Artist : Zan Newstrom
Something New Under the Sun III
The Threefolding Movement of 1919, and What at First Became of It
Germany in 1919 was a turbulent place. At the end of a brutal, grueling war it had more or less stumbled into, it had not only not won, but would at the Versailles peace conference soon be assigned sole blame for the conflict, and forced to pay heavy reparations. Faced with shortages of key materials, German industry was also laying off workers - a grim prospect especially for returning soldiers. In Munich, a rebellion of Marxist workers had been crushed, with 1000 dead and executions in the streets following ; and in the hills around Stuttgart, where the threefolding movement centered, battles had been fought between workers with pistols and rifles against police with artillery and machine guns in early April - a scant three weeks before Rudolf Steiner's first lectures.
Outlined in principle, the threefold idea at first met robust enthusiasm, and support in almost every quarter of society. More concrete proposals, however, trod on old and familiar assumptions, and triggered fear, especially in established leadership. Measures proposed were in fact bold and bluntly stated : placement of decision making powers in factories in the hands of the most competent workers, chosen by their peers ("worker's councils") ; removal of education, curriculum setting and other spiritual cultural work from control of the state, and their placement in the hands of those who did these kinds of work ; discussion of a possible needed liquidation government to swiftly establish the legal basis for threefolding initiatives. No matter how rationally presented, however, the prospect of imminent change shocked habitual patterns of thought into habitual patterns of action : namely the forceful exercise of power.
In the press, initial coverage and editorials reflected views of those enthused by the new ideas, from all sectors of society : select forward looking industrialists, academics, workers and government officials disgusted with war and disturbed by the ongoing slide into chaos. To these the threefold idea was a breath of fresh air, and their number grew rapidly. Now, however, the entrenched old order struck back. Factory owners, alarmed and opposed to the workers councils, refused to allow election of a worker's leadership, and if workers held elections anyway, refused to recognize them. Conflating the workplace proposals with Marxism (they were not), they threatened active workers with punishment, and endorsed government proposals for workplace councils sounding vaguely similar, but without teeth or substance, and whose actual effect was to undermine them.
From the side of the workers, small but active radical factions took charge. Popular with rank and file, the councils movement ran afoul of Marxist union leaders, who conflated the threefold movement with the capitalist master, confronting and browbeating workers supportive of the councils. From industrialists, government, Marxist and political party leaderships alike, vigorous opposition was launched in the press, and from every side, jaws of power closed on the young movement. Among academics accustomed to the doctrines of state control and a middle class unused to taking political initiative, the needed will and resolve for change were simply not to be found. Facing both opposition from enemies and indecision on the part of friends, the movement effectively stalled. In the meantime, yet other events intervened.
The harsh and humiliating terms of the Versailles treaty, signed at the end of June, sparked great resentment in Germany, turning hopeful public sentiments for threefolding in other directions - particularly, towards an increasingly militant nationalism. These emotions did nothing to reduce tensions between workers and factory owners - nor their respective misunderstandings of the threefolding movement. By August, with authoritarian forces gaining the upper hand, Rudolf Steiner concluded that success for the public proposals of the movement was at this point out of reach.
To Steiner's insight, the impasse had to do not just with external attacks, but with the weakness of the movement itself ; namely that too few people understood the threefold idea well enough to hold their ground in the face of such many sided, vehement opposition. To do so, he saw, would require a much larger base of supporters able to
Nevertheless, one more attempt was made for threefolding on a large scale publicly, the next year in 1920.
In the aftermath of the war, the question had arisen whether the northern territory of Silesia should now belong to Germany or Poland. A referendum was set, and as the balance between ethnic Poles and Germans was fairly close, the matter was hotly contested. Steiner and colleagues introduced the option of independence for Silesia, and proposed a threefold model, to be decided on by the people themselves. Knowledgeable representatives of threefolding, if more numerous than the previous year, were still in short supply, however ; and in the German press, nationalistic scorn against the initiative - and against Rudolf Steiner himself - arose and intensified.
As it proved, the outcome of the Silesia vote in favor of Germany was not enough to settle the matter, as the new League of Nations - championed by American president Woodrow Wilson - overturned the vote, and simply gave the area to Poland. This was a bitter pill for Germans to swallow, and was to be among the pretexts for Hitler's invasion of the country in 1939.
In a charged and worsening atmosphere, Rudolf Steiner chose to suspend public political and economic threefolding efforts, and instead work to develop the capacity in people to think, feel and act socially, both individually and in concert with others. This path must be based on insight he saw, and nurtured through education and other measures that strengthen the individual human being him or herself.
The methods and results of Steiner's spiritual scientific research offered new, more precise understanding of the whole human being of body, soul and spirit ; and also new ways to heal and strengthen that being. From here until his death in 1925, therefore, he turned his efforts especially to spiritual cultural initiatives. First among these was the first Waldorf School, established already in 1919 - an educational impulse which has since grown into a worldwide movement. The goals of this education lay not in any particular academic direction, but rather in preparing creative, independent human beings - life long learners, equally at home in their hands, head and heart ; self aware and self-directed, yet still able to work and take interest in others.
Further initiatives in support of the free - yet social - human individual unfolded in realms of
Mindful also of the economic needs of these impulses, Steiner sought to engage industrialists, banks and foundations willing to fund forward looking initiatives ; and to instill in the initiatives themselves the kind of organizational health and productivity that would make them worth funding. With this, through great effort and sacrifice, a start was made, and foundations laid for the future.
These resources and relationships were dramatically challenged in the course of the 1920s and 30s, first through the catastrophic currency inflation in those years, and later through a second great war. Anthroposophical (spiritual scientific) work was also reviled and targeted under national socialism, and effectively banned in those years. Nevertheless, these second wave threefolding attempts, embattled and interrupted though they were, survived, and could be revived in the postwar years ; and through all obstacles, carry these impulses even into the present.
Current Outlook
Steiner's "spiritual scientific" methods and results, as noted, add to knowledge by extending scientific observation and thinking to phenomena not previously explored by science - namely those of life, soul and spirit. In doing so they explain phenomena of the physical world, in many cases better than previously possible through natural science ; and also those described in spiritual and religious teachings, through the whole of human history.
Applications of spiritual science in practical life have been almost universally appreciated by the public, and never demonstrated to be harmful. And yet like the threefold idea and initiatives of 1919, these too have been subject to misunderstanding, and even attack (example). This is problematical, in ways that make a real difference. A brief example is the undermining of anthroposophical medical work in recent decades.
Anthroposophically extended medicine is practiced by conventionally trained doctors, nurses and therapists who undertake further professional training and who, in addition to conventional diagnosis, care and remedies, use complementary-holistic medicines and therapies to treat their patients. It is rationally and scientifically based in the ways described previously, and often highly praised by those who choose it. Anthroposophical medicine has proved especially helpful in chronic illnesses, and in cases where conventional medicine can only throw up its hands. And as noted, aside from the kinds of human error found in any professional field, anthroposophical medicine virtually never causes demonstrable harm.
At the turn of the millennium, anthroposophical medicine - doctor visits, hospital stays, medicines and therapies - was funded at least in part by national health insurances in several countries in Europe. Yet, though it represents an advance in medical-scientific practice, this funding has since basically stopped, and certain important medicines restricted. For practitioners this has been economically crippling, and has tied their hands significantly. For patients it's meant a loss of needed services, of quality of life, and for some undoubtedly, even a premature end to their lives.
Objections and obstacles have also been raised to Waldorf education and other anthroposophical initiatives, with their own range of hobbling effects. Patterns can be seen in these attacks that tend to intensify, not diminish. Drawing on experiences from the first major foray of Steiner's work on the public stage - the threefolding movement of 1919 - the last article in this series will explore some of these patterns, and look for a viable way forward !
Something New Under the Sun IV : From Threefold Social Idea to Threefold Social ORDER
The Threefolding Movement of 1919, and What at First Became of It
Germany in 1919 was a turbulent place. At the end of a brutal, grueling war it had more or less stumbled into, it had not only not won, but would at the Versailles peace conference soon be assigned sole blame for the conflict, and forced to pay heavy reparations. Faced with shortages of key materials, German industry was also laying off workers - a grim prospect especially for returning soldiers. In Munich, a rebellion of Marxist workers had been crushed, with 1000 dead and executions in the streets following ; and in the hills around Stuttgart, where the threefolding movement centered, battles had been fought between workers with pistols and rifles against police with artillery and machine guns in early April - a scant three weeks before Rudolf Steiner's first lectures.
Outlined in principle, the threefold idea at first met robust enthusiasm, and support in almost every quarter of society. More concrete proposals, however, trod on old and familiar assumptions, and triggered fear, especially in established leadership. Measures proposed were in fact bold and bluntly stated : placement of decision making powers in factories in the hands of the most competent workers, chosen by their peers ("worker's councils") ; removal of education, curriculum setting and other spiritual cultural work from control of the state, and their placement in the hands of those who did these kinds of work ; discussion of a possible needed liquidation government to swiftly establish the legal basis for threefolding initiatives. No matter how rationally presented, however, the prospect of imminent change shocked habitual patterns of thought into habitual patterns of action : namely the forceful exercise of power.
In the press, initial coverage and editorials reflected views of those enthused by the new ideas, from all sectors of society : select forward looking industrialists, academics, workers and government officials disgusted with war and disturbed by the ongoing slide into chaos. To these the threefold idea was a breath of fresh air, and their number grew rapidly. Now, however, the entrenched old order struck back. Factory owners, alarmed and opposed to the workers councils, refused to allow election of a worker's leadership, and if workers held elections anyway, refused to recognize them. Conflating the workplace proposals with Marxism (they were not), they threatened active workers with punishment, and endorsed government proposals for workplace councils sounding vaguely similar, but without teeth or substance, and whose actual effect was to undermine them.
From the side of the workers, small but active radical factions took charge. Popular with rank and file, the councils movement ran afoul of Marxist union leaders, who conflated the threefold movement with the capitalist master, confronting and browbeating workers supportive of the councils. From industrialists, government, Marxist and political party leaderships alike, vigorous opposition was launched in the press, and from every side, jaws of power closed on the young movement. Among academics accustomed to the doctrines of state control and a middle class unused to taking political initiative, the needed will and resolve for change were simply not to be found. Facing both opposition from enemies and indecision on the part of friends, the movement effectively stalled. In the meantime, yet other events intervened.
The harsh and humiliating terms of the Versailles treaty, signed at the end of June, sparked great resentment in Germany, turning hopeful public sentiments for threefolding in other directions - particularly, towards an increasingly militant nationalism. These emotions did nothing to reduce tensions between workers and factory owners - nor their respective misunderstandings of the threefolding movement. By August, with authoritarian forces gaining the upper hand, Rudolf Steiner concluded that success for the public proposals of the movement was at this point out of reach.
To Steiner's insight, the impasse had to do not just with external attacks, but with the weakness of the movement itself ; namely that too few people understood the threefold idea well enough to hold their ground in the face of such many sided, vehement opposition. To do so, he saw, would require a much larger base of supporters able to
- Effectively share or represent the idea and movement to others.
- Discern the right situation specific insights and actions in threefold organizing work.
- Act as a bloc or constituency insisting on threefolding, to carry needed political initiatives.
Nevertheless, one more attempt was made for threefolding on a large scale publicly, the next year in 1920.
In the aftermath of the war, the question had arisen whether the northern territory of Silesia should now belong to Germany or Poland. A referendum was set, and as the balance between ethnic Poles and Germans was fairly close, the matter was hotly contested. Steiner and colleagues introduced the option of independence for Silesia, and proposed a threefold model, to be decided on by the people themselves. Knowledgeable representatives of threefolding, if more numerous than the previous year, were still in short supply, however ; and in the German press, nationalistic scorn against the initiative - and against Rudolf Steiner himself - arose and intensified.
As it proved, the outcome of the Silesia vote in favor of Germany was not enough to settle the matter, as the new League of Nations - championed by American president Woodrow Wilson - overturned the vote, and simply gave the area to Poland. This was a bitter pill for Germans to swallow, and was to be among the pretexts for Hitler's invasion of the country in 1939.
In a charged and worsening atmosphere, Rudolf Steiner chose to suspend public political and economic threefolding efforts, and instead work to develop the capacity in people to think, feel and act socially, both individually and in concert with others. This path must be based on insight he saw, and nurtured through education and other measures that strengthen the individual human being him or herself.
The methods and results of Steiner's spiritual scientific research offered new, more precise understanding of the whole human being of body, soul and spirit ; and also new ways to heal and strengthen that being. From here until his death in 1925, therefore, he turned his efforts especially to spiritual cultural initiatives. First among these was the first Waldorf School, established already in 1919 - an educational impulse which has since grown into a worldwide movement. The goals of this education lay not in any particular academic direction, but rather in preparing creative, independent human beings - life long learners, equally at home in their hands, head and heart ; self aware and self-directed, yet still able to work and take interest in others.
Further initiatives in support of the free - yet social - human individual unfolded in realms of
- Medical practice, remedies and therapies ("anthroposophically extended medicine").
- Agriculture (biodynamic farming and gardening).
- Scientific and medical research.
- Renewal of the arts of music, speech, eurythmy ("beautiful movement"), drama, painting and sculpture.
- Renewal of both spiritual and religious life.
- New and creative, "human friendly" forms of architecture.
Mindful also of the economic needs of these impulses, Steiner sought to engage industrialists, banks and foundations willing to fund forward looking initiatives ; and to instill in the initiatives themselves the kind of organizational health and productivity that would make them worth funding. With this, through great effort and sacrifice, a start was made, and foundations laid for the future.
These resources and relationships were dramatically challenged in the course of the 1920s and 30s, first through the catastrophic currency inflation in those years, and later through a second great war. Anthroposophical (spiritual scientific) work was also reviled and targeted under national socialism, and effectively banned in those years. Nevertheless, these second wave threefolding attempts, embattled and interrupted though they were, survived, and could be revived in the postwar years ; and through all obstacles, carry these impulses even into the present.
Current Outlook
Steiner's "spiritual scientific" methods and results, as noted, add to knowledge by extending scientific observation and thinking to phenomena not previously explored by science - namely those of life, soul and spirit. In doing so they explain phenomena of the physical world, in many cases better than previously possible through natural science ; and also those described in spiritual and religious teachings, through the whole of human history.
Applications of spiritual science in practical life have been almost universally appreciated by the public, and never demonstrated to be harmful. And yet like the threefold idea and initiatives of 1919, these too have been subject to misunderstanding, and even attack (example). This is problematical, in ways that make a real difference. A brief example is the undermining of anthroposophical medical work in recent decades.
Anthroposophically extended medicine is practiced by conventionally trained doctors, nurses and therapists who undertake further professional training and who, in addition to conventional diagnosis, care and remedies, use complementary-holistic medicines and therapies to treat their patients. It is rationally and scientifically based in the ways described previously, and often highly praised by those who choose it. Anthroposophical medicine has proved especially helpful in chronic illnesses, and in cases where conventional medicine can only throw up its hands. And as noted, aside from the kinds of human error found in any professional field, anthroposophical medicine virtually never causes demonstrable harm.
At the turn of the millennium, anthroposophical medicine - doctor visits, hospital stays, medicines and therapies - was funded at least in part by national health insurances in several countries in Europe. Yet, though it represents an advance in medical-scientific practice, this funding has since basically stopped, and certain important medicines restricted. For practitioners this has been economically crippling, and has tied their hands significantly. For patients it's meant a loss of needed services, of quality of life, and for some undoubtedly, even a premature end to their lives.
Objections and obstacles have also been raised to Waldorf education and other anthroposophical initiatives, with their own range of hobbling effects. Patterns can be seen in these attacks that tend to intensify, not diminish. Drawing on experiences from the first major foray of Steiner's work on the public stage - the threefolding movement of 1919 - the last article in this series will explore some of these patterns, and look for a viable way forward !
Something New Under the Sun IV : From Threefold Social Idea to Threefold Social ORDER
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