Whosoever can see into the spiritual world, sees the connections that lie at the basis of earthly life. He sees the people, how they live together: some in most profound misery, poor and downtrodden through hardship and labour, others relishing in abundance, enjoying this and that.
One can easily imagine how that would have to change if one only takes the physical aspect into account. That is what most people do, who feel themselves called to initiate social reform. They are not in the same position as a successfully operated blind person, who suddenly sees the world around him in full colour, because otherwise, they would all become aware that behind the physical manifestations there are multiple and various beings.
If they try to achieve their well-intentioned reform plans but take no account of the spiritual beings behind the earthly, then things would be much worse than it ever was before within fifty years. All contemporary social ideals would run counter to the soul world in the most grotesque way if the soul world, that is to say, the human passions, appetites and desires would not at the same time change.
Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 96 – Ursprungsimpulse der Geisteswissenschaft – Berlin, October 1, 1906 (page 83)
Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger
Previously posted on January 6, 2016
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