{"id":2674,"date":"2021-09-08T01:16:05","date_gmt":"2021-09-08T08:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theliteraryarts.com\/?p=2674"},"modified":"2025-11-27T08:28:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T16:28:14","slug":"history-literary-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theliteraryarts.com\/de\/history-literary-arts\/","title":{"rendered":"Eine (m\u00e4andernde) Geschichte der Sektionsarbeit am Pazifischen Rand"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cA Poem Found Written on a Rock at the American River\u201d \/ Photo by Bruce Donehower<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A North American Zoom Meeting for the Section of the Literary Arts and Humanities!<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

On Sunday September 19, 2021, at 1 pm Pacific Time, the collegium of the Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities of the School for Spiritual Science in North America will host an online event for friends and members of the Section. This one-hour Zoom event will consist of a brief overview of recent events in the Section, followed by a panel discussion and some time for questions and answers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

UPDATE (September 21, 2021): The meeting was a success! Visit this summary to read about the event.<\/a> More North American meeting of the Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities are in the planning stage. Send your comments and suggestions by using the Contact Page<\/a> on this site.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A panel consisting of members of the collegium of the North American Literary Arts and Humanities Section will discuss from a personal perspective the topic:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHow does my life interest in anthroposophy support and inspire my love for and practice of literature and the humanities? How does my study of literature and the humanities inform my life interest in anthroposophy?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The panel members are Bruce Donehower (California), Arie van Amerigen and Robert McKay (Canada), Gayle Davis (California), Fred Dennehy (New Jersey). Herbert Hagens (New Jersey) will participate from the audience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact me by email if you want to receive the Zoom credentials to participate in the meeting.<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

To prepare for this event, I assembled some materials related to the History and Mission of the Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

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“Tell Me More . . .\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Virgo. Book of Hours. 1470<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Rudolf Steiner\u2019s \u201cFirst Address\u201d \/ Notes Toward an Understanding of the Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Those who follow the posts on this website may remember that at the Section meeting on March 6, 2021<\/a>, we looked again at Rudolf Steiner\u2019s \u201cFirst Address\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 a lecture that Steiner gave in Vienna in 1889 that has the title Goethe as the Founder of a New Science of Aesthetics<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n

Christoph Lindenberg refers to this lecture as Rudolf Steiner\u2019s \u201cfirst\u201d in the chapter titled \u201c\u00c4sthetik\u201d in Vol 1 of Lindenberg\u2019s Steiner biography. Another lecture that gets tagged as Rudolf Steiner\u2019s \u201cfirst\u201d is the one from September 29, 1900, in Berlin that carries the title \u201cGoethe\u2019s Secret Revelation\u201d (Schmidt No. 0091). This is a lecture given to theosophists. Of related importance to this lecture is Goethe\u2019s Fairy Tale of the Green Snake and Beautiful Lily<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n

Both \u201cFirst Addresses\u201d are concerned with the same topics: Goethe<\/strong> and Beauty<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Much attention has been given to Rudolf Steiner\u2019s Last Address of 1924 in which he discusses Novalis and the 21st century. Comparatively less attention has been devoted to the First Address in which Steiner discusses Beauty. Beauty is of course especially important, some have suggested, for an understanding of the purpose and identity of the Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities — known in German as the Section for Beautiful Sciences.<\/p>\n

You can read Rudolf Steiner\u2019s First Address \u201cGoethe as the Founder of a New Science of Aesthetics\u201d by clicking this sentence.<\/a><\/p>\n

Beauty and Aesthetic Theory<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

While not so much a barn-burner topic of interest with the American mindset recently, Beauty and aesthetic theory<\/strong> are important topics in the European early romantic literary tradition upon which and within which anthroposophy finds itself situated. We have discussed this at our previous meetings, such as the one June 14, 2021 in which Fred Dennehy presented Owen Barfield.<\/a><\/p>\n

The questions arise: Why did Rudolf Steiner in the 1889 First Address put emphasis on Beauty?<\/strong> Or, if we prefer to date the First Address later, one can ask the same question regarding the role of Beauty in Goethe\u2019s Fairy Tale of The Green Snake and Beautiful Lily.<\/a><\/p>\n

Beauty and the Mission of the Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When Rudolf Steiner established the first Vorstand following the Christmas Foundation Conference, he appointed Albert Steffen<\/strong> as the leader of the Section for Beautiful Sciences. We\u2019ve discussed Albert Steffen and Steffen\u2019s writings quite a few times in our Section meetings over the past ten years, as for example recently on June 13, 2020 when we explored Steffen\u2019s writings on Novalis and Dante<\/a>. When Rudolf Steiner appointed Albert Steffen as the first leader of the Section for Beautiful Sciences, he said:<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn the Anthroposophical Society we are fortunate to have a splendid representative of the Beautiful Sciences among us: Albert Steffen. Not only is he called to be the leader of the Section for the Beautiful Sciences, but also to re-enliven this branch of human creativity, which has been left in the corner, much to the detriment of civilization.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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— Rudolf Steiner; quoted by Heinz Matile in \u201cAlbert Steffen and the Beautiful Sciences\u201d in the 2002 Yearbook of the Literary Arts and Humanities<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Rudolf Steiner gave many indications to help us understand how he envisioned the work of the other Sections of the School for Spiritual Science, but he never gave a lecture cycle that clarified his understanding of the work of the Section for the Beautiful Sciences. And of course, even the German name for this Section catches most people on the back foot when they hear it in English. \u201cBeautiful Sciences? Say what? Is this like, uh, Goethe doing watercolors? Does Steiner mean belles-lettres? Probably he meant belle-lettres!\u201d<\/p>\n

Hmm . . . Well, not really . . . In fact, he had trouble figuring it out. Here is Rudolf Steiner in discussion, thinking aloud:<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd then we need to consider: First, something \u2013 I mentioned it already [on December 25] \u2013 still called belles-lettres in France, perhaps. I do not know if this expression is still current. No? It\u2019s too bad! Into the nineteenth century \u2013 then it disappeared \u2013 people in Germany spoke of the Beautiful Sciences that brought beauty into the sphere of human knowledge, aesthetics, the artistic. It is quite characteristic that even in France the expression belles-lettres is no longer known.\u201d<\/p>\n

Comment from the audience: \u201cAcad\u00e9mie des lettres!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but the belles has been left out. And that\u2019s the main point. We have enough sciences . . . but Beautiful Sciences! I do not know what the scientists here\u2014especially the younger ones\u2014say about this, but here in Dornach we are not just connected to the most recent past; we are even connected to the most distant past. And that is why we can and must create a Section here for the area called belles-lettres in France and Beautiful Sciences in Germany, even if later we will have to find a title for it that the world finds more comfortable\u2014I haven\u2019t found one yet.<\/strong>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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— Rudolf Steiner; quoted by Heinz Matile in \u201cAlbert Steffen and the Beautiful Sciences\u201d in the 2002 Yearbook of the Literary Arts and Humanities<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Might one suspect from these remarks that Rudolf Steiner saw our Beautiful Sciences Section as a Section on a quest of spiritual self-discovery? Might one suspect that he deferred here to the poets?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Strong Words!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Here in North America, where we share a broad community of languages, our Section chose to name itself the Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities.<\/a> Some believe this was done in part to avoid the confusion and inelegance of a literal translation of the German name. It is interesting that the name belles-lettres was not chosen, despite the active presence of the Canadian French language community in the Section. As Steiner suggested, the name belle-lettres may not be quite adequate. It orients us backwards in time not forward, he opined. It is another relic of the nineteenth century. Nothing wrong with the nineteenth century or looking backward, of course! In fact, we do that all the time when we read literature, don\u2019t we? We compare and contrast old books and poems and argue about details of interpretation and make ironic quips \u2013 among other activities. Such activities include translation, editorial work, publishing, scholarly critique, history, art history, media studies, HTML, linguistics, aesthetics, humanities, philosophy, philosophy of science, the teaching of writing, the teaching of novels and poetry and critical theory . . . And the list continues.<\/p>\n

All sober and worthy scholarly-scientific intellectual pursuits.<\/p>\n

But let us not forget the heart! Let us not forget creative writing!<\/strong> Let us not forget the poets and novelists and dramatists!<\/strong> It is interesting that the person whom Steiner appointed to lead the Section at its founding was a creative writer, primarily.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Germans, by the way, are such odd people! They make life more difficult than is proper by looking for deep thoughts and ideas everywhere and putting them into everything. \u2014Good gracious! Have the courage for once to surrender yourselves to your impressions, allow yourselves to be captivated, moved, uplifted . . . but don\u2019t always think everything is vain that isn\u2019t some abstract thought or idea!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u2014 Goethe, from Conversations with Eckermann<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A History of the Section in North America<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For a brief but comprehensive overview of the history of the Section<\/strong> for the Literary Arts and Humanities of the School for Spiritual Science in North America, click this paragraph. This overview, written in years past by Marguerite Miller,<\/strong> was intended as a memory aid for members and friends of the Section.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWho are These People? Why am I Here?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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— Hamlet, lines from the rejected manuscript<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Over the summer, I personally took up this question of Section purpose and activity once again. I spent time this summer re-reading selections from GA 32 and essays from the 2002 Section Yearbook. The title of GA 32 in English is \u201cMethodological Foundations of Anthroposophy.\u201d<\/strong><\/a> It is a collection of essays that Rudolf Steiner wrote in the 1880s and 1890s during his literary period \u2013 that period of activity prior to Rudolf Steiner\u2019s activity with Theosophy. It includes the \u201cFirst Address\u201d that I mentioned earlier.<\/p>\n

Some have suggested that this literary period of Rudolf Steiner\u2019s biography is a good place to start research if we want to understand the assumptions underlying Rudolf Steiner\u2019s statement that the beautiful sciences have been neglected \u201cmuch to the detriment of civilization.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we move forward into the remainder of 2021 and then forward toward 2023 and 2024, my hope is to continue to investigate these First Addresses and the related writings \u2013 along with other materials that provide literary context and background to an understanding of our Section\u2014its meaning and purpose. I hope others join the conversation!<\/p>\n

To get the conversation started, I did a quick translation for my own benefit of the introduction to GA 32.<\/p>\n

Click this sentence to read Rudolf Steiner\u2019s introduction to Methodological Foundations of Anthroposophy.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Label warning<\/strong>: Rudolf Steiner digresses and spends a considerable amount of this introduction in discussion of Ernst Haeckel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cArt in Nature\u201d from the work of Ernst Haeckel<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cOntogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny\u201d Ex-squeeze me?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ernst Haeckel<\/strong> is a person we haven\u2019t discussed in our Section meetings yet, but he is a person of curiosity and controversy for the literary student of \u201cBeauty\u201d \u2013 if only for Haeckel\u2019s natural-scientific illustrations and what these might suggest about nature\u2019s aesthetic intelligence, so-called. Haeckel\u2019s racist and ideological \/ cultural prejudices require critical reading and alert cross examination \u2013 in fact they involve us in an important area of discussion that makes some friends and members extremely nervous. The topic moves us once again back into the nineteenth century and exposes us to its \u201cshady side,\u201d to use the generous term of critique that Steiner applied to Haeckel\u2019s character in Steiner\u2019s introduction to GA 32.<\/a> Back in the day when I taught a semester course on the Grail for Sunwest University at the Rudolf Steiner College, we spent an entire class session or two on Haeckel and Steiner\u2019s reading and use of Haeckel \u2013 although admittedly, this is not a subject to excite a parade.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIphigenie” (1871) by Anselm Feuerbach<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cAll Work and no Play makes Jack a Dull You-know-what.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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— Apocrypha falsely attributed to F. Schiller<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

My Summer with Goethe (and Rilke)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As I mentioned in the last post<\/a> I\u2019ve idled through most of my summer with Goethe<\/strong>, believe it or not. I traveled to Italy with him; I re-read his early lyric poems; I translated and then recorded one of these early poems with my wife;<\/a><\/strong> I re-familiarized myself with the West-eastern Divan and with the splendid erotic poems that Goethe wrote after he returned from Italy; I eavesdropped again on conversations between Goethe and Eckermann; I re-appreciated Goethe\u2019s taste in wine; attended a class reunion of the School of Hard Knocks with Wilhelm Meister; hung out with Iphigenie in Tauris; argued with Faust; and I worked my way through a few Goethe biographies.<\/p>\n

In our post-modern Covid world, this might strike some as a curious or quixotic waste of time.<\/strong> Why not devote attention to contemporary voices in literature?<\/p>\n

Are we Americans? Or what are we doing here anyway?<\/p>\n

As I walked through the dried-out grasslands at the American River and surveyed the drought-stricken oaks and sniffed the late summer vinegar weed and discovered poems written on rocks and tacked on trees, I asked myself the same question \u2013 and not for the first time.<\/p>\n

The answer is always the same. I spend time with secular humanist literature and with writers like Goethe and Novalis who speak from that tradition because I want to understand the origins and development of anthroposophy from a literary standpoint.<\/strong> When Rudolf Steiner recommends Goethe to my attention, I take him seriously. Just as I take him seriously when he recommends Novalis to my attention.<\/p>\n

I feel obligated to read the primary texts and do the work.<\/p>\n

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\u201cStorms and Stresses\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Goethe the Poet<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As an artistic offering from the summer musings, here\u2019s a video of one of the early poems by Goethe. It\u2019s read by my wife Marion, and I accompany Marion on the classical guitar.<\/a><\/strong> The music is by Catalan composer Fernando Sor (1778 – 1839).<\/p>\n

You might remember Sor\u2019s music from other Fairy Tale Videos that we\u2019ve done as part of the Section work in Fair Oaks.<\/a><\/strong> A translation of Goethe\u2019s poem \u201cWelcome and Departure\u201d follows. In this translation, I tried to preserve the rhyme scheme of the original poem, for better or worse. Eh? You\u2019ll see a line by line translation of the Goethe poem as Marion speaks.<\/p>\n