Force substance representation

This topic page covers one particular way of sketching the basic foundation underlying the spiritual scientific worldview with a specific language, through one angle of perspective. It was described in about five lectures by Rudolf Steiner in Sep 1906 (and only published in 2018 in GA091).

Creation, evolution, and all we know around us, is described in a conceptual representation based on the abstract prime concepts of substance and force arise from Unity and The three Logoi - see Schema FMC00.171 below.

• Primal force (Son, the wanting) <-> unity
• Primal substance (Father, being)
• from which Consciousness springs as divine thought, the thinking of the Logos (Spirit, the wanted) <-> manifoldedness

This gives rise to creation and the Three dimensions of evolution, see also Creation by the three logoi.

Substance and force are used to describe and explain, or elucidate, the 'spectrum of spiritual substance and force' that lies behind the 'coarse' matter and forces that we know in the physical world around us. In that sense it links to and represents a conceptual extension of the spectrum of elements and ethers.

In this frame the descent into matter is projected, with a tension between both force and substance: the larger the force, the finer the substance, the more consistent the substance, the larger the tension. The physical plane has the weakest force, that is why stronger forces can express themselves eg electromagnetism or radioactivity.

The schemas below that accompany the lecture texts are worthwhile to study and - in our minds - connect the idea of the Logoi to imaginative pictures from the etheric peripheral forces (based on projective geometry - see Mathematics of the etheric), as given in 1906-09-18-GA091 and 1906-09-19-GA091 (and 1906-09-20-GA091). This offers the bridge to the 1905-08-07-GA091 (and 1905-08-08-GA091), and together these lectures give a unique framework for our thoughts on the forces of nature (eg gravity).

Aspects

• For a concrete application of the forces (or spiritual influences) linked to substances (chemical elements) in the human being and the nature on Earth, see the topic page Working of substances and their forces
  • positioning: whereas the main GA091 lectures underlying this topic page take a cosmic perspective, the force-substance linkeage is fundamental to the spiritual scientific framework. In the contemporary worldview based on materialistic mineral science, purely the physical matter or 'substance' is considered. However this substance is solely the 'earth' component of a broader reality that includes the spectrum of elements and ethers and corresponding spiritual hierarchies, whose workings are described in languages such as alchemy and etheric formative forces.
• complementary perspectives to link to this from various approaches include:
  • Overview Golden Chain, eg Schema FMC00.141
    • related: the image of the spiritual wave that chrystalizes and results in the physical - see The two etheric streams#1911-12-30-GA314
  • The nature of atoms, and eg Schema FMC00.404A to see how substance is condensed down

Illustrations

Schema FMC00.171 starts with Unity, God, the divine Primal sea from which everything arises. It describes The three Logoi and Creation by the three logoi.

Schema FMC00.170 sketches the polarity between 'center and periphery' and 'pralaya and mantavara', see Cosmic breathing and especially the Cosmic breath of Brahma which denotes the same, the highest level of in- and out-breathing that gives rise to all of creation.

Schema FMC00.172A introduces the duality of force and substance. Earthly Man distinguishes these as two different concepts with different qualities, but they are two extremes of a continuous spectrum and appear as two sides of the same primal force/substance emanation.

Schema FMC00.172 elaborates on the simpler FMC00.172A above. It shows how on physical Earth, coarse substance is 'Matter', and fine substance becomes 'Force', in the language of physics in mineral science. However between coarse substance (atoms) is the fine substance (ethers, force), and both form a balance that sustains itself, a bit like an extension of the phase diagram in chemistry.

Schema FMC00.173 maps the earthly kingdoms of nature to this in terms of their deepest characteristics, and how they are relevant symbolic inspiration for Man in the whole. For the Last Supper symbolism, see Christ Module 5 - initiation and spiritualization, for the plant symbolism see Christ Module 4 - principle in image and story, oa how the symbol of the chaste plant was used in the Ancient Mysteries.

Schema FMC00.174 projects Man into this framework, and links to Man's transformation and spiritualization

Lecture coverage and references

Overview

An original way to - in our minds - connect the idea of the Logoi to imaginative pictures from the etheric peripheral forces (based on projective geometry), is given in 1906-09-18-GA091 and 1906-09-19-GA091. This descriptive header title is a bit strange, but this is a very worthwhile sketch to study. Mainly because it offers the bridge to the 1905-08-07-GA091 (and 1905-08-08-GA091), and together these lectures give a unique framework for thoughts on the forces of nature (eg gravitation).

See also Nick Thomas's book of 2008 (Further reading section below) that builds on such thoughts (even though GA091 had not been published)

Reference extracts

1906-09-18-GA091

1906-09-19-GA091

1917-08-07-GA176

For more on the description of matter below, see The nature of atoms.

To map Ahriman and Lucifer in the description below:

• see Schema FMC00.297 and Schema FMC00.308 on Christ Module 14 – the counterforces: Lucifer, Ahriman and Sorat, as they relate to Schema FMC00.051 on The two etheric streams.
• see also the sub-physical world on Schema FMC00.084 on Spectrum of elements and ethers.

[matter and Ahriman]

... there are those whose speculations are mainly concerned with matter; they imagine that the world consists of atoms. How does this view compare with what spiritual science has to say? Certainly natural physical phenomena do lead us back to atoms, but what are these atoms? They reveal what they are at the moment the very first stage of spiritual perception has been attained. At the stage of imaginative perception atoms reveal what they truly are. I have spoken about this in various connections many years ago in public lectures. Those who speculate on matter come to the conclusion that space is empty and atoms whirl around in this empty space. Atoms are supposed to be the most solid entities in existence. That is simply not the case, the whole issue is based on illusion. To imaginative cognition atoms are revealed as bubbles and the reality is where the empty space is supposed to be. Atoms are blown up bubbles. In other words, in contrast to what surrounds them they are nothing. You know that where bubbles are seen in soda-water there is no water. Atoms are bubbles in that sense; where they are the space is hollow, nothing is there. And yet it is possible to push against it; impact occurs precisely because, in pushing against hollowness, an effect is produced. How can nothing produce an effect? Take the case of the space, practically empty of air, within an air-pump; there you see how air streams into nothingness. A wrong interpretation might imagine the empty space in the bulb of the air pump as containing a substance that forced in the air. That is exactly the illusion prevailing in regard to the atom. The opposite is true: atoms are empty — yet again not empty. There is after all something within these bubbles. And what is it? — This is also something about which have already spoken — what exists within the atom bubbles is ahrimanic substance. Ahriman is there. The whole system of atoms consists of ahrimanic substantiality. As you see this is a considerable metamorphosis of the ideas entertained by those who theorize about matter. Where in space they see something material we see the presence of Ahriman.

[force and Lucifer]

Force is another concept which in particular occupies those who speculate about force in their attempt to build up a world picture. Here again the very first stage of spiritual cognition shows that where force is supposed to be active there is in fact nothing. But where the force is thought not to be, there something is at work.

It is exactly as if two people walked side by side and were observed by a third person. He looks towards them and, as they are walking a little apart, he looks between them and describes, not one or the other person, but the space between them. He is concerned, not with the two persons but the emptiness between them. That is the way those who theorize about force are looking at what is between the reality. Where it is said that a force of attraction is operating there is actually nothing, but to the left and the right there is the reality.

...

.. physicists draw lines to depict currents of force, but where the force is supposed to be there is in fact nothing, whereas all around there is something. There is Lucifer, the luciferic element is there. If we want to depict what corresponds to actual reality we must place the luciferic element where force is placed by those who theorize about it.

In the 19th century someone wrote a book with the title “Force and Matter” in which the world is presented as consisting of force and matter. In the 20th Century we must substitute that title with “Lucifer and Ahriman,” for Lucifer and Ahriman are identical with what are described as force and matter.

What can be described as force and matter are really described by Lucifer and Ahriman. You may say: this is dreadful! It is not dreadful for as I have often emphasized Lucifer and Ahriman are only dreadful when they are not balanced against each other. In mutual balance they serve the wise guidance of worlds. When Lucifer is placed on one side of the scales and Ahriman on the opposite side the balance between them must be achieved. It is a balance for which we must constantly strive.

Discussion

Note that Rudolf Steiner uses the above representation or framework when describing the atom, the heart, the earth at the crossing of the cosmic currents and physical matter, see lectures of 1906-09-20/21/22/30-GA091. They also bridge to esoteric geometry and numerology.

Related pages

• Spectrum of elements and ethers
• Working of substances and their forces
• The nature of atoms
• Radioactivity
• Creation by the three logoi
• Man's transformation and spiritualization
• Christ Module 5 - initiation and spiritualization (oa for the Last Supper symbolism)

References and further reading

• Nick Thomas: 'Space and counterspace: a new science of gravity, time and light' (2008)