# Central Europe Between East and West

## GA 174a — 19 May 1917, Munich

### Seventh Lecture

Today I would like to take a starting point that can lead us to an understanding of many things that surround us in the present time and that we face with questions. Our time demands to be understood in such a way that man places himself in it with a deeper, a spiritual understanding. On the other hand, however, there is a deep-seated aversion in the broadest circles to a spiritual understanding of human affairs; indeed, there is such an aversion that the attempt at spiritual understanding, the attempt to understand such impulses, which are capable of supporting human actions in our difficult times, is rejected from the outset as something fantastic, something impossible, something childish. Nevertheless, these reflections, which we are able to cultivate here together, should be devoted to what, though it does not speak directly of the circumstances of the time – as is easily understandable – cannot, as is well known, lead to some understanding for those who make an effort to arrive at such an understanding from truly deeper starting points.

In order to understand an age in which the deepest human forces are, as it were, being stirred up, in which the deepest human forces are at work, even if quite unconsciously for most people, it is necessary not just to talk about all kinds of ideals and all kinds of things, but to seek understanding from a broader view of human development in general. We have always tried to arrive at such a larger view of the development of mankind in our spiritual scientific considerations, and much has already been done in this respect. Today I would like to present some of it from a slightly different point of view.

We know that within the development of mankind there has been what we call the passage through the great Atlantic catastrophe. We know that what is now alive as humanity can be traced back to certain developmental states that took place before that Atlantic catastrophe, and that after this Atlantic catastrophe we can record the first post-Atlantic cultural period, which I usually call the ancient Indian, the second, which I usually call the old Persian, the third the Assyrian-Babylonian-Egyptian, the fourth the Greco-Roman; and in the fifth we live and have to look at how the fifth is to be replaced by a sixth.

Now, the fact of the matter is that, as inwardly, as spiritually, I might almost say, as humanly, as the development within humanity is now taking place, it could only have taken place after the Atlantic catastrophe. People today, who are generally reluctant to look at things in context, think: a person is a person, and the way in which the souls of people develop today is the way they have been since people have existed; and if we go back from what is regarded as humanity today, we do indeed arrive at primitive conditions, but then down to animality. This material interpretation of the history of development cannot, of course, stand up to spiritual scrutiny; for precisely when we go back and go further and further back in the development of humanity, we find that the basic impulses, the basic forces on which development is based, become ever more spiritual and ever more spiritual, although, if we want to understand the matter properly, we must first come to a proper understanding of the spiritual.

For our post-Atlantean time, the fourth period is above all a significant one, the most significant for the meaning of the whole evolution of the earth: it is the period in which the Mystery of Golgotha plays a role. And this calls upon us to understand the time before as a kind of preparation for the Mystery of Golgotha, and the time after as a kind of fulfillment of what came as an impulse through the Mystery of Golgotha. But if we go back in Atlantean evolution, we find that the fifth period within Atlantean evolution is the most important for this time between the Lemurian evolution and our own, because in this fifth period of Atlantean development within the Atlantean human life took place that was extraordinarily significant and incisive, because at that time, so to speak, the starting point was taken of something that we can call the more soulful development of the post-Atlantean time. If we go back to Atlantean times, we do not find the animalistic humanity that materialistic Darwinism so readily speaks of; we find a humanity that certainly had a life that was much duller than that of the post-Atlantean humanity , and when one speaks of the dullness of the soul life, one would indeed like to say — but the comparison remains a very external one — that this duller dream-like soul life of the Atlantean period resembles the dream-like soul life of the present higher animals. But this comparison, if made, would be a very inadequate one, because the present-day animals, in their dull, dream-like consciousness, do not experience what the Atlanteans experienced in their dream-like, dull consciousness almost up to the end of the fifth period.

What then is the most essential characteristic of this dream-like consciousness of the ancient Atlanteans? The most essential characteristic is that the people who lived at that time — forgive me if what I say seems materialistic; but you can only recognize the materialistic if you have mastered it, if you know about the impulses of the spiritual — lived in such a way that their nutritional and eating lives were very closely related to their spiritual lives. Of course, you may object: Well, there is already a sufficiently close relationship between the soul life of some people in the present and what they eat! — That is all true, we know that a large part of present-day humanity does not underestimate food at all. Nor does it need to be characterized as a reproach in itself. But there is a great difference between the inner experience of tasting a dish, the feeling of well-being that a modern person feels when they associate the dish with themselves physically, and the inner experience of Atlantean humanity in the time of which I am now speaking. The Atlantean ate, he ate this or that food; he thus took these or those substances into his body, and by connecting them with his physical existence, an awareness arose in his consciousness of which elemental spirits this substance is imbued with. He did not gulp down the food as the present-day man does, with a great lack of consciousness, but was aware of the elemental spiritualities he was uniting with himself by connecting the food with his bodily existence. Metabolism was then at the same time a change of mind, a change of elemental spirits.

It was the case that one could describe the substances as carriers of these or those elemental spiritual impulses or even entities, that one felt that spiritual forces entered one with the food, and that one felt that, by digesting, spiritual impulses were at work within one. Such a person did not just sit and digest like a present-day human being, but felt physically permeated by these or those elemental spirits, so that a materialism, as it prevails today, was actually not possible at that time. One could not say that one believed only in the mortality of existence, because one ate the spiritual impulses, they permeated one while one digested. To be an anti-materialist, one needed only to eat. And the descent into the dullness of the unconscious is essentially an achievement of this fifth Atlantean period. Eating and digesting became, so to speak, less spiritual; but something still remained in the sixth Atlantean period that was even more spiritual: that was breathing.

When a person breathes in or out today, they are aware that they are breathing in or out air; at least that is what the chemist tells them. In those days, however, it was not just in consciousness, but it was clear to man - this lasted for the whole of the sixth Atlantean period - that with the inhaled air he took in elemental spiritual forces, and with the exhaled air he breathed out elemental spiritual forces. From the very beginning, breathing was seen as a spiritual-soul process, not just as a physical-bodily process. And in the last Atlantean period, something that had remained until then, which later actually only lived in memory, then diminished: By hearing tones and seeing colors, one realized that spiritual life was in the tone one heard and in the color one saw, that spiritual forces penetrated the eye when one saw colors and spiritual forces penetrated the inner being when one “heard tones.” These things were all present in the dim consciousness of that time. People have conquered a brighter consciousness, but at the expense of their spiritual consciousness they have had to give up the spirituality of their interaction with the external world. Every epoch has its own special peculiarity. Just as the individual human being goes through different ages and these ages are different in terms of physical and mental constitution, so too does the whole of human development go through different states, and the later developmental states are different from the earlier ones. It would be foolish for a man between fifty and sixty years of age to believe that the nature of his physical and spiritual existence should recall his existence between the ages of ten and twenty, just as it would be foolish not to distinguish between the different ages of life in their qualities. It is foolish to believe that what is appropriate in a later period of life development was also so in an earlier one. Things never return, and they are more different in successive ages than one might think.

I have now made it a point to learn something about the ages of people in the post-Atlantic period. Those who proceed only from analogies can indeed look at the development of humanity and say: just as the individual human being goes through childhood, youth, manhood, old age, so will humanity. But if one goes into real observation, into the real facts of the situation, this is not true. You simply cannot use these analogies as a basis, and only if you are serious about spiritual research will you find what is actually at the root of it. And then it became clear to me that something quite different is at the root of it than what one might describe by saying that, like the individual human being, humanity also goes through youth, manhood and old age. — That is not correct. It has become clear to me that in the first post-Atlantean cultural period, the primeval Indian one, humanity did indeed live to a certain age, but one that cannot be compared to youth, but rather to the individual human age from fifty-six to forty-nine. So if you want to compare the age of yore for all of humanity with the age of the individual, you have to compare it not with the youth period, but with this more mature age. Then comes the primeval Persian cultural period. As humanity continues to develop, it passes through an age that, if you want to compare it with an age of the individual, corresponds to the age from forty-nine to forty-two. Man grows older, humanity grows younger. The Egyptian period must be compared with the age between thirty-five and forty-two in the individual. The Greco-Roman period can be compared to the age of the individual between thirty-five and twenty-eight years of age, and the present fifth post-Atlantic cultural period can be compared to the age of the human being from twenty-eight to twenty-one years. And if we ask: How old is present humanity? — we must answer: It has an age of about twenty-seven years. And only then can one understand everything that has taken place within humanity when one allows this remarkable secret of development to enter one's soul. For that is really how it is.

This, however, has very definite consequences and effects on the way people experience life. What does it mean: In the first post-Atlantic cultural period, all of humanity was between the ages of fifty-six and forty-nine? It means that the individual human being, of course, went through the fact that he first became one, two, three years old; but the fundamental aspect of humanity, in which the individual lived, which encompassed all of humanity, presented something that the individual human being first experienced between the ages of forty-nine and fifty-six. That is why so much of the original, elementary knowledge of humanity comes to light during this time, which we can admire because all of humanity was so old and because one grew into such an old humanity. As a young badger of twenty-five, one took in the human aura that which was full of wisdom as if it came from an older person. The wisdom was poured out over all of humanity. One also took in morally in this way, appreciating that into which one grew, as in the human aura, just as one appreciates a gray head because it has turned gray. And so a feeling of devotion and reverence was poured out over human cultural life that was taken for granted. It had the further consequence that one only outgrew what was common property of humanity with one's individual development after one had reached the age of fifty-six. Only then could one speak of one's own development; only then could one individually stand out from the background of what flowed to one from outside. However, at that time many people did not get to undergo an inner development corresponding to the period of life between the forty-ninth and fifty-sixth year of life. Then they were seen as children, and they also felt like children, sensing the spiritual content of the age of humanity around them.

The next period, the ancient Persian period, no longer brought the same high revelations and cultural impulses as those brought to humanity by the wise fathers in the first post-Atlantic period through their contact with spiritual beings. The whole of humanity showed only that maturity which can be compared to the individual human age between the forty-ninth and forty-second year of life. And if one wanted to, so to speak, grow beyond the general human aura individually, one could only do so at the age of forty-nine. But through individual development one grew into a maturity that could only occur at the age of forty-nine.

And so it was again in the Chaldean-Egyptian time. The aura into which one grew can be compared with the age of the individual human being between the forty-second and thirty-fifth year of life; in the Greek-Latin time with the age between the thirty-fifth and twenty-eighth year. That is the remarkable thing about this Greco-Latin period, that the individual middle age of man coincides with the middle age of general humanity, except that humanity runs down in the general stream, but man ascends. Hence the peculiar harmony of Greek culture, of which present humanity has so little conception. But when a Greek was thirty-five years old, he remained, so to speak, an average human being, always remaining thirty-five years old, if he did not develop something individual in himself that went beyond the general aura of humanity. In older times, care was taken to ensure that the individual could develop upwards.

Now we are living in the fifth post-Atlantic age. In this fifth post-Atlantic age, humanity will undergo an age comparable to the individual age between twenty-eight and twenty-one years. This means that a person who simply surrenders to the stream of existence, to that which simply enters into the soul life by being human, will not get older than twenty-eight years. If he does not ensure, through spiritual development, that he advances his soul individually, he will always remain twenty-eight years old, or rather, he will not get over twenty-seven years. Mankind in general cannot give us more than it brings us up to the age of twenty-seven. If we do not seek in our time a kindling and encouragement of the individual soul forces that carry us across the stream of general human existence, we will never be older than twenty-seven, even if we live to be a hundred years old. And whether we are manual laborers or professors, or whatever: if we do not seek a spiritual development that gives the soul concepts that outer humanity cannot give it, we will always remain twenty-seven years old. Of course, outwardly we grow older, of course; time cannot be stopped; but without its own development our soul attains no more than a maturity of twenty-seven years. One really does not understand our time unless one bears in mind this peculiarity, which has just been described. Over the years, I have really asked myself many characteristic questions of our time, questions about life, the development of culture, the plight of humanity, about what makes present-day humanity happy and what it suffers from: the key to understanding our time will only be given when we face the fact that I have just discussed. We cannot penetrate what our time lacks if we do not face this fact.

We are experiencing philosophies that amaze us because they get stuck in general declamations and show not the slightest ability to delve into concrete realities. Where does this come from? I have posed this question to a single personality. I found that the standard-bearer of Eucken's philosophy is a man who has all the fire of someone who cannot be older than twenty-seven years old. Of course, he continues to talk – because he has already reached a considerable age today – he speaks in a somewhat hoarse voice, moves with different gestures, and is still learning. But that doesn't mean anything; the whole manner is no older than twenty-seven years old. This twenty-seven-year-old manner is carried through the whole of life. This becomes particularly noticeable when people are supposed to introduce ideas into life, when they are supposed to cultivate ideas by which life is dominated.

Now we are entering somewhat dangerous territory; but let us proceed by seeking examples as far as possible. I have posed the question to myself as to how it is with various personalities of the present day who have the task of developing ideas that intervene in present life, so that the events of the time are to be dominated by these ideas. There is now a characteristic personality. I have taken great pains not to go wrong in this area, but it is of no use if one does not get to the bottom of things in their concrete manifestations. If you look for a personality that is such that it can never be older than twenty-seven years, can never have more mature ideas than a person of twenty-seven years, you will find it, strangely enough, as a particularly characteristic personality, for example, in the President of the United States of America. If you study the various programs he has developed, they bear the stamp of a person who cannot grow older than twenty-seven, because this soul has never absorbed anything that was not brought to souls from the outside. Of course, a person can be more or less talented. —Talent may be conceded to such a person — but the ideas he develops are twenty-seven years old in terms of the maturity of their outlook, their penetrating power and the practicality of their view of life, and will not get any older, even if the man lives to be a hundred years old, if he does not begin to deepen spiritually and to supply the soul with firepower from within.

We live in such an age today that we have to supply what goes beyond the twenty-seventh year from within the souls. In the twenty-seventh year, people are not yet practical in life; however much they think they are, they are not practical in life. That is why Wilson's various ideas are so impractical and erratic, and why they are so popular in the widest circles. They are met with the same enthusiasm with which youthful ideas are met, youthful ideas that result in all sorts of declamations about the freedom of nations and the like. That's all very well! But that is not how you rule the world today, which demands that ideas be forceful, that you make a grand declamation about peace and then unleash war all the more!

One would really like to evoke a sense of what ideas that have an impact on reality are, ideas that have clout, that can grow together with reality. Ideas that are mere declamations, beautiful ideas are indeed much uttered; young ideas in particular are beautiful. But we need ideas that connect people with reality. What wonderful idea it is when someone today stands up and says: the world must receive a new orientation! — Of this, the word itself has so far proved to be the most beautiful! That is the only beautiful thing: the word itself, because if you stand up and talk about it, it is certainly very beautiful. It is also very beautiful to say: the most capable must be placed in the right place. Wonderful ideas! But what if the nephew or son-in-law is the most capable? The beautiful idea does nothing at all, but the real knowledge of reality, the ability for what is real, what is really is.

This is one of the aspects involved when one wants to understand in a deeper sense what the culture of the present time is like. This peculiarity of the time makes it clear how necessary it is for people today to deepen their souls, to seek to attain through individual development for their later individual age that which general humanity no longer provides. Of course, it is easier to speak in a Euckenian way of the renewal of life, the grasping of the powers of life within, of all kinds of things that can be used to rise up in a beautifully youthful way, but which are suitable for nothing more than declamations. And if you make political programs with such ideas as Wilson, then that is of incalculable consequences! It is of course easier than in serious research, in serious deepening to seek out reality and to penetrate into the deeper impulses of life.

If our spiritual scientific movement is to have a truly deep meaning, then above all it must contain the will to penetrate into the concrete developmental impulses of humanity. It must be there to grasp these great interrelationships of life, because otherwise everything remains mere theory within our spiritual science as well. And mere theory is worth nothing, no matter how much one wants to associate feelings of self-importance with it. Only that which is able to be absorbed into life, which captures life, is truly valuable. All kinds of mysticism, where people strive to find this or that within themselves, can indeed produce very beautiful results, but we must be able to look beyond ourselves and at the great tasks of humanity, in order to understand, above all, what is needed, what one must actually understand, what one should understand. Otherwise, we will simply ignore the most important things in spiritual science. And over the years, since we have had our anthroposophically oriented spiritual science, important things in spiritual science have actually been ignored on a large scale.

If our dear friends would just remember what answer I have always given for many years when I have been asked how it is with reincarnation, since humanity is always increasing, if the friends would like to remember how the stereotypical typical answer has been given: It could be that people will very soon learn what decimation of humanity could take place, especially in Europe – then you will realize what was meant when you look back now and when you remember the tone in which this answer was given. When speaking of the increase of population, it was always said: There could very soon come a time when there could also be a decrease in population, and in a painful way! — In the field of spiritual science, it is really not a matter of accommodating the light-hearted needs of some people with theories, but of also answering the questions posed by the impulses of the time. And in accepting spiritual science, it is much more a matter of taking the weight of what is to be said and closing it in one's heart, than of satisfying curiosity, however high it may appear to be.

This, my dear friends, I wanted to share with you first as the first part of the reflections, which, if given due consideration, should lead to an understanding of our time, and which we want to cultivate more deeply in these days.

Since the time allotted to general reflections has expired, I may perhaps, without anyone being able to reproach me for cutting something off from the actual anthroposophical content, move on to something that must be hinted at with a few words. But I cannot proceed without also mentioning some souls who have passed from the physical plane into the spiritual life, who were close to some of those sitting here today. It is not possible to mention all of them by name. Our dear friends are well aware of the sincerity of our feelings towards all those who have passed from the physical to the spiritual plane. However, I cannot help but mention the name of one man in particular, who, after many obstacles, finally found such a beautiful and intimate union with spiritual science, oriented as it is towards anthroposophy, and who, especially in recent times, has done quite a significant and meaningful work for the external representation of this spiritual science. I am referring to our dear friend Ludwig Deinhard, at whose handover of the physical body to the physical elements and the passing away of the soul into the spiritual world our dear friend Sellin spoke such beautiful words. He was all the more to be esteemed because he did not come to our movement out of blind faith or blind allegiance, but rather after much resistance, and in the last, increasingly difficult times, he had unreservedly spared nothing to stand up for this spiritual movement with all his soul before the broader public. I am not afraid to say explicitly that I consider the way in which Ludwig Deinhard stood up for this movement in front of the general public to be one of the most valuable things.

Then I would also like to mention Professor Sachs, who passed away a few days ago, who pursued a great idea his whole life, a great idea in the field of music technology, and who always knew how to combine the modest work that an individual can be harnessed to with overarching ideas, and with whom it was truly uplifting to speak, because what he wanted as a person always led to great artistic will. We can count ourselves lucky to have such people at the center of our movement.

After these uplifting perspectives, I am obliged once again to cultivate some less uplifting perspectives, because what has happened forces me to take drastic measures in a certain respect, insofar as my part in the spiritual scientific movement, which is to be cultivated by the Anthroposophical Society, is concerned. Over time, something that should be a great blessing in the present cultural development, the anthroposophical movement, has, through many of its manifestations, more or less developed into a kind of obstacle for what I mean by the spiritual-scientific movement. And it is of no use to deceive ourselves about these things, especially when there is a danger that various things connected with the Anthroposophical Society could become obstacles, precisely for anthroposophically oriented spiritual science. Therefore, since we have worked together for many years, such things may be discussed without reservation, allow me to address these matters quite openly, as they lie close to my heart. It may be said that, in general, something has become habitual within the Anthroposophical Society that must not continue in this way, because the judgments of the present world about what Anthroposophy or spiritual science wants would have to be all too much clouded if it continued in the same way as it has done so far.

Let us take a single detail: It is often said in the outside world — and it has already become customary — that I am actually less attacked because of spiritual-scientific matters themselves, but very much because of what is connected with the Society. In particular, one of the accusations that is made is that a blind belief in authority prevails in the Society, a blind following, that much is done here out of pure devotion and the like. If I may also express my impression in response to this, I must say: for most things, what happens last of all is what I actually consider to be the right thing, what I consider to be what might be desirable. I do not believe that in any other society so little attention is paid to what might actually be the specific wishes of any individual active in it. Even if it looks different, that is how it is. But no one has to take offense at things. And to turn a blind eye, to bury one's head in the sand, that is only evil.

My dear friends, I have heard many things about the mood in the local Anthroposophical Society these days. I came here this evening, here into the vestibule, and the most pious incense aroma flowed towards me. Do not think that someone who is focused on the factual and the inner has any particular desire to have their speaking made difficult for the whole evening by resorting to this outwardness of the pious scent of incense, and that they has to carry a headache home because of the pious incense smell, and I am still completely ignoring how the truth is misunderstood when the incense smell - forgive me - smells out into the profane world. It may be unpleasant to mention such things, but they are symptomatic. Ask whether I have ever taken the initiative on such superficial matters. But that is only a side note.

What is most important to me, however, is how the membership feels connected to the spiritual life of the anthroposophically oriented spiritual scientific movement. As you know, various attacks have recently come to light, some of which have already been printed and some of which are still being printed. When the external world of today raises objections to spiritual science, we need neither be surprised nor feel particularly pained about it; it is only natural, self-evident. It can be countered. Spiritual science truly has no need to fear objective discussions. And perhaps one need not fear the reactions that are now arising from our own ranks. But the following does tremendous harm to what should be the real strength of our movement: It may be said that it is unique in this movement, in this society above all others, that the most benevolent intentions and measures, the most benevolent measures of conduct towards the members are here most of all immersed in poison and bile and also in the garment of slander, vilification, the most personal attack, all of which is aimed at a very well-known direction. The things that are done, perhaps out of a mystical need — I don't know —, the pure inventions, the pure untruths, are actually not so easily found anywhere else. But the will to behave correctly in relation to these things is not cultivated vigorously enough. Indeed, the will to see things truly impartially is not striven for vigorously enough either.

The seriousness that lies in the spiritual scientific movement, the special way in which it must be represented, should at least be studied. What the individual can do depends, of course, on the circumstances of life and on the most diverse factors; but one should still study what is, and not indulge in all sorts of delusions. Objectivity and impersonality are particularly necessary in our movement, which is devoted purely to spiritual things, and nothing is more harmful than when personal interests, vanity, ambition are brought into the ranks of our movement. Of course, things appear veiled and masked, but one should look at the true face of things, one should look at them in such a way that one comes to the truth of the matter. If someone writes a series of attacks and is well aware of what is behind the attacks, well aware of how precisely what he is attacking must be because of the peculiar character of spiritual science, then it is not enough to refute sentence by sentence. Much can be asserted and refuted, namely everything, but often it is not what is said that matters: the reasons lie in something quite different. If someone suggests a writing to the Philosophical-Anthroposophical Publishing House and it has to be rejected, and the person concerned then becomes an enemy, the reasons for this must be sought elsewhere than in the sentences that the person concerned twists. And one does not learn the truth when the most important thing, when the real reasons are pushed into the background.

If someone makes this or that attack about all kinds of foolish esoteric effects, the foolishness of which is obvious to anyone who is not blind, then one also misses the point if one does not trace such things, which are pure inventions, back to the whole situation. Then perhaps a person is behind it who once lived in a small town in central Germany and suddenly had the idea of becoming a great man. At first he tried to become a great man in a small way; he wrote to Dr. Steiner, asking what he should do to be freed from the narrow circumstances of the small town. Should he marry into a business, or bring this about in some other way? If it is then made clear to him that we do not concern ourselves with the decision of whether or not to marry into a family, he may still not be dissuaded. He will advance, come forward, take part in some events, and perhaps also stand before society at a large gathering and declaim a poem by Schiller with tremendous lung power, even though he has not the slightest idea of declamation. He is laughed at. That offends his sense of honor. Then he wants to be a great painter. The idea is even taken up to a certain extent. Everything is done to support the person in question so that he can learn something; concessions are made to him. But the person in question wants to be an artist, but finds it inconvenient to learn something. He doesn't really want to become an artist, he wants to be one, and when the others, out of their deepest conviction, can do nothing but advise him to learn something, then it is insulting. You are a genius after all, and they expect you to learn something first! They do everything they can to let him learn, but that is precisely what is insulting.

Well, a lot more could be said along these lines. These are the real reasons why one must become an enemy of such a detestable society. Then all kinds of stuff is written. What is written is of little consequence. Of course, something else could just as easily be written, because the real reasons are to be sought quite elsewhere. And so it can continue, and will continue, taking on completely different dimensions. All these things, however, have not the slightest thing to do with spiritual science as such. But they can develop with great intensity out of a society which tries to build itself not on the objective basis that spiritual science as such provides, but which seeks within it all kinds of cliquishness, all kinds of personal social relationships. You see, I am only hinting at one or the other. Perhaps one or the other can be said in the following days. But all this really does not go back to spiritual science, but goes back to the view that prevails in many quarters about what should happen in society. Precisely those for whom most has been provided are among those who are now most peddling calumnies, pure fabrications.

Therefore, my dear friends, I am obliged to take drastic measures. I ask you at least to always mention the two parts of these measures, so that no new defamations arise by only communicating one part. If this measure is hard for some, then please consider that it is as hard for me as it is for those affected by it, that I am just as sorry that it is necessary, and that you do not turn to me, but to those who have caused these measures. Look for the reasons there, but also look there to recognize what has to happen in the future by directing your attention to where the defamation originated. In many cases, this is what plays out as personal. Certainly, I have been of service to everyone with personal advice: for esoteric matters, this personal discussion was very often quite unnecessary and, as far as the esoteric is concerned, I will ensure that a good replacement can be found. But because the personal has led to this, it is necessary that in the future everything takes place in the full light of the public. I shall see to it that everyone can have their esoteric rights, but I shall no longer receive anyone from society for a so-called esoteric private meeting. I must stop these private visits without exception, so that the slander cannot be brought from these private visits. If this is hard for one or the other, then this measure must be taken for two reasons: firstly, because these things are not necessary for the operation of the esoteric life. I will prove this very soon. In a short time you will have a complete replacement, even though the private conversations, which often took place in such a way that the members approached me with things that had nothing to do with the esoteric life, have to be dropped. Secondly, because I thereby document how it is taken out of thin air that the esoteric life of one or the other is not taken care of. Just read “How to Know Higher Worlds”. Nobody needs to gain a personal impulse after so much time. The second thing that belongs to this measure and which I ask not to be forgotten is that I release everyone who has had private discussions so far from any promise, which was never given anyway, from any custom not to talk about such private discussions. As far as I am concerned, anyone can communicate as much as they like about what I have said to anyone, because I have nothing to hide. Anyone who wants to can tell everyone everything. Even the past can be placed in the full light of day. This is the best way to distinguish untruth from truth and to find a yardstick for measuring how much fibbing there is within our movement. But the two measures belong together. Once again, I repeat that anyone who only communicates the first part will not represent the matter in its true light; the other belongs to it.

I would also like to mention, my dear friends: Should it be difficult for some, then please turn to those places that you can easily find here in particular, turn to those who have made these things necessary. It is not acceptable that the spiritual scientific movement should be made impossible by the clique system within the Anthroposophical Society, because this exposes to misunderstanding in the outer world that which lives as the nerve of spiritual science. Do you believe that the things that have to be done in the interest of the Society are being done for my personal satisfaction? I have been reproached for withdrawing something from the Society in one direction or another because, for example, the Dornach building had to be undertaken. Do you believe that I personally care more about the Dornach building than any other member who is serious about our cause, that I have had any personal aspirations in this building? If the building had not been possible, I would have been the very last to have failed to comply with the necessity. That anything of what must be advocated should be advocated differently from such important matters as the Dornach building, other than it must be for the inner reasons of the matter, that should never happen.

The drastic measures just mentioned must be taken, especially for the reason that, after decades of my having spoken sufficiently about one thing and another, the seriousness of my words has never been felt. Perhaps this seriousness will be felt when this measure is introduced. There are, of course, other societies without them leading to the same things that have occurred in this society.

This, my dear friends, had to be said precisely because of our friendship, must not remain unsaid. Those who are serious about the anthroposophical movement will find the way, even if the seriousness of the situation makes such measures necessary. For the movement as such is too sacred to be extinguished by all kinds of personal aspirations, and enough has been done in this direction. Those of our dear members – and there are many who are just like that – who work in the movement, in society, in a devoted, self-sacrificing way, will be the last to complain about these measures; they will find them most meaningful. I do not think that I am misunderstood precisely by those who are really serious and sincere about our movement; they will agree with me. There will also be those who disagree with me; I gladly accept this disagreement.

Time has progressed. I will continue tomorrow with the considerations that I have undertaken today and perhaps also add some remarks about what I have said last about all kinds of things in society. It has often been quite hard to watch some things.