Donate books to help fund our work. Learn more→

The Rudolf Steiner Archive

a project of Steiner Online Library, a public charity

The Ahrimanic Deception
GA 193

27th October 1919, Zurich

In addressing a public audience today on the most important question of our time, it makes a great difference if one speaks from a knowledge of the deeper forces of world-historical evolution, that is, from initiation-science, or if one speaks without such knowledge. It is relatively easy to speak about modern questions if one relies upon data of external knowledge which are considered scientific, practical, and so on. It is, however, extraordinarily difficult to speak about these questions from the standpoint of initiation-science—from which indeed everything is derived with which we have to deal at such gatherings as ours today. For he who speaks from that standpoint about problems of the time knows that he is opposed not only by the casual, subjective opinions of those to whom he speaks. He knows too that a great part of mankind today is already under the control, from one side or another, of Ahrimanic forces of a cosmic nature which are growing stronger and stronger. To explain what I mean by this, I must give you a kind of historical survey of a fairly long period of human history.

From various statements which have been made here and which you will also find in some of my lecture-courses, you know that we have to place the beginning of our modern age in the middle of the fifteenth century. We have always called this period—of which we are really only at the beginning—the Fifth Post-Atlantean epoch. It has replaced the Greco-Latin Epoch, which we reckon from the middle of the eighth century B.C. to the middle of the fifteenth century; and further back still, we have the Egyptian-Chaldean epoch. I have merely indicated this so that you may remember where, in human evolution as a whole, we place the epoch in which we feel ourselves standing as modern men.

Now you know that at the close of the first third of the Greco-Latin Epoch, the Mystery of Golgotha took place. And from many different aspects we have characterized what really came about for human evolution through the Mystery of Golgotha, in fact for the whole evolution of the earth. Today, into this broad historical survey, we will place various things concerning mankind which are connected with this Mystery.

With this in view, let us glance back into far earlier times, let us say, into the ages about the beginning of the third millennium B.C. You are aware how little is said in external historical tradition about this early evolution of the human race on earth. You know, too, how external documents point over to Asia, to the Orient. From many anthroposophical sources, you will know that the further we go back in mankind's evolution, the more we find a different constitution of the human soul, and something like an ancient, original wisdom underlying the whole evolution of humanity. You know, further, that certain traditions of an ancient wisdom of mankind were preserved in close, secret circles, right into the nineteenth century. They have even been preserved into our own time—but not, for the most part, at all faithfully.

When a man of today learns to know something of this original wisdom, he is astounded at the depths of the realities to which it points. Yet in the course of the studies we have been pursuing for many years, it has been shown that this widespread wisdom-teaching of ancient times must always be contrasted with the understanding of life and the world that was possessed by the old Hebrew people and bore a completely different character. With a certain justice the widespread original wisdom is described as the heathen, pagan element, and to this is opposed the Hebrew, Jewish element. From external traditions and literature you are aware how the Christian element then arose out of the Jewish.

You can already gather from these external facts something that I beg you to bear in mind, namely, that it was essential in humanity's evolution to confront the ancient heathen element and its wisdom with the Jewish element out of which Christianity evolved partially, at all events. The primeval heathen or pagan wisdom in its totality was not destined to have the sole influence on the further evolution of mankind. And now the question must arise: Why had the ancient pagan wisdom, which is in many respects so wonderful, to experience a new form, a transformation, through Judaism and Christianity? This question inevitably arises.

The answer is supplied for Initiation-wisdom only through a very, very weighty fact, through an event which took place far over in Asia at the beginning of the third millennium of the pre-Christian era. Clairvoyant vision finds in looking back that an incarnation of a super-sensible Being in a human being had taken place there, just as in the Event of Golgotha an incarnation of the super-sensible Christ Being had taken place in the man Jesus of Nazareth. The incarnation that took place at the beginning of the third millennium B.C. is extraordinarily difficult to follow up, even with the science of seership, of initiation. It gave humanity something of immense brilliance, having an incisive effect. What it gave to humanity, in fact, was the primeval wisdom.

Viewed externally, one can say that it was a wisdom penetrating deep into reality; cold, based purely on ideas, permeated little by feeling. The actual inner nature of this wisdom can be judged only by going back to that incarnation which took place over in Asia at the beginning of the third pre-Christian millennium. It is revealed to the retrospective clairvoyant gaze that this was an actual human incarnation of the Luciferic Power.

And this incarnation of Lucifer in humanity, which in a certain way has been achieved, was the origin of the widely extended ancient wisdom based on the Third Post-Atlantean civilization.

There was still an after-effect, even in Grecian times, of the widespread cultural impulse that was derived from this Asiatic, Luciferic human being. Luciferic wisdom was of the utmost benefit to man in that epoch of evolution—brilliant in a certain way, graduated according to the different peoples and races among which it was spread. It was plainly recognizable throughout the whole of Asia, then in the Egyptian civilization, the Babylonian civilization and even in the culture of Greece.

All that was possible to the humanity of that time in thought, in the realm of poetry, in deeds, was in a certain way determined through the entry of this Luciferic impulse into human civilization.

It would, of course, be extraordinarily philistine to wish to say: That was an incarnation of Lucifer, hence we must flee from it! Such philistinism could make one also flee from the beauty and greatness that has come to mankind from this Luciferic stream, for the fruits of Greek culture with all their beauty, proceeded, as already said, from this stream of evolution. The whole of Gnostic thought existing at the time of the Mystery of Golgotha, an impressive wisdom shedding light deep into cosmic realities—this whole Gnostic knowledge was inspired by the impulse coming from Luciferic forces. One must not say that Gnostic thought is therefore false; one is merely characterizing it by saying that it is permeated by Luciferic forces.

Then, considerably more than two thousand years after the Luciferic incarnation, came the Mystery of Golgotha. It may be said that the men among whom the impulse of this Mystery spread were still fully imbued in their thinking and feeling with what had come from the impulse of Lucifer. And now there entered into the evolution of civilized humanity an entirely different impulse, the impulse proceeding from the Christ. We have often spoken of what this Christ Impulse signifies within civilized humanity. The Christ-Impulse—I will only touch on this today—was taken up by the hearts and minds that I have just characterized. One might say that it shone into all the best that came to man from Lucifer. And in the first Christian centuries, men understood the Christ through what they had received from Lucifer. These things must be faced without prejudice; otherwise it is not really possible to understand the particular way in which the Christ Impulse was received in the first centuries of our era.

As the Luciferic impulse began to fade more and more, men were also increasingly unable to absorb the Christ Impulse in the right way. Consider how much has become materialistic in the course of modern times. But if you ask yourself what in particular has become materialistic, you must receive the answer: a great part of modern Christian theology. For it is simply the starkest materialism to which a great part of modern Christian theology succumbs when it no longer sees the Christ in the man Jesus of Nazareth. It sees only the human being, the ‘simple man of Nazareth,’ the man whom one can understand if one will only raise one's self a little to some sort of higher understanding. The more the man Jesus of Nazareth could be regarded as an ordinary human being, one belonging to the ranks of other noted human personalities, the better it pleased a certain materialistic trend of modern theology. Of the super-sensible element of the Event of Golgotha, modern theology is willing to recognize little, very little.

The impulses entering humanity from a Luciferic source sank down gradually into the soul. On the other hand, however, another impulse, which we call the Ahrimanic, is growing stronger and stronger in modern times. It will become increasingly strong in the near future and on into future ages. The Ahrimanic impulse proceeds from a super-sensible Being different from the Being of Christ or of Lucifer. Equally with ‘super-sensible’ one can say ‘subsensible’—but that is not the point here. The influence of this Being becomes especially powerful in the Fifth Post-Atlantean Epoch. If we look at the confused conditions of recent years we shall find that men have been brought to such chaotic conditions mainly through the Ahrimanic powers.

Just as there was an incarnation of Lucifer at the beginning of the third pre-Christian millennium, as there was the Christ Incarnation at the time of the Mystery of Golgotha, so there will be a Western incarnation of the Ahriman being some little time after our present earthly existence, in fact, in the third post-Christian millennium. To form a right conception of the historical evolution of mankind during approximately 6000 years, one must grasp that at the one pole stands a Luciferic incarnation, in the center, the incarnation of Christ, and at the other pole the Ahrimanic incarnation. Lucifer is the power that stirs up in man all fanatical, all falsely mystical forces, all that physiologically tends to bring the blood into disorder and so lift man above and outside himself. Ahriman is the power that makes man dry, prosaic, philistine—that ossifies him and brings him to the superstition of materialism. And the true nature and being of man is essentially the effort to hold the balance between the powers of Lucifer and Ahriman; the Christ Impulse helps present humanity to establish this equilibrium.

Thus these two poles—the Luciferic and the Ahrimanic—are continuously present in man. Viewed historically, we find that the Luciferic preponderated in certain currents of cultural development of the pre-Christian age and continued into the first centuries of our era. On the other hand the Ahrimanic influence has been at work since the middle of the fifteenth century and will increase in strength until an actual incarnation of Ahriman takes place among Western humanity.

Now it is characteristic of such things that they are prepared long in advance. Ahrimanic powers prepare the evolution of mankind in such a way that it can fall a prey to Ahriman when he appears in human form within Western civilization—hardly then to be called ‘civilization’ in our sense—as once Lucifer appeared in human form in China, as once Christ appeared in human form in Asia Minor. It is of no avail to give oneself illusions today about these things. Ahriman will appear in human form and the only question is, how he will find humanity prepared. Will his preparations have secured for him as followers the whole of mankind that today calls itself civilized, or will he find a humanity that can offer resistance. It does not help at all to give oneself up to illusions. People nowadays flee the truth, and one cannot give it to them in an unvarnished form because they would ridicule it and scoff and jeer. But if one gives it to them through the “Threefold Social Organism” as one now tries to do, then they will not have it either—not the majority, at any rate. The fact that people reject these things is just one of the means which the Ahrimanic powers can use and which will give Ahriman the greatest possible following when he appears in human form on earth. This disregard of the weightiest truths is precisely what will build Ahriman the best bridge to the success of his incarnation. And nothing will help us to find the right position in regard to the part played by Ahriman in human evolution except an unprejudiced study of the forces through which Ahriman's influence works, as well as learning to know the forces through which mankind can arm itself against being tempted and led astray. For this reason we will cast a brief glance today at various things which would foster support of Ahriman and which Ahrimanic powers, working out of super-sensible worlds through human minds down here, will particularly employ in order to make his following as numerous as possible.

One of the means is this—that it is not realized what is the actual significance for man of certain kinds of thought and conception which predominate in modern times. You know, indeed, what a great difference there is between the way a man felt himself to be within the whole cosmos in the Egyptian age, let us say, and even in the time of Greece, and how he feels since the beginning of the modern age, since the close of the Middle Ages. Picture to yourselves a well-instructed ancient Egyptian. He knew that his body was constituted not merely of the ingredients which exist here on earth and are embodied in the animal kingdom, plant kingdom, mineral kingdom. He knew that the forces which he saw in the stars above, worked into his being as man; he felt himself a member of the whole cosmos. He felt the whole cosmos not only quick with life, but ensouled and imbued with spirit; in his consciousness there lived something of the spiritual beings of the cosmos, of the soul-nature of the cosmos and its life. All this has been lost in the course of later human history. Today man gazes from his earth up to the star-world and to him it is filled with fixed stars, suns, planets, comets, and so on. But with what means does he examine all that looks down to him out of cosmic space? He examines it with mathematics, with the science of mechanics. What lies around the earth is robbed of spirit, robbed of soul, even of life. It is a great mechanism, in fact, only to be grasped by the aid of mathematical, mechanistic laws. With the help of these mathematical, mechanistic laws we grasp it magnificently! A student of spiritual science is undoubtedly just the one to value the achievements of a Galileo, a Kepler, and others, but what penetrates human understanding and consciousness through the tenets of these great spirits in human evolution merely shows the universe as a great mechanism.

What this means is only revealed to one who is able to grasp man in his whole nature. It is all very well for astronomers and astro-physicists to present the universe as a mechanism which can be understood and calculated by mathematical formulae. This indeed is what a man will believe in the time from waking in the morning till going to sleep again at night. But in those unconscious depths which he does not reach with his waking consciousness but which yet belong to his existence and in which he lives between going to sleep and waking, something quite different concerning the universe flows into his soul. There lives in the human soul a knowledge which, although unknown to the waking consciousness, is yet present in the depths and moulds the soul—a knowledge of the spirit, of the life of the soul, of the life of the cosmos. And although in his waking consciousness man knows nothing of what goes on there in communion with the spirit, soul and life of the universe while he sleeps—in the soul the things are there; they live within it. And much of the great discord felt by modern man is derived from the disharmony between what the soul experiences and what the waking consciousness acknowledges as its world-conception.

And what does the whole spirit and purport of anthroposophical spiritual science say about such things? It says: What the ideas of Galileo, Copernicus, have brought to mankind is grand and mighty, but not an absolute truth, by no means an absolute truth. It is one aspect of the universe, one side from a certain standpoint. It is only through the arrogance of modern man that people say today: “Ptolemaic world-system—childishness; that is what men had when they were still children. We have made such great strides—right ‘to the stars’ and that is what we now take as the absolute.” It is just as little an absolute as the Ptolemaic system was an absolute, it is one aspect. The only right view—according to spiritual science—is to realize that all that is accepted by way of mere world-mathematics, mere world-schematism of a mechanical order, does not furnish man with absolute truth about the universe, but with illusions. The illusions are necessary because mankind goes through varied forms of education in its different stages of evolution. For modern education we need these illusions of a mathematical nature about the universe, we must acquire them, but we must know that they are illusions. And most of all they are illusions when we transpose them into our daily environment, when, in accordance with the atomic or molecular theories, we even endeavour to create a kind of astronomy for the substances of the earth. A right attitude in regard to the whole of modern science, insofar as it thinks along these lines, will recognize that its knowledge is illusion.

Now, in order that his incarnation may take the most profitable form, it is of the utmost interest to Ahriman that people should perfect themselves in all our illusory modern science, but without knowing that it is illusion. Ahriman has the greatest possible interest in instructing men in mathematics, but not in instructing them that mathematical-mechanistic concepts of the universe are merely illusions. He is intensely interested in bringing men chemistry, physics, biology and so on, as they are presented today in all their remarkable effects, but he is interested in making men believe that these are absolute truths, not that they are only points of view, like photographs from one side. If you photograph a tree from one side, it can be a correct photograph, yet it does not give a picture of the whole tree. If you photograph it from four sides, you can in any case get an idea of it. To conceal from mankind that in modern intellectual, rationalistic science with its supplement of a superstitious empiricism, one is dealing with a great illusion, a deception—that men should not recognize this is of the greatest possible interest to Ahriman. It would be a triumphant experience for him if the scientific superstition which grips all circles today and by which men even want to organize their social science, should prevail into the third millennium. He would have the greatest success if he could then come as a human being into Western civilization and find the scientific superstition.

But I ask you not to draw false conclusions from what I have just said. It would be a false conclusion to avoid the science of the day; that is the very falsest conclusion which could be drawn. We must get to know science; we should get an exact knowledge of all that comes from this direction—but with the full consciousness that we are receiving an illusory aspect, an illusion necessary for our education as men. We do not safeguard ourselves against Ahriman by avoiding modern science, but by learning to know its character. For modern science gives us an external illusion of the universe, and we need this illusion. Do not imagine that we do not need it. We must only fill it in from quite another side with actual reality gained through spiritual research, we must rise from the illusory character to the true reality. You will find reference in many of my lecture-courses to what I am telling you today, and you will see how everywhere it has been sought to enter fully into the science of our time, but to lift it all to the sphere where one can see its real value. You cannot wish to get rid of the rainbow because you know it to be an illusion of light and color! You will not understand it if you do not realize its illusory character. But it is just the same with all that modern science gives you for your imagination of the universe, it gives only illusions and that must be recognized. It is by educating oneself through these illusions that one arrives at the reality.

This, then, represents one of the means used by Ahriman to make his incarnation as effective as possible—this keeping of man back in scientific superstition.

The second means that he employs is to stir up all the emotions that split men up into small groups—groups that mutually attack one another. You need only look at all the conflicting parties that exist today, and if you are unprejudiced you will recognize that the explanation is not to be found merely in human nature. If men honestly try to explain this so-called World War through human dis-harmonies, they will realize that with what they find in physical humanity they cannot explain it. It is precisely here that “super-sensible” powers, Ahrimanic powers, have been at work.

These Ahrimanic powers are working, in fact, wherever dis-harmonies arise between groups of men. Now the question arises on what foundation is most of what we are considering based?

Let us proceed from a very characteristic example.—The modern proletariat has had its Karl Marx. Observe closely how the doctrines of Karl Marx have been spread among the proletariat, with Marxist literature reaching practically immeasurable proportions. You will find all the methods of our present-day science used in the books; everything is strictly proved, so strictly proved that many people, of whom one would never have supposed it, have fallen victim to Marxism. What was the actual destiny of Marxism? It spread at first, as you know, among the proletariat and was firmly rejected by university science. Today there are already a number of university scientists who have veered round to acknowledging Marxist logic. They adhere to it because its literature has proved that its conclusions are in excellent accord, that from the standpoint of modern science Marxism can be quite neatly proved. Middle-class circles have unfortunately had no Karl Marx who could have proved the opposite for them; for just as one can prove the ideological character of right, morality, and so forth, the theory of surplus value and materialistic historical research from the Marxist standpoint, so is it possible to prove their exact opposite. A middle-class, bourgeois-Marx would be fully able to prove the exact opposite by the same strict method. There is no sort of swindle or humbug about it; the proof would work out right.

Whence does this come? It comes from the fact that present human thinking, the present intellect, lies in a stratum of being where it does not reach down to realities. One can therefore prove something quite strictly, and also prove its opposite. It is possible today to prove spiritualism on the one hand and materialism on the other. And people may fight against each other from equally good standpoints because present-day intellectualism is in an upper layer of reality and does not go down into the depths of being. And it is the same with party opinions. A man who does not look deeper but simply lets himself be accepted into a certain party-circle—by reason of his education, heredity, circumstances of life and State—quite honestly believes—or so he thinks—in the possibility of proving the tenets of the party into which he has slipped, as he says. And then—then he fights against someone else who has slipped into another party! And the one is just as right as the other. This calls forth chaos and confusion over mankind that will gradually become greater and greater unless men see through it. Ahriman makes use of this confusion in order to prepare the triumph of his incarnation and to drive men with increasing force into what they find so difficult to realize—namely, that by intellectual or modern scientific reasoning today, one can prove anything and equally well prove its opposite. The point is for us to recognize that everything can be proved and for that reason to examine the proofs put forward in science today. It is only in natural science that reality is shown by the facts; in no other field can one consider intellectual proofs valid. The only way to escape the danger that threatens if one accepts the lures of Ahriman and his desire to drive men deeper and deeper into these things, is to realize through anthroposophical spiritual science that human knowledge must be sought for in a stratum deeper than that in which the validity of our proofs arises. And so, in order to create dissensions, Ahriman also makes use of what develops from the old conditions of heredity which man has really outgrown in the Fifth Post-Atlantean Epoch. The Ahrimanic powers use all that is derived from old circumstances of heredity in order to set men against each other in conflicting groups. All that comes from old differences of family, race, tribe, peoples, is used by Ahriman to create confusion. “Freedom for every nation, even the smallest ...” These were fine-sounding words. But the powers hostile to man always use fine words in order to bring confusion and in order to attain the things that Ahriman wishes to attain for his incarnation.

If we inquire: Who stirs up nations against each other? Who raises the questions that are directing humanity today?—the answer is: the Ahrimanic deception which plays into human life. And in this field men very easily let themselves be deceived. They are not willing to descend to the lower strata where reality is to be found. For, you see, Ahriman skillfully prepares his goal beforehand; ever since the Reformation and the Renaissance, the economist has been emerging in modern civilization as the representative governing type. That is an actual historical fact. If you go back to ancient times, even to those that I have characterized today as the Luciferic—who were the governing types then? Initiates. The Egyptian Pharaohs, the Babylonian rulers, the Asiatic rulers—they were initiates. Then the priest-type emerged as ruler and the priest-type was really the ruler right up to the Reformation and the Renaissance. Since that time the economist has been in command. Rulers are in fact merely the handymen, the understrappers of the economists. One must not imagine that the rulers of modern times are anything but the understrappers of the economists. And all that has resulted by way of law and justice—one should only study it carefully—is simply a consequence of what economically oriented men have thought. In the nineteenth century the “economical” man is replaced for the first time by the man thinking in terms of banking, and in the nineteenth century there is created for the first time the organization of finance which swamps every other relationship. One must only be able to look into these things and follow them up empirically and practically.

All that I stated in the second public lecture here (The Social Future, October 25, 1919) is profoundly true. One could only wish that it were followed up in all details; it would then be seen how fundamentally true these things are. But just because this rulership of the mere ‘symbol for solid goods’ (that is to say, money—quotation from the lecture) has arisen, Ahriman has been given another essential medium for the deception of mankind. If men do not realize that the rights-state and the organism of the Spirit must be set against the economic order called up through the economists and the banks, then again, through this lack of awareness, Ahriman will find an important instrument for preparing his incarnation. His incarnation is undoubtedly coming, and this lack of insight will enable him to prepare it triumphantly.

Such means can be used by Ahriman for a certain type of man. But there is another type—indeed the two are often mixed in one personality—and this also, from a different direction, provides Ahriman with an easy way to success.

Now it is a fact that in real life, total errors are not so harmful as half- or quarter-truths. Total errors are soon seen through, whereas half- and quarter-truths mislead people. They live with them, these partial truths become a pan of life and cause the most horrible devastation.

There are people today who do not realize the one-sidedness of the Galileo-Copernican world-conception, or who at least do not see its illusory character, or are too easygoing to examine it. We have just shown how wrong that is. But there are also people today, numberless people who acknowledge a certain half-truth, a very significant half-truth, and who do not go into the question of the purely hypothetical justification of it. Strange as it may appear to many people, it is just as one-sided to view the world solely through the Gospel and reject any other search into true reality, as it is to view the world from the standpoint of Galileo and Copernicus, or of university materialistic science in general.

The Gospel was given to those who lived in the first centuries of Christianity, and to believe that today the Gospel can give the whole of Christianity is simply a half-truth. It is therefore also a half-error which befogs people and thus furnishes Ahriman with the best means of attaining the goal and the triumph of his incarnation.

How numerous are those who think they are speaking out of Christian humility, but in reality out of dreadful arrogance, when they say: “Oh, we need no spiritual science! The homeliness, the simplicity of the Gospels leads us to what men need of the eternal!” A frightful arrogance is expressed, for the most part, in this apparent humility, which can very well be used by Ahriman in the sense I have indicated. For do not forget what I explained at the beginning of today's lecture, how in the time in which the Gospel falls, men were still permeated by the Luciferic impulse in their thought, feeling and general views, and that they could understand the Gospel by a certain Luciferic Gnosis. But the grasp of the Gospel in this old sense is not possible today. No real understanding of the Christ can be gained if one relies merely on the Gospel, especially in the form in which it has been handed down. There exists nowhere today a less true understanding of Christ than in the various faiths and confessions.

The Gospel must be deepened by spiritual science if we wish to gain an actual grasp of the Christ. It is then interesting to examine the separate Gospels and arrive at their real content. To accept the Gospel as it is and as numberless people accept it today, and particularly as it is taught today, is not a path to Christ; it is a path away from Christ. Hence the confessions are moving further and further away from Christ. To what sort of Christ-conception does a man come who will accept the Gospel and only the Gospel, without the depth given by spiritual science? He comes ultimately to a Christ—but that is the utmost that he can reach through the Gospel alone. It is not a reality of the Christ, for today only spiritual science can lead to that. What the Gospel leads to is an hallucination of the Christ, a real inner picture or vision, yet only a picture. The Gospel today provides the way to come to a vision of the Christ, but not to the reality of Christ. That is just the reason why modern theology has become so materialistic. Theological commentators and expounders of the Gospel have asked themselves: What is to be made of the Gospel? They decide at length that in their view the result is similar to what one gets when one examines the case of Paul before Damascus. And then these theologians, who are supposed to confirm Christianity, but who really undermine it, say: Paul was simply ill, suffering from nerves and he had a vision before Damascus.

The point is that through the Gospel itself one can come only to hallucinations, to visions, but not to realities; the Gospel does not give us the real Christ, but only an hallucination of the Christ. The real Christ must be sought today through all that can be gained from a spiritual knowledge of the world.

These very people who swear by the Gospel alone and reject every kind of real spiritual knowledge, form the beginning of a flock for Ahriman when he appears in human shape in modern civilization. From these circles, from these members of confessions and sects who repulse the concrete knowledge brought by spiritual endeavor, whole hosts will develop as adherents of Ahriman. Now this is all beginning to come into existence. It is there, it is at work in present humanity and one who speaks to men today with the knowledge of spiritual science speaks into it, no matter whether he is speaking on social or other questions. He knows where the hostile powers lie, that they live supersensibly and that men are their poor misguided victims. This is the call to humanity: “Free yourselves from all these things that form such a great temptation to contribute to Ahriman's triumph!”

Many people have felt something of this sort. But there is not yet courage everywhere to come to an understanding with the historical impulses of the Christ, Lucifer and Ahriman in the urgent way that is necessary and that is emphasized by Anthroposophy. Even those who have an idea of what is necessary will not go far enough. For instance, look at examples where there arises some knowledge that the secular materialistic science with this Ahrimanic character must be permeated with the Christ Impulse, and how, on the other hand, the Gospel must be illuminated through the explanations of spiritual science. Consider how many people struggle to the point of really shedding light in either of these directions by means of spiritual-scientific knowledge! Yet humanity will only acquire the right attitude to the earthly incarnation of Ahriman if it sees through these things and has the courage, will and energy to illumine both secular science and the Gospel by the Spirit. Otherwise the result is always superficialities. Think, for example, of how Cardinal Newman—who, after all, was an enlightened man, one who followed modern religious development—at the time of his investiture as Cardinal in Rome stated openly in his address that if the Christian Catholic teaching was to survive, a new revelation was necessary. We have no need, however, of a new revelation; the time of revelations in the old sense is over. We need a new science, one that is illumined by the Spirit. But men must have the courage for such a new science.

Think of a literary phenomenon like the Lux Mundi movement that originated with certain eminent theologians, members of the English High Church, at the end of the eighties and beginning of the nineties of the last century. It consisted of a series of studies, imbued throughout with the endeavor to build a bridge from secular science to the contents of dogma. One might call it a floundering hither and thither, never a bold grasping of secular science, never an illumination of it with the spirit. There was no unprejudiced examination of the Gospel with the knowledge that the Gospel of itself is not enough today, that it must be elucidated and illumined. But mankind must be courageous in both directions and say: secular science by itself leads to illusion, the Gospel by itself leads to hallucination. The middle way between illusion and hallucination is found only by grasping reality through the Spirit. That is the point.

We must see through such things as these today. Purely mundane science would make men entirely subject to illusion; in fact ultimately they would commit only follies. Quite enough folly is perpetuated today already, for surely the World War catastrophe was a great folly! Yet many people were involved in it who were thoroughly saturated with the official secular science of our time. And if you notice what remarkable psychological phenomena at once crop up when some sect or other places one of the four Gospels in the foreground, then you will more easily understand what I have been saying about the Gospels today. See how strongly inclined to all sorts of hallucinations are sects that pay heed solely to the Gospel of St. John, or solely the Gospel of St. Luke! Fortunately there are four Gospels, which outwardly contradict one another, and this has so far prevented the great harm which such one-sidedness would cause. By being faced with four Gospels people do not go too far in the direction of the one, but have the others beside it. One Gospel is read aloud on one Sunday and another on another Sunday and so the illusory power of the one is counterbalanced by that of another. A great wisdom lies in the fact that these four Gospels have come down to the civilized world. In this way man is protected from being caught up by some one stream, which will take possession of him—as in the case of so many members of sects—if he is influenced by one Gospel alone. When solely one Gospel works upon him it is particularly clear how this leads at last to hallucination.

In fact, it is essential today to give up much of one's subjective inclination, much of what one is attached to and thinks pious or clever. Mankind must above all seek universality and the courage to look at things from all sides.

I wished to say this to you today so that you may realize that what one tries now to bring about within humanity has truly deeper grounds than just some sort of subjective prejudice. In fact one can say that it is read from the signs of the times and that it must be brought about.

Neunter Vortrag

Wenn man in der Gegenwart gerade über die wichtigsten Fragen unserer Zeit zu einem größeren Publikum redet, so ist man in einer verschiedenen Lage, je nachdem man entweder nichts weiß von den tieferen Kräften des weltgeschichtlichen Werdens - mit anderen Worten: von der Wissenschaft der Initiation -, oder wenn man etwas davon weiß. Es ist heute verhältnismäßig leicht, aus allerlei äußeren Erkenntnissen heraus, die man für wissenschaftlich, für praktisch und dergleichen hält, über Zeitfragen zu sprechen. Es ist aber außerordentlich schwierig, gerade über diese Zeitfragen in der Gegenwart zu sprechen, wenn man die Wissenschaft der sogenannten Initiation kennt, von der doch alles ausgeht, was wir gerade an solchen Orten zu verhandeln haben, wie der ist, an dem wir uns auch heute wiederum versammelt haben. Denn wer vom Gesichtspunkt der Initiationswissenschaft aus heute über die Zeitfragen spricht, der weiß, daß er nicht etwa bloß die subjektiven Zufallsmeinungen der Menschen, zu denen er spricht, zum größten Teil gegen sich hat, sondern er weiß auch, daß heute ein großer Teil der Menschheit schon nach der einen oder anderen Seite hin beherrscht ist von sehr starken und immer stärker werdenden ahrimanischen Weltwesenskräften. Was ich damit sagen will, kann ich Ihnen allerdings nur auseinandersetzen, wenn ich Ihnen eine Art geschichtlichen Überblick über einen größeren menschlichen Zeitraum gebe.

Sie wissen aus verschiedenen Betrachtungen, die wir hier angestellt haben, die Sie auch verzeichnet finden in verschiedenen meiner Vortragszyklen, wie wir das Zeitalter, in dem wir uns als gegenwärtige Menschen drinnenstehend fühlen, beginnen lassen müssen mit der Mitte des 15. Jahrhunderts. Wir haben diesen Zeitraum, der in der Mitte des 15. Jahrhunderts begonnen hat, und an dessen Anfang wir im Grunde genommen noch stehen, immer bezeichnet als den fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum, der den anderen, den griechisch-lateinischen Zeitraum abgelöst hat, welchen wir von der Mitte des 8. vorchristlichen Jahrhunderts bis zur Mitte des 15. Jahrhunderts rechnen. Und dann kommen wir zum ägyptisch-chaldäischen Zeitraum zurück. Ich habe Ihnen das nur angedeutet, damit Sie sich erinnern, wie wir in das gesamte menschliche Werden eingliedern den Zeitraum, in dem wir uns als Gegenwartsmenschen drinnenstehend fühlen. Nun wissen Sie, daß, nachdem das erste Drittel des griechisch-lateinischen Zeitraums erfüllt war, das Mysterium von Golgatha stattfand. Und wir haben von den verschiedensten Gesichtspunkten aus charakterisiert, was durch dieses Mysterium von Golgatha eigentlich für die Menschheitsentwicklung, ja, für die ganze Erdenentwicklung geschehen ist. Heute wollen wir nun in diesen größeren geschichtlichen Zusammenhang mancherlei von dem hineinstellen, was sich für die Menschheit an dieses Mysterium von Golgatha anknüpft.

Zu diesem Zweck blicken wir in viel ältere Zeiten zurück, sagen wir, in die Zeit etwa des Beginnes des 3. Jahrtausends der vorchristlichen Zeitrechnung. Sie wissen ja, wie wenig von den äußeren geschichtlichen Überlieferungen spricht von dieser frühen Entwicklung des Menschengeschlechts auf der Erde. Sie wissen auch, wie die äußeren Urkunden nach dem Orient, nach Asien hinüberweisen. Und Sie wissen aus mancherlei anthroposophischen Betrachtungen, daß, je weiter wir zurückgehen in der Menschheitsentwicklung, wir zu anderen und immer anderen Seelenverfassungen dieser Menschheit kommen und daß wir etwas wie eine alte Urweisheit gleichsam zugrunde liegend haben der ganzen Menschheitsentwicklung. Sie wissen, daß Überlieferungen bestanden haben, die in engeren Geheimzirkeln bis in das 19. Jahrhundert herein bewahrt worden sind, daß dann diese Überlieferungen größtenteils wenig treu, aber doch noch in gewissem Sinne bewahrt worden sind bis in unsere Zeit herein, Überlieferungen von einer uralten Weisheit der Menschheit. Wenn heute der Mensch noch das eine oder andere von dieser alten Urweisheit der Menschheit kennenlernt, ist er erstaunt über die Tiefen der Wirklichkeit, in welche solche alten Urweistümer hineinzeigen. Aber Sie werden aus den Betrachtungen, die wir im Laufe der Jahre angestellt haben, wissen, daß immer gegenübergestellt werden mußte dieser weitausgebreiteten Weisheitslehre in alten Zeiten die ganz andersartige Lebens- und Weltauffassung des alten hebräischen, des jüdischen Volkes, die einen völlig anderen Charakter trägt. So daß mit einem gewissen Rechte die weitausgebreitete uralte Weisheitslehre als das heidnische Element bezeichnet wird und diesem gegenübergestellt wird das hebräische, das jüdische Element. Sie wissen ja schon aus den äußeren Überlieferungen und Schriften, wie dann aus diesem jüdischen Element das christliche Element hervorgegangen ist.

Nun können Sie schon aus diesen äußeren Tatsachen etwas entnehmen, auf das ich Sie bitte, heute zu achten: daß notwendig geworden ist in der Menschheitsentwicklung, dem alten heidnischen Element und seiner Urweisheit entgegenzustellen das jüdische Element, aus dem dann das Christentum sich herausentwickelt hat, wenigstens zum Teil. Das zeigt, daß diese alte heidnische Urweisheit in ihrer Ganzheit auf die weitere Entwicklung der Menschheit nicht den alleinigen Einfluß haben durfte. Und die Frage muß Ihnen daraus entstehen: Worin liegt denn der Grund, warum die alte heidnische Urweisheit, die in manchem so bewunderungswürdig ist, gewissermaßen eine neue Gestalt, eine Umwandlung erfahren mußte durch Judentum und Christentum? - Diese Frage muß einem entstehen.

Diese Frage beantwortet sich aber für die Initiationsweisheit nur durch eine sehr, sehr gewichtige Tatsache, durch die Tatsache, die eben weit drüben in Asien sich vollzog im Beginn des 3. Jahrtausends der vorchristlichen Zeitrechnung. Da findet der zurückschauende seherische Blick, wie auch eine Inkarnation einer übersinnlichen Wesenheit in einem Menschen stattfand, so wie durch das Ereignis von Golgatha eine Inkarnation einer übersinnlichen Wesenheit, des Christus, in dem Menschen Jesus von Nazareth stattgefunden hat. Diejenige Inkarnation, die am Beginn des 3. vorchristlichen Jahrtausends stattgefunden hat, die außerordentlich schwierig zu verfolgen ist, auch mit der Wissenschaft des Schauens, der Initiationswissenschaft, gab der Menschheit außerordentlich Glanzvolles, außerordentlich Einschneidendes. Und was sie da der Menschheit gab, das ist im Grunde genommen wesentlich jene alte Urweisheit.

Zunächst, äußerlich genommen, ist die Sache so, daß man sagen kann, es war eine tief in die Realitäten eindringende Weisheit, kalt, bloß auf Ideen gehend, wenig von Gemütsinhalt durchzogen. Das ist äußerlich genommen. Innerlich kann man erst beurteilen, was diese Weisheit eigentlich war, wenn man eben auf jene Inkarnation zurückgeht, die in Asien drüben im Beginn des 3. vorchristlichen Jahrtausends stattgefunden hat. Da war, so zeigt es sich dem zurückschauenden seherischen Blick, tatsächlich eine wirkliche Menschheitsinkarnation der luziferischen Macht. Und diese Inkarnation Luzifers in der Menschheit, die in einer gewissen Weise sich vollzogen hat, war der Ursprung der weit ausgebreiteten, auf dem Grunde der dritten nachatlantischen Menschenkultur liegenden Urweisheit.

Bis in die Griechenzeit herein wirkte noch dasjenige nach, was aus diesem Impuls, aus diesem Kulturimpuls des asiatisch-luziferischen Menschen sich unter der Menschheit verbreitete: Luziferische Weisheit, wie sie der Menschheit durchaus in jener Entwicklungsepoche nützlich war, glanzvoll in einer gewissen Weise, abgestuft, je nach den verschiedenen Völkern und Rassen, unter denen sie sich verbreitete, deutlich erkennbar durch ganz Asien hindurch, dann noch in der ägyptischen Kultur, in der babylonischen Kultur, aber wie gesagt, selbst noch auf dem Grunde der griechischen Kultur. Alles, was die Menschen denken, dichten, wollen konnten in der damaligen Zeit, war in einer gewissen Weise durch diesen luziferischen Einschlag in die Menschheitskultur bedingt.

Es wäre natürlich außerordentlich philiströs, wenn man nur sagen wollte: Das war eben eine Inkarnation Luzifers, man muß sie fliehen. - Aus solcher Philistrosität heraus könnte man auch alles dasjenige fliehen, was als Schönes und Großes für die Menschheit aus dieser Luziferströmung hervorgegangen ist, denn wie gesagt, auch die griechische Schönheit ist etwas, was aus dieser Entwicklungsströmung hervorgegangen ist. Das ganze gnostische Denken, das vorhanden war, als das Mysterium von Golgatha Platz griff, das eine eindringliche, tief in die Weltendinge hineinleuchtende Weisheit war, das ganze gnostische Erkennen war impulsiert von luziferischen Kräften. Man darf deshalb nicht sagen, dieses gnostische Denken sei falsch. Es ist eben nur seine Charakteristik, wenn man sagt: es ist von luziferischen Impulsen durchzogen.

Nun, viel mehr als zweitausend Jahre nach dieser luziferischen Inkarnation kam dann das Mysterium von Golgatha. Man kann sagen: Die Menschen, unter denen sich der Impuls des Mysteriums von Golgatha ausbreitete, waren in ihrem Denken, in ihrem Empfinden doch noch ganz durchdrungen von dem, was der Luziferimpuls in ihr Denken, Fühlen und Empfinden hineingetragen hatte. Und es kam jetzt das ganz anders Geartete, eben der Christus-Impuls, in die Entwicklung der zivilisierten Menschheit hinein. Was dieser Christus-Impuls innerhalb der zivilisierten Menschheit bedeutet, davon haben wir ja oftmals gesprochen. Der Christus-Impuls wurde - das will ich heute nur erwähnen - aufgenommen von den Gemütern, die so geartet waren, wie ich sie heute charakterisiert habe. Man möchte sagen: In dasjenige, was von Luzifer als das Beste den Menschen gegeben war, leuchtete der Christus-Impuls hinein. - Und aufgenommen wurde der Christus-Impuls in den ersten christlichen Jahrhunderten so, daß man sagen könnte: Mit dem, was die Menschen von Luzifer aufgenommen hatten, verstanden sie den Christus. - Solchen Dingen muß man unbefangen gegenüberstehen, sonst wird man nie die besondere Artung der Aufnahme des Christus-Impulses in den ersten Jahrhunderten wirklich verstehen können.

Als dann der luziferische Impuls immer mehr und mehr aus den Gemütern der Menschen verschwand, da waren die Menschen auch immer weniger und weniger imstande, den Christus-Impuls wirklich richtig in sich aufzunehmen. Bedenken Sie doch nur, vieles ist materialistisch geworden im Lauf der neueren Zeit. Aber wenn Sie sich fragen: Was ist denn am meisten materialistisch geworden? - da bekommen Sie die Antwort: Ein großer Teil der modernen christlichen Theologie. -Denn es ist einfach der stärkste Materialismus,dem sich ein großer Teil der modernen christlichen Theologie hingibt, indem diese moderne christliche Theologie nicht mehr den Christus in dem Menschen Jesus von Nazareth sieht, sondern nur noch den Menschen Jesus von Nazareth, den «schlichten Mann aus Nazareth», den Mann, den man verstehen kann, wenn man wenig sich hinaufschwingen will zu irgendeinem höheren Verständnis. Je mehr man den Menschen Jesus von Nazareth als einen bloßen gewöhnlichen Menschen annehmen konnte, der nur eben in die Reihe der anderen berühmten historischen Persönlichkeiten gehört, desto mehr gefiel das einer gewissen materialistischen Richtung der modernen Theologie. Vom Übersinnlichen des Ereignisses von Golgatha will diese moderne Theologie wenig, recht wenig anerkennen.

Die luziferischen Einschläge im Menschheitsempfinden gingen nach und nach in der menschlichen Seele unter. Dafür aber wird in der neueren Zeit immer stärker und stärker - und es wird stärker und stärker werden gegen die nächste Zukunft und auch gegen die weitere Zukunft hin - dasjenige, was wir den ahrimanischen Impuls nennen. Der ahrimanische Impuls ist herrührend von anderen übersinnlichen Wesenheiten als es die Christus-Wesenheit ist, als es die luziferische Wesenheit ist. Aber sie ist eben auch eine übersinnliche, wir könnten auch sagen eine untersinnliche Wesenheit - darauf kommt es nicht an -, und ihr Einfluß wurde insbesondere in dem fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum mächtig und immer mächtiger. Und wenn wir die Verwirrungen der letzten Jahre ins Auge fassen, dann werden wir finden, daß die Menschen namentlich durch die ahrimanischen Mächte in solche Verwirrungen gebracht worden sind.

Geradeso wie es eine Inkarnation Luzifers im Beginn des 3. vorchristlichen Jahrtausends gegeben hat, wie es die Christus-Inkarnation gegeben hat zur Zeit des Mysteriums von Golgatha, so wird es einige Zeit nach unserem jetzigen Erdendasein, etwa auch im 3. nachchristlichen Jahrtausend, eine westliche Inkarnation des Wesens Ahriman geben. So daß man diesen Verlauf der geschichtlichen Entwicklung der Menschheit zwischen nahezu sechs Jahrtausenden nur richtig versteht, wenn man ihn so auffaßt, daß an dem einen Pol eine luziferische Inkarnation steht, in der Mitte die Christus-Inkarnation, an dem anderen Pol die Ahriman-Inkarnation. Luzifer ist diejenige Macht, die im Menschen alle schwärmerischen Kräfte, alle falsch-mystischen Kräfte aufregt, alles dasjenige, was den Menschen über sich selber hinaufheben will, was gewissermaßen physiologisch das menschliche Blut in Unordnung bringen will, um den Menschen außer sich zu bringen. Ahriman ist diejenige Macht, die den Menschen nüchtern, prosaisch, philiströs macht, die den Menschen verknöchert, die den Menschen zum Aberglauben des Materialismus bringt. Und das menschliche Wesen ist ja im wesentlichen die Bemühung, das Gleichgewicht zu halten zwischen der luziferischen und der ahrimanischen Macht; und der gegenwärtigen Menschheit hilft der Christus-Impuls, um dieses Gleichgewicht herzustellen. Also im Menschen sind fortwährend diese zwei Pole vorhanden, der luziferische und der ahrimanische. Aber geschichtlich finden wir, daß das Luziferische überwog in gewissen Strömungen der Kulturentwicklung der vorchristlichen Zeit und bis in die ersten Jahrhunderte der nachchristlichen Zeit hinein, daß dagegen Ahriman seit der Mitte des 15. Jahrhunderts wirkt und immer stärker und stärker wird, bis eine wirkliche Inkarnation des Ahriman unter der westlichen Erdenmenschheit stattfinden wird.

Nun ist das Eigentümliche, daß solche Dinge lange vorbereitet werden. Die ahrimanischen Mächte bereiten die Entwicklung der Menschheit so vor, daß, wenn einstmals innerhalb der westlichen Zivilisation, die dann kaum noch Zivilisation zu nennen sein wird in unserem Sinne, Ahriman in Menschengestalt erscheint, so wie einstmals Luzifer in China in Menschengestalt erschienen ist, wie Christus Jesus in Menschengestalt erschienen ist in Vorderasien, die Menschheit Ahriman verfallen kann. Es hilft nichts, über diese Dinge sich Illusionen hinzugeben. Ahriman wird erscheinen in Menschengestalt. Es wird sich nur darum handeln, wie er die Menschen vorbereitet findet: ob seine Vorbereitungen dazu helfen, daß er die ganze Menschheit, die sich heute die zivilisierte nennt, zu seinen Anhängern hat, oder ob er die Menschheit so findet, daß sie ihm Widerstand leisten kann. Es hilft heute nichts, sich über diese Dinge Illusionen hinzugeben. Die Menschen fliehen heute gewissermaßen die Wahrheit, die man ihnen ja in ganz ungeschminkter Gestalt doch nicht geben kann, weil sie sie verlachen, verspotten, verhöhnen würden. Aber wenn man sie ihnen so gibt, wie es jetzt durch die Dreigliederung des sozialen Organismus versucht wird, dann wollen sie, in ihrer Masse wenigstens, sie auch noch nicht haben. Aber das, daß man die Dinge nicht haben will, das ist gerade eines der Mittel, deren sich die ahrimanischen Mächte bedienen können, damit Ahriman dann, wenn er in Menschengestalt erscheint, eine möglichst große Anhängerschaft auf der Erde haben werde. Gerade dieses Sich-Hinwegsetzen über die wichtigsten Wahrheiten, das wird Ahriman die beste Brücke bauen für das Gedeihliche seiner Inkarnation. Denn, sehen Sie, es hilft nichts anderes, die richtige Stellung zu finden gegenüber dem, was da in der Menschheitsentwicklung sich abspielen wird durch Ahriman, als unbefangen die Kräfte kennenzulernen, durch die das Ahrimanische wirkt, und auch die Kräfte kennenzulernen, durch welche die Menschheit sich wappnen kann, um nicht versucht und verführt zu werden durch die ahrimanischen Mächte. Und deshalb wollen wir heute einmal einen Blick wenigstens von einzelnen Ausgangspunkten aus auf diejenigen Dinge werfen, welche fördern würden die Anhängerschaft zu Ahriman, und die insbesondere jetzt benützt werden von den ahrimanischen Mächten aus der übersinnlichen Welt herunter, aber durch die Menschengemüter hindurch, um diese Anhängerschaft möglichst groß zu machen.

Und da ist eines der Mittel: Nicht zu durchschauen, welche Bedeutung gewisse Denk- und Vorstellungsarten, die namentlich in der neueren Zeit herrschend geworden sind, für den Menschen eigentlich haben. Sie wissen, welch großer Unterschied zwischen der Art und Weise besteht, wie sich ein Mensch fühlte im ganzen Kosmos, sagen wir, in der ägyptischen Zeit, noch in der Griechenzeit, und wie er sich fühlt seit dem Beginne der Neuzeit, seit dem Ablauf des Mittelalters. Vergegenwärtigen Sie sich einen richtig unterrichteten alten ägyptischen Menschen. Er wußte, daß er nicht nur leiblich zusammengesetzt ist aus den Ingredienzien, die hier auf dieser Erde vorkommen und die verkörpert sind im Tierreich, Pflanzenreich und Mineralreich. Er wußte, daß in seine Wesenheit als Mensch hereinwirkten die Kräfte, die er oben in den Sternen sah. Er fühlte sich als ein Glied des ganzen Kosmos. Er fühlte den ganzen Kosmos nicht nur belebt, sondern beseelt und durchgeistigt, und in seinem Bewußtsein lebte etwas von den geistigen Wesenheiten des Kosmos, von der Seelenhaftigkeit des Kosmos, von dem Leben des Kosmos. Das alles ist im Laufe der neueren Menschheitsgeschichte verlorengegangen. Der Mensch blickt heute von seiner Erde auf zu der Sternenwelt, die ihm erfüllt ist von Fixsternen, Sonnen, Planeten, Kometen und so weiter. Aber womit verfolgt er all dasjenige, was da draußen im Weltenraum zu ihm herunterschaut? Er verfolgt es mit Mathematik, höchstens noch mit Mechanik. Dasjenige, was um die Erde herum liegt, ist entgeistigt, entseelt, sogar entlebendigt.

Es ist im Grunde genommen ein großes Mechanisches, das nur begriffen wird mit Hilfe von mathematisch-mechanischen Gesetzen. Mit Hilfe von mathematisch-mechanischen Gesetzen begreifen wir es großartig! Gewiß wird gerade der Geisteswissenschafter gut würdigen können, was ein Galilei, was ein Kepler und andere geleistet haben. Aber dasjenige, was in das Menschenverständnis, in das Menschenbewußtsein eindringt durch die Lehren dieser Großen der Menschheitsentwicklung, das zeigt das Weltenall nur wie einen großen Mechanismus.

Was das heißt, kann nun eigentlich nur der den Tatsachen nach in Betracht ziehen, der in der Lage ist, den Menschen in seiner vollständigen Wesenheit zu verfolgen. Astronomen, Astrophysiker haben gutreden, indem sie das Weltenall als einen Mechanismus hinstellen, der durch mathematische Formeln sich begreifen und errechnen läßt. Das wird ja der Mensch glauben in der Zeit, da er vom Morgen an aufgewacht ist, und bis zum Abend, wo er wieder einschläft. Aber in jenen unterbewußten Tiefen, die der Mensch mit seinem Wachbewußtsein nicht erreicht, die aber doch zu seinem Dasein gehören, und in denen er zwischen dem Einschlafen und Aufwachen lebt, da fließt anderes in die Seele des Menschen ein über das Weltenall! Da lebt in der menschlichen Seele ein Wissen, das zwar dem wachen Bewußtsein nicht bewußt ist, das aber unten in den Tiefen der Seele lebt und die Seele gestaltet, ein Wissen vom Geiste, vom Leben der Seele, vom Leben des Kosmos. Und wenn der Mensch auch in seinem Wachbewußtsein nichts weiß von dem, was da in Gemeinschaft mit Geist, Seele und Leben des Weltalls vom Einschlafen bis zum Aufwachen vor sich geht - in der Seele sind die Dinge, sie leben darinnen. Und manches in den Zwiespalten des modernen Menschen, die so große sind, rührt von der Disharmonie her zwischen dem, was die Seele vom Einschlafen bis zum Aufwachen über das Weltenall erlebt, und dem, was das wache Bewußtsein heute anerkennen will als Weltanschauung über dieses Weltenall.

Wenn Sie den ganzen Geist und Sinn der anthroposophisch orientierten Geisteswissenschaft nehmen, was sagt er Ihnen über solche Dinge? Er sagt Ihnen: Ja, großartig und gewaltig ist dasjenige, was der Galileismus, der Kopernikanismus in die Menschheit hineingebracht haben, aber nicht eine absolute Wahrheit, ganz und gar nicht eine absolute Wahrheit, sondern ein Aspekt vom Weltenall, eine Seite von einem gewissen Gesichtspunkte aus! - Es ist nur auf den Hochmut des modernen Menschen zurückzuführen, daß die Leute heute sagen: Ptolemäisches Weltensystem - Kinderei; das haben die Menschen gehabt, wie sie noch Kinder waren. Wir haben es «so herrlich weit gebracht», «bis an die Sterne weit», und wir werten das nun für etwas Absolutes. - Es ist ebensowenig etwas Absolutes, wie das Ptolemäische System etwas Absolutes war, es ist ein Aspekt. Und nur dann wird man ihm gerecht - das sagt Ihnen die anthroposophisch orientierte Geisteswissenschaft -, wenn man weiß, daß alles das, was der Mensch so, ich möchte sagen, an bloßer Weltmathematik, an bloßer Weltschematik mechanischer Art aufnimmt, ihm nicht absolute Wahrheit liefert, sondern Illusionen über das Weltenall. Die Illusionen brauchen wir, weil die Menschheit in ihren verschiedenen Entwicklungsstadien verschiedene Formen von Erziehung durchgeht. Zur neuzeitlichen Erziehung brauchen wir einfach diese Illusionen mathematischer Art über das Weltenall. Wir müssen sie uns aneignen, aber wir sollten wissen, es sind Illusionen. Und erst recht sind es Illusionen, wenn wir sie fortsetzen hinein in dasjenige, was uns alltäglich umgibt, wenn wir anstreben, nach der atomistischen Lehre oder der Molekularlehre selbst eine kleine Art von Astronomie in den Substanzen der Erde zu verfolgen. Gerade wenn man den richtigen Gesichtspunkt gegenüber der ganzen modernen Wissenschaft, soweit diese Wissenschaft so denkt, einnehmen will, muß man erkennen, daß das alles Illusionswissen ist.

Nun hat Ahriman, damit sich für ihn am fruchtbarsten seine Inkarnation gestalten werde, das größte Interesse daran, daß die Menschen sich in dieser Illusionswissenschaft, die ja im Grunde genommen unsere ganze heutige Wissenschaft ist, vervollkommnen, daß sie aber nicht darauf kommen, daß es eine Illusionswissenschaft ist. Ahriman hat das allergrößte Interesse, den Menschen Mathematik beizubringen, aber ihnen nicht beizubringen, daß die mathematisch-mechanischen Anschauungen nur Illusionen über das Weltenall sind. Ahriman hat das größte Interesse daran, Chemie, Physik, Biologie und so weiter, so wie sie heute unter den Menschen vertreten und zur bewunderten Anschauung gemacht werden, dem Menschen beizubringen, aber ihn glauben zu machen, daß das absolute Wahrheiten sind, daß das nicht gleichsam nur Gesichtspunkte sind, Photographien von einer Seite. Wenn man einen Baum photographiert von einer Seite, so kann er richtig photographiert sein, aber man hat doch keine ganze Anschauung davon. Wenn Sie ihn von vier Seiten photographieren, so können sie allenfalls eine Anschauung von ihm bekommen. Dieses zu verbergen vor der Menschheit, daß man es in der heutigen intellektuell-rationalistischen Wissenschaft mit ihrem Anhängsel, einer abergläubischen Empirie, mit einer großen Illusion, mit einer Täuschung zu tun hat, dieses nicht anzuerkennen, daran hat Ahriman das allergrößte Interesse. Er würde den größten Erfolg haben können, den stärksten Triumph erleben können, wenn es zuwege gebracht werden könnte, daß jener wissenschaftliche Aberglaube, der heute alle Kreise ergreift, und nach dem die Menschen sogar ihre Sozialwissenschaft einrichten wollen, bis ins 3. Jahrtausend hinein herrschen würde, und wenn Ahriman dann als Mensch zur Welt kommen könnte innerhalb der westlichen Zivilisation und den wissenschaftlichen Aberglauben finden würde.

Aber ziehen Sie aus dem, was ich jetzt gesagt habe, nur ja keine falschen Schlüsse. Ein falscher Schluß wäre es, die Wissenschaft der Gegenwart zu meiden. Das ist der allerfalscheste Schluß, den Sie ziehen könnten. Man soll sie kennenlernen. Man soll gerade alles dasjenige, was von dieser Seite her kommt, kennenlernen, aber mit dem vollen Bewußtsein: ein Illusionsaspekt, ein für unsere Menschheitserziehung notwendiger Illusionsaspekt wird uns dadurch gegeben. Nicht dadurch, daß wir etwa meiden die Wissenschaft der Gegenwart, bewahren wir uns vor Ahriman, sondern dadurch, daß wir sie in ihrer wahren Gestalt kennenlernen. Denn diese Wissenschaft muß uns eine äußere Illusion geben von dem Weltenall. Wir brauchen diese äußere Illusion. Glauben Sie nur nicht, daß wir diese äußere Illusion nicht brauchen. Wir müssen sie dann nur von ganz anderer Seite her durch die Geistesforschung mit wahrer Wirklichkeit erfüllen, müssen von dem illusionären Charakter zu der wahren Wirklichkeit aufsteigen. sehen Sie sich zahlreiche meiner Vortragszyklen gerade auf das hin an, was ich heute Ihnen sage, so werden Sie finden, wie überall versucht worden ist, voll einzugehen auf die Wissenschaft unserer Zeit, aber das alles hinaufzuheben bis zu der Sphäre, wo man einsehen kann, wieviel das gilt. Sie können ja auch nicht wünschen, daß der Regenbogen vor Ihnen verschwindet, weil Sie ihn als eine Lichtillusion, als eine Farbenillusion erkennen. Sie werden ihn nicht verstehen, wenn Sie ihn nicht in seinem illusionären Charakter durchschauen. So ist es aber mit alledem, was Ihnen gegenwärtige Wissenschaft für Ihr Vorstellungsvermögen von der Welt gibt. Sie gibt nur Illusionen, und man muß den Illusionscharakter erkennen. Dann kommt man gerade dadurch, daß man sich durch diese Illusionen erzieht, zur Wirklichkeit der Welt. Das ist das eine Mittel, das Ahriman hat, um seine Inkarnation möglichst wirksam zu machen: die Menschen bei dem wissenschaftlichen Aberglauben zu halten. Das andere Mittel, das zweite Mittel, das er hat, ist: alles das zu schüren, was die Menschen heute in Gruppen, in kleine Gruppen zerteilt, die sich gegenseitig befehden. Sie brauchen bloß in der Gegenwart auf das Parteiwesen, auf das sich befehdende Parteiwesen hinzusehen, und Sie werden finden - wenn Sie nur unbefangen sind, können Sie das anerkennen -, daß diese sich befehdenden Parteien eigentlich aus der bloßen Menschennatur heraus wahrhaftig nicht zu erklären sind. Wenn die Menschen einmal ehrlich gerade diesen sogenannten Weltkrieg aus den menschlichen Disharmonien werden erklären wollen, dann werden sie eben einsehen, daß sie mit dem, was sie in der physischen Menschheit finden, ihn nicht erklären können. Gerade da zeigt es sich so deutlich, wie außersinnliche Mächte hereingewirkt haben, gerade ahrimanische Mächte!

Aber diese ahrimanischen Mächte sind ja überall wirksam, wo sich Disharmonien zwischen Menschengruppen bilden. Worauf beruht denn das meiste, was hier in Betracht kommt? Gehen wir von einem ganz charakteristischen Beispiel aus. Das moderne Proletariat hat seinen Karl Marx gehabt. Lernen Sie genau erkennen, wie die Lehre von Karl Marx sich im modernen Proletariat ausgebreitet hat, und sehen Sie sich die schier ins Endlose gehende, ins Unermeßliche gehende Literatur des Marxismus an. Die heute sonst übliche Art von wissenschaftlicher Betrachtung finden Sie darin in ausgesprochenstem Maße angewendet, alles streng bewiesen, so streng bewiesen, daß auch schon manche Leute, von denen man es gar nicht angenommen hätte, auf den Marxismus hereingefallen sind. Wie war denn eigentlich das Schicksal des Marxismus? Zunächst, nicht wahr, breitete sich der Marxismus im Proletariat aus. Von der Universitätswissenschaft wurde er streng abgewiesen. Heute sind schon eine Anzahl von Universitätswissenschaftern da, die sich der Logik des Marxismus nicht mehr entziehen, die ihn anerkennen, die gar nicht mehr aus ihm herauskommen können, weil es sich in der Literatur allmählich herausgestellt hat, daß die Schlußfolgerungen sehr fein stimmen, daß man mit der gegenwärtigen wissenschaftlichen Gesinnung und Vorstellungsart diesen Marxismus ganz fein säuberlich beweisen kann. Die bürgerlichen Kreise haben nur keinen Karl Marx gehabt, der ihnen das Gegenteil bewiesen hätte; denn genau ebenso wie man beweisen kann den ideologischen Charakter von Recht, Sitte und so weiter, die Theorie vom Mehrwert und die materialistische Geschichtsforschung vom marxistischen Standpunkt aus, so kann man von allen diesen Dingen ganz genau ebenso exakt das Gegenteil beweisen. Es wäre durchaus möglich, daß ein bürgerlicher, ein Bourgeois-Marx genau das Gegenteil in derselben strengen Weise bewiesen hätte. Und da ist nicht einmal irgendein Humbug oder Schwindel dabei. Die Beweise würden restlos klappen.

Woher kommt denn das? Das kommt davon her, daß das gegenwärtige menschliche Denken, der gegenwärtige Intellekt in einer solchen Schicht des Seins liegt, daß er bis zu den Realitäten nicht herunterreicht. Und daher kann man das eine beweisen und sein Gegenteil beweisen, ganz streng das eine und sein Gegenteil beweisen. Es ist heute möglich, auf der einen Seite streng den Spiritualismus zu beweisen und ebenso streng den Materialismus zu beweisen. Und man kann gegeneinander kämpfen mit denselben guten Standpunkten, weil der heutige Intellektualismus in einer oberen Schicht der Wirklichkeit ist und nicht in die Tiefen des Seins hinuntergeht. Und so ist es auch mit den Parteimeinungen. Wer das nicht durchschaut, sondern sich einfach aufnehmen läßt durch seine Erziehung, Vererbung, durch seine Staats- und anderen Lebensverhältnisse in einen gewissen Parteikreis, der glaubt, wie er meint, ehrlich an die Beweiskraft desjenigen, was in dieser Partei ist, in die er hineingerutscht ist, hineingeschlittert ist, wie man in der deutschen Sprache zuweilen auch sagt. Und dann, dann kämpft er gegen einen anderen, der in eine andere Partei hineingeschlittert ist. Und der eine hat ebensogut recht wie der andere. Das ruft über die Menschheit hin ein Chaos und eine Verwirrung hervor, die nach und nach immer größer und größer werden können, wenn die Menschheit das nicht durchschaut. Und diese Verwirrung ist wiederum eine solche, die die ahrimanische Macht benützt, um den Triumph ihrer Inkarnation vorzubereiten, immer stärker und stärker die Menschen hineinzutreiben in das, was sie so schwer einsehen können, daß man heute etwas beweisen kann und ebenso das Gegenteil mit gleich guten intellektuellen oder heute wissenschaftlichen Gründen. Darauf kommt es heute an, daß wir anerkennen: beweisbar ist alles, und daß wir deshalb auf solche Beweise, wie sie heute in der Wissenschaft geschmiedet werden, hinsehen. Nur innerhalb der Naturwissenschaft, des strengen Naturwissens selbst, da zeigt sich an den Tatsachen die Wirklichkeit. Aber auf keinem anderen Felde darf man gelten lassen dasjenige, was sich intellektuell beweisen läßt. Nur dann, wenn wir dahinterkommen, daß das menschliche Wissen, die menschliche Erkenntnis tiefer gesucht werden müssen — wie es durch anthroposophisch orientierte Geisteswissenschaft geschieht - als in jener Schicht, in welcher die Kraft unserer Beweise entspringt, entrinnt man der Gefahr, in die man hineinkommt, wenn man die ahrimanische Verführung gelten läßt, die nun den Menschen gerade immer tiefer und tiefer in diese Dinge hineintreiben will. Daher benützt Ahriman in unserer Zeit, um die Menschen durcheinanderzubringen, auch alles dasjenige, was aus den alten Vererbungsverhältnissen stammt, denen der Mensch im Grunde genommen schon entwachsen ist im fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum. Alles, was von alten Vererbungsverhältnissen stammt, das benützt die ahrimanische Macht, um die Menschen in Gruppen disharmonisch einander entgegenzustellen. Alles, was von alten Familien-, Rassen-, Stammes-, Volksunterschieden kommt, das benützt die ahrimanische Macht, um unter den Menschen Verwirrung zu stiften. Freiheit jedem einzelnen Volksstamm, auch dem kleinsten - es war ein schönes Wort. Aber die Worte sind immer schön, welche die den Menschen gegnerischen Mächte gebrauchen, um unter den Menschen Verwirrung zu stiften, um solche Dinge zu erreichen, wie sie Ahriman für seine Inkarnation erreichen will.

Wenn Sie heute fragen: Wer reizt denn die Völker gegeneinander? Wer bringt Fragen herauf, wie sie heute die Menschheit dirigieren? - so lautet die Antwort: Die ahrimanische Verführung, die in den Menschen hineinspielt! - Und die Menschen lassen sich auf diesem Gebiete sehr leicht täuschen. Sie wollen nicht eingehen auf jenes Hinuntersteigen in die Unterschichten, wo die Realitäten sind. Denn sehen Sie, Ahriman bereitet gut sein Ziel vor: Eben seit der Reformation und Renaissance stieg ja in der modernen Zivilisation als der tonangebende Herrschertypus der ökonomische Mensch herauf. Das ist eine wirklich geschichtliche Tatsache. Wenn Sie in alte Zeiten zurückgehen, sogar in diejenigen, die ich Ihnen heute als die luziferischen charakterisieren mußte, wer waren denn die Herrschertypen? Initiierte! Die ägyptischen Pharaonen, die babylonischen Herrscher, die Herrscher Asiens, sie waren Initiierte. Dann kam der Priestertypus herauf als Herrschertypus. Und der Priestertypus herrschte im Grunde genommen bis zur Reformation und Renaissance. Seit jener Zeit herrscht der ökonomische Typus Mensch. Die Herrscher, die sind ja nur die Handlanger der ökonomischen Menschen. Man soll durchaus nicht glauben, daß die Herrscher der modernen Zeit etwas anderes waren als die Handlanger der ökonomischen Menschen. Und alles das, was sich in Gesetz und Recht ergeben hat-man studiere es nur durchgreifend -, das ist einfach eine Folge desjenigen, was ökonomische Menschen gedacht haben. Erst im 19. Jahrhundert kommt herauf an die Stelle des ökonomischen Menschen der bankiermäßig denkende Mensch, und erst im 19. Jahrhundert wird ganz und gar diejenige Ordnung geschaffen, die eigentlich durch die Geldwirtschaft alle übrigen Verhältnisse zudeckt. Man muß diese Dinge nur einsehen können, muß sie richtig empirisch, erfahrungsgemäß verfolgen können.

Das alles, was ich im zweiten öffentlichen Vortrag hier gesagt habe, das ist tief wahr. Man möchte nur, daß das in allen Einzelheiten verfolgt würde. Gerade wenn man cs in allen Einzelheiten verfolgen wird, dann wird man sehen, wie gründlich wahr diese Dinge sind. Aber gerade indem die Herrschaft des bloßen «Zeichens für die gediegenen Güter» heraufgekommen ist, ist wiederum ein wesentliches Mittel für die ahrimanische Täuschung der Menschheit heraufgekommen. Und wenn der Mensch nicht durchschaut, daß er der durch den ökonomischen Menschen und der durch den Bankier hervorgerufenen ökonomischen Ordnung den Rechtsstaat und den Geistesorganismus entgegensetzen muß, dann wird wiederum in diesem Nichtdurchschauen Ahriman ein wesentliches Mittel finden, um seine Inkarnation, das heißt den Triumph seiner Inkarnation, die gewiß kommt, in der entsprechenden Weise vorzubereiten. Das sind solche Mittel, die Ahriman benützen kann bei einer gewissen Sorte von Menschen. Es gibt aber heute auch noch eine andere Sorte von Menschen - oftmals sind die beiden Sorten in einem Menschen vermischt -, die auch noch von einer anderen Seite her Ahriman seine Wege zum Triumphe erleichtert.

Sehen Sie, es ist tatsächlich so, daß ganze Irrtümer im wirklichen Leben nicht so schlimm sind, wie halbe und Viertelwahrheiten. Denn ganze Irrtümer werden bald durchschaut. Halbe und Viertelwahrheiten aber verführen die Menschen, so daß sie mit ihnen leben und sich diese halben und Viertelwahrheiten ins Leben hineinfinden und im Leben die furchtbarsten Verheerungen anrichten.

Es gibt heute Menschen, welche nicht die Einseitigkeit der galileisch-kopernikanischen Weltanschauung einsehen oder welche wenigstens den Illusionscharakter nicht durchschauen oder die zu bequem sind, sich auf sie einzulassen. Wir haben eben dargelegt, wie unrecht das ist. Aber es gibt heute auch Menschen, zahlreiche Menschen, die eine gewisse Halbwahrheit, eine sehr bedeutsame Halbwahrheit für sich bekennen und sich nicht einlassen auf die nur bedingte Berechtigung dieser Halbwahrheit. Denn so sonderbar es für viele Menschen ist: So wie es eine einseitige Art ist, die Welt kennenzulernen durch die galileisch-kopernikanische Wissenschaft, überhaupt durch die heutige Universitätswissenschaft materialistischer Art, so ist es auf der anderen Seite eine Einseitigkeit, die Welt kennenzulernen bloß durch das Evangelium und abzulehnen jedes andere Eindringen in die wahre Wirklichkeit als durch das Evangelium. Das Evangelium war jenen Menschen gegeben, die in den ersten Jahrhunderten des Christentums lebten.

Heute zu glauben, daß das Evangelium das ganze Christentum geben könne, das ist eben eine halbe Wahrheit, daher auch ein halber Irrtum, der die Menschen wiederum benebelt und der daher Ahriman die besten Mittel in die Hand liefert, um sein Ziel, den Triumph seiner Inkarnation, zu erreichen.

Wie zahlreich sind heute die Menschen, die glauben, aus christlicher Bescheidenheit heraus zu sprechen, aber in Wahrheit aus einem furchtbaren Hochmut heraus sagen: Oh, wir brauchen keine geistige Wissenschaft. Die Einfachheit, die Schlichtheit des Evangeliums, die führt uns zu dem, was der Mensch von der Ewigkeit braucht. — Es ist zumeist ein furchtbarer Hochmut, der in dieser scheinbaren Bescheidenheit sich ausspricht. Diesen Hochmut, ihn kann Ahriman im angedeuteten Sinne sehr gut benützen. Denn vergessen Sie nicht, was ich im Beginne dieser heutigen Betrachtungen auseinandergesetzt habe, daß in der Zeit, in die das Evangelium hineingefallen ist, die Menschen in ihrem Denken, Empfinden und Anschauen, in ihrem ganzen Anschauen noch luziferisch durchdrungen waren und daß sie mit einer gewissen luziferischen Gnosis das Evangelium verstehen konnten. Aber die Evangeliumauffassung in diesem alten Sinne ist heute nicht möglich. Heute auf das bloße Evangelium zu pochen, namentlich so, wie es den Menschen überliefert ist, das gibt keine wirkliche Christus-Auffassung. Daher ist heute nirgends weniger eine wahre Christus-Auffassung verbreitet als in den Glaubensbekenntnissen, in den Konfessionen. Man muß heute schon das Evangelium geisteswissenschaftlich vertiefen, wenn man zu einer wirklichen Auffassung des Christus kommen will. Da ist es interessant, die einzelnen Evangelien zu verfolgen und auf ihren wahren Inhalt zu kommen. Das Evangelium so zu nehmen, wie es ist, wie es heute zahlreiche Menschen nehmen und wie es namentlich zahlreichen Menschen gelehrt wird, es zu nehmen, das ist nicht ein Weg zu Christus, das ist ein Weg von Christus weg. Daher kommen die Konfessionen immer mehr und mehr weg von Christus. Wozu gelangt, wer heute das Evangelium und nur das Evangelium nehmen will, ohne geisteswissenschaftliche Vertiefung des Evangeliums, zu welcher Art von Christus-Auffassung gelangt er? Er kommt zuletzt zu einem Christus, wenn er wirklich das Evangelium nimmt. Aber was ist das Äußerste, wozu er kommt? Das ist nicht eine Realität des Christus, zu der heute eben nur die Geisteswissenschaft hinführen kann. Das, wozu das Evangelium führt, ist eine zwar richtige, aber doch nur eine Halluzination vom Christus, ein wirkliches inneres Bild - meinetwillen nennen Sie es auch Vision -, ein wirkliches, inneres Bild, aber nur ein Bild. Es gibt durch das Evangelium heute den Weg, zu einer wahren Halluzination, zu einer wahren Vision von dem Christus zu kommen, aber nicht zu der Realität des Christus. Das ist gerade der Grund, warum die moderne Theologie so materialistisch geworden ist. Die Leute, die sich mit dem Evangelium bloß theologisch befaßt haben, die haben geprüft: Was können wir aus diesem Evangelium herausbringen? Und sie sagten sich zuletzt doch: Nach unserer Anschauung so etwas ähnliches, wie das, was wir herausbringen, wenn wir den Paulus vor Damaskus prüfen. Und dann kommen diese Theologen, die eigentlich das Christentum begründen sollten, es aber untergraben, indem sie sagen: Nun, Paulus war eben krank, eine nervenkranke Person, die vor Damaskus eine Vision hatte.

Es handelt sich eben darum, daß gerade so, wie man durch das Evangelium selbst nur zu der Halluzination, nur zu der Vision kommen kann, die aber ein innerlich richtiges Bild ist, damit aber nicht eine Realität ergreift, man einzusehen hat, daß man durch das alleinige Evangelium nicht zu dem wirklichen Christus kommt, sondern zu einer Halluzination des Christus. Denn den wirklichen Christus muß man heute suchen durch alles das, was man aus der GeistErkenntnis der Welt gewinnen kann. Daher bilden für Ahriman, wenn er in der modernen Zivilisation in Menschengestalt erscheinen wird, gerade diejenigen den Anfang einer Herde, die heute nur auf das Evangelium schwören und jede Art von wirklicher GeistErkenntnis ablehnen möchten aus den Konfessionen und aus den Sekten heraus, die nicht lernen wollen, die abweisen wollen alles dasjenige, was geistige Anstrengung zu konkretem Erkennen verursacht. Aus diesen Kreisen heraus werden sich ganze Scharen für die Anhängerschaft des Ahriman entwickeln.

Das beginnt alles zu werden. Das ist da, das wirkt in der heutigen Menschheit. In das spricht derjenige hinein, der heute mit der Erkenntnis der Initiationswissenschaft zu Menschen spricht, ob über soziale, ob über andere Fragen. Er weiß, wo die gegnerischen Mächte liegen, daß sie im Übersinnlichen vor allem leben, daß die Menschen die armen Verführten sind und daß im Grunde genommen der Appell an die Menschheit der ist: Man mache sich frei von all den Dingen, die eine so große Versuchung bilden, hin zum Triumphe des Ahriman beizutragen.

Mancherlei Menschen haben so etwas gefühlt. Aber der Mut ist noch nicht überall vorhanden, wirklich mit dem Christus-, dem Luzifer- und Ahrimanimpuls, die historische Impulse sind, in jener durchdringenden Weise sich auseinanderzusetzen, wie es notwendig ist und wie es von anthroposophisch orientierter Geisteswissenschaft betont werden muß. Man möchte nicht weit genug gehen, auch wenn man ahnt, was notwendig ist. sehen Sie sich einmal an Beispielen an, wo einmal auftaucht irgendeine Erkenntnis davon, wie es notwendig ist, die weltliche materialistische Wissenschaft mit ihrem ahrimanischen Charakter zu durchdringen mit dem Christus-Impuls, wie es notwendig ist auf der anderen Seite, das Evangelium aufzuhellen dadurch, daß man es geisteswissenschaftlich erklärt. sehen Sie sich an, wie viele Menschen sich durchringen dazu, wirklich mit geisteswissenschaftlicher Erkenntnis nach der einen und nach der anderen Seite hinzuleuchten. Allein dadurch wird die Menschheit die richtige Stellung zu der irdischen Inkarnation Ahrimans gewinnen, daß sie diese Dinge durchschaut und daß sie auch den Mut und den Willen und die Energie hat, um auf der einen Seite in die weltliche Wissenschaft mit dem Geiste hineinzuleuchten und auf der anderen Seite das Evangelium aufzuhellen ebenfalls mit diesem Geiste. Sonst kommen immer die Halbheiten heraus. Denken Sie daran, wie zum Beispiel ein immerhin aufgeklärter Mensch, aber ein solcher, der hineinschaut in die moderne religiöse Entwicklung, wie der Kardinal Newman, als er in Rom als Kardinal eingekleidet wurde, es offen in seiner Rede aussprach, daß, wenn die christlich-katholische Lehre weiter bestehen solle, eine neue Offenbarung notwendig sei. Wir brauchen aber nicht eine neue Offenbarung. Die Zeit der Offenbarungen im alten Sinne ist vorüber. Wir brauchen eine neue Wissenschaft, die vom Geiste durchleuchtet ist. Aber den Mut müssen die Menschen haben zu einer solchen neuen Wissenschaft.

Denken Sie an eine literarische Erscheinung wie «Lux mundi», die am Ende der achtziger, Anfang der neunziger Jahre ausgegangen ist von gewissen Mitgliedern der Englischen Hochkirche, von angesehenen Theologen der Englischen Hochkirche, Aufsätze, überall durchdrungen von dem Bestreben, eine Brücke zu bauen von der weltlichen Wissenschaft hinüber zu dem Dogmeninhalt. Überall, ich möchte sagen, ein Herüber- und Hinüberzappeln, nirgends ein kühnes Ergreifen der weltlichen Wissenschaft, nirgends ein Durchleuchten dieser Wissenschaft mit dem Geiste, ein unbefangenes Hinschauen auf das Evangelium und dann sagen: Das Evangelium allein tut es heute nicht, es muß aufgeklärt, es muß erhellt werden. - Das aber ist notwendig für die heutige Menschheit, nach beiden Seiten hin den Mut zu bewahren und zu sagen: Die weltliche Wissenschaft allein, sie führt zur Illusion, das Evangelium allein, es führt zur Halluzination. Der Mensch findet den Mittelweg zwischen Illusion und Halluzination allein in dem geistgemäßen Ergreifen der Wirklichkeit. Das ist dasjenige, worauf es ankommt.

Solche Dinge müßten heute durchschaut werden. Ganz illusionär würde die bloße weltliche Wissenschaft die Menschen machen. Sie würden zuletzt im Grunde genommen nur mehr Närrisches vollbringen. Es wird heute schon genügend Närrisches vollbracht, denn sicherlich war die Weltkriegskatastrophe eine große Narrheit. Aber viele Menschen waren dabei, die durchaus durchdrungen waren mit heutiger weltlicher Wissenschaft. Und wenn Sie sehen, wie sogleich merkwürdige Seelenerscheinungen zum Vorschein kommen, wenn durch irgendwelche Sekten zum Beispiel eines der vier Evangelien in den Vordergrund gestellt wird, dann werden Sie leichter begreifen, was ich heute auch über das Evangelium gesagt habe. sehen Sie einmal, wie stark hinneigt zu allerlei Halluzinatorischem und dergleichen solch eine Sekte wie die, die bloß auf das Johannes-Evangelium hört, oder eine andere, die bloß auf das Lukas-Evangelium hört. Das einzige Glück, daß jedes Evangelium in seiner Einseitigkeit noch nicht das große Unheil angerichtet hat, liegt darin, daß es vier Evangelien gibt, die äußerlich einander widersprechen. So daß die Menschen dadurch, daß sie vier Evangelien vor sich haben, nicht in die Richtung des einen verfallen, nicht in der Richtung des einen zu weit gehen, sondern das andere daneben haben. An einem Sonntag wird ihnen aus dem einen, am anderen Sonntag aus dem anderen Evangelium vorgelesen, und dadurch hebt sich die Kraft des einen durch die Kraft des anderen auf. Es liegt eine große Weisheit darin, daß diese vier Evangelien auf die Kulturwelt gekommen sind und die Menschen dadurch nicht, wie es bei vielen Anhängern von Sekten der Fall ist, dazu kommen, der Strömung zu verfallen, die den Menschen überkommt, wenn bloß ein Evangelium auf ihn wirkt. Wenn bloß ein Evangelium auf ihn wirkt, dann tritt es besonders klar hervor, daß zuletzt das Wirken des einen Evangeliums ausläuft in Halluzinatorisches. Ja, es ist notwendig, daß man heute manches von subjektiver Neigung abstreift, manches von dem, was man gern hat und von dem man glaubt, daß es fromm ist oder daß es gescheit ist. Es handelt sich heute für die Menschheit vor allen Dingen um Allseitigkeit und um den Mut zur Allseitigkeit.

Das wollte ich heute einmal zu Ihnen sprechen, damit Sie sehen: Dasjenige, was versucht wird jetzt zu wirken innerhalb der Menschheit, hat wahrhaftig tiefere Gründe als etwa bloß irgendeine subjektive Voreingenommenheit. Man kann schon sagen, daß es abgelesen ist aus den Zeichen der Zeit und daß es gewirkt werden muß. Und wenn wir uns hier im Zweig auch erst nach einer relativ längeren Zeit sehen konnten, so war es mir ein tiefes Bedürfnis, Ihnen gerade in dieser Zeit diejenigen Worte zu sagen, die ich Ihnen heute hier gesagt habe. Hoffentlich haben wir in nicht zu ferner Zeit Gelegenheit, über solche Dinge auch hier wiederum weiter zu sprechen.

Ninth Lecture

When speaking to a large audience about the most important issues of our time, one finds oneself in a different situation depending on whether one knows nothing about the deeper forces of world history—in other words, about the science of initiation—or whether one knows something about it. Today, it is relatively easy to talk about contemporary issues based on all kinds of external knowledge that is considered scientific, practical, and the like. However, it is extremely difficult to speak about these contemporary issues if one is familiar with the science of so-called initiation, from which everything we have to deal with in places such as the one where we are gathered today originates. For anyone who speaks about contemporary issues today from the standpoint of the science of initiation knows that they are not merely opposed to the subjective, random opinions of the people to whom they are speaking, but also that a large part of humanity today is already dominated on one side or the other by very strong and increasingly powerful Ahrimanic forces in the world. However, I can only explain what I mean by this if I give you a kind of historical overview of a longer period of human history.

You know from various considerations we have made here, which you will also find recorded in various of my lecture cycles, that we must date the beginning of the age in which we as contemporary human beings feel ourselves to be living to the middle of the 15th century. We have always referred to this period, which began in the middle of the 15th century and at the beginning of which we are still standing, as the fifth post-Atlantean period, which replaced the other, the Greek-Latin period, which we date from the middle of the 8th century BC to the middle of the 15th century. And then we come back to the Egyptian-Chaldean period. I have only mentioned this to remind you how we integrate the period in which we feel ourselves to be living as contemporary human beings into the whole of human evolution. Now you know that after the first third of the Greek-Latin period was fulfilled, the Mystery of Golgotha took place. And we have characterized from various points of view what actually happened through this Mystery of Golgotha for the development of humanity, indeed for the entire development of the earth. Today we want to place into this larger historical context some of the things that are connected with this Mystery of Golgotha for humanity.

To this end, we look back to much earlier times, say, to the beginning of the third millennium before the Christian era. You know how little the external historical records say about this early development of the human race on earth. You also know how the external documents point to the Orient, to Asia. And you know from various anthroposophical considerations that the further back we go in human development, the more we encounter different and ever-changing states of soul within humanity, and that we have something like an ancient primordial wisdom underlying the entire development of humanity. You know that traditions existed which were preserved in close secret circles until well into the 19th century, and that these traditions were then preserved, for the most part untrue, but still in a certain sense, until our time, traditions of an ancient wisdom of humanity. When people today learn something of this ancient wisdom of humanity, they are amazed at the depths of reality that such ancient truths reveal. But you will know from the observations we have made over the years that this widespread wisdom teaching in ancient times always had to be contrasted with the completely different view of life and the world held by the ancient Hebrew, Jewish people, which had a completely different character. So that with a certain right, the widespread ancient wisdom teaching is called the pagan element and is contrasted with the Hebrew, the Jewish element. You already know from external traditions and writings how the Christian element emerged from this Jewish element.

Now you can already glean something from these external facts that I would like you to pay attention to today: that it has become necessary in human development to contrast the old pagan element and its ancient wisdom with the Jewish element, from which Christianity then developed, at least in part. This shows that this ancient pagan primordial wisdom in its entirety could not be allowed to have the sole influence on the further development of humanity. And the question must arise for you: What is the reason why the ancient pagan primordial wisdom, which is so admirable in many ways, had to undergo a new form, a transformation, through Judaism and Christianity? This question must arise.

This question can only be answered for the wisdom of initiation by a very, very important fact, by the fact that took place far away in Asia at the beginning of the third millennium of the pre-Christian era. There, looking back, we see how an incarnation of a supersensible being took place in a human being, just as through the event of Golgotha an incarnation of a supersensible being, the Christ, took place in the human being Jesus of Nazareth. This incarnation, which took place at the beginning of the third millennium BC and is extremely difficult to trace, even with the science of vision, the science of initiation, gave humanity something extraordinarily brilliant and extraordinarily incisive. And what it gave humanity is essentially that ancient primordial wisdom.

First of all, taken externally, one can say that it was a wisdom that penetrated deeply into reality, cold, based solely on ideas, with little emotional content. That is taken externally. Internally, one can only judge what this wisdom actually was by going back to that incarnation which took place in Asia at the beginning of the third millennium BC. There, as the retrospective visionary gaze shows, there was indeed a real incarnation of the Luciferic power in humanity. And this incarnation of Lucifer in humanity, which took place in a certain way, was the origin of the widespread primordial wisdom that lay at the foundation of the third post-Atlantean human culture.

Until the Greek era, the effects of what had spread among humanity from this impulse, from this cultural impulse of the Asian-Luciferic human being, were still felt: Luciferic wisdom, which was thoroughly useful to humanity in that epoch of development, was in a certain sense glorious, graded according to the different peoples and races among whom it spread, clearly recognizable throughout Asia, then still in Egyptian culture, in Babylonian culture, but, as I said, even at the foundation of Greek culture. Everything that people could think, compose, or desire at that time was in a certain way conditioned by this Luciferic influence on human culture.

It would, of course, be extremely philistine to say: That was just an incarnation of Lucifer, we must flee from it. Out of such philistinism, one could also flee from everything beautiful and great that has emerged for humanity from this Luciferic current, for, as I have said, Greek beauty is also something that has emerged from this current of development. The entire Gnostic way of thinking that existed when the mystery of Golgotha took hold, which was a penetrating wisdom shining deeply into the world, the entire Gnostic knowledge was inspired by Luciferic forces. One must not therefore say that this Gnostic thinking is wrong. It is simply its characteristic feature to say that it is permeated by Luciferic impulses.

Now, more than two thousand years after this Luciferic incarnation, the mystery of Golgotha came. One can say that the people among whom the impulse of the mystery of Golgotha spread were still completely permeated in their thinking and feeling by what the Luciferic impulse had brought into their thinking, feeling, and sensing. And now something completely different, namely the Christ impulse, entered into the development of civilized humanity. We have often spoken about what this Christ impulse means within civilized humanity. The Christ impulse was—I just want to mention this today—received by minds that were of the nature I have characterized today. One might say that the Christ impulse shone into that which Lucifer had given to human beings as the best. And the Christ impulse was received in the first Christian centuries in such a way that one could say: with what human beings had received from Lucifer, they understood Christ. One must approach such things with an open mind, otherwise one will never be able to truly understand the special nature of the reception of the Christ impulse in the first centuries.

Then, as the Luciferic impulse disappeared more and more from people's minds, they became less and less able to truly accept the Christ impulse within themselves. Just think about how much has become materialistic in recent times. But if you ask yourself: What has become most materialistic? — you will get the answer: A large part of modern Christian theology. For it is simply the strongest materialism to which a large part of modern Christian theology has surrendered, in that this modern Christian theology no longer sees the Christ in the man Jesus of Nazareth, but only the man Jesus of Nazareth, the “simple man from Nazareth,” the man who can be understood if one does not want to rise very high to any higher understanding. The more one could accept the man Jesus of Nazareth as a mere ordinary human being, who simply belongs in the ranks of other famous historical figures, the more this appealed to a certain materialistic tendency in modern theology. This modern theology wants to acknowledge very little, indeed very little, of the supernatural nature of the event at Golgotha.

The Luciferic influences in human consciousness gradually sank into the human soul. But in recent times, what we call the Ahrimanic impulse has become stronger and stronger, and it will continue to grow stronger in the near future and also in the more distant future. The Ahrimanic impulse originates from other supersensible beings than the Christ Being and the Luciferic Being. But it is also a supersensible, we could even say a sub-sensible being — it does not matter — and its influence became particularly powerful in the fifth post-Atlantean epoch. And if we consider the confusion of recent years, we will find that human beings have been brought into such confusion specifically by the Ahrimanic forces.

Just as there was an incarnation of Lucifer at the beginning of the third millennium BC, just as there was the incarnation of Christ at the time of the Mystery of Golgotha, so there will be a Western incarnation of the being Ahriman some time after our present earthly existence, probably also in the third millennium AD. So that one can only understand this course of human history spanning nearly six millennia correctly if one understands it in such a way that at one pole there is a Luciferic incarnation, in the middle the Christ incarnation, and at the other pole the Ahriman incarnation. Lucifer is the power that stirs up all the enthusiastic forces in human beings, all the false mystical forces, everything that wants to lift human beings above themselves, that wants, in a sense, to physiologically disrupt the human blood in order to drive human beings out of themselves. Ahriman is the power that makes people sober, prosaic, philistine, that ossifies them, that leads them to the superstition of materialism. And the human being is essentially the effort to maintain the balance between the Luciferic and the Ahrimanic forces; and the Christ impulse helps the present human race to establish this balance. So these two poles, the Luciferic and the Ahrimanic, are constantly present in human beings. But historically we find that the Luciferic prevailed in certain currents of cultural development in pre-Christian times and into the first centuries of the post-Christian era, whereas Ahriman has been at work since the middle of the 15th century and is growing stronger and stronger until a real incarnation of Ahriman will take place among Western humanity.

Now, the peculiar thing is that such things are long in preparation. The Ahrimanic forces are preparing the development of humanity in such a way that when Ahriman appears in human form within Western civilization, which will then hardly be a civilization in our sense of the word, just as Lucifer once appeared in human form in China and Christ Jesus appeared in human form in the Near East, humanity will be able to fall into the hands of Ahriman. It is no use indulging in illusions about these things. Ahriman will appear in human form. It will only be a question of how he finds humanity prepared: whether his preparations will help him to win over the whole of humanity, which today calls itself civilized, or whether he finds humanity in such a state that it can resist him. It is of no use today to indulge in illusions about these things. People today flee, as it were, from the truth, which cannot be given to them in its unvarnished form because they would laugh at it, mock it, and ridicule it. But when it is given to them as it is now being attempted through the threefold social organism, then they, at least in their mass, do not want it either. But the fact that people do not want these things is precisely one of the means that the Ahrimanic forces can use to ensure that Ahriman, when he appears in human form, will have as large a following as possible on earth. It is precisely this disregard for the most important truths that will build the best bridge for Ahriman to flourish in his incarnation. For, you see, nothing else helps us to find the right position in relation to what will happen in human development through Ahriman than to get to know, without prejudice, the forces through which Ahriman works, and also to get to know the forces through which humanity can arm itself so as not to be tempted and seduced by the Ahrimanic forces. And that is why we want to take a look today, at least from a few starting points, at those things that would promote adherence to Ahriman and that are being used especially now by the Ahrimanic forces from the supersensible world, but through the human mind, in order to make this adherence as widespread as possible.

And there is one of the means: not to see through the significance that certain ways of thinking and imagining, which have become prevalent in recent times, actually have for human beings. You know what a great difference there is between the way a human being felt in the whole cosmos, say, in Egyptian times, or even in Greek times, and how he feels since the beginning of modern times, since the end of the Middle Ages. Imagine a properly educated ancient Egyptian. He knew that he was not only physically composed of the ingredients that exist here on earth and are embodied in the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms. He knew that the forces he saw above in the stars were working into his being as a human being. He felt himself to be a member of the whole cosmos. He felt that the entire cosmos was not only animated, but also animated and spiritual, and in his consciousness there lived something of the spiritual beings of the cosmos, of the soulfulness of the cosmos, of the life of the cosmos. All this has been lost in the course of recent human history. Today, man looks up from his Earth to the world of stars, which is filled with fixed stars, suns, planets, comets, and so on. But with what does he pursue all that which looks down upon him from out there in space? He pursues it with mathematics, at most with mechanics. That which surrounds the earth is de-spiritualized, de-souled, even de-animated.

It is basically a great mechanism that can only be understood with the help of mathematical-mechanical laws. With the help of mathematical-mechanical laws, we understand it wonderfully! Certainly, scholars of the humanities will be able to appreciate what Galileo, Kepler, and others have achieved. But what penetrates human understanding, human consciousness, through the teachings of these great figures in human development, shows the universe as nothing more than a large mechanism.

What this means can only be considered by those who are able to observe human beings in their complete essence. Astronomers and astrophysicists are justified in presenting the universe as a mechanism that can be understood and calculated using mathematical formulas. People will believe this during the time between waking up in the morning and falling asleep again in the evening. But in those subconscious depths which man cannot reach with his waking consciousness, but which nevertheless belong to his existence, and in which he lives between falling asleep and waking up, something else flows into the soul of man beyond the universe! There lives in the human soul a knowledge which is not conscious to the waking consciousness, but which lives in the depths of the soul and shapes the soul, a knowledge of the spirit, of the life of the soul, of the life of the cosmos. And even if the human being knows nothing in his waking consciousness of what goes on in communion with the spirit, soul, and life of the universe from falling asleep to waking up, these things are in the soul; they live there. And much of what is so great in the conflicts of modern human beings stems from the disharmony between what the soul experiences of the universe from the moment of falling asleep to the moment of waking up, and what the conscious mind today wants to recognize as a worldview about this universe.

If you take the whole spirit and meaning of anthroposophically oriented spiritual science, what does it tell you about such things? It tells you: Yes, what Galileism and Copernicanism have brought to humanity is great and powerful, but it is not an absolute truth, not at all an absolute truth, but an aspect of the universe, one side of it from a certain point of view! It is only due to the arrogance of modern man that people today say: The Ptolemaic world system is childish; that is what people believed when they were still children. We have come “so wonderfully far,” “as far as the stars,” and now we consider this to be something absolute. It is just as little an absolute as the Ptolemaic system was an absolute; it is one aspect. And only then can we do it justice – as anthroposophically oriented spiritual science tells us – when we know that everything that human beings take in, so to speak, as mere world mathematics, as mere world schematics of a mechanical nature, does not provide them with absolute truth, but with illusions about the universe. We need these illusions because humanity goes through different forms of education in its various stages of development. For modern education, we simply need these mathematical illusions about the universe. We must acquire them, but we should know that they are illusions. And they are all the more illusions when we carry them over into what surrounds us in everyday life, when we strive, following atomistic or molecular theory, to pursue a kind of astronomy in the substances of the earth. Precisely if one wants to take the right point of view toward all modern science, insofar as this science thinks in this way, one must recognize that all this is illusory knowledge.

Now, in order that his incarnation may be most fruitful for him, Ahriman has the greatest interest in that human beings perfect themselves in this illusory science, which is, after all, our entire present-day science, but that they do not realize that it is an illusory science. Ahriman has the greatest interest in teaching people mathematics, but not in teaching them that mathematical-mechanical views are only illusions about the universe. Ahriman has the greatest interest in teaching people chemistry, physics, biology, and so on, as they are represented among people today and made into admired views, but in making them believe that these are absolute truths, that they are not merely points of view, photographs from one side. If you photograph a tree from one side, it may be photographed correctly, but you still do not have a complete view of it. If you photograph it from four sides, you can at best get a view of it. To hide this from humanity, that in today's intellectual-rationalistic science with its appendage, a superstitious empiricism, with a great illusion, with a deception, not to recognize this, is what Ahriman is most interested in. He would be able to achieve the greatest success, experience the strongest triumph, if it could be brought about that the scientific superstition that is gripping all circles today, and according to which people even want to organize their social science, were to reign until the third millennium, and if Ahriman could then come into the world as a human being within Western civilization and find scientific superstition.

But do not draw any false conclusions from what I have just said. It would be a false conclusion to avoid contemporary science. That is the most wrong conclusion you could draw. You should get to know it. You should get to know everything that comes from this side, but with the full awareness that it is an aspect of illusion, an aspect of illusion that is necessary for the education of humanity. It is not by avoiding contemporary science that we protect ourselves from Ahriman, but by getting to know it in its true form. For this science must give us an external illusion of the universe. We need this external illusion. Do not believe that we do not need this external illusion. We must then fill it with true reality from a completely different side, through spiritual research, and rise from the illusory character to true reality. If you look at many of my lecture cycles with this in mind, you will find that everywhere an attempt has been made to fully engage with the science of our time, but to raise it up to the sphere where one can see how much it applies. You cannot wish for the rainbow to disappear before your eyes because you recognize it as an illusion of light, an illusion of color. You will not understand it if you do not see through its illusory character. But this is the case with everything that present-day science gives you for your conception of the world. It gives only illusions, and one must recognize their illusory character. Then, precisely by educating oneself through these illusions, one arrives at the reality of the world. This is the one means Ahriman has to make his incarnation as effective as possible: to keep people in scientific superstition. The other means, the second means he has, is to stir up everything that divides people today into groups, into small groups that are at enmity with one another. You need only look at the party system today, at the warring party system, and you will find — if you are unbiased, you will be able to recognize this — that these warring parties cannot really be explained by human nature alone. If people want to explain this so-called world war honestly, based on human disharmony, they will realize that they cannot explain it with what they find in physical humanity. This is where it becomes so clear how extrasensory forces have been at work, specifically Ahrimanic forces!

But these Ahrimanic forces are at work everywhere where disharmony arises between groups of people. What is the basis for most of what we are considering here? Let us take a very characteristic example. The modern proletariat had its Karl Marx. Learn to recognize exactly how Karl Marx's teachings spread among the modern proletariat, and look at the endless, immeasurable literature of Marxism. You will find the kind of scientific observation that is otherwise common today applied to the utmost degree, everything strictly proven, so strictly proven that even some people whom one would never have expected have fallen for Marxism. What was the fate of Marxism? At first, Marxism spread among the proletariat. It was strictly rejected by university science. Today, there are already a number of university scholars who can no longer escape the logic of Marxism, who acknowledge it, who can no longer escape it, because it has gradually become apparent in literature that the conclusions are very accurate, that with the current scientific mindset and way of thinking, this Marxism can be proven very neatly. The bourgeois circles simply did not have a Karl Marx who could have proven the opposite to them; for just as one can prove the ideological character of law, custom, and so on, the theory of surplus value, and materialist historical research from the Marxist standpoint, so one can prove the exact opposite of all these things just as precisely. It would be entirely possible for a bourgeois Marx to have proven exactly the opposite in the same rigorous manner. And there would not even be any humbug or deception involved. The proofs would be completely convincing.

Where does this come from? It comes from the fact that contemporary human thinking, the contemporary intellect, lies in such a layer of existence that it does not reach down to realities. And therefore one can prove one thing and prove its opposite, prove one thing and its opposite quite rigorously. Today it is possible to prove spiritualism rigorously on the one hand and to prove materialism just as rigorously on the other. And one can fight against each other with the same good arguments, because today's intellectualism is in an upper layer of reality and does not go down into the depths of being. And so it is with party opinions. Those who do not see through this, but simply allow themselves to be taken in by their upbringing, heredity, their state and other living conditions into a certain party circle, believe, as they think, honestly in the evidential value of what is in this party into which they have slipped, slid, as one sometimes says in the German language. And then they fight against someone else who has slipped into another party. And one is just as right as the other. This causes chaos and confusion among humanity, which can gradually become greater and greater if humanity does not see through it. And this confusion is in turn something that the Ahrimanic power uses to prepare the triumph of its incarnation, driving people ever more strongly into what they find so difficult to understand, namely that today it is possible to prove something and its opposite with equally good intellectual or, today, scientific reasons. What matters today is that we recognize that everything is provable and that we therefore look to the kind of proof that is forged in science today. Only within natural science, within strict natural science itself, does reality reveal itself in facts. But in no other field should we accept what can be proven intellectually. Only when we realize that human knowledge and human understanding must be sought more deeply — as is done by anthroposophically oriented spiritual science — than in that layer from which the power of our proofs springs, can we escape the danger into which we fall when we allow the Ahrimanic seduction to prevail, which now wants to drive people deeper and deeper into these things. That is why Ahriman uses everything that comes from the old hereditary conditions, which human beings have basically outgrown in the fifth post-Atlantean epoch, to confuse people in our time. The Ahrimanic power uses everything that comes from old hereditary conditions to set people against each other in groups in disharmony. The Ahrimanic power uses everything that comes from old family, racial, tribal, and ethnic differences to cause confusion among people. Freedom for every single tribe, even the smallest—it was a beautiful word. But the words used by the forces opposed to humanity are always beautiful, for they use them to sow confusion among people in order to achieve what Ahriman wants to achieve for his incarnation.

If you ask today: Who is stirring up the peoples against each other? Who is raising the questions that are directing humanity today? – the answer is: the Ahrimanic seduction that is at work within human beings! – And human beings allow themselves to be very easily deceived in this area. They do not want to descend into the lower strata where the realities are. For you see, Ahriman prepares his goal well: since the Reformation and Renaissance, the economic man has risen in modern civilization as the dominant type of ruler. That is a historical fact. If you go back to ancient times, even to those that I must characterize today as Luciferic, who were the rulers? Initiates! The Egyptian pharaohs, the Babylonian rulers, the rulers of Asia—they were initiates. Then the priestly type emerged as the ruling type. And the priestly type basically ruled until the Reformation and Renaissance. Since that time, the economic type of human being has ruled. The rulers are really just the henchmen of the economic human beings. One should not believe that the rulers of modern times were anything other than the henchmen of economic people. And everything that has resulted in law and justice—just study it thoroughly—is simply a consequence of what economic people have thought. It was not until the 19th century that the banker-minded human being replaced the economic human being, and it was not until the 19th century that the order was created which actually covers all other conditions through the monetary economy. One must only be able to see these things, to follow them correctly empirically, based on experience.

Everything I have said here in my second public lecture is profoundly true. One would only wish that it could be followed in every detail. It is precisely when one follows it in every detail that one sees how thoroughly true these things are. But precisely because the rule of the mere “sign for the genuine goods” has come into being, an essential means for the Ahrimanic deception of humanity has also come into being. And if human beings do not see through the fact that they must oppose the economic order brought about by the economic man and the banker with the constitutional state and the spiritual organism, then Ahriman will again find in this failure to see through an essential means of preparing his incarnation, that is, the triumph of his incarnation, which will certainly come, in the appropriate manner. These are the means that Ahriman can use with a certain type of person. But there is also another type of person today — often the two types are mixed in one person — who also facilitates Ahriman's path to triumph from another side.

You see, it is actually the case that complete errors in real life are not as bad as half-truths and quarter-truths. For complete errors are soon seen through. Half-truths and quarter-truths, however, seduce people so that they live with them, and these half-truths and quarter-truths find their way into life and cause the most terrible devastation in life.

There are people today who do not understand the one-sidedness of the Galilean-Copernican worldview, or who at least do not see through its illusory character, or who are too comfortable to engage with it. We have just explained how wrong this is. But there are also people today, numerous people, who profess a certain half-truth, a very significant half-truth, and do not accept the only conditional justification of this half-truth. For strange as it may seem to many people, just as it is one-sided to learn about the world through Galilean-Copernican science, or indeed through today's materialistic university science, so it is one-sided to learn about the world solely through the Gospel and to reject any other insight into true reality than that provided by the Gospel. The Gospel was given to those people who lived in the first centuries of Christianity.

To believe today that the Gospel can give the whole of Christianity is only half the truth, and therefore also half an error, which in turn clouds people's minds and thus provides Ahriman with the best means to achieve his goal, the triumph of his incarnation.

How numerous are those today who believe they are speaking out of Christian modesty, but in reality are saying out of terrible arrogance: Oh, we have no need of spiritual science. The simplicity, the plainness of the Gospel leads us to what man needs for eternity. — It is mostly terrible arrogance that expresses itself in this apparent modesty. Ahriman can make very good use of this arrogance in the sense I have indicated. For do not forget what I explained at the beginning of today's reflections, that at the time when the Gospel came into being, human beings were still permeated by Lucifer in their thinking, feeling, and perception, in their entire way of looking at things, and that they were able to understand the Gospel with a certain Luciferic gnosis. But this old way of understanding the Gospel is no longer possible today. To insist today on the bare Gospel, especially as it has been handed down to people, does not give a true understanding of Christ. That is why there is nowhere today less of a true understanding of Christ than in the creeds, in the denominations. Today, one must deepen one's understanding of the Gospel through spiritual science if one wants to arrive at a true understanding of Christ. It is interesting to follow the individual Gospels and discover their true content. To take the Gospel as it is, as many people take it today and as many people are taught to take it, is not a path to Christ; it is a path away from Christ. That is why the denominations are moving further and further away from Christ. What does someone who wants to take the Gospel and only the Gospel today, without a spiritual-scientific deepening of the Gospel, arrive at? What kind of understanding of Christ does he arrive at? Ultimately, he arrives at a Christ if he truly takes the Gospel. But what is the ultimate conclusion he arrives at? It is not a reality of Christ to which only spiritual science can lead today. What the Gospel leads to is a correct, but nevertheless only a hallucination of Christ, a real inner image—call it a vision if you like—a real, inner image, but only an image. Through the Gospel today, there is a way to arrive at a true hallucination, at a true vision of Christ, but not at the reality of Christ. That is precisely why modern theology has become so materialistic. People who have dealt with the Gospel merely theologically have examined: What can we derive from this Gospel? And in the end they said to themselves: According to our view, something similar to what we get when we examine Paul before Damascus. And then these theologians come along, who were supposed to establish Christianity, but instead undermine it by saying: Well, Paul was just sick, a neurotic person who had a vision before Damascus.

The point is that just as the Gospel itself can only lead to hallucinations, to visions, which are nevertheless an inner image that is true, but which do not grasp reality, so too must we realize that the Gospel alone does not lead us to the real Christ, but to a hallucination of Christ. For today, the real Christ must be sought through everything that can be gained from the spiritual knowledge of the world. Therefore, when Ahriman appears in human form in modern civilization, it is precisely those who today swear only by the Gospel and reject any kind of real spiritual knowledge from the confessions and sects, who do not want to learn, who want to reject everything that causes spiritual effort to lead to concrete knowledge, who will form the beginning of a herd for Ahriman. From these circles, whole crowds will develop into followers of Ahriman.

This is all beginning to happen. It is there, it is at work in humanity today. Those who speak to people today with the knowledge of the science of initiation, whether on social or other issues, speak into this. They know where the opposing forces lie, that they live primarily in the supersensible realm, that human beings are the poor deluded ones, and that, fundamentally, the appeal to humanity is this: free yourselves from all the things that constitute such a great temptation to contribute to the triumph of Ahriman.

Many people have felt something like this. But the courage is not yet everywhere to really deal with the Christ, Lucifer, and Ahriman impulses, which are historical impulses, in the penetrating way that is necessary and must be emphasized by anthroposophically oriented spiritual science. People do not want to go far enough, even if they sense what is necessary. Take a look at examples where some insight arises into how it is necessary to permeate worldly materialistic science with its Ahrimanic character with the Christ impulse, and how it is necessary, on the other hand, to illuminate the Gospel by explaining it through spiritual science. Look at how many people bring themselves to really shine spiritual scientific insight on one side and then the other. Only by seeing through these things and having the courage, will, and energy to shine the light of the spirit into secular science on the one hand and to illuminate the Gospel with the same spirit on the other, will humanity gain the right attitude toward Ahriman's earthly incarnation. Otherwise, half-measures will always be the result. Think, for example, of how Cardinal Newman, who was certainly an enlightened man but one who looked deeply into modern religious development, openly stated in his speech when he was invested as a cardinal in Rome that if Christian Catholic teaching was to continue to exist, a new revelation would be necessary. But we do not need a new revelation. The time of revelations in the old sense is over. We need a new science that is illuminated by the spirit. But people must have the courage to embrace such a new science.

Think of a literary phenomenon such as “Lux mundi,” which emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s from certain members of the English High Church, from respected theologians of the English High Church, essays permeated everywhere by the desire to build a bridge from secular science to dogmatic content. Everywhere, I would say, there was a flitting back and forth, nowhere a bold grasp of secular science, nowhere an examination of this science with the spirit, an unbiased look at the Gospel and then saying: The Gospel alone is not enough today, it must be explained, it must be illuminated. But this is necessary for humanity today, to maintain courage on both sides and to say: Secular science alone leads to illusion, the Gospel alone leads to hallucination. Man finds the middle way between illusion and hallucination only in the spiritual grasp of reality. That is what matters.

Such things must be seen through today. Secular science alone would make people completely illusory. In the end, they would basically only accomplish foolish things. Enough foolish things are already being accomplished today, for surely the catastrophe of the world war was a great folly. But many people were involved who were thoroughly imbued with today's worldly science. And when you see how strange soul phenomena immediately come to the fore when, for example, one of the four Gospels is placed in the foreground by some sect or other, then you will more easily understand what I have said today about the Gospel. See how strongly a sect such as one that listens only to the Gospel of John, or another that listens only to the Gospel of Luke, is inclined toward all kinds of hallucinations and the like. The only good thing is that each Gospel, in its one-sidedness, has not yet caused great harm, because there are four Gospels that outwardly contradict each other. So that by having four Gospels before them, people do not fall into the direction of one, do not go too far in the direction of one, but have the other alongside it. On one Sunday, they are read from one Gospel, on another Sunday from another, and thus the power of one is offset by the power of the other. There is great wisdom in the fact that these four Gospels came into the cultural world and that people do not, as is the case with many followers of sects, fall prey to the current that overwhelms people when only one Gospel has an effect on them. If only one Gospel has an effect on them, it becomes particularly clear that ultimately the effect of that one Gospel ends in hallucination. Yes, it is necessary today to cast off some of our subjective inclinations, some of the things we like and believe to be pious or clever. What is important for humanity today is above all versatility and the courage to be versatile.

That is what I wanted to say to you today, so that you may see: what is now trying to work within humanity has truly deeper reasons than just some subjective bias. One can already say that it can be read from the signs of the times and that it must be brought about. And even though we have only been able to meet here in the branch after a relatively long time, I felt a deep need to say to you, especially at this time, the words that I have said to you here today. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to talk more about such things here again in the not too distant future.

OSZAR »