Current Social and Economic Issues

GA 332b — 27 December 1920, Dornach

Orientation Lecture on Threefolding and “Futurum” Propaganda I

The purpose of the discussion is to reach an understanding about the tasks that are set in “Futurum AG” and that the gentlemen set for themselves. The basis for everything that is done in an external social relationship is the idea of the threefold social organism. This idea is not utopian; it is the most practical idea that can be thrown into life, but it encompasses all of life, and the first prerequisite for what can be achieved through threefolding is that it must take hold in as many people's minds as possible. Before the war, it would have been virtually impossible to come forward with the threefold social order; people thought everything could continue as it had been going before. The whole thing would have been seen as a fantasy. During the war, Wilson's utopian ideas emerged, which could not be realized by someone who was not really involved in economic life. The threefold social order was brought to the people of Central Europe in particular during the war, after Wilson's ideas became known. At that time, people were really only interested in victory or defeat. As far as the West was concerned, the war was definitely an economic war. We must not believe that we can somehow help economic life along by applying economic rules in the old way. The threefold social order had a much more international character during the war than it does now. The war arose from the fact that the big economic questions were decided not by economists but by politicians. The fundamental question is this: how can economic life be freed from the intervention of parliaments and governments? We must achieve the possibility of overcoming national borders economically. Despite the differences in language, the international would immediately arise. During the war, it would have been possible to think about promoting such an idea, directly as an economic experiment. After the war, the matter is much more difficult, because the national borders are much more closed than before due to the exchange rate situation. I then tried to initiate something from Stuttgart after the war ended. In Stuttgart, after the revolution had flared up a few more times and then got bogged down, it is now chronic and latent. It would have worked in Stuttgart if it should have worked only for obvious reasons. You need economically cohesive areas to propagate the threefold order. But of course you also need the population for that. In Württemberg, the propagation of the threefold social order went relatively quickly. At first, the Social Democratic leaders tolerated it, but when we became too strong, they stopped us by all possible means, so that it became impossible for us to implement the economic councils, which were to grow out of a kind of constituent assembly consisting of economists. We were then pushed into founding the Kommenden Tag. The Waldorf School is a spiritual undertaking. It would have been impossible to found a Waldorf School here, but it was possible in Württemberg. We tried to do it with the Kommenden Tag; this idea should also be realized in the Futurum. Now this is a purely provisional matter in relation to the threefold social order, because of course the threefold social order idea cannot be implemented on such a small scale. In Stuttgart, we can work quite differently. In Stuttgart, we started with ten million German marks. With these ten million German marks, we were able to acquire a number of businesses that are actually good businesses. Now the point is that something like the 'Kommende Tag' does not pay out profits like any other joint-stock company, but only profits that correspond to the respective percentage. If there is a surplus, it is used to help long-term enterprises and to create spiritual institutions. In Stuttgart, we are thinking of building several scientific institutes. In economic life, it is important to take into account things that may only become profitable after many years. All truly great economic things have emerged from such small things that have previously consumed money. In Germany, one works under different conditions because even the industrialists realize what it means to stand after the transformation, and one can say that success is there in a very short time. The “Kommende Tag” can, if it is supported and managed properly, become a large commercial enterprise. If we succeed in working in an exemplary manner, then I count on the effect of the example. I believe that our ideas will be able to establish themselves very quickly in economic life as soon as people see that they can be realized in practice.

If you have been following economic life since 1810, you will see that all the calamities are related to the fact that the monetary system has been emancipated from the actual economic life. Banking has increasingly taken the place of productive economic life. We cannot get out of the economic calamity if things continue like this. The point is that, while the monetary system must of course be retained, we must overcome the old methods of experience and their drawbacks, and we can do so on a small scale by ending the separation of the banking system from the rest of economic life. Here, once 'Futurum Ltd' is what it should be, an administration of the individual companies.

The “key points” were translated into English in May. This edition was discussed in all serious English newspapers. If the matter could have been pursued quickly in England at that time, speakers could have traveled there again, then something could have been done. We mainly lack people. At the same time, you can see that there is definitely an atmosphere in England that is conducive to such an economic re-establishment.

The most important thing for Futurum at the moment is to carry out the issue. We simply need these six million francs as quickly as possible so that we don't remain a so-called 'floundering company' and, above all, so that we can realize the idea of Futurum AG. To do this, it is necessary to make it clear to people: “If you have money, you must make that money fruitful.” It has ruined the world that everyone only wanted to gain interest from their possessions. In economic terms, this results in a lack of interest in the consumer. Today, the only thing that interests the business owner is the competitor. The world war has caused this. As long as economic life is built on seeing only the market side, it will go downhill. If the mere monetary system stops, [...] people start to take an interest in economic life, and things start to improve again. That is, as soon as people start pushing the banks together again with the rest of the economy, interest in the demand for any given article returns, and people start counting on the consumer again.

When any of us goes out, he must also gain economic experience. You can't really get to know the economy from what is available; you can only get to know it by trying to gain insight into the individual business sectors. These are the two main tasks: the realization of the issue and the gathering of experience.

The economy is still holding together like a skirt that can be worn for a while, but then it gets ragged, and it is only a matter of time before the Entente countries also start to get ragged, as has already happened in Central European countries. The point is that it is impossible to say what exactly “Futurum AG” wants. If Mr. X and Mr. Y join “Futurum AG”, then “Futurum AG” will want what Mr. X and Mr. Y want.

Rudolf Steiner asks for questions to be raised. Hans Haas asks for information about the spread of the anthroposophical movement in different countries.

Rudolf Steiner: In Germany, the movement is quite widespread –

— see the 10000000 Marks of the Coming Day; one can also see this from the sales of Dr. Steiner's books.

the movement is spreading very strongly. In Germany the interest is very great, then comes Holland. I have the intention of going to Holland, after all I cannot go to the actual Entente countries myself. There is a great deal to be gained from Holland. In England a small group of our people has been working for a very short time. For the time being, things are moving slowly, but the 'key points' have been taken seriously. It will be possible to find much there in the way of preparation. I would be very happy if one or two of those involved could go there. There is a lot that could be done in America. In France, it depends on imponderables whether anything can be done there. But if I disregard France, I believe that something could possibly be done in Spain. But I don't know for sure. If I disregard the Romance-speaking areas, Switzerland seems to me to be the most difficult place to make headway. Switzerland suffers from conservatism. People here have no will to embrace something new. Switzerland is indifferent to material things; the most important thing for it is the monetary system.

Arnold Ith asks how propaganda work should be carried out according to the nature of different countries. Rudolf Steiner explains that he will answer this question tomorrow. Mr. Padrutt asks in what form the guiding principles should be expressed for the relatively small companies of “Futurum AG”.

Rudolf Steiner: We will gain a certain overview of the consumer base, so we will first try to expand the consumer base and then to understand it. We can take care of all our enterprises in the common consumer group. It is very good to have agricultural businesses on the one hand and industrial businesses on the other. In this way, one can achieve a balance of benefits. The idea is to have a range of different businesses that support each other in accordance with the principle of association. The ideal would be for the gentlemen to go out and look around to see what needs there are, and then the purchase of the businesses would be based on that. Of course, we cannot act on this yet.

In response to a question from Adolf Padrutt, Rudolf Steiner replies

that it is of no value to focus on just one industry. In the economy to date, the actual economic laws have been observed far too little. One of these laws is that in economic life one should work as little as possible for one's own account. See Stinnes.