The Rudolf Steiner Archive

32. The Mystery of the Temperaments in the Light of Spiritual Science

[ 1 ] Ladies and gentlemen, as soon as a person looks at the world around them, they find the greatest mysteries and enigmas everywhere. Wherever they look—everywhere they see phenomena whose causes they cannot comprehend, and the greatest mystery for human beings is probably human beings themselves. And this is very easy to understand in our highly materialistic age, when we consider that modern science attempts to explain human beings on the basis of a hypothesis that states that humans evolved from the animal kingdom, that animals evolved from the plant kingdom, and that plants evolved from the mineral kingdom. Spiritual science acknowledges that, as long as one adopts this point of view, it is entirely impossible to explain the human being. Everything would be easier to explain than the human being as long as one proceeds from this materialistic view that human beings have evolved upward from the lower kingdoms of nature, and it is precisely spiritual science that will be able to show—to demonstrate clearly—that the human being is not a being as science conceives it.

[ 2 ] Let’s take a look at the world and try to be clear about what we see around us when we want to observe the human being. The first thing we see in such a person is their physical body. This physical body is composed of all the elements we see in nature around us. We can examine the human physical body chemically and will then see that all the forces and laws we find in the animal kingdom, the plant kingdom, and the mineral kingdom are at work within it. We can therefore say: The human physical body is shared with the three natural kingdoms below it.

[ 3 ] But if we were to limit our view of human beings to what we call the physical body, no one would likely claim that this body alone could be a human being. For we see that human beings possess qualities different from those of minerals. We see that human beings possess within themselves the power by which they grow, by which they reproduce, and by which they can nourish themselves. We cannot go into this in too much detail today and will simply say that the power manifested in these functions is the result of the etheric or life body. By “ether” here, we do not mean the ether assumed as a hypothesis by science. This etheric body has very specific tasks to fulfill, such as nutrition, reproduction, and so on. But this life body, which remains united with the physical body from birth until death, has yet another, entirely different task. Namely, the etheric body ensures that the physical body does not follow the laws of physics. If the physical body were to follow the laws of physics, it would immediately fall apart. It is only because the physical body is enveloped and permeated by the etheric body that it retains its form and does not disintegrate. We can say that, during life—from physical birth to death—the etheric body acts as a defender against the decay of the physical body, and human beings share this etheric or life body with all plants and animals. Minerals do not have an etheric body as I have described it.

[ 4 ] If human beings had only a physical body and an etheric body, they would have the ability to grow and nourish themselves and so on—in other words, everything we see in plants. But human beings have something else that is much closer to them than all these characteristics, namely their joy and pain, pleasure and suffering, their instincts, desires, and passions—and human beings would not possess any of this if they were composed solely of an etheric body and a physical body. We cannot go into further detail on this here, but for today we can simply state that the astral body is the body that enables a being to feel joy and pain, pleasure and suffering, instincts, desires, and passions. The astral body also has many other characteristics that can be described in detail by spiritual science, but for the purposes of today’s discussion, we need only state what has just been said.

[ 5 ] We see that where the astral body is the bearer of the aforementioned qualities, a being possessing such an astral body leads an inner life. And if we now look at nature, we see that only the human and animal kingdoms possess such an inner life. Just as human beings share the physical body with minerals, plants, and animals, and share the etheric or life body with plants and animals, so too do they share the astral body with animals. But if human beings had only a physical body, an etheric body, and an astral body, they would not differ from animals. But if we look more closely at human beings and examine what distinguishes them from animals, we will find that human beings possess a capacity that no other being in the aforementioned kingdoms possesses. For human beings have self-consciousness. They can say “I” to themselves. Take any other object: anyone can say “table” to a table, “clock” to a clock, “roses” to roses, or “cloth” to a cloth; but no human being can say the word “I” unless they are referring solely to themselves. Every person is a “you” to me, and I am a “you” to every other person. The “I,” or self-awareness, is what distinguishes humans from all other beings in the aforementioned kingdoms of nature.

[ 6 ] Thus we see that the human being is composed of four parts: the physical body, which is composed of physical and chemical substances and laws; an etheric or life body, which protects the physical body from decay; an astral body, through which the human being can lead an inner life; and finally, the “I,” through which the human being attains self-consciousness. People knew all of this in earlier times, and only when humanity has once again allowed itself to be enriched by spiritual science will people once more recognize the great truths to be found in the sacred books of all peoples. In these books we find accounts of this composition; it is only that our modern science cannot understand it because it is not willing to be taught, but believes it can discover for itself everything that has been enshrined as a mystery in the ancient books.

[ 7 ] We have had the opportunity before, here in this city, to speak about other issues related to spiritual science—or, as it is called in our time, Theosophy—namely, reincarnation and the question of karma. We have spoken here before about how the spiritual part—the human “I”—passes from one incarnation to the next in order to gain new experiences in each new incarnation, and how, through the great law of karma, a person must bring balance to all their actions and all their experiences. So when a person dies, what happens then? First, they shed their physical body, which is returned to the physical earth. The physical body decays and the elements dissolve. The etheric body, the astral body, and the “I” depart. After a short time, the etheric body separates. An essence of the etheric body is preserved and absorbed by the Self. After spending time on the astral plane—or, as it is called in theosophical literature, Kamaloka—the astral body also disintegrates. An essence of this astral body is likewise taken up by the Self, and now the Self passes through other states, which we need not describe here. After a certain time, the “I” returns, takes on an astral body and an etheric body, and reincarnates once more on our Earth.

[ 8 ] If we take a closer look at this process, we will find that, through its various reincarnations, the “I” takes on a new physical body each time, one that is given to it by its parents. This physical body therefore has the characteristics of the parents, and it inherits physical traits from its parents, grandparents, and so on. The “I,” however, is not inherited; it is something entirely different that existed long before the physical body came into being. It is only the physical body that a person receives from their parents. Tonight we do not want to go into—or at least not go too deeply into—the etheric and astral bodies in relation to heredity.

[ 9 ] Material science claims that human beings are the product of heredity and posits, for example, that genius is the result of heredity. As an example, it points out that the Bach family produced about twenty musicians of varying degrees of importance over a period of two hundred years and claims that this gift is the result of heredity; or it points out that the Bernoulli family produced six or eight notable mathematicians within a short period of time and attributes this to heredity. But if science wanted to prove something, it would have to take a genius as its starting point and then demonstrate that genius was passed down through subsequent generations; however, this is not possible because, as is well known, it would be difficult to prove such cases. But how is it that there were so many great musicians and mathematicians in the Bach family or the Bernoulli family?

[ 10 ] The first requirement for being a musician like Bach was to have a good ear—a good physical ear. Without such an ear, a person cannot be a musician. Now, in the Bach family, a very good ear had been developed through heredity, and that is why people were born into this family who were destined to undergo a specific development in the musical realm. This is by no means a coincidence; rather, very specific laws form the basis of these incarnations. Had these same people lived in other families—had they been born to parents who did not possess such an excellent ear—they simply would not have been musicians, and exactly the same is true of the Bernoulli family. Very specific physical predispositions are also necessary to become a mathematician, and these physical prerequisites were present in that family.

[ 11 ] We have now seen that the physical body is recreated anew each time, while the “I” remains the same. If nothing stood between the body and the “I,” then virtually all people would be the same. But there is something that stands between a person’s physical being and the “I,” and that is the temperament. Every person has a temperament all their own. As you know, there are four temperaments: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, and melancholic.

[ 12 ] As we have said before, human beings consist of four parts that together form their being: the physical body, the etheric body, the astral body, and the I. These four parts were not created all at once; rather, there was a very long process of evolution before human beings reached the stage they are at today. You can find more detailed information on this in my article “The Akashic Records” in *Luzifer — Gnosis* (issues 13 through 35).

[ 13 ] Humanity has so far gone through four stages of development, and at each stage a part of its being has been developed. Thus, first its physical body was formed, then its etheric body, then its astral body, and finally the “I.” Now, each of these four parts expresses itself in a physical aspect of the human being, such that the physical body expresses itself through the senses, the etheric body through the glands, the astral body through the nerves, and the “I” through the blood. The blood, as we can see it in humans today, is the expression of the “I,” and there was no blood before the “I” came into being.

[ 14 ] Now, every person has the four bodies, as stated above, and therefore every person also has sense organs, glands, nerves, and blood; however, these four bodies are not equally developed in all people. There are all kinds of combinations, and as we shall see, it is through these combinations that differences in temperaments arise.

[ 15 ] As I said, the blood is the expression of the “I.” We recognize someone who has strongly developed the “I” as a choleric person; we recognize someone who has strongly developed the astral body as a sanguine person. We recognize a person who has developed the etheric body as a phlegmatic, and a person who has developed the physical body as a melancholic. Spiritual science is able to explain this precisely, since it knows how these things relate to one another.

[ 16 ] Let’s take the choleric person, for example. As I said, this person has a highly developed ego. This person, therefore, has a highly developed blood principle. When we look at this type of person, we see something somewhat compressed in their build. We find a very good example in Johann Gottlieb Fichte, the German philosopher. This is because the blood restrains the nerves, and as a result, growth is, so to speak, curbed. We also see this in Napoleon. These are people with a strongly developed ego, which manifests itself in a choleric temperament. When we watch such people walk, it is as if they want to pound the ground—not merely place their feet on the ground—no, it is—[gap]. The jet-black eyes gaze sharply into the world. The entire body gives the impression of willpower and energy, to which this restrained quality already contributes. This is not, of course, to say that a choleric person must be short; rather, if the same person were not choleric, he would be somewhat taller.

[ 17 ] Let us now consider the sanguine type. As we have seen, the sanguine type has a highly developed astral body and, consequently, a highly developed nervous system—and what is the result of this? That such a person walks with a very springy gait; everything seems to burst forth, precisely because his astral body is in control and is not held back by the blood. Such a person always walks with a spring in their step, looks lively through their light blue eyes, and has blond hair. The sanguine person, however, has very little lasting interest. As soon as they see something, it interests them, but that interest is not lasting. Tomorrow he sees something else, and that arouses his interest more, and so it goes on and on. But because everything interests him, he faces the world with a certain zest for life.

[ 18 ] But let us now consider the phlegmatic person. As I said, this person has the most highly developed glandular system, which gives them a sense of inner contentment. Such a person has no interest in the outside world, and we can already see this in their dull eyes and calm gait. They are not interested in anything around them, and as mentioned, the reason for this is simply that the etheric body—or the endocrine system—is in control.

[ 19 ] Let us now consider the melancholic person. This person has a highly developed physical body—and by this we do not mean the musculature, but the principle of the physical body. Such a person is weighed down, as it were, by the weight of their body. They cannot lift themselves up, they cannot move forward, and as a result, everything is too much for them.

[ 20 ] We have now seen how these four temperaments relate to the bodies, but this would really have little practical value if we did not examine the matter further.

[ 21 ] Not only can we apply what we are about to discuss to ourselves, but it is also of the utmost importance in child-rearing. Take, for example, a choleric child. His disposition compels him to perform at his best in everything; it is no difficulty for him to do so, because his temperament and disposition give him the capacity to do so. How, then, should we raise such a child? Many parents today are quick to say: “The child does everything so easily; we don’t need to worry about that”—and yet that is not correct. If we let such a child run wild, the time will come when the child will not be able to overcome all difficulties so easily. The child must be guided in a very specific way. If we want to provide such a child with a proper educator, we must seek out someone who is capable of answering every question the child asks, so that the child develops respect for that person’s knowledge. The child must realize that there is someone whose knowledge far surpasses their own, and it is precisely through this that the child gains the ability to respect what stands above them. In general, we will see that such children do not have much opportunity to demonstrate their full potential, and although it may be unpleasant for [parents], it would be good if such a child were given the opportunity to test their abilities to the utmost. We can even go further: we must let such a child attempt something that we know in advance they will not be able to accomplish. In this way, the child acquires what we might call a respect for the force of facts, and in this way we can keep such children on the right track. A choleric person—and such a child as well—will carry through everything he does to the end; in other words, he will maintain his commitment to his cause.

[ 22 ] But let’s now consider a sanguine child. As I said, such a child lacks lasting interest. Many parents believe they have found the right approach when they try to force the child to develop lasting interest through punishment and beatings, but that doesn’t work. We must deal with what is present in the child, not what is absent—and what is absent is the predisposition toward lasting interest. That is what we must reckon with. All external things pass quickly. But there is one thing in which all sanguine children take a lasting interest, and that is love for a specific person. Whereas the choleric person needs to have someone by their side who commands respect through their knowledge, such a personality is of no use to the sanguine person. The sanguine person must have someone by their side whom they can love, and if one has such a person, they will be able to guide the sanguine person properly. As mentioned, the sanguine child jumps, so to speak, from one interest to another. To change this, there is no point in punishing the child. Instead, try the following: Give the child something in which they have a slightly greater interest, and take it away again before their interest has waned. You can also give the child something that will hold their interest temporarily. If you handle these two approaches tactfully, you will see that a lasting interest will emerge very soon. As mentioned, it is helpful for such a child to have someone they can love, for a great deal depends on this. With a child like this, nothing is achieved through knowledge alone, but only through love.

[ 23 ] Now we come to the phlegmatic temperament. As we have seen, a phlegmatic person—and likewise a phlegmatic child—has a highly developed etheric body and, as a result, leads a comfortable inner life, which means they have no interest in external matters. A phlegmatic child has no interest in the outside world, insofar as it relates to the child itself. But there is something else. While the phlegmatic person has no interest in matters that concern him or her personally, he or she does have an interest in the affairs of others. So if we place a phlegmatic child in the company of other children, we will see that such a child develops an interest in the affairs of the others. Furthermore, being together with other children has a strong suggestive effect, and a great deal can be achieved in this way as well. If we try to force the child to take an interest, we will see that this is completely futile; yet, interest can be instilled in the child in the manner described above.

[ 24 ] The melancholic child has a highly developed sense of the physical body, and as a result, everything feels heavy to him or her. Even when there are no external causes at all, the child is in a bad mood. If one were to think that this could be changed by giving the child something to enjoy—which, as a rule, does not bring much joy—one will soon discover that this is not possible and that such contrived distractions are futile. This, too, is because the child lacks the inner capacity to respond to such joyful things. We must work with what is present, not with what is absent. We do well to show such a child the suffering of other people, for through this the child will be able to see that his or her complaints are unwarranted. As harsh as it may sound, it is entirely appropriate to give such a child the opportunity to complain when there is truly cause for complaint. Once the cause has since disappeared, the child will feel relieved, and in this way we provide a certain change of pace, through which the child learns to appreciate the pleasant things in life; in this way, we can contribute greatly to diverting the melancholic temperament. Of course, this requires a great deal of tact, and that is precisely what matters in child-rearing.

[ 25 ] What we have said here about children applies just as well to adults. If, for example, a person has a strongly melancholic disposition, they should deliberately seek out situations where they might feel uncomfortable. In this way, they learn to appreciate what is better. The same applies to the sanguine person. If, for example, we see that we are too flighty, that we cannot maintain our interest in a single thing, then we can either tear ourselves away from things that interest us greatly—which can certainly happen—before our interest has waned. We can also force ourselves, for a week, to do something—such as read a book—that does not interest us at all. We force ourselves to do this, and in doing so we learn to distinguish between what is worthy of our interest and what does not hold our interest to such a great extent. If people would really make the effort to listen to what spiritual science has to say about such matters, they would certainly not take the stance that today’s materialistic science does—claiming that all of this is mere fantasy or even worse. Spiritual science is truly capable of providing answers to important questions of life and solving the mysteries of human existence. One should not think that spiritual science will provide a formula for every person on what to do and what to avoid, but it does point out the paths that a person who takes life seriously must follow. A person who is willing to accept only what materialistic science has to say will certainly be able to learn a great deal about the laws of physics and the chemical compositions of physical matter, but it is not possible for a person to find, through this materialistic science alone, what is of the greatest interest to them. Spiritual science, or theosophy, fully acknowledges the great achievements that materialistic science has bestowed upon the world, but it also knows that through this science, a person can recognize only a part of their being. If a person truly wishes to strive to understand his inner being, he must listen to what spiritual science has to say, for it is precisely this science that is capable of giving people what humanity needs today.