3. Incidental Remark on the Issue of Group Formation

Before this contemplation can be continued an incidental remark is necessary. It concerns the obvious objection that the viewpoint applied here does not appeal, because the gaze directed at the idea of group formation necessarily lacks at the present stage of consciousness the truly human element that can, after all, only be a completely individual one. This objection, however, misses the essential point. For by characterizing groups of people attention is to be drawn to archetypes that can become active among people and through people. If one envisages this, it cannot be overlooked that all modes of human behavior are based on archetypes and indeed dependent to the degree to which the individual human being is conscious of this fact. These archetypes of human behavior can find their expression in numerous modes of human realization in the same way that the archetypal plant can find its expression in numerous plant shapes. The difference between the human beings and the beings of the organic world is manifest by the different relation of the beings to their appearance. The modes of appearance of beings of nature are determined by their archetypes and environment. The human being, on the other hand, in so far as he is conscious of his true calling and puts this into practice, develops the individual hallmark of his personality through cognition and deeds from the archetypal humanity of his being. As such, he himself conveys to the archetype of his humanity the unfolding form of a new dimension of realization and thereby also communicates to his environment the expressive content of his being. Thus, beside groups of people that are influenced by collective emotions, moods and opinions, societies can also be built on the basis of individual insight of their members into the origin of their humanity.