Becoming younger of humanity

The becoming younger of mankind has been discussed several times by Rudolf Steiner. Individual human development is characterised by successive seven-year periods, during which the human being gradually brings higher and higher members of his being to maturity. In the first seven years of life up to the change of teeth, the physical body is formed, in the second seven years the etheric body and so on. In ancient times, the naturally predisposed forces were sufficient to guarantee this gradual development of the members until old age. At the beginning of the ancient Indian culture, the natural development progressed up to the life spirit. This is no longer the case today - not even the sentient soul matures completely through natural forces alone. In ever earlier years of life, man must now actively advance development himself. Therefore, looking at the natural forces of evolution, one can actually speak of a constant becoming younger of humanity, even of a progressive immaturity. At the beginning of the ancient Indian period, the general developmental age of humanity was still 56 years; today it has fallen to just under 27 years.

„This becoming younger of humanity is shown in external symptoms — and one who regards historical development with more sharpened senses can see it — it is shown by the fact that in Greece, let us say, a man had still to be of a definite age before he could take any part in public affairs. Today we see the claim made by great circles of mankind to reduce this age as much as possible, since people think that they already know in the twenties everything that is to be attained. More and more demands will be made in this direction, and unless an insight arises to paralyse them there will be demands that not only in the beginning of his twenties a man is clever enough to take part in any kind of parliamentary business in the world, but the nineteen-year-olds and eighteen-year-olds will believe that they contain in themselves all that a man can compass.

This kind of growing younger is at the same time a challenge to mankind to draw for themselves from the spirit what is no longer given by nature. I called your attention last time to the immense incision in the evolutionary history of mankind which lies in the 15th Century. This is again something of which external history gives no tidings, for external history, as I have often said, is a fable convenue. There must come an entirely new knowledge of the being of man. For only when an entirely new knowledge of man's being is reached, will the impulse really be found which mankind needs if it is to take in hand of its own freewill what nature no longer provides. We dare not believe that, the future of humanity will come through with the thoughts and ideas which the modern age has brought and of which it is so proud. One cannot do enough to make oneself clear how necessary it is to seek for fresh and different impulses for the evolution of humanity.“ (Lit.:GA 180, p. 211f)

Literatur

• Rudolf Steiner: Die geistigen Hintergründe des ersten Weltkrieges, GA 174b (1994), Zehnter Vortrag, Stuttgart, 13. Mai 1917
• Rudolf Steiner: Menschliche und menschheitliche Entwicklungswahrheiten. Das Karma des Materialismus., GA 176 (1982), ISBN 3-7274-1760-9 Template:Vorträge
• Rudolf Steiner: Mysterienwahrheiten und Weihnachtsimpulse. Alte Mythen und ihre Bedeutung, GA 180 (1980), ISBN 3-7274-1800-1 Template:Vorträge
• Rudolf Steiner: Geistige und soziale Wandlungen in der Menschheitsentwickelung, GA 196 (1992), ISBN 3-7274-1960-1 Template:Vorträge
• Rudolf Steiner: Perspektiven der Menschheitsentwickelung, GA 204 (1979), ISBN 3-7274-2040-5 Template:Vorträge

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