The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Fifth Lecture

[ 1 ] The reflections we are now engaging in involve an ever-deeper exploration of contemporary history—specifically, how the forces of the world fit into the current currents of development and how they shape the foundations of our human life. As you saw from yesterday’s discussions, it is becoming ever more necessary to transform the rigid, abstract concepts to which modern people are accustomed into fluid, flexible, and living concepts if we are to make progress in life as a humanity. The consideration of what we call “intelligence” among the human soul forces sheds a special light on all the facts relevant to this matter. As you know, modern people are particularly proud of their intelligence. They regard intelligence, so to speak, as something they have attained over time as a particularly distinguishing characteristic.

[ 2 ] When people today look back on earlier eras, they see how people in those times created mental images of certain things; they see how people in earlier stages of development sought to understand—through myths, legends, and the like—then modern people are likely to call that earlier state of mind and soul “childish.” They look back on these childlike stages of development and take great pride in how far they have come, especially in the cultivation of intelligence. Let today’s discussion be devoted specifically to the peculiar nature of human intelligence; let it focus on this power of the soul of which modern people are particularly proud. When people speak of intelligence today, they have in mind a power of the soul that they imagine in a certain way, and of which they merely assume that it can and must be just as they have become accustomed to having in their mental images.

[ 3 ] Well, people in earlier stages of human development also possessed intelligence, albeit of a different form, and if one wishes to fully understand the significance of so-called intelligence for modern humans, then one must ask the question: What did the intelligence of people in earlier stages of human development look like, and how has this intelligence gradually changed from earlier times to the present day?

[ 4 ] Today we do not wish to go further back than to the period we have come to call the third post-Atlantean epoch—the Egyptian-Chaldean epoch—which was followed by the Greek-Latin epoch, and which in turn was followed by our own epoch. Let us consider the distinctive nature of intelligence among the ancient Egyptians, Chaldeans, Greeks, and Romans, and then move on to an examination of the particular kind of intelligence that is characteristic of us, the people of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch. You can see from this that I assume it is not correct—and indeed it is not correct—to think that intelligence is simply intelligence, that it is possible only in one way; that whoever possesses our intelligence is simply intelligent, and whoever does not possess our intelligence is simply unintelligent. That is not correct. Intelligence undergoes metamorphoses; it transforms itself. It was different in the Egyptian-Chaldean era than it is today. The best way to visualize the different kind of intelligence of the Egyptian-Chaldean era is to realize that, instinctively through their intelligence, the ancient Egyptians—and the ancient Chaldeans as well—felt, perceived, and understood the kinship between their own human being and the entire cosmos.

[ 5 ] The ancient Egyptians and Chaldeans gave little or no thought to the very things that modern humans ponder through their intelligence. For they did not possess this kind of intelligence. When they thought—when they set their intelligence in motion—their connection to the cosmos lived within that intelligence. The ancient Egyptians and the ancient Chaldeans knew how they related to this or that sign of the zodiac; they knew what influence the Moon, the Sun, and the other planets had on their mental and physical constitution. They knew how the succession of the seasons affected the human being. They grasped all of this through their intelligence. Through their intelligence, they gained a completely inner picture of their kinship with the cosmos.

[ 6 ] This intelligence underwent a transformation when the Egyptian-Chaldean period of human history came to an end in the 8th century before the founding of Christianity. Gradually, this intelligence became something entirely different from what it had been during the Egyptian-Chaldean era. The understanding of the connection with the cosmos no longer entered fully into this intelligence, as had been the case before the 8th century B.C. People were still aware of this connection with the cosmos, but they knew it more as a kind of echo, as a kind of memory of what they had previously known in this regard; in its place, however, Greek intelligence came to be characterized more by human reflection on oneself—on how one is less in relation to the cosmos, how one is more detached from the cosmos, as an inhabitant of the Earth. The Greeks, however, had a clear sense of this, a distinct perception of it, precisely by applying their intellect; through this intellect, they comprehended everything in the earthly world that is subject to death.

[ 7 ] This feeling, in turn, has been lost with the development of intelligence since the middle of the 15th century, since the fifth post-Atlantean epoch. The Greeks knew that if they wanted to understand the supersensible, they had to turn to the power of vision, which—especially in pre-Christian times—still existed to a greater or lesser extent as an atavism. Through reflection, through the intellect, they knew and learned only those laws and rules that underlie everything on Earth that is subject to death, everything that dies. “If I want to understand what is alive, I must look”—so said the disciples of Plato; “by merely thinking, I comprehend only what is dead.”

[ 8 ] And in the Greek mystery schools, this connection was discussed in great detail. The following was discussed in the Greek mystery schools regarding this matter. The students of occultism were told: Everything is spiritual; even what appears to be material is based on spiritual processes and spiritual laws. That which appears to you as earthly and material is, in essence, also governed by spiritual laws. But there are spiritual laws to which you belong insofar as you are physical beings. To the extent that you are physical and pass through the gate of death, your body is surrendered to the material powers, forces, and substances of the earth. But these material forces and substances of the earth are only seemingly material. They, too, are spiritual, but they are permeated by that which appears to you as death. If you comprehend any laws through your intellect, they are the laws of the dead. They are the laws of that which the graves contain, which receive the corpses. — It became the conviction of many students of occultism that human intellect can comprehend only that which the graves receive, which enclose the corpses within themselves. “If you wish to know,” the secret teacher said to students of occultism, “in what spiritual realm you live while you are here on Earth, or when your soul is free from the body between death and a new birth, then you must accept what you have seen as your conviction.” If you do not accept what you have seen as your conviction, but instead develop concepts and ideas through your intellect, then you will comprehend only that which is the spirit of the matter that contains your bodies.

[ 9 ] While the Egyptian-Chaldean person, through his intelligence, sensed and perceived his kinship with the entire cosmos, the Greek person perceived, through his intelligence, that which governs burial sites. We, too, perceive through our intellect only that which governs the graves; it is just that we are not aware of it. That is why we—those who are meant to learn this—go into the dissection rooms, examine the corpse, and regard the corpse’s decay, which we comprehend through our intellect, as the law of human nature. But it is only the law of the grave; and what the intellect comprehends is the law of the grave.

[ 10 ] But once again, with the transition in the mid-15th century, intelligence is changing anew, and we are at the beginning of this change, this transformation of intelligence. Our intelligence is following a certain path; today we are still very much immersed in a development of intelligence similar to that of the Greeks. Through our intelligence, we comprehend that which is subject to death. But even this kind of intelligence, which comprehends what is dead, is transforming. And in the coming centuries and millennia, this intelligence will become something else—something very, very different. Our intelligence already possesses a certain predisposition today. As humanity, we will enter a phase of intellectual development in which intelligence will have a tendency to comprehend only what is false, error, and deception—and to conceive only evil.

[ 11 ] The students of occultism—and especially the initiates—had known for some time that human intelligence, in its development, is heading toward evil, and that it is becoming increasingly impossible to recognize the good through intelligence alone. Humanity is in this transitional phase today. We can say: People are still just barely able—if they exert their intelligence and do not harbor particularly wild instincts within themselves—to look toward the light of goodness. But this human intelligence will increasingly develop a tendency to conceive of evil and to introduce evil into human morality, into knowledge, and into error.

[ 12 ] That was one of the reasons why the Initiates called themselves the “Men of Concern,” because, in fact, if one views the development of humanity from this one-sided perspective—as I have just explained—it gives cause for concern; concern precisely because of the development of intelligence. After all, it is no coincidence that intelligence can instill so much pride and arrogance in modern human beings. This, I would say, is a foretaste of the evil that intelligence will become in the fifth post-Atlantean epoch, at the very beginning of which we now stand. And if human beings were to develop nothing but their intelligence, they would become evil beings on Earth. When we consider the future of humanity and wish to envision that future as beneficial, we must not rely on the one-sided development of intelligence. This intelligence was still a good thing in the Egyptian-Chaldean era; this intelligence then became that which entered into a kinship with the forces of death. This intelligence will enter into a kinship with the forces of error, deception, and evil.

[ 13 ] This is something about which humanity should not, in fact, harbor any illusions. Humanity should realistically expect that it must protect itself against the one-sided development of intelligence. And it is not without reason that anthroposophically oriented Spiritual Science will add another dimension—namely, the incorporation of that which can be gained through a renewed vision from the spiritual world, which cannot be grasped by intelligence alone, but can only be understood by engaging with what the science of initiation draws from the spiritual worlds through vision.

[ 14 ] But an objective element is necessary for this. And here we encounter a profound mystery specific to Christian-esoteric development. If the Mystery of Golgotha had not taken place in the course of Earth’s evolution, it would be inevitable that human beings would gradually, through their intelligence, become evil beings who fall into error. You know, after all, that with the Mystery of Golgotha, it was not merely a doctrine, a theory, a worldview, or a religion that flowed into the development of humanity; rather, with the Mystery of Golgotha, something actual took place. The extraterrestrial being, the Christ, dwelt within the human being Jesus of Nazareth. Because the Christ dwelt within Jesus of Nazareth, and because Jesus of Nazareth died, the Christ-being has passed into earthly evolution; the Christ-being is present within it. We must simply be aware that this is an objective fact—a fact that, as such, has nothing to do with what we subjectively perceive or feel. We must recognize it for the sake of our own understanding. We must incorporate it into our ethos for the sake of that ethos. But the Christ has flowed into the development of humanity; he has been present there ever since—what is called the Resurrection—and he is, above all, present in our own soul forces. Just try to grasp this fact in all its depth!

[ 15 ] Consider the difference between the human being who lived before the Mystery of Golgotha and the human being who lives after the Mystery of Golgotha. Certainly, they are always the same human beings, for souls do, after all, pass through repeated earthly lives. But when we consider human beings as earthly beings, we must make this distinction between those who lived before the Mystery of Golgotha and those who live after the Mystery of Golgotha.

[ 16 ] You see, when one arrives at a general concept of God, this general concept of God is not the concept of Christ. One can arrive at the general concept of God by observing nature in its manifestations, by observing the human physical being, insofar as it can be viewed from the outside. The essence of Christ is such that one can only approach it by discovering something within oneself in the course of earthly life. One can find the general concept of God simply by telling oneself that one has come into being through the forces of the world. One must find the concept of Christ within oneself by going beyond what nature allows one to reach. If, while living in the world, one does not find the concept of God, then this failure to find the concept of God is a kind of illness. A healthy person is never truly an atheist. One must be ill in some way, whether physically or mentally. This illness often manifests itself in nothing other than being an atheist.

[ 17 ] Failing to recognize Christ is not an illness, but a misfortune; it is a failure to live life to the fullest. By reflecting on being born out of nature and its forces, one can—if one observes this birth with a healthy soul—arrive at the concept of God. By experiencing something like a rebirth in the course of one’s life, one can arrive at the concept of Christ. Birth leads to God; rebirth leads to Christ. Before the Mystery of Golgotha, human beings could not attain this rebirth through which Christ can be found as a being within the human being. And this is the difference to which I ask you to pay close attention: that before the Mystery of Golgotha—because Christ had not yet poured out His being into humanity—humanity could not attain this rebirth, could not recognize that Christ lives within them. After the Mystery of Golgotha, human beings can do this. They can find the spark of Christ within themselves if they make the effort throughout their lives.

[ 18 ] And in this rebirth, in this discovery of the Christ spark within oneself, in this sincere and honest ability to say to oneself: “Not I, but the Christ within me”—herein lies the possibility of preventing the intellect from falling into delusion and evil. And this is, in the esoteric-Christian sense, the higher concept of salvation. We must develop our intelligence, for we cannot, after all, become unintelligent; but in striving to develop our intelligence, we face the temptation to succumb to error and evil. We can only escape the temptation to fall into error and evil if we acquire a sense of what the Mystery of Golgotha has brought into human evolution.

[ 19 ] It is indeed true that in Christ-consciousness—in union with Christ—human beings find the possibility of escaping evil and error. The Egyptian-Chaldean did not need rebirth in Christ because he still felt a kinship with the cosmos through his natural intelligence. The Greek, in essence, faced the gravity of death when he surrendered to his intelligence. Now humanity is living at the beginning of an age in which intelligence would turn to evil if the human soul were not permeated by the Christ-force. Just think about it—this is a very serious matter. It shows how we must regard certain developments emerging in our time, and how we must bear in mind that in our time people are becoming predisposed to evil precisely because they are moving toward a higher development of their intelligence. It would, of course, be a completely mistaken assumption to believe that one should, for example, suppress intelligence. Intelligence must not be suppressed, but for those who have insight into the future, it takes a certain courage to surrender to intelligence, because intelligence brings the temptation toward evil and error, and because we must find in the permeation of intelligence by the Christ principle the possibility of transforming this intelligence. Human intelligence would become entirely Ahrimanic if the Christ principle did not permeate human souls.

[ 20 ] You know, after all, how much is evident in the course of human development—especially in the present—that already shows the discerning observer that things are unfolding exactly as I have just described them. Just consider what the third of the stages of development—which threaten humanity through materialism—is already bringing upon people today. You see, when you consider how deeply today’s cultural development is permeated with cruelties that can scarcely be compared to those of barbaric ages, you will hardly be able to doubt that the dawn of the decline of intelligence is clearly heralded. One should not view the so-called cultural phenomena of our age superficially; one should truly have no doubt that people today must summon the strength to truly grasp the Christ impulse if they wish to move toward a wholesome development. Two things are already strongly evident today: people who are very intelligent and who have a distinct inclination toward evil; and, on the other hand, it is evident how many people unconsciously suppress—rather than combat—this inclination toward evil by allowing their intelligence to lie dormant. Drowsiness of the soul, or—in the case of alert souls—a strong inclination toward evil and error: this is certainly evident in the present day.

[ 21 ] And now, let me remind you of how, one evening before my last departure, I discussed here how differently children have been born for the past five, six, seven, or eight years—with what one might call a melancholic air about their faces, which is clearly noticeable to anyone who can perceive such things. And I said: This stems from the fact that souls today are reluctant to descend into a world filled with materialism. One could say: Before their birth, souls feel a certain fear and anxiety about entering a world in which intelligence has a tendency toward evil and is in a state of declining development.

[ 22 ] This is also something that those who will become educators and teachers for the future of humanity must become aware of. Children today are different from what they were decades ago. This becomes very clear even from a superficial observation. They must be raised and taught differently than they were decades ago. One must teach with the awareness that one must, in fact, bring about a salvation in every child—that one must lead every child to find the Christ impulse within themselves over the course of their life, to find a rebirth within themselves.

[ 23 ] Such things—which one experiences, for example, as a teacher or educator—cannot be fully lived out simply by knowing them in theory; one can only live them out fully and incorporate them into education and teaching when one’s soul is deeply moved by these things. Teachers, in particular, must be required to be deeply moved in their souls by this concern for humanity—for what a temptation the intellect brings with it! The pride that present-day humanity is developing in regard to the intellect—this pride could take a heavy toll on humanity if it were not tempered by what I have just explained, if it were not tempered by a strong, energetic awareness: that the best within me as a human being in this and future incarnations is what I find within myself as the Christ impulse.

[ 24 ] Now, one must be clear that this Christ impulse must not become the dogma of any religious community. Since the mid-15th century, religious communities have, in their development, contributed more to distancing humanity from the Christ impulse than to bringing it closer to humanity. Religious communities present all sorts of things to people; but by presenting this or that to them, they do not bring them closer to the Christ impulse. It is essential that people feel that everything within them that can open up and reveal itself in connection with the Mystery of Golgotha is linked to what has come about for the Earth through the Mystery of Golgotha. If one perceives the meaning of the Earth in the Mystery of Golgotha, one can bring oneself to say: The development of the Earth would be meaningless if human beings, through their intelligence, were to fall prey to evil and error. If one perceives the meaning of the Mystery of Golgotha in this way, then one perceives the development of the Earth as meaningless without the Mystery of Golgotha.

[ 25 ] One must deeply, very deeply internalize this if one wants to do anything today and in the future to educate and instruct people. These broad perspectives must be adopted. But you also know how far people today are from adopting these broad perspectives; therefore, nothing is more necessary than to repeatedly and consistently point not only to the importance of spiritual scientific teaching, but also to the seriousness that should take hold of our souls as we come to know the relevant facts about human evolution through Spiritual Science. For it is not only our knowledge, but our entire life that should be inspired by what Spiritual Science is; without feeling this seriousness, one is not a true spiritual scientist.

[ 26 ] And I ask you to pay close attention to this particular revelation drawn from sources of Spiritual Science: that human intelligence, left to its own devices, is heading down the path of Ahriman, and that it can only become truly strong for the good by absorbing the true Christ impulse. I believe that whoever takes the full gravity of this truth to heart will also carry this gravity into the relationship they develop within themselves toward the various worldviews and ideological currents of the present. For there is much, very much, to be done.

[ 27 ] Isn’t it true: People who have recently arrived from various parts of Eastern Europe recount, to their particular horror, a fact that does not exactly attest to progress on the path toward a distinctive civilization. What I mean is the existence, the emergence, of the so-called “shotgun women.” This is a particular class of people emerging in Eastern Europe—women from the European population of the East—who are being utilized in the current revolutionary movements, where anyone who does not belong to the ruling party is thrown into a dungeon or prison, or is killed after some time—where one’s life is constantly in danger. In certain regions of the East, younger women in particular are singled out for this purpose; they are equipped with shotguns left over from the war and tasked with shooting people who are opponents of the newly established government. These “shotgun women” are decked out in stolen garments, finery, and trinkets; they take pleasure in carrying the shotgun and shooting people, and find it compatible with contemporary notions of humanity to boast about how they are gradually acquiring a refined sensibility for how the blood of young people spatters and how the blood of older people looks. Isn’t it true that we have already arrived at some very peculiar manifestations of our present-day civilization! And the Institute of the Shotgun Women is, after all, an achievement of the present.

[ 28 ] One must draw attention to such phenomena. They exist, so to speak, to bring into focus the flip side, the other side of the gravity of our times. Certainly, one need not be familiar with these abhorrent excesses of our so-called advanced culture in order to truly feel this gravity to which one ought to devote oneself in the present. This gravity should dawn upon us from our understanding of the development of humanity itself. One might wish that the slumber that has gradually overtaken contemporary humanity might give way to an awakening. This most worthy awakening can only be the realization of the gravity of the task that falls to the people of the present, and the recognition of the dangers of an intellect left to its own devices, which is veering toward the Ahrimanic. That should be the impulse that imbues us with this gravity.