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Rudolf Steiner e.Lib
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Turning Points Spiritual History
Rudolf Steiner e.Lib Document
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Turning Points Spiritual History
On-line since: 15th May, 2017
INTRODUCTION
(part 3)
OCTOBER, 1913, TO APRIL, 1914.
1913, |
30 Oct. |
The Spirit-World, and Spiritual Science. A glance at our
present aims. |
|
6 Nov. |
Theosophy, and its Shrewd Critics. |
|
20 ‘’ |
Spiritual Science and Religious Denominations. |
|
27 ‘’ |
Death. |
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4 Dec. |
The Significance of the Soul's Immortality. |
1914, |
8 Jan. |
Michelangelo, and his period, from the standpoint of
Spiritual Science. |
|
15 ‘’ |
Evil in the light of Spiritual Knowledge. |
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12 Feb. |
The Moral Foundations of Human Life. |
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26 ‘’ |
Voltaire, from the Stand-point of Spiritual Science. |
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19 March. |
Between Death and Rebirth. |
|
26 ‘’ |
The Homunculus. |
|
2 April. |
Spiritual Science as Life's Heritage. |
1914 TO 1915.
1914, |
29 Oct. |
Goethe's Spiritual Method as applied to our
Critical Times, and German Culture. |
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5 Nov. |
The ‘Barbarous’ People of Schiller
and Fichte! |
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26 ‘’ |
The Soul of Man in Life and Death in the light of
Spiritual Science. |
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27 ‘’ |
Folk Souls in the light of Spiritual
Science. |
1915, |
14 Jan. |
The German (Germanische) Soul, and the German
(Deutsche) Spirit, in the light of Spiritual
Science. |
|
15 ‘’ |
Spiritual Knowledge in Joyous and Solemn Moments.
Reflections on The Times. |
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25 Feb. |
The Enduring and Creative Power of the German
Spirit. |
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26 ‘’ |
The Mortal Element in Man. |
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4 March. |
The Rejuvenating Power of the German Folk
Soul. |
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5 ‘’ |
The Mortal Element in Man. |
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15 April. |
German Idealism. |
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16 ‘’ |
Sleep, Death, and Spiritual Science. |
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22 ‘’ |
The Cosmic Conception of German Idealism with
respect to our Critical Times. |
|
23 ‘’ |
Self-knowledge and Cosmic-knowledge as viewed by
Spiritual Science. |
1915 TO 1916.
1915, |
2 Dec. |
Goethe and the Cosmic Conception of German
Idealism, in respect of the sentiment of our Critical
Times. |
|
3 ‘’ |
The Eternal Forces of the Human Soul. |
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9 ‘’ |
Examples of Austrian Spiritual Life in the
nineteenth century, with reference to our Critical
Times. |
|
10 ‘’ |
The Human Soul and Spirit. |
|
16 ‘’ |
The Spirit of Fichte is in our midst. |
1916, |
3 Feb |
Faust's Cosmic Wanderings, and his Rebirth
through German Spiritual Life. |
|
4 ‘’ |
Perfection in Soul Life and Spiritual
Research. |
|
10 ‘’ |
Poets and Scientists among the Austrians. |
|
11 ‘’ |
How may we investigate the Eternal Forces of the
Soul? |
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25 ‘’ |
Striving after Spiritual Science, a forgotten
trend of German thought. |
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26 ‘’ |
Why is Spiritual Investigation so often
misunderstood? |
|
23 March. |
Nietzsche's Soul Life, and Richard Wagner; up to
the time of Modern Cosmic Conception. |
|
24 ‘’ |
Immortality and Spiritual Research. |
|
13 April. |
The Evolution of the German Soul. |
|
15 ‘’ |
The Evolution of Body, Soul, and Spirit; through
Birth and Death, and their place in the Cosmos. |
1917.
1917, |
15 Feb. |
Spirit, Matter, Life, and Death, with regard to
our Critical Times. |
|
17 ‘’ |
Destiny and the Soul. Observations and
Conclusions of Spiritual Science. |
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1 March. |
The Immortality of the Soul. The Forces of
Destiny, and The Passage of Life. Deliberations and
Conclusions of Spiritual Science concerning our
present Critical Times. |
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15 ‘’ |
The Body and Soul of Man in Nature, and Spiritual
Knowledge. |
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17 ‘’ |
The Riddle of the Soul and of the Cosmos and
German Spiritual Life. |
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22 ‘’ |
Cosmic Conceptions of Spiritual Science
(Anthroposophy); Life, Death, and the Immortality of
the Soul. |
|
31 ‘’ |
Matters transcending Sense-perception and Soul.
Spiritual Science Observations, and Life
Experiences. |
LECTURES HELD AT THE
KLINDWORTH-SCHARWENKA-SAALE, BERLIN.
1918, |
24 Jan. |
The Aims and Nature of Spiritual
Investigation. |
|
7 Feb. |
Man as a Being of Spirit and Soul. |
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21 ‘’ |
Goethe -- The Father of Spiritual
Investigation. |
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28 ‘’ |
The Body, Soul, and Spirit of Man. |
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7 March. |
The Riddle of Nature in the light of Spiritual
Investigation. |
|
14 ‘’ |
The Riddle of Life's History in the light of
Spiritual Investigation. |
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21 ‘’ |
Revelations of the Unconscious, and Spiritual
Science. |
|
28 ‘’ |
Life in Art and Art in Life in the light of
Spiritual Science. |
|
15 April. |
The Origin and Evolution of the World of Man and
Animals in the light of Spiritual Science. |
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18 ‘’ |
Superperceptual Man; as deduced from Spiritual
Science Investigations. |
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20 ‘’ |
Freedom of Will, and Immortality, in the light of
Spiritual Science. |
In the spring of 1919 it was announced that a series
of lectures was to be held that would be suitable to the
times, the purpose of which was to deal with the
ever-burning questions of the day; these discourses had,
however, to be cancelled, owing to pressing calls upon
Rudolf Steiner from Württemberg, which made it
impossible for him to leave Stuttgart. The titles of
these proposed lectures were as follows:
1. |
The Vital Claims of Life: From the Standpoint of
Spiritual Science and Truth. |
2. |
The Driving Forces of Society, and the Influence
of Spiritual Science. |
3. |
The Ethical Life of Man, as viewed by Spiritual
Science. |
4. |
The Connection between Thought and Reality in
Everyday Life in the light of Spiritual Science. |
5. |
Social Science, Natural Science, and Spiritual
Knowledge. |
6. |
Modern History in the light of Spiritual
Science. |
7. |
The Basis of Modern National Life in the light of
Spiritual Science. |
8. |
The Claims of Modern Opinion, and Ancient Habits
of Thought, in the light of Spiritual Science. |
9. |
The Brotherhood of Souls, and the Fellowship of
Man. |
10. |
Social and Anti-Social Influences in the Life of
Man in the light of Spiritual Science. |
On the 15th of September, 1919, Rudolf Steiner was
once more at liberty to speak in Berlin, and it was there
in the Philharmonic Hall that he delivered his address on
The Gist of the Social Question and the
Threefold Character of the Social Organism;
which lecture caused much sensation. In the meantime the
attention of the widest circles became centred upon him,
he was everywhere the topic of conversation, and whenever
he spoke the most capacious halls were filled to
overflowing.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart had become the main field of his
public activities. His next return to Berlin, on the 15th
of September, 1921, was in order to hold a discourse in
the large hall of the ‘Philharmonie’
(Philharmonic Hall), on The Importance of
Anthroposophy in the Science and Life of the Present
Day; this lecture was followed by another given in
the same place on the 19th of November, 1921, the subject
being, Anthroposophy and the Riddle of Science;
and on the 26th of January, 1922, by yet another in the
‘Marmorsaal’ entitled, Anthroposophy and
the Riddle of the Soul. The placing of Anthroposophy
at the very centre of Spiritual life, was in response to
the greatest need of the times and evoked on all sides
the keenest interest.
A High School course was held in the following March,
during which Rudolf Steiner spoke upon the subjects
mentioned below:
1. |
Harmony in Science, Art, and Religion, through
Anthroposophy. |
2. |
The Scientific Character of Anthroposophy. |
3. |
Anthroposophy in Life. |
4. |
The Need of the Times, and Anthroposophy. |
Anthroposophy now struck out new paths and threatened
to become a definite cultural factor. This was especially
evident at the last lecture held by Rudolf Steiner on the
12th of May, 1922, in the large Assembly room of the
Philharmonic Hall; the theme chosen being:
Anthroposophy and Spiritual Knowledge. The crowd
was enormous and a violent uproar ensued, against which
no opposition could be ventured, for, any attempt to
check the clamour only started an increase of secret and
deeply-laid counter-plots.1 The Sachs and Wolff agency
which had been making inquiries with a view to organizing
further lectures to be delivered in Germany stated, that
they could not hold themselves responsible for the
proposed plans being carried through without personal
danger.
Thus it was that all in a moment twenty-one years of
lecture-activity was forcibly brought to an end; at the
very time when it had opened up for itself a flaming
path, leading to the salvation of humanity from just
those very evils which have now come to pass. There had,
indeed, been an earnest endeavour to counteract the
cankerous growth of the times -- to put into man's hands
those spiritual weapons, whereby he might meet and
overcome the decadence and corruption, the negation of
his powers of cognition, his ever weakening will, and the
unexpected attacks made upon his volition. The words of
those who gave warning and counsel were smothered in the
tumult of pre-War autocratic activity, and by the
crashing of the ever-breaking waves of discord, both
during and after the cessation of the strife. The voice
of the living has been stilled in death, but his word
will endure, and therein abides the power to overcome
decay and dissolution.
It was next decided that a number of lectures, which
Rudolf Steiner had delivered before general audiences in
Berlin, should now be published for the first time; these
lectures he did not, however, review personally, as in
those days he opposed any such transcriptions with the
greatest vigour; often asserting that ‘The word
which is spoken differs from that which is
written.’ The former being regulated so as to
accord strictly with the attitude of the listeners, it
allows of repetition, increased emphasis, or of further
elucidation of that which has been stated, while it
warrants momentary artistic modulations of tone and the
use of gesture in accordance with the intelligence of
those present. Quite delicate and subtle thoughts --
particularly when related to occult truths -- often
become coarse, distorted and diverted from their true
proximate meaning, if only a single word be missing, or
one of secondary importance misunderstood.
Rudolf Steiner suffered unspeakably when he had before
him a transcript containing words that he had uttered;
only twice did he thoroughly review the
manuscripts of his lectures, and that was during the War:
the first occasion being when he looked over
The Mission of Folk Souls, which lecture Prince
Max von Baden had expressed a desire to read; the second
time it was a series which had appeared in the monthly
DIE DREI (The Three) entitled
The East in the light of the West with The
Children of Lucifer and the Brothers of
Christ.2 In most
cases he handed the manuscripts back in a distressed
manner saying, that it would be easier for him to
re-write the whole; this naturally his fully occupied and
all too fleeting time would not permit. In the end,
however, he gave way; and thus it is that many priceless
works have been saved for humanity. The decision to
publish all the lectures was for him, indeed, a severe
trial, and personally a great sacrifice; he determined
upon this course in order to avert a worse evil, namely,
the publication of a profusion of faulty notes and
transcriptions by all manner of unauthorized
persons.
Life entails sacrifice and the outcome must be endured
-- that sacrifice which Rudolf Steiner made, cost him his
life but will surely bear fruit, for it was the price
that he paid that we might know, and follow, the true
path.
Dornach, September, 1926.
MARIE STEINER.
Notes for this
page:
1. The
disturbances on this occasion were due to the fact that
the altruistic teachings of Rudolf Steiner had
already shown signs of undermining the pernicious
influence of certain restless and materially minded
sections of the community; and were rapidly tending to
create a true spiritual outlook, entirely opposed to all
forms of violence, war, and the purely physical
conceptions of man's origin and life so generally
accepted. Hence came that bitter feeling of antagonism
which blazed up at the time of Steiner's lecture on
Anthroposophy and Spiritual Knowledge. [Ed.]
2. The works here
mentioned have been translated and published by Messrs.
Putnam's under the title, The East in the Light of the
West. [Ed.]
Last Modified: 02-Nov-2024
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