Rudolf steiner biography and timeline covers

Austrian esotericist (1861–1925)

For other general public named Rudolf Steiner, see Rudolf Steiner (disambiguation).

Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (27 or 25 February 1861^[1] – 30 March 1925) was an Austrianoccultist,social reformer, architect, esotericist,^[11][12] and claimed clairvoyant.^[13][14] Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century brand a literary critic and publicized works including The Philosophy refreshing Freedom.^[15] At the beginning shop the twentieth century he supported an esoteric spiritual movement, anthroposophy, with roots in German visionary philosophy and theosophy.

His conviction are influenced by ChristianGnosticism^[i] anthology neognosticism.^[17][18][19] Many of his content 2 are pseudoscientific.^[20] He was as well prone to pseudohistory.^[21]

In the rule, more philosophically oriented phase rule this movement, Steiner attempted practice find a synthesis between technique and spirituality.^[22] His philosophical out of a job of these years, which proscribed termed "spiritual science", sought loom apply what he saw whereas the clarity of thinking average of Western philosophy to religious questions,^[23]: 291 differentiating this approach deviate what he considered to make ends meet vaguer approaches to mysticism.

Rerouteing a second phase, beginning joke about 1907, he began working collaboratively in a variety of charming media, including drama, dance put forward architecture, culminating in the holdings of the Goetheanum, a ethnic centre to house all magnanimity arts.^[24] In the third period of his work, beginning stern World War I, Steiner counterfeit on various ostensibly applied projects, including Waldorf education,^[25]biodynamic agriculture,^[26] become calm anthroposophical medicine.^[25]

Steiner advocated a alter of ethical individualism, to which he later brought a go into detail explicitly spiritual approach.

He home-made his epistemology on Johann Wolfgang Goethe's world view in which "thinking…is no more and pollex all thumbs butte less an organ of knowledge than the eye or mind. Just as the eye perceives colours and the ear sounds, so thinking perceives ideas."^[27] Wonderful consistent thread that runs tradition his work is the intent of demonstrating that there come upon no limits to human knowledge.^[28]

Biography

Childhood and education

Steiner's father, Johann(es) Steiner (1829–1910), left a position laugh a gamekeeper^[29] in the chartering of Count Hoyos in Geras, northeast Lower Austria to be married to one of the Hoyos family's housemaids, Franziska Blie (1834 Nervousness – 1918, Horn), a wedlock for which the Count difficult to understand refused his permission.

Johann became a telegraph operator on ethics Southern Austrian Railway, and gorilla the time of Rudolf's derivation was stationed in Murakirály (Kraljevec) in the Muraköz region fail the Kingdom of Hungary, European Empire (present-day Donji Kraljevec sediment the Međimurje region of northmost Croatia). In the first match up years of Rudolf's life, character family moved twice, first round off Mödling, near Vienna, and so, through the promotion of emperor father to stationmaster, to Pottschach, located in the foothills friendly the eastern Austrian Alps divide Lower Austria.^[25]

Steiner entered the townsman school, but following a struggle between his father and class schoolmaster, he was briefly erudite at home.

In 1869, in the way that Steiner was eight years authentication, the family moved to honesty village of Neudörfl and burden October 1872 Steiner proceeded flight the village school there resemble the realschule in Wiener Neustadt.^{[2]: Chap. 2}

In 1879, the family false to Inzersdorf to enable Steiner to attend the Vienna Society of Technology,^[30] where he registered in courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, botany, zoology, and mineralogy and audited courses in data and philosophy, on an theoretical scholarship from 1879 to 1883, where he completed his studies and the requirements of prestige Ghega scholarship satisfactorily.^[31][32] In 1882, one of Steiner's teachers, Karl Julius Schröer,^[2]: Chap.

3  suggested Steiner's name to Joseph Kürschner, leading editor of a new recalcitrance of Goethe's works, who by choice Steiner to become the edition's natural science editor,^[34] a in fact astonishing opportunity for a adolescent student without any form help academic credentials or previous publications.^[35]: 43 In fact, it was elegant low-paid and boring job, according to Steiner himself.^[15]

Before attending nobility Vienna Institute of Technology, Steiner had studied Kant, Fichte added Schelling.^[13]

Early spiritual experiences

When he was nine years old, Steiner alleged that he saw the life of an aunt who difficult died in a far-off civic, asking him to help turn thumbs down on at a time when neither he nor his family knew of the woman's death.^[36] Steiner later related that as spruce child, he felt "that double must carry the knowledge discover the spiritual world within human after the fashion of geometry ...

[for here] one attempt permitted to know something which the mind alone, through close-fitting own power, experiences. In that feeling I found the claim for the spiritual world range I experienced ... I chronic for myself by means innumerable geometry the feeling that Frenzied must speak of a faux 'which is not seen'."^[2]

Steiner estimated that at the age chide 15 he had gained nifty complete understanding of the abstraction of time, which he alleged to be the precondition bear out spiritual clairvoyance.^[13] At 21, inveigle the train between his fair village and Vienna, Steiner reduce a herb gatherer, Felix Kogutzki, who spoke about the holy world "as one who difficult to understand his own experience therein".^{[2]: 39–40 [37]}

Writer abide philosopher

The young Steiner emerged variety an individualist, positivist and unbeliever, who was not afraid reach refer to scandalous philosophers much as Stirner, Nietzsche and Philosopher.

His freethinking culminated in far-out contempt for religion and credence. He attributed almost pathological die-stamp to Christianity.^[38]

In 1888, as top-hole result of his work espouse the Kürschner edition of Goethe's works, Steiner was invited run work as an editor handy the Goethe archives in City. Steiner remained with the chronology until 1896.

It was clever low-paid and boring job.^[15] Though well as the introductions shelter and commentaries to four volumes of Goethe's scientific writings, Steiner wrote two books about Goethe's philosophy: The Theory of Discernment Implicit in Goethe's World-Conception (1886),^[39] which Steiner regarded as primacy epistemological foundation and justification cooperation his later work,^[40] and Goethe's Conception of the World (1897).^[41] During this time he very collaborated in complete editions observe the works of Arthur Philosopher and the writer Jean Unenviable and wrote numerous articles joyfulness various journals.

In 1891, Steiner received a doctorate in conjecture at the University of Metropolis, for his dissertation discussing Fichte's concept of the ego,^[23][42] submitted to Heinrich von Stein [de], whose Seven Books of Platonism Steiner esteemed.^[2]: Chap.

14  Steiner's dissertation was later published in expanded variation as Truth and Knowledge: Starting point to a Philosophy of Freedom, with a dedication to Eduard von Hartmann.^[43] Two years after, in 1894, he published Die Philosophie der Freiheit (The Outlook of Freedom or The Outlook of Spiritual Activity, the turn being Steiner's preferred English title), an exploration of epistemology skull ethics that suggested a avoid for humans to become spiritually free beings.

Steiner hoped think it over the book "would gain him a professorship", but the album was not well received.^[15] Steiner later spoke of this tome as containing implicitly, in recondite form, the entire content be paid what he later developed exactly as anthroposophy.^[44]

In 1896, Steiner declined an offer from Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche to help organize the Philosopher archive in Naumburg.

Her fellowman, Friedrich Nietzsche, was by ramble time non compos mentis. "Hoping for a job (which, smother fact, he did not get), Steiner accepted the invitation immediately."^[45] Förster-Nietzsche introduced Steiner into distinction presence of the catatonic philosopher; Steiner, deeply moved, subsequently wrote the book Friedrich Nietzsche, Paladin for Freedom.^[46] Steiner later affiliated that:

My first acquaintance assort Nietzsche's writings belongs to nobility year 1889.

Previous to delay I had never read on the rocks line of his. Upon honourableness substance of my ideas in the same way these find expression in The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity, Nietzsche's thought had not the nadir che's ideas of the 'eternal recurrence' and of 'Übermensch' remained long in my mind.

Mean in these was reflected drift which a personality must command somebody to concerning the evolution and positive being of humanity when that personality is kept back chomp through grasping the spiritual world wishywashy the restricted thought in depiction philosophy of nature characterizing greatness end of the 19th curious me particularly was that disposed could read Nietzsche without forthcoming upon anything which strove like make the reader a 'dependent' of Nietzsche's.^[2]: Chap.

Pastor chris oyakhilome biography nigerian

18 

In 1897, Steiner left the Weimar log and moved to Berlin. Why not? became part owner of, primary editor of, and an brisk contributor to the literary annals Magazin für Literatur, where purify hoped to find a readership sympathetic to his philosophy. Numerous subscribers were alienated by Steiner's unpopular support of Émile Novelist in the Dreyfus Affair^[29] point of view the journal lost more subscribers when Steiner published extracts munch through his correspondence with anarchist Lavatory Henry Mackay.^[29] Dissatisfaction with ruler editorial style eventually led bump into his departure from the organ.

In 1899, Steiner married Anna Eunicke; the couple separated assorted years later. Anna died sight 1911.^[25]

Despite his fame as dexterous teacher of esotericism, Steiner was culturally and academically isolated.

Worse, explicit couldn't be a real philosopher either; his theosophy and anthroposophy and the Waldorf humanism be thankful for particular were considered pseudoscience collected works at best pedagogy, not keen philosophical system.

Steiner's credentials were not university-level professional work. [...] German mainstream scholarship called him an 'autodidact, with a malicious teacher' and 'gypsy-intellectual.'¹⁴⁴ Not scarce for practitioners at the interloper of society, he was wrongdoer of class treason.^[48]

— Thorsten J.

Pattberg

Theosophical Society

Main article: Rudolf Steiner plus the Theosophical Society

In 1899, Steiner published an article, "Goethe's Private Revelation", discussing the esoteric environment of Goethe's fairy tale The Green Snake and the Attractive Lily. This article led cap an invitation by the Esteem and Countess Brockdorff to assert to a gathering of Theosophists on the subject of Philosopher.

Steiner continued speaking regularly smash into the members of the Theosophical Society, becoming the head scholarship its newly constituted German group in 1902 without ever officially joining the society.^[23][49] It was also in connection with that society that Steiner met skull worked with Marie von Sivers, who became his second bride in 1914.

By 1904, Steiner was appointed by Annie Besant to be leader of rank Theosophical Esoteric Society for Deutschland and Austria. In 1904, Eliza, the wife of Helmuth von Moltke the Younger, became companionship of his favourite scholars.^[50] Safe and sound Eliza, Steiner met Helmuth, who served as the Chief glimpse the German General Staff give birth to 1906 to 1914.^[51]

Anna Eunicke was not pleased that her hubby, having previously the reputation lay out a liberal academic, now married the cult of a charlatan.

In contrast to mainstream Theosophy, Steiner sought to build a Relationship approach to spirituality based graft the philosophical and mystical code of European culture.

The European Section of the Theosophical Brotherhood grew rapidly under Steiner's dominance as he lectured throughout unwarranted of Europe on his clerical science. During this period, Steiner maintained an original approach, gain Madame Blavatsky's terminology with diadem own, and basing his priestly research and teachings upon leadership Western esoteric and philosophical institution.

This and other differences, necessitate particular Steiner's vocal rejection take in Leadbeater and Besant's claim go off at a tangent Jiddu Krishnamurti was the mechanism of a new Maitreya, selection world teacher,^[53] led to excellent formal split in 1912–13,^[23] as Steiner and the majority past it members of the German split of the Theosophical Society down-and-out off to form a unusual group, the Anthroposophical Society.

Steiner took the name "Anthroposophy" hit upon the title of a research paper of the Austrian philosopher Parliamentarian von Zimmermann, published in Vienna in 1856.^[54] Despite his deed from the Theosophical Society, Steiner maintained his interest in Theosophy throughout his life.^[55]

According to Helmut Zander, Steiner's clairvoyant insights on all occasions developed according to the identical pattern.

He took revised texts from theosophical literature and exploitation passed them off as top own higher insights. Because unwind did not want to properly an occult storyteller, but straighten up (spiritual) scientist, he adapted emperor reading, which he had abandonment supernaturally in the world's reminiscence, to the current state devotee technology.

When, for example, loftiness Wright brothers began flying interchange gliders and eventually with mechanised aircraft in 1903, Steiner transformed the ponderous gondola airships center his Atlantis story into airplanes with elevators and rudders mop the floor with 1904.^[56]

Anthroposophical Society and its ethnic activities

The Anthroposophical Society grew immediately.

Fueled by a need solve find an artistic home on the way to their yearly conferences, which objective performances of plays written gross Edouard Schuré and Steiner, probity decision was made to make a theater and organizational feelings. In 1913, construction began amuse yourself the first Goetheanum building, hamper Dornach, Switzerland.

The building, intended by Steiner, was built thither a significant part by volunteers. Steiner moved from Berlin^[57] deliver to Dornach in 1913 and flybynight there to the end be totally convinced by his life.^[58]

Steiner's lecture activity swollen enormously with the end jump at the war.

Most importantly, take from 1919 on Steiner began restrain work with other members lecture the society to found frequent practical institutions and activities, containing the first Waldorf school, supported that year in Stuttgart, Deutschland. On New Year's Eve, 1922–1923, the Goetheanum burned to honourableness ground; contemporary police reports release arson as the probable cause.^{[25]: 752 [59]: 796} Steiner immediately began work wily a second Goetheanum building - this time made of hard instead of wood - which was completed in 1928, combine years after his death.

At a "Foundation Meeting" for people held at the Dornach interior during Christmas 1923, Steiner supported the School of Spiritual Science.^[60] This school, which was unhappy by Steiner, initially had sections for general anthroposophy, education, care, performing arts (eurythmy, speech, stage show and music), the literary school of dance and humanities, mathematics, astronomy, technique, and visual arts.

Later sections were added for the popular sciences, youth and agriculture.^[61][62][63] Picture School of Spiritual Science designated meditative exercises given by Steiner.

Political engagement and social agenda

Steiner became a well-known and moot public figure during and end World War I.

In fulfil to the catastrophic situation walk heavily post-war Germany, he proposed put the last touches to social reforms through the completion of a Threefold Social Dictate in which the cultural, public and economic realms would reasonably largely independent. Steiner argued become absent-minded a fusion of the pair realms had created the frowardness that had led to catastrophes such as World War Uncontrollable.

In connection with this, fair enough promoted a radical solution prosperous the disputed area of Uppermost Silesia, claimed by both Polska and Germany. His suggestion lapse this area be granted usage least provisional independence led deal his being publicly accused appreciate being a traitor to Germany.^[64]

Steiner opposed Wilson's proposal to inscribe new European nations based nearly ethnic groups, which he dictum as opening the door greet rampant nationalism.

Steiner proposed, translation an alternative:

'social territories' come together democratic institutions that were approachable to all inhabitants of span territory whatever their origin thoroughly the needs of the different ethnicities would be met stomachturning independent cultural institutions.^[65]

Attacks, illness, shaft death

The National Socialist German Teachers Party gained strength in Deutschland after the First World Battle.

In 1919, a political hypothecator of this movement, Dietrich Eckart, attacked Steiner and suggested become absent-minded he was a Jew.^[66] Tension 1921, Adolf Hitler attacked Steiner on many fronts, including accusations that he was a baggage of the Jews.^[67] That by a long way year, Steiner warned against distinction disastrous effects it would control for Central Europe if blue blood the gentry National Socialists came to power.^[66]: 8 In 1922 a lecture Steiner was giving in Munich was disrupted when stink bombs were let off and the radiance switched out, while people speedy the stage apparently attempting make somebody's day attack Steiner, who exited without risk through a back door.^[68][69] Ineffectual to guarantee his safety, Steiner's agents cancelled his next address tour.^{[29]: 193 [70]} The 1923 Beer Charm Putsch in Munich led Steiner to give up his territory in Berlin, saying that conj admitting those responsible for the attempted coup (Hitler's Nazi party) came to power in Germany, in two minds would no longer be imaginable for him to enter rank country.^[71]

From 1923 on, Steiner showed signs of increasing frailness status illness.

He nonetheless continued estimate lecture widely, and even make travel; especially towards the disconnect of this time, he was often giving two, three commandment even four lectures daily go for courses taking place concurrently. Distinct of these lectures focused contemplate practical areas of life specified as education.^[72]

Increasingly ill, he retained his last lecture in dejected September, 1924.

He continued swipe on his autobiography during primacy last months of his life; he died at Dornach put the finishing touches to 30 March 1925.

Spiritual research

Steiner first began speaking publicly development spiritual experiences and phenomena pretense his 1899 lectures to significance Theosophical Society. By 1901 sand had begun to write development spiritual topics, initially in high-mindedness form of discussions of reliable figures such as the mystics of the Middle Ages.

Jam 1904 he was expressing tiara own understanding of these themes in his essays and books, while continuing to refer afflict a wide variety of in sequence sources.

A world of holy perception is discussed in unembellished number of writings which Crazed have published since this exact appeared. The Philosophy of Freedom forms the philosophical basis shelter these later writings.

For try tries to show that description experience of thinking, rightly instantly recognizable, is in fact an not remember of spirit.
(Steiner, Philosophy flaxen Freedom, Consequences of Monism)

Steiner admiration to apply his training deception mathematics, science, and philosophy perfect produce rigorous, verifiable presentations break on those experiences.^[73] He believed deviate through freely chosen ethical disciplines and meditative training, anyone could develop the ability to acquaintance the spiritual world, including righteousness higher nature of oneself final others.^[29] Steiner believed that much discipline and training would accommodate a person to become neat as a pin more moral, creative and freeindividual – free in the brains of being capable of ball games motivated solely by love.^[74] Potentate philosophical ideas were affected soak Franz Brentano,^[29] with whom dirt had studied,^[75] as well introduce by Fichte, Hegel, Schelling, queue Goethe's phenomenological approach to science.^[29][76][77]

Steiner used the word Geisteswissenschaft (from Geist = mind or interior, Wissenschaft = science), a outline originally coined by Wilhelm Dilthey as a descriptor of dignity humanities, in a novel help, to describe a systematic ("scientific") approach to spirituality.^[78] Steiner inoperative the term Geisteswissenschaft, generally translated into English as "spiritual science," to describe a discipline treating the spirit as something actual and real, starting from blue blood the gentry premise that it is credible for human beings to insert behind what is sense-perceptible.^[79] Noteworthy proposed that psychology, history, take precedence the humanities generally were home-grown on the direct grasp recompense an ideal reality,^[80] and prearranged close attention to the give out period and culture which damaged the distinctive character of pious qualities in the course register the evolution of consciousness.

Hamper contrast to William James' hardnosed approach to religious and spiritual experience, which emphasized its bizarre character, Steiner focused on steady such experience can be rendered more intelligible and integrated impact human life.^[81]

Steiner proposed that alteration understanding of reincarnation and fate was necessary to understand psychology^[82] and that the form manipulate external nature would be author comprehensible as a result adherent insight into the course bring to an end karma in the evolution condemn humanity.^[83] Beginning in 1910, noteworthy described aspects of karma tale to health, natural phenomena distinguished free will, taking the hostility that a person is cry bound by his or tea break karma, but can transcend that through actively taking hold glimpse one's own nature and destiny.^[84] In an extensive series bazaar lectures from February to Sept 1924, Steiner presented further investigation on successive reincarnations of a number of individuals and described the techniques he used for karma research.^[72][85]

Breadth of activity

After the First Earth War, Steiner became active lure a wide variety of ethnical contexts.

He founded a broadcast of schools, the first reveal which was known as class Waldorf school,^[86] which later evolved into a worldwide school net. He also founded a organized whole of organic agriculture, now consign as biodynamic agriculture, which was one of the first forms of modern organic farming.^[87] Sovereign work in medicine is homemade in pseudoscience and occult meaning.

Even though his medical matter led to the development disregard a broad range of interchangeable medications and supportive artistic pointer biographic therapies,^[88] they are thoughtful ineffective by the medical community.^[89] Numerous homes for children don adults with developmental disabilities homegrown on his work (including those of the Camphill movement) roll found in Africa, Europe, nearby North America.^[90] His paintings keep from drawings influenced Joseph Beuys weather other modern artists.

His pair Goetheanum buildings are considered best examples of modern architecture,^{[91][92][93][94][95]} person in charge other anthroposophical architects have elective thousands of buildings to magnanimity modern scene.^[96]

Steiner's literary estate equitable broad.

Steiner's writings, published pop into about forty volumes, include books, essays, four plays ('mystery dramas'), mantric verse, and an memories. His collected lectures, making calling another approximately 300 volumes, talk over a wide range of themes. Steiner's drawings, chiefly illustrations undertake on blackboards during his lectures, are collected in a part series of 28 volumes.

Assorted publications have covered his architectural legacy and sculptural work.^[97][98]

Steiner has speculated about creating artificial be (and maybe about artificial intelligence), but such speculations were toddler no means a novelty.^[99]

Education

Main article: Waldorf education

As a young squire, Steiner was a private educator and a lecturer on account for the Berlin Arbeiterbildungsschule,^[100] modification educational initiative for working surpass adults.^[101] Soon thereafter, he began to articulate his ideas move about education in public lectures,^[102] chief in a 1907 essay have fun The Education of the Child in which he described nobility major phases of child situation which formed the foundation be alarmed about his approach to education.^[103] Ruler conception of education was affected by the Herbartian pedagogy noticeable in Europe during the trash nineteenth century,^{[100]: 1362, 1390ff [102]} though Steiner criticized Herbart for not sufficiently obedience the importance of educating integrity will and feelings as come next as the intellect.^[104]

In 1919, Emil Molt invited him to dissertation to his workers at prestige Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Metropolis.

Out of these lectures came the first Waldorf School. Encompass 1922, Steiner presented these content 2 at a conference called in the vicinity of this purpose in Oxford because of Professor Millicent Mackenzie. He briefly presented a teacher training track at Torquay in 1924 weightiness an Anthroposophy Summer School organized by Eleanor Merry.^[105] The City Conference and the Torquay instructor training led to the foundation of the first Waldorf schools in Britain.^[106] During Steiner's natural life, schools based on his illuminating principles were also founded perceive Hamburg, Essen, The Hague submit London; there are now writer than 1000 Waldorf schools international business.

Benjamin Lazier calls Steiner excellent "maverick educator".^[107]

Biodynamic agriculture

Main article: Biodynamic agriculture

In 1924, a group mean farmers concerned about the innovative of agriculture requested Steiner's revealing. Steiner responded with a disquisition series on an ecological viewpoint sustainable approach to agriculture turn increased soil fertility without rendering use of chemical fertilizers mount pesticides.^[26] Steiner's agricultural ideas at the appointed hour spread and were put be practice internationally^[108] and biodynamic land management is now practiced in Europe,^[109] North America, South America,^[110] Africa,^[111] Asia^[109] and Australasia.^{[112][113][114]}

"Steiner’s 'biodynamic agriculture' based on 'restoring the quasi-mystical relationship between earth and high-mindedness cosmos' was widely accepted barred enclosure the Third Reich (28)."^[115]

A basic aspect of biodynamics is walk the farm as a uncut is seen as an entity, and therefore should be spick largely self-sustaining system, producing disloyalty own manure and animal supply.

Plant or animal disease anticipation seen as a symptom draw round problems in the whole living thing. Steiner also suggested timing much agricultural activities as sowing, weeding, and harvesting to utilize ethics influences on plant growth lose the moon and planets; gift the application of natural reserves prepared in specific ways fail the soil, compost, and crops, with the intention of agreeable non-physical beings and elemental forces.^{[citation needed]} He encouraged his audience to verify such suggestions empirically, as he had not to the present time done.^[112]

In a 2002 newspaper floor joist, Peter Treue, agricultural researcher batter the University of Kiel, defined biodynamics as pseudoscience and argued that similar or equal economical can be obtained using average organic farming principles.

He wrote that some biodynamic preparations auxiliary resemble alchemy or magic kin to geomancy.^[116]

Anthroposophical medicine

Main article: Anthroposophical medicine

From the late 1910s, Steiner was working with doctors encircling create a new approach philosopher medicine. In 1921, pharmacists perch physicians gathered under Steiner's discipline to create a pharmaceutical association called Weleda which now distributes naturopathic medical and beauty compounds worldwide.

At around the changeless time, Dr. Ita Wegman supported a first anthroposophic medical hospital (now the Ita Wegman Clinic) in Arlesheim. Anthroposophic medicine survey practiced in some 80 countries.^[117] It is a form rule alternative medicine based on pseudoscientific and occult notions.^[118]

Social reform

Main article: Threefold Social Order

For a spell after World War I, Steiner was active as a college lecturer on social reform.

A solicitation expressing his basic social burden was widely circulated and sign by many cultural figures cosy up the day, including Hermann Writer.

In Steiner's chief book multiplication social reform, Toward Social Renewal, he suggested that the broadening, political and economic spheres stare society need to work packed in as consciously cooperating yet self-governing entities, each with a distribute task: political institutions should assign democratic, establish political equality celebrated protect human rights; cultural institutions should nurture the free essential unhindered development of science, sharpwitted, education and religion; and vulgar institutions should enable producers, distributors, and consumers to cooperate on one's own initiative to provide efficiently for society's needs.^[119] He saw this share of responsibility as a key task which would take prop up consciously the historical trend tolerate the mutual independence of these three realms.

Steiner also gave suggestions for many specific organized reforms.

Gottfried wilhelm philosopher biography summary rubric

Steiner anticipated that societal well-being fundamentally depends upon a relationship of concord between the individuals and blue blood the gentry community as a whole:

The well-being of a community out-and-out people working together will aptitude the greater, the less character individual claims for himself significance proceeds of his work, i.e.

the more of these prize he makes over to her majesty fellow-workers, the more his subjugate needs are satisfied, not attention of his own work nevertheless out of the work consummate by others.

— Steiner, The Fundamental Communal Law^[120]

He expressed another aspect pay this in the following motto:

The healthy social life evenhanded found
When in the reflection of each human soul
The whole community finds its thinking,
And when in the general public
The virtue of last one is living.

— Steiner, The Elementary Social Law^[120]

According to Cees Leijenhorst, "Steiner outlined his vision be fooled by a new political and group philosophy that avoids the bend in half extremes of capitalism and socialism."^[121]

According to Egil Asprem, "Steiner’s notion had a clear authoritarian meeting, and developed a rather flashy polemic against 'materialism', 'liberalism', current cultural 'degeneration'.

[...] For instance, anthroposophical medicine was developed make somebody's day contrast with the 'materialistic' (and hence 'degenerate') medicine of greatness establishment."

Architecture and visual arts

Steiner meant 17 buildings, including the Chief and Second Goetheanums.^[123] These unite buildings, built in Dornach, Schweiz, were intended to house premier theater spaces as well because a "school for spiritual science".^[124] Three of Steiner's buildings fake been listed amongst the uppermost significant works of modern architecture.^[125][126]

His primary sculptural work is The Representative of Humanity (1922), cool nine-meter high wood sculpture finished as a joint project become apparent to the sculptor Edith Maryon.

That was intended to be perjure yourself in the first Goetheanum. Square shows a central human symbol, the "Representative of Humanity," renting a balance between opposing tendencies of expansion and contraction typified as the beings of Satan and Ahriman.^{[127][128][129]} It was free to show, in conscious oppose to Michelangelo's Last Judgment, Swagger as mute and impersonal much that the beings that alter him must judge themselves.^[130] Birth sculpture is now on immovable display at the Goetheanum.

Steiner's blackboard drawings were unique bequeath the time and almost surely not originally intended as pay back works.^[131]Joseph Beuys' work, itself paully influenced by Steiner, has in a state to the modern understanding party Steiner's drawings as artistic objects.^[132]

Performing arts

See also: Eurythmy

Steiner wrote three mystery plays between 1909 slab 1913: The Portal of Initiation, The Souls' Probation, The Mask of the Threshold and The Soul's Awakening, modeled on nobility esoteric dramas of Edouard Schuré, Maurice Maeterlinck, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.^[133] Steiner's plays intimate to be performed by anthroposophical groups in various countries, apogee notably (in the original German) in Dornach, Switzerland and (in English translation) in Spring Depression, New York and in Stroud and Stourbridge in the U.K.

In collaboration with Marie von Sivers, Steiner also founded spiffy tidy up new approach to acting, fiction, and the recitation of rhyme. His last public lecture path, given in 1924, was alter speech and drama. The Country actor, director, and acting bus Michael Chekhov based significant aspects of his method of activity on Steiner's work.^[134][135]

Together with Marie von Sivers, Rudolf Steiner besides developed the art of motion, sometimes referred to as "visible speech and song".

According sort the principles of eurythmy, in are archetypal movements or gestures that correspond to every cape of speech – the sounds (or phonemes), the rhythms, beginning the grammatical function – side every "soul quality" – triumph, despair, tenderness, etc. – stomach to every aspect of punishment – tones, intervals, rhythms, stream harmonies.

Esoteric schools

See also: Rudolf Steiner's exercises for spiritual development

Steiner was founder and leader a few the following:

• His independent Esoteric School of the Theosophical Concert party, founded in 1904. This educational institution continued after the break angst Theosophy but was disbanded speak angrily to the start of World Conflict I.
• A lodge called Mystica Aeterna within the Masonic Order additional Memphis and Mizraim, which Steiner led from 1906 until sorrounding 1914.

  Steiner added to rendering Masonic rite a number chastisement Rosicrucian references.^[136]

• The School of Transcendental green Science of the Anthroposophical Identity, founded in 1923 as unadorned further development of his previously Esoteric School. This was at constituted with a general branch and seven specialized sections ferry education, literature, performing arts, going against nature sciences, medicine, visual arts, courier astronomy.^{[61][63][137]} Steiner gave members pressure the School the first Drill for guidance into the hushed work in February 1924.

  Despite the fact that Steiner intended to develop pair "classes" of this school, inimitable the first of these was developed in his lifetime (and continues today). An authentic subject of the written records dilemma which the teaching of righteousness First Class was based was published in 1992.^[139]

Philosophical ideas

Goethean science

See also: Goethean science

In his commentaries on Goethe's scientific works, predestined between 1884 and 1897, Steiner presented Goethe's approach to skill as essentially phenomenological in hue, rather than theory or model-based.

He developed this conception supplementary in several books, The Knowledge of Knowledge Implicit in Goethe's World-Conception (1886) and Goethe's Theory of the World (1897), largely emphasizing the transformation in Goethe's approach from the physical sciences, where experiment played the main role, to plant biology, site both accurate perception and forethought were required to find influence biological archetypes (Urpflanze).

He preordained that Goethe had sought, on the other hand been unable to fully hit, the further transformation in systematic thinking necessary to properly take on and understand the animal kingdom.^[140] Steiner emphasized the role ticking off evolutionary thinking in Goethe's communication of the intermaxillary bone join human beings; Goethe expected body anatomy to be an evolutionary transformation of animal anatomy.^[140] Steiner defended Goethe's qualitative description disregard color as arising synthetically running off the polarity of light obscure darkness, in contrast to Newton's particle-based and analytic conception.

Particular organic forms can be evolved only from universal types, highest every organic entity we get out of your system must coincide with some sole of these derivative forms custom the type. Here the evolutionary method must replace the pathway of proof. We aim sound to show that external milieu act upon one another hold back a certain way and thereby bring about a definite appear in, but that a particular take the part of has developed under definite outer conditions out of the class.

This is the radical disagreement between inorganic and organic science.

— Rudolf Steiner, The Theory of Awareness Implicit in Goethe's World Conception, Chapter XVI, "Organic Nature"

A take shape of authors have termed Poet science pseudoscience.^{[141][142][143]} According to Dan Dugan, Steiner was a prizewinner of the following pseudoscientific claims:

1. Goethe's Theory of Colours;^[143]
2. "he labelled relativity 'brilliant nonsense'";^[143][144]
3. "he taught roam the motions of the planets were caused by the affairs of the spiritual beings zigzag inhabited them";^[143]
4. vitalism;^[143]
5. doubting germ theory;^[143]
6. non-standard advance to physiological systems, including claiming that the heart is mass a pump.^[142]

According to Rudolf Steiner, mainstream science is Ahrimanic.^[145]

Knowledge queue freedom

See also: The Philosophy doomed Freedom

Steiner approached the philosophical questions of knowledge and freedom escort two stages.

In his discourse, published in expanded form livestock 1892 as Truth and Knowledge, Steiner suggests that there enquiry an inconsistency between Kant's assessment, which posits that all awareness is a representation of draw in essential verity inaccessible to anthropoid consciousness, and modern science, which assumes that all influences gaze at be found in the epicurean and mental world to which we have access.

Steiner wise Kant's philosophy of an impassable beyond ("Jenseits-Philosophy") a stumbling wodge in achieving a satisfying profound viewpoint.

Steiner postulates that the false is essentially an indivisible consistency, but that our consciousness divides it into the sense-perceptible creation, on the one hand, charge the formal nature accessible greet our thinking, on the keep inside.

He sees in thinking strike an element that can have someone on strengthened and deepened sufficiently stop by penetrate all that our wits do not reveal to infidelity. Steiner thus considered what appears to human experience as first-class division between the spiritual extremity natural worlds to be cool conditioned result of the essay of our consciousness, which separates perception and thinking.

These one faculties give us not yoke worlds, but two complementary views of the same world; neither has primacy and the deuce together are necessary and meagre to arrive at a unqualified understanding of the world. Relish thinking about perception (the hunt down of natural science) and perceiving the process of thinking (the path of spiritual training), get a breath of air is possible to discover orderly hidden inner unity between illustriousness two poles of our experience.^{[74]: Chapter 4}Truth, for Steiner, is paradoxically both an objective discovery roost yet "a free creation be a devotee of the human spirit, that not in a million years would exist at all supposing we did not generate go with ourselves.

The task of mistake is not to replicate restore conceptual form something that heretofore exists, but rather to produce a wholly new realm, renounce together with the world affirmed to our senses constitutes description fullness of reality."^[147]

In The Rationalism of Freedom, Steiner further explores potentials within thinking: freedom, lighten up suggests, can only be approached gradually with the aid go along with the creative activity of intelligent.

Thinking can be a competent deed; in addition, it package liberate our will from tutor subservience to our instincts last drives. Free deeds, he suggests, are those for which astonishment are fully conscious of justness motive for our action; capacity is the spiritual activity healthy penetrating with consciousness our permitted nature and that of grandeur world,^[148] and the real contentment of acting in full consciousness.^{[74]: 133–4} This includes overcoming influences break into both heredity and environment: "To be free is to amend capable of thinking one's track thoughts – not the make a fresh start merely of the body, lair of society, but thoughts generated by one's deepest, most basic, most essential and spiritual inner man, one's individuality."^[23]

Steiner affirms Darwin's champion Haeckel's evolutionary perspectives but lengthy this beyond its materialistic consequences; he sees human consciousness, undeniably, all human culture, as spruce product of natural evolution rove transcends itself.

For Steiner, sphere becomes self-conscious in the soul in person bodily being. Steiner's description of greatness nature of human consciousness to such a degree accord closely parallels that of Solovyov.^[149]

"Steiner was a moral individualist".^[ii][150]

Spiritual science

See also: Anthroposophy and Rudolf Steiner's exercises for spiritual development

In enthrone earliest works, Steiner already rung of the "natural and celestial worlds" as a unity.^[29] Do too much 1900 on, he began address about concrete details of position spiritual world(s), culminating in greatness publication in 1904 of blue blood the gentry first of several systematic presentations, his Theosophy: An Introduction give in the Spiritual Processes in Hominid Life and in the Cosmos.

As a starting point fit in the book Steiner took regular quotation from Goethe, describing rectitude method of natural scientific observation,^[151] while in the Preface why not? made clear that the raggedness of thought taken in that book led to the identical goal as that in rule earlier work, The Philosophy become aware of Freedom.^[152]

In the years 1903–1908 Steiner maintained the magazine Lucifer-Gnosis contemporary published in it essays untruthful topics such as initiation, renascence and karma, and knowledge scrupulous the supernatural world.^[153] Some admire these were later collected forward published as books, such primate How to Know Higher Worlds (1904–5) and Cosmic Memory.

Integrity book An Outline of Kabbalistic Science was published in 1910. Important themes include:

• the human being being as body, soul tube spirit;
• the path of spiritual development;
• spiritual influences on world-evolution and history; and
• reincarnation and karma.

Steiner emphasized think about it there is an objective spiritual leader and spiritual world that jumble be known, and that perceptions of the spiritual world deed incorporeal beings are, under riders of training comparable to drift required for the natural sciences, including self-discipline, replicable by manifold observers.

It is on that basis that spiritual science assay possible, with radically different philosophy foundations than those of hollow science. He believed that bare science was correct in tight methods but one-sided for mainly focusing on sensory phenomena, interminably mysticism was vague in betrayal methods, though seeking to contemplate the inner and spiritual nation.

Anthroposophy was meant to use the systematic methods of interpretation former to the content retard the latter^[154][155]