheardnocriticismoftheircountryfromthosewhohavebeenbereaved,andIknowmanysuch.

Astrangephenomenontobeobservedamongapeaceableandindustriousrace,araceas devoted to the cultivation of the sciences and arts as it is to industrial pursuits; acivilized race,notone living in a stateofbarbarismand towhichwar iswelcome, adiversionratherthanacalamity.TotheAmericanwhocannotputhimselfintheplace

of the German, an inexplicable phenomenon. What has possessed the Germans toprepare forwar on a great scale?What drives them to fight even against aworld inarms,andtostaketheirallinthegiganticcontest?

LetmehelptheAmericantoputhimselfintheplaceoftheGerman.WeAmericansinhabitalandmorethanfour-fifthsthesizeofallEuropeincludingRussia.ItisfifteentimesthesizeoftheGermanEmpire,andhasonlyninety-eightmillionsofinhabitants,sothatweareinthepositionofafamilyoccupiedingrowinguptofillalargeandwellfurnishedhouse. Itdoesnotcrossourmind thatourneighbors,eithernearor remote,canseriouslyfrightenus.Whocouldinvadeuswithanyhopeofsuccess?Whocouldthreaten our national existence, or subject us to anything approaching a state ofbondage?

To the north of us isCanada—an empty house, a countrywith only sevenmillioninhabitants,whichcouldnothurtusevenifitwishestodoso.TothesouthisMexico,which can make trouble within her own borders and can cause some Americans toregrettheirinvestmentsthere,butwhichisnomoreformidabletotheUnitedStatesthananunrulyclass inaschool.To thewestand to theeastwehave thebroadsea.Japanmightquarrelwithus,andmightbeadetrimenttosomeofourforeigntrade.’

Heisratheroptimistichere!Butnevermind;atthetimethisjudgementwasappropriate.

‘But Japan is far fromus,’—shewilldrawnearer in the future!—’andweknowverywellthatsheistoopoor,andwilllongbetoopoor,tocarryonalong-continuedwar.Atthemost, Japancanonlyannoyus.ThatEuropeanstatesshould, singlyorcombined,crushus, isacontingencytooremote tofallwithinourhorizon.Asmuchofanarmyandasmuchofafleetaswethinknecessarytoourpurposeswefreelycallintobeing,nordoesitoccurtoustoaskthepermissionofanyotherpowerbeforeincreasingeither.Why shouldMr.Carnegie fill his housewithbread, as aprovision against a possiblefamine in theState ofNewYork?Why shouldMr.Rockefeller store gold and silvercoins in a stocking andhide them inhismattress?Theoccupant of aNebraska farmwhoshouldbuildasea-worthyboat,inordertobereadyforallemergencies,weshouldregard as out of hismind.WeAmericans dowhat seems to us prudent and practicalunder the conditions which prevail in America, and we have no more need for theGerman army than has a PhiladelphiaQuaker, at hisYearlyMeeting, for a revolver.Whatwethinkwereallyneed,however,wesetaboutwithmuchenergytoobtain.

Butsupposethatourterritorywerenottoolargetobeinvaded.Supposethattothenorth of us, we had a great land with a vast population of more than one hundredmillions,underanautocraticgovernment,boasting,evenintimeofpeace,animmensearmy. Suppose that this land had for many decades shown a restless activity inextendingitsbordersattheexpenseofitsneighbors,whereithadfoundthemtooweaktoresistaggression.Supposethatitspopulationwasuponaplaneofcivilizationfarlessadvancedthanourown;solittleadvanced,indeed,thattheoverwhelmingmajoritywerecompelled to live in what civilized men must regard as a condition of distressingmisery,ignorant,dumb,passive,atoolinthehandsofabureaucraticclasswhichwouldnotbethefirsttosufferfromtheaddedmiseriesentailedbyastateofwar.Supposethatwehadinformationthatthisneighborofourshadforsometimebeenmassingitstroopsuponitsbordersinawaythatcouldonlybeinterpretedasamenace.

Again, let us suppose that we had to the south of us, not Mexico, but a rich,resourceful,andhighlycivilizednationoffortymillioninhabitants,withalargearmy,formidable, well-drilled, and well equipped with all that is necessary to carry onsuccessfully modern warfare. Suppose that this nation had for forty years made nosecretofthefactthatitwasanimatedbyabittersentimentofresentmentagainstus,andhopedsomedaytohaveitsrevenge.Supposethatitstoodinrelationswiththepowerabovedescribed,andalsowithathirdpowertobementionedbelow,suchthatwehadreasontofearthattheymightactinconcerttoourdetriment.

Nowletusextendoursuppositions, too,overthecaseof this thirdpower.Supposethatwedidnothave thebroad seauponourborders to east andwest,with the traderoutes of the world open to us, but that there existed a third power so fortunatelysituated as to be inaccessible by land and yet in direct control of our only availableoutlets to the sea.Suppose thatour foreigncommercewas farmore important toourprosperitythanitactuallyis; thatourprosperitywasinlargemeasurebaseduponourexport trade.Suppose that the thirdpower inquestionwas richenough tomaintainanavy equal to our own combinedwith that of any other great powerwithwhichwemightcontractanalliance,andopenlyavoweditsintentiontoretaincontroloftheseabymaintainingthisproportion.Supposethatitscontroloftheseaevenmadeitpossiblefor this power to cut international cables, andonly let through to theworld somuchregardingwhatwedidorwhatothersdidtousasseemedtoit inaccordancewithitspolicy.Supposethatthispowerhadan“understanding”withthetwodescribedabove,andwehadreasontofearthatitmightjointhemshouldtheyattackus.

How couldweAmericans accept such a situation? I knowmyAmericans. I havelived through theSpanishwar, andhave seenaUniversityemptiedofprofessors andstudents eager to fight under the flag of their country. Yet the Spanish war was, toAmerica, a very small andunimportant affair. Spain could nomore crush theUnitedStates and reduceour country tovirtual subjection than it could stay themoon in itsrevolutions.Wereourlandreallyindanger,ordidwebelieveourlandtobeindanger,whatwouldhappenintheUnitedStates?Wouldwebepeaceableandpatient,anxioustomakeconcessions,willingtogiveupterritory,eagertolimit,undercompulsion,ourarmy and navy?Wouldwe humbly declare our readiness to step out of the race forindustrialsuccess,ortoaskpermissionofanotherpowerforaccesstothetraderoutesof the world? I know my Americans, and such questions strike me as broadlyhumorous.

InthispaperIhavenootheraimthantosettheAmericanintheplaceoftheGerman.Whether it isor isnotdesirable thatGermanyorAustria,orpartsof them,shouldbereduced to the condition of Finland or Poland;whether France should be allowed totakeAlsace andLorraine;whetherEngland should be freed from a business rival sointelligentand industriousas tobe formidable in timeofpeace,andshouldbe left incontrolofthesearoutestoAmerica,Asia,AfricaandOceanica;—withallthisIaminnowayconcerned.Iwishonlytomakeclearthat,underlikecircumstances,AmericanswoulddowhattheGermanshavedone.TheGermanshave,notwithoutreason,fearedRussianandFrenchaggression,andhavemadepreparationsformanyyearstoforestallit.Germanscienceand industryhave led toanenormousexpansion inGerman trade,and the Germans have not been willing to trust their trade to the mercies of Great

Britain.Under thisregimeGermanyhasprosperedexceedingly.Militarism,which theGermanregardsasonlyasomehatoffensivenameforhisnecessarypreparationtorepelvery realdangers,a legitimatemeasureofself-defence,hasnothamperedGermanyatitheasmuchasshewashamperedinthepast,whenshewasnotinapositiontodefendherself.Militarism is undoubtedly a burden, but it has not prevented Germany fromcultivating successfully the sciences and arts, to the great benefit of humanity; frominitiatingandcarryingoutsocialreformswhichinsuretoallclassesofherpopulationanunusualmeasureofwell-being;fromdevelopingherinternalresourcesandbuildingupherforeigncommerceinawaythathasmadeherarichnation.Militarismmaybeacrushing burden, abstractly considered, but it has not crushed Germany, and, to theGerman,thatisaconsiderationwhichdeservestobeweighed.

We are all influenced by the constant repetition of a catch-word. Americans haveheardsomuchofGermanmilitarism,largelyfromcertainforeignsources,thatitwouldbesurprisingifsomeofthemwerenotdeludedintobelievingthatGermanyistheonlyEuropeannationwithalargearmy.YetRussiahasalargerarmy,andhasforyearsbeenusingitforaggression.France,withamuchsmallerpopulationthenGermany,hasanarmyofapproximatelythesamesize,and,hence,may,withmuchgreaterjusticethanGermany,beaccusedofmilitarism.

AndGreatBritainhastheexactequivalentofanimmensearmy—shehasacolossalfleet,whichshekeepsupatanenormousexpensetoherself,andwhichsheincreasesfromtimetotime,withtheavowedpurposeofallowingnonationtodisputewithherthe control of the sea, that great commonhighwayof theworld, overwhich allmaypass,butwhichnonationmaypossess.Howformidablethisequivalentforagreatarmymaybetoothernationshasbeenmadeclearinthepresentcrisis.ThereisnonationinEurope that can,without askingEngland’spermission, sail into theAtlantic, pass theStraitsofGibraltar,makeuseoftheMediterranean,orreachAsiabywayoftheSuezCanal. The public highway has by a single nation been fenced in andmade privateproperty.

It isapity that theword“Navalism” isnotgoodEnglish, for thatwhich it exactlydescribeshasbeenpeculiarlyEnglishforacentury.“Navalism”canbeamoreseriousmenacethanmilitarism,forthelatterthreatenschieflyone’smoreimmediateneighbors.“Navalism”holdsathreatovereverynationonthefaceoftheglobe.

Irepeatthat,inthispaper,Iamnoturgingthatitwouldbeagoodthingfortheworldfor any one nation rather than another to emerge from this great contest victorious.One’sopinionsuponsuchmattersarenotdictatedwhollybypurereason.’

Thismanspeaksverygoodsense!

‘Iwishonly tomake the real issueclear,and toavoid the fallacyofcatch-wordsandphrases.ImakenoreferencetotheneutralityofBelgium,nordoIthinkitworthwhiletotouchuponthequestionwhofirstformallydeclaredwaronthissideoronthat.Inthelight of what the world now knows, these have become wholly trivial matters. TheexplanationoftheattitudeoftheGermanpeopleistobesoughtatamuchdeeperlevel.And Imaintainwithouthesitation thatweAmericans, under the samecircumstances,wouldhavedonejustwhattheGermanshavedone.Wouldithavebeenright?Wouldit

havebeenwrong?IleaveittoAmericanstodecide.

SomeAmericans—notmany—areby theirnature inclined to theacceptanceof thestatusquo, that somewhat ambiguous expression so often found in themouth of themanwho thinks it tohis purpose tourge the continued existenceof a stateof thingswhichlonghasbeenorwhichhasrecentlycometobe.HadAustriaacceptedthestatusquo,shewouldnothaveresentedtherevolutionaryactivitiesoftheServianswithinherborders;shewouldnothaveresented themurderofherCrownPrince;shewouldnothaveopposed resistance toRussia.HadGermanyaccepted the statusquo, shewouldnothavepreparedfordefence,havereactedtoRussianmobilizationonherfrontier,orhaveendeavored toprevent thedismembermentofAustria-Hungary.ShewouldhaveofferedhercheektotheFrench;shewouldhaveleftBritaintorulethewavesaccordingtoherpleasure,andinaccordancewithanoldtradition.WhatwouldhavehappenedtoAustriaandtoGermanyhadthestatusquobeenthusrespected?ItwouldundoubtedlyhavebeensomethingverydisagreeabletoGermans.Onthispoint theyareallagreed,anditisthisthathasledPrinceandPeasant,CatholicandProtestant,ConservativeandSocial-Democrat,todropallothercausesandtogowhole-heartedlytowar.

ShallweurgeuponGermany, rather thanuponothernations, theacceptanceof thestatus quo and a tender regard for the “balance of power”? As for the “balance ofpower”,anynationthatisintelligentandindustrious,andthat,preservingthepeacefornearlyhalfacentury,isenabledtodevelopitsindustriesandbecometherebyrichandpowerful, unavoidably disturbs it.Nations less civilized, or less industrious, ormorequarrelsome,areputatadisadvantage.Asfor thestatusquo,has itbeenacceptedbyServia,byRussia,byFrance,byEngland,byJapan?Andwhat,onthewhole,hasbeentheattitudeoftheAmericantowardsit?

DidweacceptthestatusquowhenwedispossessedtheIndians?DidwebowdownbeforetheprinciplewhenwepublishedourDeclarationofIndependencein1776?DidweshowourrespectforitwhenwerebelledagainstthesearchofAmericanshipsandtheimpressmentofAmericanseamenbyGreatBritainintheyearspreceding1812?Didwethinkofthestatusquoin1861,whenwerefusedtorecognizetheConfederacy,andinsistedupontheintegrityof theUnion?Didwetreat itwithdeferenceat thetimeofourwarwithSpain?

The status quo is a catch-word. The balance of power is somethingwhich, in thenormal course of human events, is always being upset and set up again upon a newbasis. We Americans are not, I think, a quarrelsome people, but we have long agorecognizedthatthetimeschangeandthatwechangewiththem.Tonewconditionswemakenewadjustments,andweguardjealouslyenoughwhatweconsiderourlegitimateinterests,whethertheybeneworold.Wereitnecessary,weshouldnothesitatetoguardthem by a prompt display of force. And among our legitimate interests we shouldcertainly place in the front rank our national self-defence and the enjoyment of suchadvantages aswehave, by intelligence and industry, and in the pursuit of the arts ofpeace,obtained.

Weareneutrals,butwehavearighttoknowthetruthevenaboutCentralEurope.Itisnotrightthatweshouldbekeptinignorance,orled,throughmisrepresentations,tocondemn in haste nationswithwhichwe stand in friendly relations.Whenwe see a

greatnationofsomeseventymillions,anationhighlycivilized,wealthyandcultivated,a nationwell aware that it can prosper as fewothers, if it be allowed to exercise itsindustries in peace—when we see such a nation go to war against powerful odds,riskingitsveryexistenceinthestruggle,wemustbeshallow,indeed,ifwesupposethatitswholepopulation,anaturallypeaceableandorderlypopulation,haseithergonemadorlapsedintobarbarism.Wemuststandbeforeanunsolvedproblemuntilweattaintoinformationandcomprehension.

LettheAmericanforgettheconditionsunderwhichhehimselflives.Lethimthinkhimself into the situation of the German. Then let him ask himself what, under thecircumstances,hewoulddo.’

Theseare thewordsofonewhohadthewill tosee thingsas theyreallyare,andnot tolistentowhatissaidinthenewspapersandjournalsoftheperiphery.Arethesetheonlypeoplewhospokelikethis?Suchpeopleareequippedwithagenuinesenseforthetruth.Thisishowtheyspoke.

Yesterday—this is very relevant—I had a look at the Basler Nachrichten. It quotedsomewordswhichwereactually spoken. It isagood thing that theyhavebeenquoted.Theywere spoken in 1908 by an Englishman in front of other Englishmen in order topointoutthatGermanyhadeveryreasontoadoptamilitaristicattitude,andthatitwouldhave been unwise for Germany not to have adopted this ‘militarism’, which has sincebecomeaslogantobeslandered.ThewordsthisEnglishmanspoketootherEnglishmenwere:

‘Lookat thepositionofGermany. ..Supposewehadhereapossiblecombination(ofenemies) which would lay us open to invasion, suppose Germany and France, orGermanyandRussia,orGermanyandAustria,hadfleetswhich,incombination,wouldbestrongerthanours,wouldwenotbefrightened?Wouldwenotarm?Ofcourseweshould!’

LloydGeorge14spokethesewordsin1908withasmuchconvictionashenowthundershistiradesintotheworld!ThesewordswerespokenbyLloydGeorgein1908!

NOTESLECTUREONE1 ‘Wisdom lies solely in truth’: In Goethes Naturwissenschaftliche Schriften

(Goethe’s ScientificWorks), 5 volumes, edited by Rudolf Steiner inKürschnersDeutscheNational-Litteratur,GAla-e,Volume5:SprücheinProsa,p.360.Chosenin1913asthemottofortheStatutesoftheAnthroposophicalSociety.

2 ‘Then words come in…’: J. W. von Goethe, Faust, Part One. Study(Mephistopheles).Trans.PhilipWayne,PenguinClassics,London1986.

3RudolfKjellén,DieIdeenvon1914.EineweltgeschichtlichePerspektive(TheIdeasof1914inthePerspectiveofWorldHistory),Leipzig1915.

4 RosaMayreder,1858–1938.Kriegsphasen (Phasesof theWar), in InternationaleRundschau, Zurich 1916, p.648ff. On Rosa Mayreder, see Rudolf Steiner AnAutobiography, Steinerbooks, Blauvelt 1977, and Briefe Band I, 1881–1890(Letters),GA38,Dornach1984.

5Ihavetoldyoubefore:e.g.inMunichon18March1916inMitteleuropazwischenOst undWest (CentralEurope betweenEast andWest),GA174a,Dornach 1971,andinBerlinon28March1916inThingsofthePresentandofthePastintheSpiritofMan.Englishtextavailableintypescriptonly.

6 bymeansofmaps:ArthurPolzer-Hoditz says inhisbookKaiserKarl (EmperorCharles),Zurich-Leipzig-Vienna1928,p.19 (Note): ‘I conclude that thebreakingup of theHabsburgmonarchy had long been a foregone conclusion among thosepoliticianswho—bytheway—afterthecollapseoftheCentralPowersintendedtoshareamongstthemselvesthechiefrolesinworldpolitics.Ireferinparticulartoamap showing the division of Europe, which was published by the EnglishmanLabouchère in his satiricalweekly journalTruth in 1890 (the ChristmasNumberdatedDecember251890,nottheregularnumberforthatweekwhichisalsodatedDecember25),thatis,twenty-fouryearsbeforetheoutbreakoftheWorldWar.Thismap is virtually identicalwith that ofpresent-dayEurope:Austria as amonarchyhasdisappearedandmadewayforarepublicanmemberoftheLeagueofNations.Bohemia is an independent state in the incidental shape of Czechoslovakia.Germanyissqueezedintoherpresentconfinesandsplitintosmallrepublics.WhereRussiawould be iswritten “RussianDesert.”Countries for socialist experiments.See also C. G. Harrison The Transcendental Universe. Six Lectures on OccultScience,TheosophyandtheCatholicFaith,London1894,Lecture2: ‘Apowerfulempirewhichunitesunderadespoticgovernmentanumberof localcommunes—Russia. The remains of a kingdom—Poland, whose only cohesive force is itsreligion,andwhichwillbeultimatelyre-absorbedintheRussianEmpireinspiteofit.Anumberoftribeswho,oppressedbythealienTurk,havethrownofftheyoke,andhavebeenartificallyconsolidatedintolittlestates,whoseindependencewilllastaslongas,andnolongerthan,thenextgreatEuropeanwar...TheRussianEmpire

mustdiethattheRussianpeoplemaylive,andtherealizationofthedreamsofthePan-Slavistswill indicate that the sixthAryan sub-race has begun to live its ownintellectuallife,andisnolongerinitsperiodofinfancy.’

7‘SlavWelfareCommittee’:QuotedafterS.RadoDerSturzdesZarismus(TheFallofTsarism),Leipzig1915.

8NikolaPasic,1846–1926.From1903tillhisdeathhewasaleadingstatesmaninSerbia.

9‘Ontheinstruction…’:QuotedafterRado(asabovep.16f).

10‘Memoiresof…KingCarol’:AusdemLebendesKönigsKarlvonRumänien(FromtheLifeofKingCarolofRomania),RecordedbyanEyeWitness.Fourvolumes,Stuttgart1894–1900.

11 GrandDukeNikolai:GrandDukeNikolaiNikolaevich, 1856–1929, uncle of thelastTsar;until1915commanderinchiefoftheRussianarmy.QuotedafterRado(asabovep.20).

12 Gorchakov: Prince Alexander Michailovich Gorchakov, 1798–1883; from 1856ForeignMinister; 1862–1882 PrimeMinister. The Russo-Turkish war took placefromApril1877toMarch1878(TreatyofSanStefano).LetterfromAlexanderIItoKingCarolquotedafterRado(asabovep.22).

13 Export figures: Quoted after Sir Roger Casement: Irland, Deutschland und dieFreiheitderMeereundandereAufsätze,Munich1916,p.129.(ThiswaswritteninGermananddoesnotappeartohavebeentranslatedintoEnglish.Tr.)

14DrJakobRüchti:ZurGeschichtedesKriegsausbruches.NachdenamtlichenAktender Königlich Grossbritannischen Regierung dargestellt. (On the History of theOutbreak of the War Based on the Official Records of His Majesty’s BritishGovernment), Bern 1916. The Second Edition, 1917, was reviewed by RudolfSteiner in theNeueBadischeLandeszeitung,Mannheim,No. 193, 17April 1917.(C.S.Picht:Das literarischeLebenswerkRudolfSteiners,No.743).Onpage47fRüchtiwrites:‘On3August,intheHouseofCommons,Greygavehislongspeechto prepare people’s minds for the English declaration of war. He suppressedGermany’s latest suggestions and calculated that England would suffer scarcelymoredamagebyjoininginthanbyremainingonthesidelines.On6AugustPrimeMinisterAsquithspoketoParliamenttojustifythedeclarationofwar.HebasedhisjustificationonthesuggestionsmadebytheGermanChancelloron29July,rejectedwithdeepmoral indignation the requestof theGermanGovernment, refrained (ashis“honourablefriend”Greyhaddone)frommentioningthenegotiationswiththeGerman ambassador of 1 August, and deliberately gave Parliament, the Englishpeopleand,indeed,thewholeworld,afalseversionofthefacts.’

15GeorgesClemenceau,1841–1929.FrenchPrimeMinister1917–1920.

16 William Archer, 1856–1924. Scottish writer, translator of Ibsen, distinguishedjournalistandcritic.

17 GeorgBrandes, 1842–1927. The article,FarbenblindeNeutralität (Colour-Blind

Neutrality), was published in Internationale Rundschau, Zurich 1916, p.633ff. ItwaswritteninreplytoWilliamArcher’sColour-BlindNeutrality.AnOpenLettertoDoctorGeorge Brandes, London 1916. The following quotations are taken fromthisarticle.

18SirEdwardGrey,1862–1933.BritishForeignMinister1905–1916.

19‘tiniestLittleRedBirdFourthClass’:TheOrderoftheRedEagle.

20Clemenceau-BrandesSeat:ThebeautifulSilesianhermitageisSchlossStrzebowitzinAustrianSilesia(laterCzechoslovakia),whereRudolfSteineroncepaidavisittotheowner,thepoetessMariaStona.

21 interview in the Daily Telegraph: See Fürst Bülow, Denkwürdigkeiten(Memorabilia),Berlin1930,Volume2,p.350ff,containingafacsimileoftheDailyTelegraphof28October1908.

22PrinceKarlMaxLichnowsky1860–1928.MeineLondonerMission(MyMissiontoLondon),Zurich1918.

23‘Warbrings…thehorrorsofwar’:RudolfSteinerGedankenwährendderZeitdesKrieges. Für Deutsche und diejenigen, die nicht glauben sie hassen zu müssen(ThoughtsduringWartime.ForGermansandthosewhodonotbelievetheyhavetohate them), Berlin 1915 in Aufsätze über die Dreigliederung des sozialenOrganismusundzurZeitlage1915–1921(EssaysontheThreefoldSocialOrganismand on the Social Situation in 1915–1921), GA 24, Dornach 1961. The actualsentencereads:“Theexistenceofthisconfusionmakesuswanttounderstandwhysomanypeoplecannotgraspthefactthatwarinitselfbringswithitthehorrorsandsufferings of war, and why they condemn their opponents as “barbarians” whenbitternecessityforcesthemtomakeuseofmodernweaponry.’

24 Gotthilf Vöhringer: Meine Erlebnisse während des Krieges in Kamerun und inenglischerGefangenschaft(MyExperiencesduringtheWarintheCameroonsandinEnglishCaptivity),lectureinHamburg1915.

25HenriLambert:Paxoeconomica,inInternationaleRundschau,ZurichINovember1915.

26sharknegotiatingforapeacetreaty:ByroncalledtheunionbetweenEnglandandIreland a ‘union between the shark and his prey’. After Sir Roger Casement, asabovep.96.

27 lawyers who have become presidents: The reference is to Raymond Poincaré(1860–1934). He was French Prime Minister several times and President of theRepublicfrom1913–1920.Theremaybegapsintheshorthandreportatthispoint.On Maeterlinck see Rudolf Steiner’s lecture of 5 November 1914 in AusschicksaltragenderZeit,GA64,Dornach1959.

28 Alexander von Gleichen-Russwurm, 1865–1947, grandson of Schiller.Menschenrechte und Menschenwürde (Human Rights and Human Dignity), inWestermannsMonatshefte,Braunschweig1916,p.239ff.RudolfSteineralsoquotesGleichen-Russwurm in the lectureof 16 June1916 in ‘Ascension andPentecost’,

TheFestivalsandtheirMeaning,RudolfSteinerPress,London1981.

29CharlesWebsterLeadbeater,1847–1934.Englishtheosophist.

30 dispute… with Mrs Besant: Annie Besant, 1847–1933. President of theTheosophical Society from 1907. In 1913 the German Section, of which RudolfSteinerwas theGeneral Secretary, separated from theTheosophical Society.Thishadbeenpreparedinwardlyforsometimeandwasnowoutwardlybroughtaboutbythe exclusion of the German Section. Then followed the foundation of theAnthroposophicalSociety.

LECTURETWO1CountRichardvonPfeil,1846–1916.Officerandwriter.AuthorofNeunJahrein

russischen Diensten unter Alexander III (Nine Years in Russian Service underAlexanderIII),1907.ThequotationistakenfromAlexanderRedlichDerGegensatzzwischenÖsterreich-UngarnundRussland(TheConflictbetweenAustria-HungaryandRussia),Stuttgart1915,p.19.

2HelenaPetrovnaBlavatsky,1831–1891.SeeRudolfSteinerTheOccultMovementintheNineteenthCentury,RudolfSteinerPress,London1973,andC.G.HarrisonThe Transcendental Universe (as above).. In Lecture 1 the latter writes ‘… Igathered the following information:… That Koot Hoomi… is a treacherousscoundrel in the pay of the Russian Government, who, for a time, succeeded indeceivingMadameBlavatsky,butwhosetruecharacterandpersonalitysheatlengthdiscovered.’ Also in the appendix to Lecture 1: ‘Now we know from ColonelOlcott’sPeoplefromtheotherWorldthatin1874MadameBlavatsky’s“master”(orcontrol)professedhimself tobe the“spirit”ofaboldbuccaneercalledJohnKingwho flourished in the seventeenth century… Moreover it was Colonel Olcotthimselfwho first suggested (p.454) that “JohnKing”was nodeceasedbuccaneerbut the creation of an “Orderwhich,while depending for its results upon unseenagents,hasitsexistenceuponearthamongstmen”.’AndagainfromLecture1:‘Shethen disappeared, and the next thing that was heard was that a certain MadameBlavatskyhadbeenexpelledfromanAmericanbrotherhoodforanoffenceagainsttheconstitutionoftheUnitedStates,andhadgonetoBritishIndiainordertocarryoutacertainthreatwhichitwouldseemtherewasafairprospectofherputtingintoexecution.’

3 physician inVienna:MorizBenedikt, 1835–1920.Benedikt describes the fall ofVoidarevichinAusmeinemLeben(FrommyLife),Vienna1906,p.273ff.TheruleronwhomVoidarevich’sarticleshadagreatinfluencewasAlexanderIIIofRussia.

4MilanObrenovichIV,1845–1901.Ruled1868–1889.From1882KingofSerbia.

5Nikola(Nikita)I1841–1921.Prince,laterKing,ofMontenegro.Ruled1860–1918.

6 Russian Foreign Minister: Prince Alexander Gorchakov, 1798–1883. ForeignMinister1856–1882.

7AlexanderIvonBattenberg,1857–1893.PrinceofBulgaria.Reigned1878–1886.Abdicated7September1886.

8RichardCobden,1804–1865.Englishpoliticaleconomist.Advocateoffreetrade,peace,disarmament.

9JohnBright,1811–1889.EnglishQuaker,politician,minister.

10‘TestamentofPetertheGreat’:PeterI,TsarofAllRussia,1672–1725.SeeLudwigPolzer-HoditzDerKampfgegendenGeistunddasTestamentPetersdesGrossen(TheBattleagainsttheSpiritandtheTestamentofPetertheGreat),Stuttgart1922.The ‘Testament’ is today regarded as a Polish forgery of Napoleonic times (seeWittramPeterderGrosse,derEintrittRusslandsindieNeuzeit(PetertheGreatandtheEntryofRussiaintoModernTimes),Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg1954).

11duringacourse:AttheWorkers’EducationalEstablishmentinBerlin.

12RudolfChristophEucken,1846–1926.Germanidealisticphilosopher.

13 Mitrofanoff, ahistoryprofessor:RudolfSteinerquoteshere fromHansDelbrückDie Motive und Ziele der russischen Politik nach zwei Russen (Professor vonMitrofanoff und Fürst Kotschubey) (The Motives and Aims of Russian PoliticsAccording to Two Russians, Professor von Mitrofanoff and Prince Kotshubey),Berlin1915.Mitrofanoff’sletterisdated12April1914.

14‘“Nibelung”bytheSpree’:TheRiverSpreeflowsthroughBerlin.

15Takelonescu,1858–1922.1912–1914RomanianMinisterfortheInterior.

LECTURETHREE1HermannBahr,1863–1934.DieStimme(TheVoice),Berlin1916.

2Himmelfahrt(Ascension):NovelbyHermannBahr,Berlin1916.SeealsoRudolfSteiner‘AscensionandPentecost’TheFestivalsandtheirMeaning.

3JuliusWiesner,1838–1916.Austrianbotanist.

4WilhelmOstwald,1857–1932.Germanchemist.NobelPrize1909.

5GustavvonSchmoller,1838–1917.Germaneconomist.

6CharlesRichet,1850–1935.Frenchphysiologist.NobelPrize1913.

7SigmundFreud,1856–1939,Austrianneurologist.Founderofpsychoanalysis.

8 ArchdukeFranzFerdinandofAustria,born1863,assassinatedatSarajevoon28June1914.

9beenspeaking…invariousbranches:SeeRudolfSteinerDestiniesofIndividualsandofNations,RudolfSteinerPress,London1986,Lectures2and5.AlsoCosmicBeingandEgohoodLecture3(Englishtextavailableintypescriptonly).DuringalecturetothebranchinStuttgarton30September1914,RudolfSteinersaid:‘Ihaveoftenstressedhowdifferentthingsare,hereonthephysicalplane,andhowonthespiritualplanetheoppositeisoftenrevealed.YetevenIwassurprisedwhenIwaspermittedtocomparethisindividualitybeforedeathwiththestateheenteredaftertheassassination:Thispersonalityhadbeentransformedintoacosmicforce.’InDiegeistigen Hintergründe des Ersten Weltkrieges (The Spiritual Background to the

FirstWorldWar),GA174b,Dornach1974.

10DieneuenMenschen(TheNewPeople),playbyHermannBahr,Zurich1887.

11one-actplay:LaMarquesad’Amaegui,byHermannBahr,Zurich1888.

12DiegrosseSünde(TheGreatSin),playbyHermannBahr,Zurich1889.

13GeorgesErnestBoulanger,1837–1891.Frenchgeneralandnationalistpolitician.

14AlphonseDaudet,1840–1897.Frenchwriter.

15CaféGriensteidl:SeeNotetoNumberSeven,RudolfSteinerBriefe,BandI,Note4,LectureOne.

16NikolausLenau,1802–1850.Austrianpoet.

17AnastasiusGrün,1806–1876.Austrianpoet.

18KarlKraus,1874–1936.AustrianpublisherofthejournalDieFackel.ThepamphletDiedemolierteLiteratur(LiteratureDemolished),Vienna1897.

19MauriceBarrès,1862–1923.Frenchnationalistwriter.

20bookonexpressionism:HermannBahrExpressionismus,Munich1916.

21Germans,Czechs,Slavonians:NotmentionedherearetheSlovenes.

22ArchdukeRudolf,born1858.ThecauseofhisdeathatMayerlingin1889wasneverfullyclarified.

23secretbrotherhood:The‘Omladina’.Seenextlecture.

24 FriedrichNietzsche,1844–1900.Germanphilosopher,oneof themost influentialthinkers of modern times. The sentence quoted is from Thus Spake Zarathustra,Fourth Part. “The Intoxicated Song.’ Trans. R J Hollingdale, Penguin Classics,London1986.

LECTUREFOUR1Omladina:ThestatementsaboutSerbiainthislecturearetakenfromanessayby

LeopoldMandlDerMordalsMittel derPolitik inSerbien (Murder as a PoliticalToolinSerbia)inÖsterreichischeRundschau1915,p.241ff.Regarding‘Omladina’and ‘Narodna Odbrana’ see also Lennhoff Politische Geheimbünde imVölkergeschehen(SecretPoliticalSocietiesinInternationalRelations),Berlin1930.

2MichaelObrenovichIII,1823–1868.From1839PrinceofSerbia.Banished1842.Returnedtothethrone1860.Assassinated1868.

3JovanRistic,1831–1899.Influentialpolitician,authorofworksinseveralvolumesaboutSerbia’s foreignaffairs andherdiplomatichistory in the secondhalfof thenineteenthcentury.

4 Alexander Karageorgevich, 1806–1885. After the banishment of MichaelObrenovich III, Prince of Serbia 1842–1858. In 1858 Milosh Obrenovich I wasreturned to the throne for twoyearsuntil1860.His son,MichaelObrenovichHI,succeededhimforasecondtermfrom1860untilhisassassinationin1868.Hewas

succeeded in turn by his first cousin once removed,Milan Obrenovich IV, from1868to1889,whoabdicatedinfavourofhissonAlexanderObrenovichV,retiringtolivechieflyinVienna.

5NikolaPasic:SeeNote8,LectureOne.

6‘AconfederationofalltheSerbs…’:AfterMandl(above).

7AlexanderIIIofRussia,1845–1894.Crowned1881.

8Serbia’swarwithBulgaria:In1885.

9 DragaMasin, 1867–1903.Widowof an engineer.Lady-in-waiting to theKing’smother, Queen Natalie of Serbia, and mistress of Alexander Obrenovich V.Alexander married her in 1900 and made her Queen of Serbia. Both wereassassinated on 11 June 1903. See Dr Vladan Georgevich Das Ende derObrenovitch. Beiträge zur Geschichte Serbiens 1897–1900 (The End of theObrenovichDynasty.NotesontheHistoryofSerbia1897–1900),Leipzig1905.

10MurderofAlexanderObrenovichV:SeeMandlp.254(above).

11 ‘The Jewwill be burnt!’:LessingNathan derWeise (Nathan theWise),Act IV,Scene2.

12pamphlet:SeeNote23,LectureOne.

13DavidLloydGeorge,1863–1945.Britishministerfrom1905.PrimeMinister1916–1922.

14 Lord Archibald Rosebery, 1847–1929. British ForeignMinister 1886 and 1882.PrimeMinister1894.Theremarkwasmadein1893andisquotedafterBernhardiDeutschlandunddernächsteKrieg(GermanyandtheNextWar),Stuttgart1912,p.82.BernhardiisinturnquotingHanotauxFachodaetlepartagedel’Afrique,Paris1909.

15taughtinsomesecretbrotherhoods:SeeNote6,LectureOne.

16AlbertAugusteGabrielHanotaux,1853–1944.Frenchstatesmanandhistorian.ThequotationsarefromFachodaetlepartagedeI’AfriqueasquotedbyBernhardi(p.83and84,above).

17Fichte’sspeeches:RedenandiedeutscheNation(SpeechestotheGermanNation),Tübingen1859. In the thirteenthspeechonp.202Fichte says: ‘Equally foreign toGermansisthefreedomofthehighseas,whichissofrequentlyproclaimedtoday,whatevertheintention,beitgenuinefreedomormerelythecapabilityofexcludingallothers.’

18SergeiDmitrievichSasonov,1861–1927.RussianForeignMinister1910–1916.

19extensivecircles:InconfirmationandillustrationofwhatRudolfSteinersayshereaboutEnglanditismostrevealingtoreadashortworkbytheEnglishMinisterLordMorley, who resigned on the outbreak of war: Memorandum on Resignation,London1928.

20EdwardVII,1841–1910.KingofEngland1901–1910.

21 Two people spoke to one another: Conference between the Russian ForeignMinisterIzvolskiandtheAustrianForeignMinisterBaronAehrenthalinBuchlau.Paul Herre in Weltpolitik und Weltkatastrophe (World Politics and WorldCatastrophe),Berlin1916,maintains that IzvolskiobtainedAustrianagreement tothe opening of the Dardanelles (p.91). Prince Bülow in Denwürdigkeiten(Memorabilia), Volume Two, states that he received reports on the Buchlauconference both from Izvolski and from Aehrenthal. Izvolski felt he had beentrickedbyAehrenthal,hencehishatred forhim. It isnoteworthy that Jaurès, inaspeechgiven shortly before his death, said: ‘Herr vonAehrenthalmade a gesturewhich Izvolski took to signify “yes”, whereupon he permitted Austria theannexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. When Russia then requested Austria’sreciprocation(agreementtotheopeningoftheDardanelles),Aehrenthalanswered:“Whatareyousaying;Ineversaidanything!”‘(SeeDemain,Geneva,VolumeOne,1916,No.4).A further facet appears in abookpublished inParisduring thewar:Jacques Prolo,Une politique…Un crime! Le meurtre de Jean Jaurès. Here it ismaintainedthatimmediatelybeforetheoutbreakofwarJaurèsissupposedtohavesaidinthelobbiesoftheCabinetthatFrancewasreelingintowarbecauseMonsieurIzvolski,theRussianambassadorinParis,hadnotreceivedthefortymillionwhichhad been promised him while he was still Foreign Minister by Baron vonAehrenthal for Russia’s agreement to Austria’s annexation of Bosnia. (Daniels,PreussischeJahrbücher(PrussianAnnals),Berlin,Volume164,p.123.)

22 Aleksandr Petrovich Izvolski, 1856–1919. Russian ForeignMinister 1906–1910,thereafterambassadorinParis.

23 for England’s part: This is confirmed by Lord Morley in the MemorandummentionedinNote19.AccordingtoMorley,eventheEnglishCabinetwasforthemostpartinfavourofneutralityduringtheearlydaysofAugust.

24aGermanhadaconversation:Detailsnotknown.

25BernhardiAsabove,pp.105and113(SeeNote14).

LECTUREFIVE1 important events: On 12 December 1916, via a speech in the Reichstag by

Bethmann-Hollweg,theCentralPowersofferedasuggestionforpeacenegotiationswhichwasrejectedbytheAllies.SeeLectureThirteen.

2 BrooksAdams, 1848–1927.American historian.Law of Civilization andDecay,1895,withanessaybyTheodoreRoosevelt.

3TheodoreRoosevelt,1858–1919.PresidentoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica1901–1909.

4 Goethe’s saying: ‘Life is her most wonderful discovery and death her artificethrough which she may have much life’, from the hymnDie Natur (Nature) inGoethe’s Scientific Works. (See Note 1, Lecture One), Volume 2: ZurNaturwissenschaftimAllgemeinen,p.8.

5HenryVIII,1491–1547.KingofEngland.SeeRudolfSteinerThingsofthePresent

andofthePastintheSpiritofMan,Lecture8.Englishtextavailableintypescriptonly.

6SirThomasMore,1480–1535.Englishsaintandhumanist.LordChancellor1529–1532.

7 GiovanniPicodellaMirandola, 1463–1494. Italianphilosopher and scholar.SeeRudolfSteinerThingsofthePresentandofthePastintheSpiritofManLecture5.Englishtextavailableintypescriptonly.

8Utopia:ThomasMoreDeoptimastatureipublicaedequenovainsulaUtopia,transPaulTurner,PenguinClassics,London1986.

9Charlemagne,742–814.KingoftheFranks768–814,andWestern(HolyRoman)Emperor800–814.

10 Dante Alighieri, 1265–1321. The greatest poet of Italy.De Monarchia. DivineComedy,Purgatory7,V.91–96.

11RudolfofHabsburg,1218–1291;GermanKingfrom1273.

12VenicedevouredthepatriarchateofAquileia:In1451.

13BattleofSolferino:24June1859.

14CamilloBensoCavour,1810–1861.Piedmontesestatesman.

15Icanonlygiveyouanoutline:AmongthesourcematerialusedbyRudolfSteinerforthislecturewasthebookletItalien(Italy).ThisisBooklet9oftheSüddeutscheMonatshefte,Volume12,June1915,whichwasdevotedtoItaly’spreparationsforenteringthewaronthesideoftheEntente.

16VictorEmmanuelII,1820–1878.KingofItalyfrom1861.

17FrancescoCrispi,1818–1901.ItalianPrimeMinister1887–1896.

18whenFrancetookoverTunisia:FranceannexedTunisiainMay1881.SeeKjellénDreibund und Dreiverband (Triple Alliance and Triple Entente), Munich 1921.p.60ff.TripleEntente:AlliancebetweenFranceandRussia (March1894),FranceandEngland(theEntenteCordiale,1904),andEnglandandRussia(August1907).

19 friendly gentleman: According to Marie Steiner, who was present, this wasProfessorAngelodeGubernatis.

20‘reconqueringofItalybymeansofhunger’:SeeKjellén,asabovep.61.

21speechmadein1888:Bismarck’sspeechintheReichstagon6February1888.SeeRudolfSteinerAusschicksaltragenderZeit,GA64,Dornach1959,Lectureentitled‘DasVolkSchillersundFichtes’.

22 publications of Loiseaux, Chéradame and others: Hippolyte Loiseaux LePangermanism,cequ’ilfutcequ’ilest,Paris1921.AndréChéradameL’EuropeetlaquestiondeI’AutricheauseuilduXXesièle,Paris1901.

23 WilhelmOberdank: Student, Irredentist.Attempted to assassinateEmperor FranzJosef on17August 1882 inTrieste.Oberdankwas executed.Carducci celebrated

himinanode.

24GrandOrientdeFrance:ThecentralorganizationofFrenchFreemasonry.

LECTURESIX1GiosuéCarducci,1835–1907,inhisessayL’operadiDante(TheWorksofDante),

1888.ProsedieGiosuéCarducci,Bologna1905,p.1131.

2 theBritons, theGauls, theGermans: ‘Before theRomanconquest,Gaul,BritainandGermanywerenotnations, theyhadonlytribalexistence.TheirconquestandincorporationintotheRomanEmpiremarkedtheperiodofinfancy.Romanlawwastheirnurseandprotector.Tothenurse,succeededthetutor.Thedestructionof theRomanEmpireand the riseof thePapacymarked theperiodofchildhood,as thebeginningoftheirintellectuallife…ThemanhoodofmodernEuropedatesfromthesixteenthcentury.’FromC.G.Harrison,asabove,Lecture2.

3BalkanSlavs:SeeNote7,LectureOne.AlsoC.G.Harrison,asabove,Lecture2:‘Weneednotpursuethesubjectfurtherthantosaythatthenationalcharacter[oftheSlavpeoples]willenablethemtocarryoutexperimentsinSocialism,politicalandeconomical,whichwouldpresentinnumerabledifficultiesinWesternEurope’.

4 systemofsounds.Voicedplosives (d,b,g),unvoicedplosives (t,p,k), aspiratedsounds (ph, ch, etc.).RegardingGrimm’sLawsee alsoRudolfSteinerDasReichderSprache.DieSprachealsSpiegelungdesLebenshöhererWesen,Dornach1935,andGeisteswissenschaftlicheSprachbetrachtungen,GA299,Dornach1977.

5aninterestingdissertation:Notknown.

6 HerbertHenryAsquith, Earl ofOxford andAsquith, 1852–1928.Minister from1892.PrimeMinister1908–1916.

LECTURESEVEN1urgentrequestnottotakenotes:ThisofcoursedidnotapplytoHeleneFinckh,the

official stenographer, who took down all Rudolf Steiner’s lectures from 1916onwards.

2MikhailBakunin,1814–1876.Russiananarchist.

3Faust:GoetheFaust,PartI,Auerbach’sCellar.

4GermanReich:OnthefoundationoftheGermanReichandthequestionofthetitleof Kaiser see BismarckGedanken und Erinnerungen (Thoughts and Memoires),Stuttgart1915,VolumeTwo,Chapter23:‘Versailles’,p.l46ff.

5 Matin: FromHans FHelmoltDieGeheime Vorgeschichte desWeltkrieges (TheSecretBuild-UptotheWorldWar),Leipzig1914,p.17.

6judgementexpressedintheyear1870:ThomasCarlyle,1795–1881.Scotsessayistand historian. Rudolf Steiner was reading from a heavily abbreviated version inGermanof the letterwrittenbyCarlyleon11November1870andprinted inTheTimes on 18 November 1870. The same issue of The Times carried an editorialpraisingCarlyle as a historian but disagreeingwith the opinions expressed in his

letter.ThetextoftheletterinTheTimesendswiththewords‘hopefullestpublicfactthathasoccurredinmytime’.WhatfollowswasreadaloudbyRudolfSteinerasifitwasstillpartoftheletter.IthasbeenimpossibletodiscovertheGermantextfromwhichhewasreading.

7thismansaid:RudolfSteinerreadthisquotationfromp.38ofHelmolt’sbook(seeNote5).Helmoltprefacesitwiththewords‘AtellingportraitofGreyispaintedinthefollowingletterwrittenbyacolleagueofhisduringtheambassadors’conferenceinLondoninthewinterof1912to1913.’Asithasprovedimpossibletotracetheoriginalsource,thetextherequotedisare-translationfromtheGermantranslation.

8 JeanJaurès, 1859–1914:One of the leaders of the French Socialist party in itsformativeyears.AfterHelmolt.Asabove,p.38f.

9senatorGaudaindeVillaine:DieFrankfurterZeitungof23November1906,No.323: ‘Paris 21 November. According to the version published by a number ofpapers,PrimeMinisterClemenceau’sdeclarationon foreignpolicy in reply to theinterpellationfromsenatorGaudaindeVillainewasasfollows:“YousaythatIamasupporterofEnglishpolicieswithoutaddinganyexplanationandwithouttellinguswhattheseare,andyouusethisasabasisforpredictingthegreatestmisfortuneforFrance… “ (Gaudain de Villaine, interrupting: “Yes or No, is there a militaryagreement with England?”) Clemenceau continues: “Do you imagine that I cananswerYesorNotosuchaquestion?AlthoughtheMinisterforForeignAffairshassent dispatches tome aswell as all his cabinet colleagues, ofwhich somemightrefertotheAnglo-Frenchentente,Ihavenotstudiedthequestionofwhetherthereisamilitary agreement.” (Villaine, interrupting: “This ismonstrous!”) Clemenceau:“What is monstrous?” Villaine: “What you have said! What an admission!”Clemenceau:“Thenyoualsospokeofdictatorshipandministersbentonrevenge.Youhadnorighttousethatword.WhatamIsupposedtoreply?DoyouwishmetodisavowtheviewsheldbycountlessFrenchmen?Isthatwhatyouhavethegalltodemand?(Livelyapplauseon the left).DoyouwantmetoabandonFrance to theworstadventurersbyagreeingwithyou?SuchathingwouldbeunworthyofagoodFrenchman.”‘Therefollowedavoteofconfidenceshowing213againstand32infavouroftheGovernment.(Helmolt,asabove,pp.41/42)

10disarmamentproposal:AtthepeaceconferencesinTheHaguein1899and1907,disarmamentproposalswerealsomade.

11intheDailyNews:AfterHelmolt,asabove,pp.26–27.

12 successachieved…by theEntente:This refers to theRomaniancampaignwhichwas successfully concluded at the end ofDecember 1916 by theCentral Powers.The Serbian army, consisting of four divisions, had been reorganized and foughtsuccessfullyintheEastagainsttheBulgariansundertheFrenchgeneralSarrail,theSupreme Commander East of the Entente forces. See StegemannGeschichte desKrieges(HistoryoftheWar),Stuttgart1921,VolumeFour,p.136.

13theDuchess’sexclamation:Thisislackingintheshorthandreport.ItisincludedinM.HardenKriegundFrieden(WarandPeace),Berlin1918,VolumeOne,p.36.

14 rather inferior Paris journal: Almanach deMme de Thèbes. Conseils pour être

heureux, Paris 1912. See also Rudolf Steiner Aus dem mitteleuropäischenGeistesleben,GA65,Dornach1962,p.583.

15 Robert Arthur, Marquis of Salisbury, 1838–1903. For decades one of the mostprominentBritishpoliticians.Britishdelegatetothe1878BerlinCongress.

16essaybyanAustrian:Thishassofarnotbeentraced.

17 HerbertSpencer, 1820–1903.Political essays:TheProperSphereofGovernment1842;SocialStatics1850;Essays1858;PoliticalInstitutions1882;ManversustheState1886.

18JohnStuartMill,1806–1873.Englishphilosopherandeconomist.OnLiberty1856;Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform 1859; Considerations on RepresentationalGovernment1861;EnglandandIreland1868;SubjectionofWoman1869.

19 Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, 1729–1781. German dramatist, critic and writer onaesthetics.OneofthegreatseminalmindsinGermanliterature.LaokoonoderüberdieGrenzenderMalereiundPoesie(LaocoonortheLimitsofPaintingandPoetry),1766.

20 Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, 1770–1831. German philosopher.Selbstbewusstsein des Gedankens (Self-Consciousness of Thought). See RudolfSteinerAus schicksaltragender Zeit, GA 64, Dornach 1959, lecture entitled ‘DerSchauplatz derGedanken als Ergebnis des deutschen Idealismus imHinblick aufunsereschicksaltragendeZeit’.

21whenAustriavoluntarilydeclared:BeforeItalyjoinedthewar,AustriahaddeclaredherselfwillingtoaccedetomostofItaly’sterritorialdemands.On4May1915sheoffered to relinquish all the Italian areasof theSouthTyrol and the region to therightoftheIsonzo.AlsoofferedwastheautonomyofTrieste,theestablishmentofan Italianuniversity thereand the recognitionof Italian rule inValona. (Herre, asabove,p.249.)

22 or rather those three people: Among the notes Rudolf Steiner made for theselecturesisasheetonwhichhehadwrittenthenamesSalandra,SonninoandTittoni.All threewereprominent Italianpoliticiansat that time:AntonioSalandra,1853–1931,PrimeMinister1914;GiorgioSidneySonnino,1847–1927,ForeignMinister1914, concluded the pact with the Entente in London in 1915; Tomasso Tittoni,1855–1931,AmbassadorinParis1914–1916,PresidentoftheSenate1919–1928.

23JakobBöhme,1575–1624.Germanmystic.

24LouisClaudedeSaint-Martin,1743–1803.Frenchilluministwhosignedhisworks‘LePhilosopheInconnu’.

25 recent book: Rudolf Steiner Vom Menschenrätsel. Ausgesprochenes undUnausgesprochenes im Denken, Schauen, Sinnen einer Reihe deutscher undösterreichischer Persönlichkeiten (The Riddle of the Human Being. Spoken andUnspokenAspectsoftheThinking,VisionandReflectionsofaNumberofGermanandAustrianPersonalities),GA20,Dornach1957.

26 to solve certain.. . problems: Rudolf Steiner The Challenge of the Times,

AnthroposophicPress,NewYork,1987.Lectureof1December1918.SeealsoC.G.Harrison,asaboveLecture1.

27thatsincomesfromthelaw:Romans,7,8:‘Forwithoutthelawsinwasdead.’

28JohnEmrichBaronActon,1834–1902.Englishhistorian.

29 toan innerplace:ConfirmedbySirRogerCasement in Irland,DeutschlandunddieFreiheitderMeere.

30“Theforeignerhasno…’:Onlythefirstfewwordsofthisquotationappearintheshorthandreport.LordActonLectureontheStudyofHistory,Cambridge1895,p.15.

31MichaelFaraday,1791–1867.Englishchemistandphysicist.Thequotationisnotincludedintheshorthandreport.ThepassageselectedisonethatstatesparticularlyconciselyathoughtfrequentlyexpressedbyFaraday.FromHenryBenceJonesTheLifeandLettersofFaraday,London1870,VolumeTwo,p.325.

32CharlesRobertDarwin,1809–1882.Englishnaturalist.

33SirIsaacNewton,1642–1727.Englishphysicalscientistandmathematician.

34ErnstHeinrichHaeckel.1834–1919.Germanzoologist.

35 Aristide Briand, 1862–1932. French Prime Minister (eleven times) and FrenchForeignMinister(fifteentimes).

36Theclosingwordsofthislecture:

Thursday’slecturewillbeinBaselandwewillthenmeethereagainnextSundayat5o’clock.TherewillbenolectureonSaturday,firstlybecausemanyofyouwillbebusy preparing for Christmas, and secondly because I was told earlier thatsomethingeversobeautifulisbeingpreparedthatSaturdayisneededforrehearsals.Sowe shallmeethere againnextSunday if noonehas anyobjections. If anyonewouldpreferadifferenttime,pleaseraiseyourhand.

LECTUREEIGHT1 Gnosis: See, among others, Rudolf SteinerChrist and the SpiritualWorld. The

SearchfortheHolyGrail,RudolfSteinerPress,London1963,LectureOne.

2creedsofAriusorAthanasius:AtthefirstCouncilofNicaea(325)theAthanasiancreed(identityoftheSonwiththeFather)wasaccepted.AriusdeniedthisidentityandstressedtheonenessofGodtheFather.Hegainedmanysupporters,especiallyamong the Germanic tribes, and the strife between the two schools of thoughtdragged on throughout the fourth and fifth centuries, until Arianism lost itsinfluence.

3Ingaevones:‘ToMannustheyassignthreesons,fromwhosenames,theysay,thecoast tribes are called Ingaevones; those of the interior, Herminones; all the restIstaevones.’TacitusGermania,2.

4Vanir:Aliteraltranslationofthesetwosentencesreadsasfollows:‘Subconsciouslythepeopleknewthemselvestoberuledbygods,whoweregiventhename‘Wanen’

[English:Vanir],whichisconnectedwiththeword‘wähnen’[tofancy,toimagine],thatis,withthatwhichrunsitscourse,notinfull,intellectualconsciousnessbutina“knowing,dreamconsciousness”.’Trs.

5 containedinTacitus:TacitusontheErthasaga,Germania,40.TranslatedbyAJChurchandWJBrodribb.

6 WalpurgisNight: The night of 30April to 1Maywhen thewitches are said togatherontheBrockenintheHarzMountains.

7 Scandinavianmysteries: SeeRudolf SteinerTheMission of the Individual FolkSouls, Rudolf Steiner Press, London 1970, and also Die Julzeit und dieChristfeststimmung,Dornach1966.

8 famousAnglo-Saxonrune-song:The so-called songof the runicnames.Twenty-second rune. See Wilhelm Grimm Über deutsche Runen (On German Runes),Göttingen1821.

9longingforpeaceisshouteddown:SeeNote1,LectureFive.

LECTURENINE1requestyouonceagain:SeeNote1,LectureSeven.

2 After his opening request,RudolfSteiner first spoke about theChristmasPlays,giving themeaning of certain dialectwords in the Paradise Play. This passage—about a page—has been omitted here, since it is irrelevant for English-speakingreaders.Tr.

3discussioninBasel:LectureEight.

4Vanir:SeeNote4,LectureEight.

5Aesir:Afterfurtherexaminationoftheshorthandreport,ecce,‘tosee’,(whichwasused in the 1966German edition)was changed to esse in the 1978 edition, fromwhich this translation ismade. It is possible that there is a gap in the shorthandreport.

6lawbythesins:SeeNote27,LectureSeven.

7JesuitFather:PaterKlinkowström.SeeRudolfSteinerThingsofthePresentandofthePastintheSpiritofMan,LectureFour.Englishtextavailableintypescriptonly.

8ColadiRienzi,1313–1354.Italianpolitician.In1347heproclaimedthefoundationofapeople’sstateandhimselfadoptedtheancienttitleofTribune.

9Gabrieled’Annunzio,1863–1938.Italianpoet.AccordingtoinformationreceivedbythepublisheroftheGermaneditionoftheselectures,thewidelyheldviewthatd’Annunzio’s real name was Rapagnetta is explained by the fact that his father,whosenamehadindeedbeenRapagnetta,hadbeenadoptedasachildbyafamilynamedd’Annunzio.Hisnameinlawwouldthenhavebeend’AnnunzioRapagnetta.IntheregisterofbirthshissonwasenteredasGabrieled’Annunzio.Inanarticleof16May1915intheRomannewspaperAvanti,thepoetwasdescribedasa‘singerofallshamefuldegeneracy’.HisnovelTheFlameofLifereferstohisrelationshipwith

thefamousactressEleonoraDuse.

10d’Annunziogaveaspeech:On12May1915.

11 Giovanni Giolitti, 1841–1928. For decades one of Italy’s most influentialpoliticians.

12 in the solemn gathering of our union: D’Annunzio means the forthcomingparliamentarysessionatwhichtheentryofItalyintothewarwasdecided.

13villaonthePincio:TheGermanembassy.VonBülowwastheAmbassador.

14fromthegospels:These‘beatitudes’concludethespeechof5May1915.

LECTURETEN1 TheSpiritualGuidanceofManandHumanity,AnthroposophicPress,NewYork,

1970.

2invitationfromCopenhagen:SeeprecedingNote.

3Onceuponatime:RudolfvonEms(13thcentury)DerguteGerhard(GerhardtheGood). A modern publication in German is available from Verlag FreiesGeistesleben,Stuttgart1962.

4OttooftheRedBeard:OttoII,955–983.

LECTUREELEVEN1inthemiddleofthenineteenthcentury:SeeRudolfSteinerTheOccultMovementin

theNineteenthCentury,RudolfSteinerPress,London1973.

2Blavatsky:SeeNote2,LectureTwo.

3connectinglinkformachinations:Forthiswholeepisode,seealsoC.G.HarrisonTheTranscendentalUniverse,asabove,Lecture1.

4Silvagni,Durante,Sergi,Cecconi,Lombroso:InanarticlepublishedinSüddeutscheMonatshefteVolume12,Booklet9,June1915,MRennertsays:‘Alltheleadersofthe radical wing, our chief enemies, belong to lodges: Professors Silvagni(Bologna),Durante (Rome),Sergi (Rome),Cecconi (Turin),Lombrosoandallhisrelations…’

5onthedifferentfolkspirits:SeeNote7,LectureEight.

6 ‘Celtic soul andLatin spirit’: EdouardSchuré’L’âme celtique et le génie de laFrance’,published1915,thirdeditionParis1921.

7WolframvonEschenbach,early13thcentury.OneofthegreatestmedievalGermanpoets.

8 JamesI,1566–1625.JamesVIofScotlandfrom1567;JamesIofEnglandfrom1603. See Rudolf Steiner From Symptom to Reality in Modern History, RudolfSteiner Press, London 1976, andCosmicBeing andEgohood, Lecture 7, Englishtextavailableintypescriptonly.

9historyofsymptoms:SeepreviousNote.

10ThirtyYearsWar:1618–1648,partofafifty-yearstrugglefortheEuropeanbalanceofpowerinvolvingAustrianHabsburgsandtheGermanprincesandcities.

11 battle of theWhiteMountain:On8November1620between the ‘WinterKing’,FrederickV,ElectorPalatineoftheRhine,andtheCatholicLeague.

12SevenYears’War.1756–1763betweenPrussiaunderFrederickIIandthecoalitionofAustria,Russia,SwedenandFrance.

13Victoria,1818–1901.QueenofEngland1837–1901.

14 Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland, 1771–1851. King of Hanover 1837. Herepealed the constitution of Hanover in November 1837. Among the ‘sevenprofessors’ of Göttingen University were the brothers Grimm and the historianGervinus.RegardingtheOrangeLodge,orOrangemen,LennhoffsaysinPolitischeGeheimbünde (Secret Political Societies), Berlin 1932: ‘As time went on, theOrangemen spreadover thewholeofGreatBritain.Theyhad lodges in the armyandinthecoloniesandexercisedconsiderableinfluenceinpolitics.Itistruethatin1828, when the Duke of Cumberland, later King Ernst August of Hanover, hadbecomeGrandMaster,theanti-Catholicvowwasabolishedandthepurposeofthesociety declared to be nothing more than “the preservation of the true, legallyestablished,religion”andthe“preservationoftheProtestantlineofsuccessionandthedefenceof allOrangemenand theirproperty”.But thismadenot the slightestdifferencetothenatureofthesociety.Asmuchaseverbefore,themethodswereinstarkcontrasttothevowofChristiancharityandtoleranceexpectedofmembersontheiradmission…TheOrangeOrderwasseverelyreprimandedbyaparliamentarycommission which found that it had weakened rather than strengthenedProtestantismbyitsintransigence,thatithadstirredupreligiousfervour,corruptedthemachineryof justice and exercisedunlawful influenceoverpartsof the army.Butthisdidnotpreventitfromcontinuingtoexist.’(pp.271.272).

15ThomasMoore,1779–1852.Irishpoet.

16meetingatRacconigi:October1909.

17ErnestoNathan,bornLondon1845,diedRome1921.BecameanItaliancitizenin1888.MayorofRome1907–1913.

18 Giuseppe Mazzini, 1805–1872. Italian patriot. Revolutionary prophet of theRisorgimento.

19‘sisterly’route:OneofthesistersofQueenHelene,aprincessofMontenegro,hadmarriedaRussiangrandduke.

20 Usedom: SeeBismarckGedanken und Erinnerungen (Thoughts andMemories),PopularEdition,VolumeOne,p.229.

21 an essay: Richard Grelling J’accuse, von einem Deutschen Second Edition,Lausanne1915.SeeRudolfSteinerTheKarmaofUntruthfulness.PartTwo,RudolfSteinerPress,London1988,LectureOne.

22Aforthcomingbook:Notknown.

23yearningforpeace…tobeshouteddown:SeeNote1,LectureFive.

24 Giuseppe Prezzolini, born 1882. Italian writer. The books mentioned in thequotationare:P.D.Fischer Italienunddie Italiener (Italyand theItalians),1901;Bolton-King A History of Italian Unity, London 1899, and Italy Today, London1901.

25LloydGeorge:SeeNote13,LectureFour.

LECTURETWELVE1Belgianneutrality:LordMorley’sMemorandumonResignationshowsquiteclearly

that the violation of Belgian neutrality was not the reason but the excuse forEngland’sinterventioninthewar.

2GeorgBrandes:SeeNote17,LectureOne.

3myrecentbook:SeeNote25,LectureSeven.

4documents...foundduringthewar:ThesewereBelgianembassyreportsfoundbytheGermansinBrusselsandsubsequentlypublished.

5BelgiumoccupiedtheCongo:in1885.

6 an agreement: FrankDie belgische Neutralität (Belgian Neutrality), Tübingen1915:‘SoonaftertheoutbreakofwarEnglandconcludedidenticaltreatieswiththetwocombatants inwhicheachof thesewascommitted torespect theneutralityofBelgium if the other did so, failing which England undertook to protect Belgianneutrality.’SeealsoMorelTruthandtheWar,p.15.

7 most appallingdocument:Rudolf Steiner seems tomean theTsar’s order to thearmyandnavyattheendof1916:…‘Thispointintime[forpeacenegotiations]hasnot yet arrived. The enemy has not yet been driven from the territories he hasoccupied.PossessionofConstantinopleandthestraits,aswellasthecreationofafreePoland,havenotyetbeensecured…Aboveall,theholymemoryofthesonsofRussiafalleninbattledoesnotpermitevenathoughtofpeacebeforetheenemyisutterlydefeated…Notuntilhe[theenemy]finallysurrendersandgivesusandourloyal allies certain definite guarantees that he will never again commit a similarperfidiousinvasion,notuntilheiscompelledtokeepthecommitmentspeacewilllayuponhim,cananythoughtbegiventoanendtothewar.’December1916.

8judgementofSirEdwardGrey:SeeNote7,LectureSeven.

9habitofsmokingopium:RudolfSteiner’sdescriptionoftheopiumwarfollowsanarticle by K. A. von MüllerDer Opiumkrieg (The OpiumWar) in SüddeutscheMonatshefte,VolumeTwelve,Booklet4,January1915.

10andIquote:ThequotationsarefromvonMüller’sarticle.

11lecturecyclementionedtheotherday:SeeNote7,LectureEight.

LECTURETHIRTEEN1NewYear’sEvegift:Jointnoteof30December1916fromthetenAllies(bothlarge

and small) toPresidentWilson (in reply to his appeal for peace on 18December

1916).Thenotecontainedthefollowingsentence:‘Onehistoricalfactiscertainatpresent, namely the aggressivewill ofGermany andAustria-Hungary to secure adominantpositioninEuropeandtheeconomicdominationoftheworld.’

2wordswehavereadtoday:SeepreviousNote.

3JohnStuartMill:SeeNote18,LectureSeven.

4 AlexanderHerzen, 1812–1870.Russianwriter. Correspondence betweenHerzenandMill.

5‘Chineseness’inEurope:SeeRudolfSteinerAusschicksaltragenderZeit,GA64,Dornach 1959, Lecture of 29October 1914.Here he quotesMereschkowskiDerAnmarschdesPöbels(TheApproachoftheRabble),Munich1907.

6expressed…inthemysterydrama:RudolfSteinerTheSoul’sAwakening,translatedbyRuthandHansPusch.SteinerBookCentre,Toronto1973,SceneEight:

Theholymysticritualweperform

isofsignificancenotonlyhereforus.

Throughwordanddeedofsacredpriestlyrites

therepoursthefatefulstreamofworldevents.

7speakaboutasocialcarcinoma:RudolfSteinerTheInnerNatureofManandtheLife between Death and a New Birth, Anthroposophical Publishing Company,London1959.

8prussicacid…onancientMoon:Themoderntermforprussicacidishydrocyanicacid.InParisin1906RudolfSteinerexplainedthatthelawsofancientMoonwerepreservedinthecometsandthattheatmosphereofcometscontainedsomethinglikea cyanide compound. Thiswas confirmed by natural scientists in 1910. See alsoRudolfSteinerL’Esotéricismechrétiend’unecosmogoniepsychologique, transcritparEdouardSchuré,Paris1957.

9 lecture…inPrague:RudolfSteinerAnOccultPhysiology,RudolfSteinerPress,London1973,Lecture8.

10KingofSpain:AlfonsoX,theWise,ofCastileandLeon,1252–1284,issupposedtohavesaidthathadhebeenGodhewouldhavearrangedtheworldmoresensibly.

11Saint-Martin,JakobBöhme:SeeNotes23,24,LectureSeven.

12SirArthurWellesley,DukeofWellington,1769–1852.Britishcommander-chiefandstatesman.ConqueredNapoleonatWaterloo.

13GeorgeStuartFullerton:AnAmericanprofessorwhospentseveralyearsteachingattheuniversitiesofMunichandVienna.WhytheGermanNationhasGonetoWar.AnAmericantoAmericans.Munich-Leipzig1915.

14LloydGeorge:ExtractfromaspeechdeliveredattheQueen’sHallon28July1908.QuotedinE.D.MorelTruthandtheWar,London1916,p.95.