The Karma of Materialism

“When faced with the way events are depicted in history, we should sense how necessary it is to rethink them. We should sense that today’s difficult time, which has brought such misery upon humanity, is the karmic effect of distorted, superficial thinking. We should sense that the painful experiences we are going through are in many respects the karma of materialism.”—Rudolf Steiner

We read in modern history books about external events isolated within themselves or subject to the random, blind working of mechanistically conceived causes and effects. But is it possible to view the events of our times—pandemics, war, political upheaval, etc.—as symptoms of an underlying disease, karmic consequences of humanity’s fall into materialism? In these lectures, given in the midst of World War I, Rudolf Steiner addresses this question with insight, nuance, and a deep love for humanity and the collective spiritual mission of our Earth.

Science—which should not be a set of beliefs or dogmas but a method and practice of inquiry—has become wedded, especially since the nineteenth century, to the worldview of materialism. This problematic union is most dangerous when erroneous concepts and lines of thought are extended beyond the domain of theory into the sphere of practical life. In these lectures, Steiner implores his audience “to become conscious of where humanity will be led if what today calls itself science is allowed to set the tone and to insinuate itself into realms where concepts become realities.”

Although given more than one hundred years ago, the message of these lectures is more urgent today than ever before.

This volume is a translation of Menschliche und menschheitliche Entwicklungswahrheiten. Das Karma des Materialismus, 2nd edition, Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach, Switzerland, 1982 (GA 176). Cover image: Materia by Umberto Boccioni (1882–1916).