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Schiller's Alchemical Education: Conceptualizing Art as the 's Stone

Andrew Jester East Carolina University Faculty Mentor: David Smith East Carolina University ABSTRACT In “On the Aesthetic Education of Man”, Friedrich Schiller develops an art asserting that aesthetics can resolve human conflict while empowering the individual. However, it is often unclear as tohow Schiller’s proposals are to be practiced and achieved. I claim that Schiller’s theory appropriates alchemical concepts, thereby identifying a cause for his theory’s obtuseness, and clarifying how the processes are to be understood. Schiller’s appropriation of alchemy is evinced through an overview of Schiller’s claims, evidence that alchemical information was available to Schiller, and a demonstration that the features and goals of Schiller’s theory are similar to those of the alchemists’ processes. From there, I support the claim that Schiller employs alchemical concepts by identifying how the underlying structure of his assertions, and his diction, correspond with the alchemists’ preparatio, putrefactio, and hierogamy. domineering impulses, rationality and he nascent stage of the French emotionality, humankind must harmonize TRevolution was hailed initially as the them by creating and contemplating art. triumph of reason over emotions, and Schiller’s theory is obtuse; he often was thus seen as the culmination of the employs poetic language in place of Enlightenment projects, a belief held by deduction, there is little instruction men such as Thomas Jefferson and ex- regarding how to practice his assertions, pressed in Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man; and it is unclear how the claimed effects of yet the Reign of Terror quickly dissolved his theory are achieved. If we recognize that 1 such lofty hopes, as many citizens were Schiller appropriated alchemical concepts, brutally murdered. This violence suggested then we may dissipate the obscurity of that emotions have the greater influence Schiller’s theory. The process of evincing upon humankind’s actions, and that this Schiller’s appropriation begins with an imbalance fosters societal disorder and overview of Schiller’s claims, as this will decline, as well as irrational egoism. The aid in recognizing parallels with alchemical failure of reason to sweep over the world, concepts. As we will see below, Schiller and with it the possibility to settle all dif- would have been familiar with alchemical ferences peacefully through debate, com- operations thanks to his friendship with pelled Friedrich Schiller to explain the Goethe and the academic environment cause of this breakdown and to identify how the vision of universal reason might be 1 While one usually speaks of alchemical “processes,” attained. Schiller’s theory, presented in On I have chosen to use the term “concepts” because I wish The Aesthetic Education of Man, claims that in to include the images and phrases used by alchemists to communicate the stages and processes of the alchemical order to be liberated from two potentially work, and not just the processes themselves.

60 Andrew Jester in which he worked. Having identified the rational. Despite the disparities arising plausible alchemical resources, the features from our differing cultures, all can be and goals of the alchemical process are harmoniously unified through our creation shown to be similar to the features and and contemplation of art. For Schiller, art goals of Schiller’s theory. In particular, is a representation of our shared humanity, Schiller’s diction and concepts emulate and humanity implies the shared conflict three stages of the alchemical process: the we feel between our formal and our preparatio, the putrefactio, and the hierogamy.2 sensuous impulses. He claims that we can As will also become apparent, knowledge harmonize humankind’s two contrary of this triadic sequence of stages allows impulses through the play impulse, in which one to clarify Schiller’s abstract processes we create beauty. Beauty is achieved when for developing the ideal self. the artist harmoniously conjoins abstract An overview of Schiller’s claims concepts with the material; metaphorically, concerning the aesthetic education assists rational concepts fill in and animate the in the identification of alchemical concepts objects used in constructing art (Schiller at play in Schiller’s discourse. Schiller 81-7). As will become evident below, these claimed that man oscillates between two claims borrow from alchemical thought, impulses: the rational, which he termed the history and practice of which would the formal impulse, and the emotional, have been familiar to Schiller, given his termed the sensuous impulse. The education and circle of friends. sensuous impulse renders man an object in Alchemy is most commonly known as time, in which man merely responds to a the transmutation of base into , sequence of changes; the sensuous impulse lending support to its derision by many as turns man into matter (Schiller 64). The mere ; however, throughout the formal impulse is supposed to proceed history of its development, and in Schiller’s from man’s “rational ” and strives time, alchemy’s ability to lend itself to to bring harmony (65). Reason, according metaphor ensured its value independent to Schiller, ought to harmonize our of the promise of monetary gain. Martin existence, yet reason can be said to operate Luther appreciated it as an allegory for “the through division, not harmonization ¬– an resurrection of the dead at the Last Day” approximation of how Schiller resolves this (Eliade 191); throughout the , contradiction will be addressed through Neo-Platonists appreciated it as a metaphor the later delineation of alchemical stages. for the ascent of the and the redemption This harmonizing formal impulse cannot of man. During the Enlightenment, the succeed upon a society that acts on processes of alchemy were valued for their unrestrained emotion. Schiller proposes exploration of dividing properties, and in that to resolve this unbalanced situation, its ability to create a new product. Within we must first become aesthetic, a state in the Enlightenment period, individuals such which the creation and contemplation of as Newton and Goethe valued alchemy’s art can train humankind’s emotions, so function as a model for the workings of that the emotions energize our efforts to act the universe (Eliade 231-33). Goethe according to the formal impulse. Only after himself practiced it, as he states in his achieving this aesthetic state can we attain autobiography, “I concealed from Herder my mystico-cabalistical , and 2 This triadic structure invites comparison to Hegelian everything relating to it; although at the dialectics; Hegel would have developed his claims same time, I was still very fond of secretly after Schiller’s work had been published. Investigating busying myself in working it out more correlations and potential influences may prove fruitful.

61 Explorations |Humanities consistently than it had been communicated Through alchemical processes, man could to me” (357); this autobiographical assist time, so that he and the materials he evidence, coupled with Goethe’s well- experimented with were accelerated toward known friendship and correspondence with the ideal versions of themselves (Eliade Schiller, provides reason to believe that the 169). The culmination of the alchemical concepts of the alchemist were available processes produced a material termed the to Schiller. That Schiller did re-employ philosopher’s stone, which could transmute the symbolic potential of alchemy is leant other metals into gold upon contact, and more plausibility through the work of Paul could be liquefied and imbibed by an Bishop, who mentions how Schiller’s use of individual, endowing them with youth and certain terms throughout his works “all have health. From this manipulation of matter, overtones of alchemy or freemasonry, areas we see that the alchemist could assist probably Goethe brought to his attention” time, and liberate man and nature from (Bishop 141). Additionally, Bishop notes existing merely as finite material suspect that Goethe had written a work associating to corruption, or impurity. This goal of alchemy with a form of education that the alchemist approximates Schiller’s would enable man to no longer be ruled by understanding of art’s positive effects, as he his emotions3 (141). claims that art can help humankind attain From these available resources “the perfection of his being” through the concerning alchemical thought, Schiller aesthetic appreciation of art; humankind would have found features in alchemy that must only be taught how to do so (73). were attractive to him, as they corresponded Schiller’s goal resembles that of the with his goals within the Aesthetic Education. alchemist. The attainment of an ideal The alchemist understood that the true aim, self that is equivalent to the purified the true masterwork, was the transmutation state offered by alchemy is expressed by of the alchemist himself – he was to Schiller when he presents the concept of become the liberated, purified material. the “pure ideal man” (31), as he claims As the alchemist performed his processes that “Every individual man…carries in on the , often practicing celibacy and disposition and determination a pure fasting while doing so, he was working those ideal man within himself, with whose processes on himself – turning himself into unalterable unity it is the great task of his “golden state,” an ideal state in which his existence…to harmonize” (31). What he would not be violable by the ravages of Schiller identifies as the pure ideal man is the human condition, as temporal matter the same objective of the alchemist, but sentenced to a finite existence (Eliade the alchemist identifies the objective as the 159). Schiller’s goal of liberating man philosopher’s stone. The task of achieving from unruly emotions relates to alchemy’s this objective is complicated by the impulses processes and objectives, as the alchemist that humankind is subjected to. Schiller understood the true intent of alchemy as describes the conflicts resulting from our the purification of the self to achieve the impulses, and their ensuing effects, when quality of gold, as gold is immune to the he states, “Nature demands multiplicity” ravages of time. It had been thought that (32), while reason “finds combination only all metals naturally developed into gold, but through dissolution…” and “in order to the natural passing of time was too slow. seize the fleeting appearance [reason] must bind it in the fetters of rule, dissect its fair 3 Paul Bishop states that this may be found within body into abstract notions, and preserve its Goethe’s History of the Theory of Colours, in the section living spirit in a sorry skeleton of words” entitled “Alchemists.”

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(24). The institutions that authorize similarities between the goals of Schiller’s truth in our lives present words sans theory and alchemy, the triadic sequence feeling, i.e. principles are formulated and that Schiller appropriated from alchemy enforced rather than freely chosen, while may begin to be discussed; recognizing our emotions in response to the natural this structure and its implications assists world threaten to become unruly – we are the reader in understanding Schiller’s determined, and the relativist rejoices. For intentions. Schiller, art is supposed to highlight these The alchemist achieved his transmutation determiners for the artist and the audience, to gold, and his attainment of the ideal leading to liberation from a potentially self, through repeating the processes of repressive rational impulse, and from preparatio, putrefactio, and the hierogamy. The untamed passions. Alchemy reveals itself preparatio is the process, “the to be the inspiration for Schiller’s remedy process of purification and clarification to this conflicted condition, and, as it does whereby the volatile spirit is extracted from so, it helps explain certain obtuse features the impure matter or body” (Abraham within Schiller’s claims. 55). The alchemist claims that following Comprehending the actualization of the preparatio, the soul ascends un-tethered Schiller’s claims to confusion. by the corrupted material. Schiller would Schiller’s process of highlighting the understand this ascent of the soul as the dilemmas facing humankind, and therefore mind of the individual ascending to the the attractiveness of a reconciling factor, intellectual realm; this interpretation is an is keen. Similar to the alchemical concern appropriation of the alchemist’s distillation with the corruption of matter, Schiller process of burning away the impurities believed that man is corrupted by existing accumulated through existence in time. within a certain time, and that our political Schiller’s use of the preparatio concept is institutions use force to impose harmony, evinced when he claims that the secret of while failing to train our emotions (Sharpe the master artist is his “annihilating the 152). Art, Schiller claims, allows us to realize material by means of the form” (Schiller what is true for all time, thereby purifying 106). Schiller’s re-conceptualization of the us of our corruptions from thinking and preparatio is further demonstrated when he acting as creatures determined by a specific states “Man has risen [emphasis added] to time (Schiller 64-7). The artist is able to a unit of idea embracing the whole realm deliver the ideal to the audience, because of phenomena. By this operation we are the artist conjoins matter and abstraction no more in time, but time…is in us” (67). so that the viewer grasps this union and is This process mirrors the alchemist’s goal “educated;” theoretically, moral conduct of the preparatio, as “During this phase the is to become second nature (Sharpe 155). body is made spiritual and the spirit made This notion sounds quite appealing, as it corporeal” (Abraham 56). presents the possibility of morality chosen When Schiller states that “[man] is by all because of our interaction with art. to eradicate in himself everything that Yet how is it achieved? Have artists failed, or is merely world, and produce harmony has the audience failed to follow a necessary in all its mutations” (63-64), he employs process of contemplation? These questions the alchemical concept of the preparatio, hone in on a crucial criticism of Schiller’s the removal of accrued determiners, or work, as the ideal process of creating and impurities. The preparatio is the torturing contemplating art appears as mystifying of the object for the removal of impurities as alchemy is mystical. Having noted the accumulated by existing as matter, and

63 Explorations | Humanities we can understand Schiller’s statement the world, because it releases us from the of “annihilating the material by means determiners of our particular place in time; of the form” (106) as meaning that as the we die, the soul is released outside of time, artist creates, he tortures and burns away and our intellect functions unencumbered. the determiners of mankind’s disparate Schiller borrows from alchemy when he histories and cultures, discovering what claims that: “the aesthetic alone is a whole is true and what is possible for all men, in itself [because in it] alone do we feel for all time. We are brought back to the ourselves snatched outside of time” (103). alchemist’s aim of assisting time, rather To leave the realm of time, we experience than being determined by it. Time allows death; thus we are brought to the second development, which is necessary, but stage of alchemy – the putrefactio. it serves as a boundary that can easily The putrefactio is the death that always limit humankind’s productive activity follows the preparatio (Eliade 152). The (64). Rather than be determined by the material dies after the preparatio, the boundaries of our specific time, alchemy torturing. The distillation makes the enables humankind a more active role. material transition into a vapor. is Schiller assigns art the role of alchemy, as he produced, and the symbolism becomes claims that the creation and contemplation obvious – the soul leaves the body, or is of art enables humankind to enact a “snatched outside of time” (Schiller 103). more active role in their development, The soul that has existed in time has been i.e. humankind can more readily achieve corrupted, or determined. The risen soul its potential through interaction with art. now exists outside of time, and realizes This claim, once again, enjoins questions all that is rational, and all that is in man’s as to how the liberation from cultural power to perform. The material, the body boundaries and man’s assistance of time, that the soul has left behind, is now the rather than his determination by it, might alchemical (Eliade 154-57), the be actualized. Perhaps more frustratingly, primal material that has not accumulated how is truth recognized and advocated, impurities through existing in time. It has especially in a postmodern, postcolonial returned to a pre-created state, one that has world? not been determined. When Schiller says Schiller parts these potentially chaotic that the creation and contemplation of art waters be appropriating the alchemist’s allows us to be “snatched outside of time” putrefactio, the second stage of the triadic (103) he employs a concept of alchemy, sequence. Schiller had already identified as “The putrefaction of the ‘body’ of the this problem of “truth,” or meaning, as metal releases the spark of divine light and he notes that our concepts can to life which is hidden in it” (Abraham 161). contradictions, for they are fluid attempts As art is contemplated, the determiners at organizing our perceptions; the problem that restrict the soul (or rational capacities) of truth is expressed when Schiller states are dissolved, enabling the realization of that “Every other condition into which we humankind’s potential. The material body, can come refers us to some previous one, with the sensuous impulse, is redeemed and requires for its solution some other through its reintegration with a mind condition” (103); to resolve this Derridean that has been snatched outside of time. sea of signifiers, our concepts must be Humankind is able to figuratively ascend purified through distillation, the alchemist’s to a sense of shared humanity through this preparatio. Art allows the distillation of our ego-death, thus realizing what is true for all concepts, of our emotional responses to time.

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The completion of the putrefactio has transcend our time, resembling what Kant the same effect as Schiller’s concept of referred to as the sublime, the elevation of semblance, that of objectification, and both objects to the supersensible level. But we necessitate a third stage. The artist is able cannot remain outside of time, thus acting to remove the accumulation of reductive as the abstruse that David concepts that separate man from his fellow Hume so loathed, acting as one oblivious to man, i.e. the artist is able to distill his what actual life requires. We must do what concepts, and then present them through is necessary for our time, within our time, the materials of his time – this is Schiller’s but there is tension as to how to act. concept of semblance. For Schiller, art Schiller resolves these points of tension operates through semblance, meaning by appropriating the alchemists’ hierogamy, that it is a representation, thereby making which he does in “On Grace and Dignity.” events and emotions objects that can be Grace is the type of beauty in art that studied. Semblance enables individuals to enables man to transcend his time. Dignity distance themselves from their emotions, is the type of beauty that moves man to and the events of their life, so that they conform to moral law, so that he is acting can analyze and educate themselves upon within time (Sharpe 156). Schiller assigns the presentations of the artist, thereby the concept of grace a feminine gender, realizing truths for all time (Sharpe 161- and dignity a masculine gender. In the 62). Both the alchemist and Schiller have, ideal work of art, the feminine grace is at this stage, produced an object; the married to the masculine dignity, birthing alchemist produces the prima materia, in an ideal artwork that perfectly harmonizes which the animating soul has departed and our impulses. This marriage, this harmony, impure material accumulations have been is taken from alchemy. It is the hierogamy, annihilated, leaving behind an object. For taken from what termed Schiller, the artist and audience experience the (161), the sacred marriage. a temporary ego-death, i.e. the body Schiller appropriated the alchemical becomes an object, because it is left behind concept of a union of opposites resulting as the viewer contemplates what is true in an ennobled product. After the soul has for all time. Following this objectification, left the material body, and both have been there is the task of rejoining the soul with purified, they reunite in marriage – the the body, the ability of the object to be material is resurrected. The resurrected animated and energized by the truths that body is the completed philosopher’s stone. have been realized, namely, an awareness Schiller borrowed from alchemy this of humankind’s shared condition of marriage of opposing forces, with his experiencing conflicting impulses, and a feminine grace and masculine dignity. In recognition of humankind’s potential. alchemy, is feminine, and is This reintegration is a difficult task, as the masculine (Abraham 193; Bartlett 25-26). recognition of these truths and the ability Feminine grace corresponds with feminine to continually act on them is confronted mercury, the spirit that exists outside of by subjectivity and external influences time; masculine dignity corresponds with on one hand, and the potential for an masculine sulfur, the soul that is released overemphasis on reason that can result in from a body upon its death (Abraham 188). passive indifference on another. Schiller The released sulfur/soul is conjoined with encountered this dilemma as a necessary the mercury (the transcendent spirit) before result of conceiving of art as a purificatory re-entering the purified body (188). This object; for Schiller, art allows us to chemical wedding births the philosopher’s

65 Explorations | Humanities stone, the ideal self. That Schiller his form he will borrow from…beyond appropriates this chemical wedding, all time” (51). Form refers to the rational this harmonization, reveals itself in his concepts that are true for all time, and they declaration that “every individual man... are to be married with, and serve as the carries in disposition and determination a design for, the material, or the content, of pure ideal man within himself, with whose the contemporary. When Schiller states that unalterable unity it is the great task of his man “is to turn everything that is mere form existence, throughout all his vicissitudes, to into world, and realize all his potentialities” harmonize,” and this can be achieved by (63), he employs the alchemical concept of having the “temporal Man raised to the the hierogamy, in which the body can now dignity of ideal Man” (31-2). The ideal act upon new, rational, concepts. Following man corresponds with the philosopher’s the putrefactio, the death, the soul rises to the stone; as Schiller and the alchemists claim, level of the intellect, the body is purified, the temporal man is the soul/sulfur that and the two reunite in this sacred marriage. must be raised to a superior level, that of The result of this marriage was the transcendent reason, corresponding with philosopher’s stone; audience members, the spirit/mercury. In alchemy, mercury having contemplated an appropriate is variously referred to as Mercurius artwork, experience this union of their and , and “according to most rational capacities with their emotions that alchemical texts, the chemical wedding… have been validated by the active use of may not take place without the presence of reason. a third mediating principle. This medium By locating alchemical resources available of conjunction is Mercurius” (Abraham to Schiller, and tracing the similarities 127). Thus Schiller’s mediating play between Schiller’s claims and the processes impulse corresponds with the mediating and goals of alchemy, Schiller’s abstract mercury; the hierogamy, having actions proposals are reified and placed within a in time informed by rational discoveries, more tenable context. Schiller’s claim that cannot take place without it. In order to the “inevitable effect of the Beautiful is continually act on discovered truths, to freedom from passion” (106) is elucidated, as reintegrate body and soul, humankind an appropriation of the preparatio indicates must continually play. that Schiller saw the contemplation of Schiller proposes the play impulse, in art as the alchemical process of removing place of mercury, as the mediating entity biases, allowing humankind’s rational that would enable humankind to achieve capacities, or soul, to attain truth for all the completion of the harmonization time. Recognizing the influence of the process. Through the mediating play putrefactio offers insight regarding the impulse, the creation and contemplation means of overcoming attachment to a of art, our conflicting impulses are specific time. Understanding Schiller’s harmonized, or married (Schiller 74). appropriation of the alchemical hierogamy The play impulse produces beauty, and provides a source for the development for Schiller, the beautiful is the moral (76- of his claim that beauty combines and 85). This association of the play impulse harmonizes our opposing impulses (88), as with alchemical mercury suggests that the the claim mirrors the effects of constructing hierogamy is the task of the artist, achieved the philosopher’s stone. Identifying the through the exercise of the play impulse, similarities between Schiller’s claims and as Schiller calls on the artist to “take his the alchemical processes presents a clarified subject matter from the present age, but vision of Schiller’s methodology for

66 Andrew Jester attaining his concept of the ideal self. To to act harmoniously. Thus Schiller’s attain this ideal, there must be practice, and audience is being enjoined to create, to art is the in which humankind creatively play, leading to the attainment can play with abstract concepts, trace them of an aesthetic state. In a rather Romantic to their effects, and examine emotions sense, the audience is enjoined to play the as objects. Practice – the creation and alchemist. contemplation of art – guides humankind

Works Cited

Abraham, Lyndy. A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Print.

Bartlett, Robert Allen. Real Alchemy, A Primer of Practical Alchemy. Lake Worth, Florida: Ibis Press, 2009. Print.

Bishop, Paul. and German Classical Aesthetics: Goethe, Schiller, and Jung. Volume 1: The Development of the Personality. New York and London: , 2008. Print.

Eliade, Mircea. The Forge and the Crucible. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1956. Print.

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. The Autobiography of Goethe: Truth and Poetry; from My Own Life. 2 vols. Trans. John Oxenford. London: George Bell and Sons, 1897. Print.

Schiller, Friedrich. On the Aesthetic Education of Man. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2004. Print.

Sharpe, Lesley. “Concerning Aesthetic Education.” A Companion to the Works of Friedrich Schiller. Ed. Steven D. Martinson. Rochester, NY: Camden House, 2005. 147-168. Print.

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