Destiny and Karma. Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts #50, #51, #52

Rudolf Steiner:

50. It is most important to point out how the study of the historic life of mankind is called to life when we show that it is the souls of men themselves, passing from epoch to epoch in their repeated lives on Earth, who carry over the results of one historic age into another.

51. It may easily be objected that such a line of thought robs history of its naïve and elemental force. But this objection is untrue. On the contrary, our vision of historic life is deepened when we can trace it thus into man's inmost being. History becomes more real and more abundant, not poorer and more abstract. In describing these things we must, however, unfold true sympathy and insight into the living soul of man, for we gaze deep into the soul along these lines of thought.

52. The epochs in the life between death and a new birth should be treated in relation to the forming of karma. Further Leading Thoughts will indicate the way in which this can be done.

Source: http://wn.rsarchive.org/GA/GA0026/English/RSP1973/GA026_a02.html