The History of the German Section of the Theosophical Society 1902-1913

GA 250 — 25 September 1904, Berlin

13. Theosophy and Modern Science

Public lecture by Rudolf Steiner at the annual meeting of the German Theosophical Society. Report in “Theosophische Rundschau” no. 1-2/1904

The lecture evening, which took place on Sunday at 8 p.m. in Meinhold's halls and was open to the general public, began with Dr. Franz Hartmann [- Florence -] speaking to an attentive audience of around 1000 people about the motto of the Theosophical Society, “No religion is higher than truth”. Dr. Rudolf Steiner then spoke about “Theosophy and modern science”. Since it is impossible to reproduce even the main ideas from the rich content of these two lectures here, we have to content ourselves with mentioning just a few fragments:

Dr. Hartmann explained truth as the divine reality and religion as the connection of the consciousness of the human being with the consciousness of the divine self within him. As Sankaräcärya taught, anyone who wants to realize the true religion must, above all, develop the ability to distinguish within themselves and in all things the permanent from the ephemeral. Furthermore, it is important to develop spiritual faith. This can be compared to the feeling of warmth with which the blind perceive the sun. The fire of higher life will finally become the light of knowledge in man when he has progressed so far on the path of inner purification that he has matured to the point of enlightenment or theosophy. Then Christ rises in man and redemption is accomplished.

Dr. Steiner gave a historical overview of the transformation of the urge for knowledge, linking to a theosophical saying by Herder, in which he emphasizes that man must unite all the forces of nature within himself. In ancient times (e.g. in the Greek mysteries), truth was sought within, and little attention was paid to the outside world. In more recent times, especially since the microscope and telescope have been used as the main tools of research, the basic teaching that the origin of the external is to be sought within has been forgotten. After explaining the evolutionary theories of Lamarck and Darwin and the inadequacy of these, the lecturer went on to explain that it was precisely the diligence of the representatives of modern science that led them to recognize the inadequacy of their research method. The realization of the inadequacy of the physiological attempts to explain the riddles of existence points to occult psychology, to the acceptance of the teachings of karma and reincarnation. One learns to seek the law of life in the spiritual realm again, and one will not be able to do so only through the path of intellectual thinking. The lecturer pointed to universal brotherly love, to the law: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and concluded with the words: “Be united, completely united!”