75. The Theater of Natural Spectacles

M. Wilhelm Meyer has founded such a theater in the Berlin "Urania". He has just spoken about his intentions with this institution in a detailed article in the Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (supplement to the issues of April 8 and 9). His basic idea is that the theater should depict succession in time, that is, events in general. Up to now we have only stopped at events in human life. And even there one has limited oneself to a section. There are only a small number of dramas that do not focus on the events of love life. Meyer is an advocate of the scientific world view, in the form that it has taken in recent decades. For him, the processes in which man plays a role are only a small part in the great drama whose setting is the cosmos. The life of the cosmos, artistically grouped and combined, animated by the imagination working on the basis of the laws of nature, is what he wants to present theatrically. Within this great whole, man should appear with his destinies, not separated out for himself. How a star comes into being, how the inorganic realm unfolds on the star, how plant and animal life develops from it, how man comes into existence on its basis and is dependent on it: this is what Meyer wants to illustrate artistically. This is a laudable, a beautiful task. He had to atone for it. His colleagues at the "Urania" pushed him out of the institute because they found his work too unscientific, too popular. He didn't give enough boring lectures. He wanted to elevate science to the status of art and use the imagination to have an effect on the mind. Such a thing is unheard of in Germany...

So far, Meyer has our sympathies. But his essay has shown me that he suffers from the error of all those who profess a modern scientific world view. He fails to recognize that everything except human life is less important than human life. He imagines that man is but a grain in the universe and that it must be called a childish prejudice to regard man as the final link and goal of all existence. Modern Enlightenment thinkers call such a viewpoint anthropocentric and believe they have done a tremendous amount when they declare that the universe is infinitely greater than the small human being. We do not take this standpoint. We are followers of natural science in the most modern sense. But as little as we believe in providence in the Christian sense, we do believe that there is something infinitely more sublime in the smallest human destiny than in the cycle of millions of suns. And that is why we do not want to overestimate the theater of natural spectacles, especially not to make it out to be more important than the representation of human suffering and joy. That man recognizes himself, appreciates himself and becomes aware of his destiny: that is the most important thing on this earth. And the theater of natural spectacles - even if its creators do not want it - will ultimately lead man to the knowledge of man, that is, show him that the whole cosmos is only there for his sake. When he gains insight into the phenomena and processes that preceded his life, within which he stands, he will correctly assess his only position in 'the world, he will no longer believe that God sent his only begotten Son to free him from sinful shame, but he will realize that countless heavens are there to bring him forth in the end and let him enjoy his existence.