The Hour of Decision

Eighteen lectures held in Stuttgart, Dornach, and The Hague from January 1 to April 1, 1921 (CW 203)

"These two things--knowledge of the human being and feeling for the entire cosmos--these are what give the human being equilibrium. But this he can find if, in the most modern sense, he can really grasp the Christ mystery, grasp it as anthroposophical spiritual knowledge can give it to him. For there we speak of Christ as a cosmic being that has descended to the earth from cosmic infinitude. We learn to feel cosmically, and need only imbue this cosmic feeling with content. This we can do only through anthroposophical spiritual science, otherwise the concept of Christ remains empty for us. The concept of Christ turns into mere phrase if we do not grasp the cosmos itself as human." (Rudolf Steiner, Dornach, January 30, 1921)

Published here for the first time in English, these lectures offer a unique glimpse into Rudolf Steiner's activity during the challenging post-war years. As Steiner's work struck ever more broadly and deeply into the wider culture, challenging the status quo in every field of social, cultural, and economic life--with initiatives such as the movement for social threefolding and the founding of the first Waldorf School--unprecedented opposition to anthroposophy arose from all sides, most vehemently from certain academic and clerical circles. The response of the members of the Anthroposophical Society to the opposition, though well intentioned, was often woefully naïve and inadequate. This opposition, together with the lack of wakefulness on the part of the membership of the Anthroposophical Society, would lead, less than two years after these lectures, to the burning of the first Goetheanum on New Years' Eve 1922/23. Already in the lecture of January 30, 1921, reading the signs of the times, Steiner warned:

If things continue like this, then Ahriman will get his due. . . . The ahrimanic spirit, this cold, ossified, bald Ahriman--if I may express myself pictorially--creeps around our modern centers of learning; he wants them to stay as they are. He will certainly lend a hand if it comes to something like the destruction of this Goetheanum.

The lectures were not intended as a self-contained lecture cycle but were rather spread out over the first months of 1921, some in Stuttgart, one in The Hague, and the rest in Dornach--hence their wide-ranging nature. And yet, a red thread runs through them: a picture of humanity at the hour of decision. The word decision, as if written in golden letters, stands at the heart of these lectures. It appears nearly twenty times in the course of the lectures, as in: "the hour of decision," "this age of decision," "a decision that comes from the depths of human nature," etc. And while Steiner speaks of many decisions facing us today in all aspects of life, at the core of this age of decision lie the three paths open to humanity: the path of Lucifer, the path of Ahriman, and the path of Christ.

This volume is a must-read for anyone seeking deeper insights into the nature of our times and the decisions facing humanity today.

Originally published in German as Die Verantwortung des Menschen für die Weltentwickelung durch seinen geistigen Zusammenhang mit dem Erdplaneten und der Sternenwelt, 3rd edition, by Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach, Switzerland, 2022.