The Rudolf Steiner Archive

17. The Nature of the Human Being in the Light of Spiritual Science

[ 1 ] Among the various philosophical movements of our time is one known as the “theosophical worldview.” Anyone who attempts to form an opinion about Theosophy based on books, articles, and so on can easily fall into one of the many prejudices that exist today against the Theosophical worldview. To many today, theosophy is regarded as a revival of an old superstition, a childish worldview—one that was suited to the imagination of ancient peoples but no longer fits the enlightened person of the present. Others imagine that theosophy is intended to be a kind of new religious movement, a form of sectarianism. It is therefore not surprising that those who take religious life seriously see something dangerous in theosophy. A third prejudice is the notion that theosophy seeks to transplant an Eastern conception of religion into Europe. Some see this as a direct danger if it were to happen. However, this belongs to the kind of spiritual movements that today’s lecture is intended to address—namely, those that require a more thorough and deeper engagement to be understood. Not that Theosophy requires any special erudition, but rather the patience to delve a bit more deeply into the subject. Then everyone can come to terms with it. Theosophy, or spiritual science, rests on two solid pillars. Once one has recognized the significance of these two pillars, nothing stands in the way of delving deeper into this spiritual current. The first pillar is the realization that behind our physical world—which is perceptible to the senses—there exists a superphysical, a supersensible, a spiritual world. The second pillar is the recognition that human beings have the ability to penetrate this spiritual, supersensible world.

[ 2 ] Even the very first premise—that there is a supernatural world at all—faces weighty and strong objections in our time. Modern science believes it is already violating some principle simply by admitting that a spiritual world exists at all. Theosophy speaks of the spiritual world, essentially, in no strange sense at all—not as if the spiritual worlds were somewhere entirely different from where they are—but rather in much the same way that the great German philosopher Fichte spoke of spiritual worlds in a particularly compelling manner. In the fall of 1813, he said the following to his audience:

This teaching requires a completely new inner tool of perception, through which a new world is revealed—one that does not even exist for the average person.

[ 3 ] He also added:

Imagine a world of blind people who, for that reason alone, are familiar only with the things and their relationships that exist through the sense of touch. Go among them and speak to them of colors and the other qualities that exist only through light and for the sake of sight. Either you are speaking to them of nothing—and this is the better outcome, if they say so—for in this way you will soon realize your mistake, and if you are unable to open their eyes, you will cease your futile talk.

[ 4 ] Just as a person born blind might consider it a fantasy when we speak to him of colors and light, so too are those who speak of spiritual worlds likely to be regarded as fantasists by those who do not know these worlds. To those who know nothing of the spiritual worlds, one who does know them speaks just as a sighted person speaks to a blind person about the world of color and light. It is, however, necessary to speak of the spiritual worlds in a manner similar to how J.[ohann] G.[ottlieb] Fichte spoke of them; yet it is not quite the same. For someone born blind, there is sometimes the possibility of performing surgery on them. There comes a moment when what was shrouded in darkness appears to them in light, color, and radiance. But not every person born blind can undergo such surgery. For every human being, however, there is the possibility of becoming receptive to the worlds that surround us but are currently veiled from them.

[ 5 ] Of such worlds that surround us—for which the dormant abilities of human beings need only be awakened—the Enlightened Ones and the Seers have spoken throughout the ages. But there have been a wide variety of terms used to describe them. Today, for the teaching about these worlds, we need the word “theosophy,” following the example of the Apostle Paul, who was the first to use the word “theosophy” in this context. Those who look into the spiritual worlds have always been called initiates or seers. For the one who becomes an initiate, a seer, there is that moment, that instant, which can in a certain way be compared to the moment when physical light first enters the eye of the person born blind who has undergone surgery; only for the person who seeks more than mere intellectual conviction regarding the spiritual worlds, the moment when he becomes able to see is far more glorious than the moment experienced by the person born blind who has undergone surgery. Perhaps one might say, since only a few people have been able to glimpse into the spiritual world: What, then, does this spiritual world have to do with those who cannot glimpse it? But the fact is this: When those who have direct experience—who have witnessed the wisdom of the spiritual world firsthand—share these truths, people can grasp them if they are only willing to reflect deeply enough. The ability to see is necessary for experiencing spiritual truths; common sense is necessary for understanding them.

[ 6 ] To anyone who might object, “For me, this cannot yet be a conviction; I must first be able to look into the spiritual worlds myself”—to such a person one must say: It is not the fact that he does not yet possess this ability that holds him back, but rather that he is unwilling to apply his full human understanding to what others communicate to him. The seers are in the spiritual worlds. The spiritual worlds are not somewhere else; they are right here where we are, and human beings can become experiencers of these spiritual worlds through the abilities that lie dormant within them. Experiencing the spiritual worlds requires the gift of clairvoyance, while understanding them requires only sound common sense. Just as light relates to the eye, so do the spiritual worlds relate to the soul.

[ 7 ] Others say: It may be that spiritual worlds exist, but human beings do not have the abilities to enter them. — Those who say this believe that human abilities cannot be developed, that human beings remain as they are. Today, for many, the word “development” is a kind of magic formula. But as soon as one speaks of spiritual development, they want nothing to do with it. To those who believe that human beings cannot perceive the spiritual worlds, one can reply: Certainly, with the abilities you possess today, you cannot perceive the spiritual worlds; but there are abilities lying dormant within the human being that can be developed, enabling him to perceive the spiritual worlds. These truths have only been publicly proclaimed in recent times because humanity now needs them in this form. They have always been flowing into the world and into human thought and feeling. But they are appearing in public for the first time in this form. Above all, these truths have always been contained in all religions. They have been contained therein in a different form, as that form sufficed for humanity. For centuries now, humanity—which clings to the old forms—has been plagued by doubts, scruples, and so on regarding spiritual truths.

[ 8 ] Let us think back to the times when the art of printing did not yet exist, when what reaches people today in the form of printed works could not yet reach them in that way, but only in fragments. Back then, human perception and feeling could still relate to the great spiritual truths in a completely different way. But now, when the vast amount of scientific knowledge is flooding into humanity through thousands upon thousands of channels, the dissemination of spiritual truths also requires a different form. We need only say a few words to recognize the effects. Those beings through whom the impulses arose back then, when truth was given to people in ancient forms of presentation, knew that an eternal core lives within the human being; they no longer affect people in that way. There must be another form that proves suitable for the modern soul.

[ 9 ] Modern Theosophy aspires to be such a different form. It does not seek to oppose religious truths, but rather aims to be the very instrument for recognizing these truths in such a way that even the most modern soul can be convinced of them. Those who know something about such mysteries have not stepped out of their reserve out of a desire for agitation or subjective caprice, but because it was necessary for humanity. This is related to how a theosophical lecture must be understood. Anyone who speaks from a theosophical perspective never speaks as an agitator, never out of a belief that they must influence people through the usual arts of persuasion.

[ 10 ] There are many worldviews today, and their proponents go out among people to teach a certain truth, believing that people must accept this truth under all circumstances. The theosophist does not wish to be a dogmatic teacher; he wishes to be a narrator of the facts of the spiritual worlds. A prominent Frenchman once coined the phrase in reference to the facts of the physical world: “I do not teach; I narrate.” The point is precisely that those who are already, by their disposition, attuned to the facts underlying Theosophy—and whose entire sensibility has already sufficiently prepared them for what the communicator has to say—are the ones who are drawn to Theosophy.

[ 11 ] Among human beings, there are some who may be able to glimpse into the spiritual worlds. These are very few. Second, there are those who, for scientific reasons, acknowledge the logic of the spiritual worlds. There are only a few of them as well, since science today is still burdened by a vast number of prejudices. There are, however, many who come to Theosophy out of a certain sense of truth, out of an intuition of their soul. Some scientists may still approach Theosophy with a certain smile; but they do not consider that the human soul is not inclined toward untruth, but toward truth. If the human soul is not clouded by prejudice, it will find the straight path, for it is designed for truth. Everyone must come to theosophy of their own free will. Anyone in whom any of the three reasons mentioned is at work will come to theosophy.

[ 12 ] Today we want to speak about the nature of the human being and thereby lay a foundation for answering the primordial mysteries of humanity’s quest—for answering the question of the mystery of death, which is connected to the question of the nature of life. From the perspective of the theosophical worldview, the human being is more complex and multifaceted than is generally thought today. We begin by speaking of the physical human body. For spiritual science, which seeks to penetrate the mysteries of existence from a supersensible standpoint, the physical human body is only one aspect of the human being. Let us clarify how we are to think about this physical human body from the perspective of spiritual science. We can comprehend it through reason. We look out into our surroundings. We see everything that surrounds us, from the smallest stone on Earth to the shining star and the radiant sun; we see beings of the most diverse kinds that present themselves to our senses. We see what we call the mineral world—the world of substances and material forces. When we come to know this world of substances—which are spread out all around us, which fill the cosmos, and which shine toward us from the stars—we find that the human physical body contains the same substances and forces as those found out there in seemingly lifeless nature. These substances make up the physical body; the same forces flow through it until the human body disintegrates. For spiritual science, as in any other science, the human body is composed of the same substances and forces as the physical world. But it is also true for spiritual science that the substances and forces within human beings and every living being are arranged in a way that would not be physically or chemically possible in and of itself. Left to their own devices, they would disintegrate within themselves. A rock crystal exists in that form according to the laws of physics and chemistry, but this is not possible within the human body.

[ 13 ] Here, spiritual science points to a second aspect of the human being: the etheric body, or life body. What is this etheric or life body? It is a constant fighter against the decay of the physical body. This etheric or life body is present in all of us. Imagine a sponge permeated with water. In the same way, the physical body of every living being is permeated by the etheric or life body. This prevents the physical substances and forces from following their own laws. The moment of death occurs precisely when the etheric or life body leaves the physical body. At that point, however, the physical body becomes a corpse. Thus, at every moment of life, the etheric body acts as a warrior, preventing the physical body from becoming a corpse.

[ 14 ] Modern science sometimes says: There is an ideal for the researcher; this ideal is to create living matter in the laboratory from the components of inanimate substance. Modern science must hold fast to this ideal. Now, some who believe they stand firmly on the ground of science add: “As long as we cannot achieve this, you Theosophists are free to speak of an etheric body; as long as we cannot create living matter from inanimate protein substances. But when we do succeed, even the Theosophist will realize his error.”—It is entirely understandable that modern science must speak this way. Much could be said against this objection. But let us raise just one point here. Let us not believe that spiritual science has ever taken a different position regarding the question of creating a living being from inanimate substances. The Theosophist simply says: Yes, the time will come when it will be possible for human beings to create living beings from inanimate substances. — Nevertheless, the theosophist speaks of the etheric or life body. For him, the etheric or life body is a fact. Even though living matter can one day be produced from non-living matter, the fact remains that the etheric or life body exists. It is the first spiritual member of the human being.

[ 15 ] There is no objection whatsoever to the spiritual aspect of a thing when we say that we understand the physical realm according to mechanical laws. We understand a clock according to purely mechanical laws. Does that make the clockmaker indispensable? This objection is trivial. Many people believe that because people in the past were at a more childlike stage of development, they believed that behind the physical world there are spiritual beings who direct the world. Today, however, this is no longer necessary, because science enlightens us about how things are connected. Scientific clarification of a set of facts has nothing to do with understanding the spiritual background.

[ 16 ] The second point is this: If a person believes that the life body must be detectable somewhere within the human being, like a piece of iron, that is a crude, materialistic notion. Imagine that dry air in a room is intermingled with something watery. Even if we can extract the water, we still cannot say: ‘The water was not in the room.’ What is at work in our life body can be found everywhere. As a universal cosmic principle, it fills the cosmos. If we—using substances that are still beyond human capacity today—combine them in such a way that the very idea of the combination acts as a magnet for life, then we will also experience the inanimate substance coming to life. Spiritual science knows this. But it tells us: The art of being able to do what must still be left to the great mysteries of nature—this art will not be handed down to humanity by benevolent hands until the laboratory table has been transformed into an altar; until the activity at the laboratory table has been transformed into a sacramental act. Once human beings are able to create the combination—such that through the combination of thoughts, life itself is drawn in—they will weave into it what lives in their souls; they will weave their good and their evil into it. As long as humanity has not yet been purified, this mystery must therefore remain hidden from humanity.

[ 17 ] We have thus already described the human being as composed of two parts: the physical body and the etheric or life body, which he shares with all plants and animals, with all living beings. But if we were to say that this is all that is contained within the human skin, that would not be correct. There is much that is far closer to the human being than what is physically contained within—bones, muscles, nerves, and so on. There is something even closer to every human being: the sum of joy and pain, of drives, desires, and passions—everything that lives in the soul, right up to the highest ideal. Perhaps a materialistic way of thinking would say: All of this is there, but it is a result of the physical body. - If that were the case, there would be no need to speak of it as something independent; but spiritual science shows us that all this is not a product of the physical or etheric body, but rather indicates that what unfolds within a person in terms of instincts and desires, feelings, passions, and ideals is the result of a third aspect of the human being. Everything that seems incomprehensible in its complexity becomes comprehensible when we consider it in its simple elements.

[ 18 ] If we ask ourselves whether there is anything in human beings today that demonstrates how physical effects arise from mental causes, we find the following: When a person is startled, they turn pale; blood flows from the periphery to the heart. When a blush of shame rises to their face, blood flows from the heart to the periphery, to the outer parts of the body. These are small physical effects of mental and emotional processes.

[ 19 ] Spiritual science shows us that not only this, but all physical phenomena arise from psychological and spiritual sources: it is psychological experiences of the most comprehensive kind that not only set the blood circulating to a small degree, but that drive it around in the first place. The entire world is founded on psychological and spiritual processes.

[ 20 ] Thus we speak of a third component of the human being. This third component of the human being, which humans share with animals, we call the astral body. Thus, we have identified the human being as being composed of three components: the physical body, the etheric body, and the astral body.

[ 21 ] Now there is something else in human beings that we must designate as the fourth element of the human being, by virtue of which we must regard human beings as the crown of earthly creation. This fourth element of the human being is unique to human beings; it is that which makes them the crown of all beings around them. Anyone can call a table a “table” and a chair a “chair”; but there is one thing that only each human being can say about themselves. This cannot be treated in the same way as the names of other things; it is what is designated by the simple little word “I.” What the “I” is in a human being can be designated by no one else but the person himself. If the little word “I” is to be the designation of the innermost self, then it must come from the human being himself.

[ 22 ] These forces, which find their designation in the little word “I,” are what we call the fourth member of the human being. All religions and worldviews that were familiar with what is known as spiritual science have intuitively sensed the significance of the “I” in human beings. That is why they called this name the “unspeakable name of God.” This is what is revealed in human beings, through which the human being is a spark, a drop of the divine substance.

[ 23 ] If one were to counter this by saying, “Then theosophy turns human beings into gods,” one can only reply: Just as a drop of water is not the entire ocean, so too the divine substance within a human being is not the entirety of the divine. Just as the drop relates to the sea, so does the “I” within a human being relate to the whole of the Divine. Only the Divine that lives in the innermost being of a human being can make itself known within that person. Everything else—colors, sounds, warmth, and cold—must come to the human being from the outside. — One must recognize the full significance of this resonance within the human being, within the human “I.” Fichte once said: “People would much rather consider themselves a piece of lava from the moon than an ‘I.’ They see this essence of the ‘I’ who knows where, just not within themselves.”

[ 24 ] These four components—the physical body, the etheric body, the astral body, and the ego—are present in even the most uneducated “savage,” who still devours his fellow human beings, just as they are in the most highly developed civilized human being. During his travels, Darwin once encountered a “savage” who was just about to eat his wife. Darwin had the interpreter explain to him that this was not a good thing to do. To this, he replied that he could not know that until he had tasted her. After he had eaten a piece of her, he signaled to Darwin that she was very good.

[ 25 ] There is another “I” that follows all the desires that live in the astral body. This “I” hangs there as if in chains and is dragged along by the desires of the astral body. When faced with certain instincts and drives, the average European tells himself: “You must not follow them.”

[ 26 ] Let us compare the average person with Schiller. He differs from the average person in that he has transformed certain instincts and desires into higher qualities. The saint no longer has any desires over which he has not gained mastery. In the astral body of an advanced human being, we can distinguish two parts: one part that the “I” has ennobled, and one part that has not yet been transformed. We call the transformed part of the astral body “Manas” or the “spiritual self,” the fifth member of the human being. Thus, on the basis of the four members of the human being, a person is capable of generating a fifth in the course of his or her perfection. Indeed, he or she is capable of generating a sixth. He or she can transform not only the astral body but also the etheric or life body. Let us recall the age of seven or eight and what we have learned since that time. Of course, everyone has learned an immense amount since then. All of this has a transforming effect on the astral body, changing it. But if, at the age of seven or eight, we were a quick-tempered or melancholic child, let us examine whether that quick temper or that melancholy has changed. Some aspect of it will usually still surface in later life. Schopenhauer therefore believes that these traits do not change at all. But that is not the case. They simply change slowly. As the astral body changes—like the minute hand of a clock moving forward—so too do temperaments, character, and habits change in comparison, like the hour hand of the clock moving forward, because the etheric body is the carrier of these traits.

[ 27 ] There is something in everyday life through which a person can transform their etheric body. Such impulses are those of true art, which, through form, color, and sound, allow us to sense the divine. This art has a transforming effect on that which is active in the etheric body. Everything contained in humanity’s religious impulses also has a transformative effect on it. When, for example, religious impulses flow through the soul every day in prayer, they take effect in the etheric or life body through repetition. We can observe that the etheric body embodies the principle of repetition where it still functions undisturbed—out in the plant world. Time and again, the plant gathers its strength and unfurls leaf after leaf. If a human being does the same with something that grips his soul—allowing himself to be permeated by it again and again—then these impulses act upon his etheric or life body in the same way that the etheric body of the plant acts as it drives forth leaf after leaf. We call the forces of the transformed life body the life spirit or buddhi.

[ 28 ] When a person is admitted to what is known as esoteric training—which enables them to influence their inner being even more intensely through significant impulses—they exert an even stronger influence on the etheric or life body, so that they can experience its awakening. For the etheric or life body, changing one’s habits is more important than any kind of learning. For the actual esoteric training, one has done an immeasurable amount by consciously breaking even the smallest habit. A person can also learn to develop the strongest power of the spirit, through which they overcome the lower power of the physical body. This process begins with regulating the breathing process. Once one can regulate this process, one begins to transform the principle of the physical body. This transformed part of the principle of the physical body is called the spiritual human or Atman, because Atma means “breathing.” In this way, one shapes the three members of the higher being; the fifth member, Manas, is the transformed astral body; the sixth member, Budhi, is the transformed etheric body; the seventh member, Atman, is the transformed physical body. In the ordinary human being, the four members are fully present, and the three higher members are developed to varying degrees. These seven members of the human being encompass what is transitory in him, but they also encompass what is eternal. The arrangement described above is the one we have between birth and death. When a person passes through the gate of death, this arrangement changes. When we look into the mystery of death, the riddle of life is also unraveled for us.

[ 29 ] What must always be kept in mind here is the mission of theosophy. It is not meant merely to satisfy curiosity or a thirst for knowledge, but to lead people so that what they gain through it becomes an inner impulse for life itself. It is meant to solve the great mysteries of life for us. When we have a perspective on spiritual life, strength and security for our entire existence arise from this insight. Knowledge and understanding are what are meant to guide us on our path, but we are to draw strength from that knowledge and understanding. A person who lacks insight into the supersensible worlds becomes incapable of work and uncertain about the future. But what is to result from theosophy should be the strength for a healthy, productive, hopeful, and purposeful life.