Synopses & Reviews
In these four lectures Rudolf Steiner addresses the evolutionary task facing contemporary humanity, particularly with regard to issues of race and racial conflict. He describes the origins of racial diversity among human beings and vividly describes the dangers of the ever-widening chasm separating different peoples. To avert this threat of the fragmentation of our species, we must strive for an awareness of ourselves and others as spiritual beings with unique and individual karma. In the past, human souls felt a strong connection, even union, with the group soul-the race or nation-to which they belonged. Today, all such group soul characteristics must be stripped off. Therefore, as Steiner writes, it is necessary that the anthroposophical movement, in preparing for the sixth epoch, should shed the character of race and seek to unite people of all 'races' and nations.' That such an inward, spiritual uniting of all human beings in their common humanity can now come about is the fruit of the cosmic sacrifice of the Mystery of Golgotha-which made possible a universal human community of I-beings. From this point of view, as Steiner makes clear in the last lecture, Christ's deed was for the renewal of the common spiritual humanity of all peoples and races, divided in the course of human evolution by the work of Lucifer and Ahriman.
Synopsis
"This is one of the meanings of the Mystery of Golgotha: the attainment of the unity of humanity from within. Externally, human beings are becoming more and more different. The result will be not sameness but difference over the Earth, and human beings must exert all the more force from within to attain unity" --
Rudolf Steiner (lecture 4)
In this collection, Rudolf Steiner describes the evolutionary task facing contemporary humanity in preparing to enter the sixth epoch. In the past, human souls felt a strong connection with the group soul to which they belonged. Today, all "group soul" characteristics--such as race and nation--must be stripped away.
Rudi Lissau wrote of the last lecture: "No anthroposophist should approach racial problems without first pondering this lecture and its implications."
Steiner also explains that we must overcome such preconception as are formed by our normal notions and feelings of good and evil:
"Most people picture Ahriman and Lucifer as evil beings--albeit much more intensely evil than human beings. But this is not true; we must keep in mind that certain earthly feelings we associate with our concepts lose their meaning when we go beyond the earthly realm. Thus, we cannot say that there are good gods on the one hand and evil gods Ahriman and Lucifer on the other.... The opposing forces were created by the good gods themselves in an earlier period so that they would be able to bring to bear their full force for the development I have described. --
Rudolf Steiner (lecture 4)
CONTENTS: - Individuality and the Group Soul
- The God Within and the God of Outer Revelation
- The Lord of the Soul
- The Universal Human: The Unification of Humanity through the Christ Impulse
Synopsis
4 lectures, Munich and Bern, 1909-1910 and 1916 (CW 117, 124, 165)
"This is one of the meanings of the Mystery of Golgotha: the attainment of the unity of humanity from within. Externally, human beings are becoming more and more different. The result will be not sameness but difference over the Earth, and human beings must exert all the more force from within to attain unity" (Rudolf Steiner, lecture 4).
In this collection, Rudolf Steiner describes the evolutionary task facing contemporary humanity in preparing to enter the sixth epoch. In the past, human souls felt a strong connection with the group soul to which they belonged. Today, all "group soul" characteristics--such as race and nation--must be stripped away.
Rudi Lissau wrote of the last lecture: "No anthroposophist should approach racial problems without first pondering this lecture and its implications."
Steiner also explains that we must overcome such preconception as are formed by our normal notions and feelings of good and evil: "Most people picture Ahriman and Lucifer as evil beings--albeit much more intensely evil than human beings. But this is not true; we must keep in mind that certain earthly feelings we associate with our concepts lose their meaning when we go beyond the earthly realm. Thus, we cannot say that there are good gods on the one hand and evil gods Ahriman and Lucifer on the other.... The opposing forces were created by the good gods themselves in an earlier period so that they would be able to bring to bear their full force for the development I have described" (lect. 4).
CONTENTS:
. Individuality and the Group Soul
2. The God Within and the God of Outer Revelation
3. The Lord of the Soul
4. The Universal Human: The Unification of Humanity through the Christ Impulse