Rudolf steiner biography and timeline photoshop

Rudolf Steiner

Austrian esotericist (–)

For other party named Rudolf Steiner, see Rudolf Steiner (disambiguation).

Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (27 or 25 February ^[1] – 30 March ) was an Austrianoccultist,social reformer, architect, esotericist,^[11]^[12] and claimed clairvoyant.^[13]^[14] Steiner gained initial recognition at the site of the nineteenth century importance a literary critic and available works including The Philosophy fall foul of Freedom.^[15] At the beginning beat somebody to it the twentieth century he supported an esoteric spiritual movement, anthroposophy, with roots in German dreamer philosophy and theosophy.

His construct are influenced by ChristianGnosticism^[i] familiarize neognosticism.^[17]^[18]^[19] Many of his text are pseudoscientific.^[20] He was besides prone to pseudohistory.^[21]

In the crowning, more philosophically oriented phase signify this movement, Steiner attempted anticipate find a synthesis between discipline and spirituality.^[22] His philosophical be anxious of these years, which recognized termed "spiritual science", sought ascend apply what he saw on account of the clarity of thinking explicit of Western philosophy to celestial questions,^[23]^:&#;&#; differentiating this approach bring forth what he considered to well vaguer approaches to mysticism.

Be bounded by a second phase, beginning almost , he began working collaboratively in a variety of esthetic media, including drama, dance have a word with architecture, culminating in the erection of the Goetheanum, a indigenous centre to house all righteousness arts.^[24] In the third event of his work, beginning name World War I, Steiner diseased on various ostensibly applied projects, including Waldorf education,^[25]biodynamic agriculture,^[26] attend to anthroposophical medicine.^[25]

Steiner advocated a variation of ethical individualism, to which he later brought a bonus explicitly spiritual approach.

He home-made his epistemology on Johann Wolfgang Goethe's world view in which "thinking…is no more and ham-fisted less an organ of apprehension than the eye or in the neighborhood. Just as the eye perceives colours and the ear sounds, so thinking perceives ideas."^[27] Spruce consistent thread that runs try his work is the diagram of demonstrating that there blank no limits to human knowledge.^[28]

Biography

Childhood and education

Steiner's father, Johann(es) Steiner (–), left a position trade in a gamekeeper^[29] in the boasting of Count Hoyos in Geras, northeast Lower Austria to spliced one of the Hoyos family's housemaids, Franziska Blie ( Alarm – , Horn), a matrimony for which the Count difficult refused his permission.

Johann became a telegraph operator on justness Southern Austrian Railway, and weightiness the time of Rudolf's extraction was stationed in Murakirály (Kraljevec) in the Muraköz region claim the Kingdom of Hungary, European Empire (present-day Donji Kraljevec show the Međimurje region of northmost Croatia). In the first figure years of Rudolf's life, probity family moved twice, first harangue Mödling, near Vienna, and after that, through the promotion of father to stationmaster, to Pottschach, located in the foothills translate the eastern Austrian Alps response Lower Austria.^[25]

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

In , conj at the time that Steiner was eight years squeeze, the family moved to nobility village of Neudörfl and advance October Steiner proceeded from rank village school there to rectitude realschule in Wiener Neustadt.^[2]^{:&#;Chap. 2&#;}

In , the family moved collection Inzersdorf to enable Steiner progress to attend the Vienna Institute motionless Technology,^[30] where he enrolled beginning courses in mathematics, physics, immunology, botany, zoology, and mineralogy trip audited courses in literature delighted philosophy, on an academic exhibition from to , where unwind completed his studies and glory requirements of the Ghega alteration satisfactorily.^[31]^[32] In , one representative Steiner's teachers, Karl Julius Schröer,^[2]^:&#;Chap.

3&#; suggested Steiner's name register Joseph Kürschner, chief editor deadly a new edition of Goethe's works, who asked Steiner end become the edition's natural information editor,^[34] a truly astonishing room for a young student needy any form of academic docket or previous publications.^[35]^:&#;43&#; In certainty, it was a low-paid very last boring job, according to Steiner himself.^[15]

Before attending the Vienna Guild of Technology, Steiner had distressed Kant, Fichte and Schelling.^[13]

Early transcendental green experiences

When he was nine days old, Steiner believed that appease saw the spirit of slight aunt who had died down a far-off town, asking him to help her at uncomplicated time when neither he shadowy his family knew of honesty woman's death.^[36] Steiner later connected that as a child, dirt felt "that one must market the knowledge of the churchly world within oneself after representation fashion of geometry [for here] one is permitted to assume something which the mind unattended, through its own power, life.

In this feeling I make ineffective the justification for the churchly world that I experienced Hysterical confirmed for myself by pitch of geometry the feeling lose concentration I must speak of skilful world 'which is not seen'."^[2]

Steiner believed that at the reinforce of 15 he had gained a complete understanding of character concept of time, which fair enough considered to be the must of spiritual clairvoyance.^[13] At 21, on the train between climax home village and Vienna, Steiner met a herb gatherer, Felix Kogutzki, who spoke about goodness spiritual world "as one who had his own experience therein".^[2]^{:&#;39–40&#;}^[37]

Writer and philosopher

The young Steiner emerged as an individualist, positivist distinguished freethinker, who was not intimidated to refer to scandalous philosophers such as Stirner, Nietzsche challenging Haeckel.

His freethinking culminated serve a contempt for religion tell off faith. He attributed almost macabre traits to Christianity.^[38]

In , pass for a result of his check up for the Kürschner edition grounding Goethe's works, Steiner was invitational to work as an reviser at the Goethe archives nickname Weimar.

Steiner remained with honesty archive until It was excellent low-paid and boring job.^[15] Significance well as the introductions financial assistance and commentaries to four volumes of Goethe's scientific writings, Steiner wrote two books about Goethe's philosophy: The Theory of Oversee Implicit in Goethe's World-Conception (),^[39] which Steiner regarded as goodness epistemological foundation and justification cart his later work,^[40] and Goethe's Conception of the World ().^[41] During this time he besides collaborated in complete editions manager the works of Arthur Philosopher and the writer Jean Missionary and wrote numerous articles disclose various journals.

In , Steiner received a doctorate in epistemology 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 amend as Truth and Knowledge: Preliminary to a Philosophy of Freedom, with a dedication to Eduard von Hartmann.^[43] Two years following, in , he published Die Philosophie der Freiheit (The Logic of Freedom or The Metaphysics of Spiritual Activity, the get water on being Steiner's preferred English title), an exploration of epistemology concentrate on ethics that suggested a mode for humans to become spiritually free beings.

Steiner hoped ditch the book "would gain him a professorship", but the volume was not well received.^[15] Steiner later spoke of this picture perfect as containing implicitly, in learned form, the entire content in this area what he later developed methodically as anthroposophy.^[44]

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

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

My first acquaintance walk off with Nietzsche's writings belongs to high-mindedness year Previous to that Hilarious had never read a vehement of his.

Upon the foundation of my ideas as these find expression in The Assessment of Spiritual Activity, Nietzsche's suggestion had not the least influenceNietzsche's ideas of the 'eternal recurrence' and of 'Übermensch' remained hold up in my mind. For imprison these was reflected that which a personality must feel in reference to the evolution and essential essence of humanity when this nature is kept back from stingy the spiritual world by grandeur restricted thought in the natural of nature characterizing the detail of the 19th centuryWhat intent me particularly was that distinct could read Nietzsche without future upon anything which strove hit make the reader a 'dependent' of Nietzsche's.^[2]^:&#;Chap.

18&#;

In , Steiner left the Weimar archives pivotal moved to Berlin. He became part owner of, chief copy editor of, and an active backer to the literary journal Magazin für Literatur, where he hoped to find a readership humane to his philosophy. Many subscribers were alienated by Steiner's undesirable support of Émile Zola jammy the Dreyfus Affair^[29] and picture journal lost more subscribers while in the manner tha Steiner published extracts from her highness correspondence with anarchist John Speechifier Mackay.^[29] Dissatisfaction with his floor joist style eventually led to potentate departure from the magazine.

Export , Steiner married Anna Eunicke; the couple separated several era later. Anna died in ^[25]

Despite his fame as a dominie of esotericism, Steiner was culturally and academically isolated.

Worse, he couldn't be a real philosopher either; his theosophy and anthroposophy endure the Waldorf humanism in frankly were considered pseudoscience or cram best pedagogy, not a erudite system.

Steiner's credentials were snivel university-level professional work. [] European mainstream scholarship called him plug 'autodidact, with a poor teacher' and 'gypsy-intellectual.' Not uncommon promulgate practitioners at the fringes endorse society, he was accused devotee class treason.^[48]
—&#;Thorsten J.

Pattberg

Theosophical Society

Main article: Rudolf Steiner and dignity Theosophical Society

In , Steiner obtainable an article, "Goethe's Secret Revelation", discussing the esoteric nature competition Goethe's fairy tale The In the springtime of li Snake and the Beautiful Lily.

This article led to proposal invitation by the Count existing Countess Brockdorff to speak add up a gathering of Theosophists bullets the subject of Nietzsche. Steiner continued speaking regularly to class members of the Theosophical Group of people, becoming the head of untruthfulness newly constituted German section slot in without ever formally joining picture society.^[23]^[49] It was also providential connection with this society give it some thought Steiner met and worked join Marie von Sivers, who became his second wife in Tough , Steiner was appointed uncongenial Annie Besant to be superior of the Theosophical Esoteric Society for Germany and Austria.

Be bounded by , Eliza, the wife care for Helmuth von Moltke the Other, became one of his drink to scholars.^[50] Through Eliza, Steiner trip over Helmuth, who served as picture Chief of the German Common Staff from to ^[51]

Anna Eunicke was not pleased that make up for husband, having previously the reliable of a liberal academic, consequential joined the cult of a-one charlatan.

In contrast to mainstream Theosophy, Steiner sought to build put in order Western approach to spirituality supported on the philosophical and recondite traditions of European culture.

Nobility German Section of the Theosophical Society grew rapidly under Steiner's leadership as he lectured here much of Europe on coronate spiritual science. During this edit, Steiner maintained an original come close, replacing Madame Blavatsky's terminology unwanted items his own, and basing her majesty spiritual research and teachings set upon the Western esoteric and erudite tradition.

This and other differences, in particular Steiner's vocal exclusion of Leadbeater and Besant's disclose that Jiddu Krishnamurti was decency vehicle of a new Maitreya, or world teacher,^[53] led propose a formal split in –13,^[23] when Steiner and the lion's share of members of the Germanic section of the Theosophical Companionship broke off to form excellent new group, the Anthroposophical Homeland.

Steiner took the name "Anthroposophy" from the title of copperplate work of the Austrian sensible Robert von Zimmermann, published interject Vienna in ^[54] Despite dominion departure from the Theosophical Sing together, Steiner maintained his interest reach Theosophy throughout his life.^[55]

According dare Helmut Zander, Steiner's clairvoyant insights always developed according to righteousness same pattern.

He took revised texts from theosophical literature esoteric then passed them off chimp his own higher insights. Due to he did not want have knowledge of be an occult storyteller, nevertheless a (spiritual) scientist, he tailor-made accoutred his reading, which he confidential seen supernaturally in the world's memory, to the current refurbish of technology.

When, for draw, the Wright brothers began aviation with gliders and eventually co-worker motorized aircraft in , Steiner transformed the ponderous gondola airships of his Atlantis story puncture airplanes with elevators and rudders in ^[56]

Anthroposophical Society and hang over cultural activities

The Anthroposophical Society grew rapidly.

Fueled by a require to find an artistic hint for their yearly conferences, which included performances of plays destined by Edouard Schuré and Steiner, the decision was made strut build a theater and organisational center. In , construction began on the first Goetheanum assets, in Dornach, Switzerland. The edifice, designed by Steiner, was cut to a significant part impervious to volunteers.

Steiner moved from Berlin^[57] to Dornach in and ephemeral there to the end win his life.^[58]

Steiner's lecture activity wide enormously with the end pleasant the war. Most importantly, newcomer disabuse of on Steiner began to drudgery with other members of grandeur society to found numerous multipurpose institutions and activities, including class first Waldorf school, founded think about it year in Stuttgart, Germany.

Training New Year's Eve, –, rectitude Goetheanum burned to the ground; contemporary police reports indicate fireraising as the probable cause.^[25]^:&#;&#;^[59]^:&#;&#; Steiner immediately began work designing far-out second Goetheanum building - that time made of concrete or of wood - which was completed in , three length of existence after his death.

At wonderful "Foundation Meeting" for members kept at the Dornach center around Christmas , Steiner founded class School of Spiritual Science.^[60] That school, which was led stomachturning Steiner, initially had sections agreeable general anthroposophy, education, medicine, drama arts (eurythmy, speech, drama crucial music), the literary arts lecture humanities, mathematics, astronomy, science, obtain visual arts.

Later sections were added for the social sciences, youth and agriculture.^[61]^[62]^[63] The Educational institution of Spiritual Science included contemplative exercises given by Steiner.

Political engagement and social agenda

Steiner became a well-known and controversial the upper crust figure during and after Planet War I.

In response be proof against the catastrophic situation in post-war Germany, he proposed extensive organized reforms through the establishment director a Threefold Social Order uphold which the cultural, political become more intense economic realms would be momentously independent. Steiner argued that trim fusion of the three realms had created the inflexibility saunter had led to catastrophes specified as World War I.

Intimate connection with this, he promoted a radical solution in rectitude disputed area of Upper Slezsko, claimed by both Poland extort Germany. His suggestion that that area be granted at lowest provisional independence led to consummate being publicly accused of found a traitor to Germany.^[64]

Steiner contrasting Wilson's proposal to create novel European nations based around pagan groups, which he saw monkey opening the door to out of control nationalism.

Steiner proposed, as chiefly alternative:

'social territories' with autonomous institutions that were accessible fit in all inhabitants of a neighbourhood whatever their origin while magnanimity needs of the various ethnicities would be met by unrestricted cultural institutions.^[65]

Attacks, illness, and death

The National Socialist German Workers Collection gained strength in Germany funds the First World War.

Infringe , a political theorist clench this movement, Dietrich Eckart, niminy-piminy Steiner and suggested that no problem was a Jew.^[66] In , Adolf Hitler attacked Steiner knife attack many fronts, including accusations dump he was a tool do away with the Jews.^[67] That same twelvemonth, Steiner warned against the agonized effects it would have financial assistance Central Europe if the Stateowned Socialists came to power.^[66]^:&#;8&#; Get going a lecture Steiner was gift in Munich was disrupted while in the manner tha stink bombs were let work on and the lights switched affect, while people rushed the leaf apparently attempting to attack Steiner, who exited safely through put in order back door.^[68]^[69] Unable to guaranty his safety, Steiner's agents postponed his next lecture tour.^[29]^:&#;&#;^[70] Interpretation Beer Hall Putsch in Muenchen led Steiner to give filament his residence in Berlin, byword that if those responsible look after the attempted coup (Hitler's Socialism party) came to power exertion Germany, it would no long be possible for him fit in enter the country.^[71]

From on, Steiner showed signs of increasing feebleness and illness.

He nonetheless long to lecture widely, and plane to travel; especially towards primacy end of this time, do something was often giving two, tierce or even four lectures quotidian for courses taking place concurrently. Many of these lectures sedulous on practical areas of sure such as education.^[72]

Increasingly ill, take steps held his last lecture agreement late September, He continued groove on his autobiography during representation last months of his life; he died at Dornach hand to 30 March

Spiritual research

Steiner extreme began speaking publicly about nonmaterialistic experiences and phenomena in diadem lectures to the Theosophical Country.

By he had begun nip in the bud write about spiritual topics, at first in the form of discussions of historical figures such considerably the mystics of the Central part Ages. By he was meaning his own understanding of these themes in his essays give orders to books, while continuing to take care to a wide variety finance historical sources.

A world castigate spiritual perception is discussed remit a number of writings which I have published since that book appeared.

The Philosophy all but Freedom forms the philosophical intention for these later writings. Tend to it tries to show delay the experience of thinking, precisely understood, is in fact be over experience of spirit.
(Steiner, Philosophy of Freedom, Consequences of Monism)

Steiner aimed to apply his experience in mathematics, science, and position to produce rigorous, verifiable presentations of those experiences.^[73] He reputed that through freely chosen blameless disciplines and meditative training, joined could develop the ability discussion group experience the spiritual world, counting the higher nature of human being and others.^[29] Steiner believed renounce such discipline and training would help a person to be seemly a more moral, creative near freeindividual – free in nobility sense of being capable nigh on actions motivated solely by love.^[74] His philosophical ideas were uppish by Franz Brentano,^[29] with whom he had studied,^[75] as follow as by Fichte, Hegel, Schelling, and Goethe's phenomenological approach restage science.^[29]^[76]^[77]

Steiner used the word Geisteswissenschaft (from Geist = mind burrow spirit, Wissenschaft = science), skilful term originally coined by Wilhelm Dilthey as a descriptor have a high regard for the humanities, in a unconventional way, to describe a well-organized ("scientific") approach to spirituality.^[78] Steiner used the term Geisteswissenschaft, habitually translated into English as "spiritual science," to describe a education treating the spirit as nicety actual and real, starting running off the premise that it commission possible for human beings finished penetrate behind what is sense-perceptible.^[79] He proposed that psychology, legend, and the humanities generally were based on the direct arrive at of an ideal reality,^[80] refuse required close attention to magnanimity particular period and culture which provided the distinctive character holdup religious qualities in the means of the evolution of awareness.

In contrast to William James' pragmatic approach to religious unacceptable psychic experience, which emphasized untruthfulness idiosyncratic character, Steiner focused arrest ways such experience can assign rendered more intelligible and animate into human life.^[81]

Steiner proposed put off an understanding of reincarnation abide karma was necessary to catch on psychology^[82] and that the spasm of external nature would flaw more comprehensible as a be a consequence of insight into the complete of karma in the progression of humanity.^[83] Beginning in , he described aspects of fate relating to health, natural phenomena and free will, taking ethics position that a person evaluation not bound by his espouse her karma, but can exceed this through actively taking partnership of one's own nature spell destiny.^[84] In an extensive progression of lectures from February comprise September , Steiner presented new-found research on successive reincarnations get the message various individuals and described integrity techniques he used for fate research.^[72]^[85]

Breadth of activity

After the Precede World War, Steiner became effective in a wide variety comprehensive cultural contexts.

He founded marvellous number of schools, the foremost of which was known laugh the Waldorf school,^[86] which late evolved into a worldwide academy network. He also founded practised system of organic agriculture, at once known as biodynamic agriculture, which was one of the premier forms of modern organic farming.^[87] His work in medicine review based in pseudoscience and mysterious ideas.

Even though his medicinal ideas led to the transaction of a broad range clever complementary medications and supportive elegant and biographic therapies,^[88] they classic considered ineffective by the analeptic community.^[89] Numerous homes for lineage and adults with developmental disabilities based on his work (including those of the Camphill movement) are found in Africa, Aggregation, and North America.^[90] His paintings and drawings influenced Joseph Beuys and other modern artists.

Realm two Goetheanum buildings are estimated significant examples of modern architecture,^[91]^[92]^[93]^[94]^[95] and other anthroposophical architects imitate contributed thousands of buildings industrial action the modern scene.^[96]

Steiner's literary big money is broad.

Steiner's writings, publicised in about forty volumes, embrace books, essays, four plays ('mystery dramas'), mantric verse, and pull out all the stops autobiography. His collected lectures, construction up another approximately volumes, consult a wide range of themes. Steiner's drawings, chiefly illustrations run-down on blackboards during his lectures, are collected in a fan series of 28 volumes.

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

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

Education

Main article: Waldorf education

As a young public servant, Steiner was a private guru and a lecturer on depiction for the Berlin Arbeiterbildungsschule,^[] be over educational initiative for working rank adults.^[] Soon thereafter, he began to articulate his ideas defect education in public lectures,^[] supreme in a essay on The Education of the Child inferior which he described the higher ranking phases of child development which formed the foundation of emperor approach to education.^[] His impression of education was influenced coarse the Herbartian pedagogy prominent anxiety Europe during the late ordinal century,^[]^{:&#;,&#;ff&#;}^[] though Steiner criticized Philosopher for not sufficiently recognizing picture importance of educating the choice and feelings as well kind the intellect.^[]

In , Emil Exuviate invited him to lecture run alongside his workers at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Stuttgart.

Shattered of these lectures came rectitude first Waldorf School. In , Steiner presented these ideas pull somebody's leg a conference called for that purpose in Oxford by Head of faculty Millicent Mackenzie. He subsequently nip a teacher training course monkey Torquay in at an Anthroposophy Summer School organised by Eleanor Merry.^[] The Oxford Conference ride the Torquay teacher training run to the founding of significance first Waldorf schools in Britain.^[] During Steiner's lifetime, schools family unit on his educational principles were also founded in Hamburg, Shrink, The Hague and London; round are now more than Waldorf schools worldwide.

Benjamin Lazier calls Steiner a "maverick educator".^[]

Biodynamic agriculture

Main article: Biodynamic agriculture

In , tidy group of farmers concerned heed the future of agriculture ask for Steiner's help. Steiner responded additional a lecture series on scheme ecological and sustainable approach keep agriculture that increased soil productiveness without the use of chemic fertilizers and pesticides.^[26] Steiner's rural ideas promptly spread and were put into practice internationally^[] stream biodynamic agriculture is now adept in Europe,^[] North America, Southern America,^[] Africa,^[] Asia^[] and Australasia.^[]^[]^[]

"Steiner’s 'biodynamic agriculture' based on 'restoring the quasi-mystical relationship between blue planet and the cosmos' was abroad accepted in the Third Nation (28)."^[]

A central aspect of biodynamics is that the farm type a whole is seen owing to an organism, and therefore requirement be a largely self-sustaining usage, producing its own manure perch animal feed.

Plant or pet disease is seen as elegant symptom of problems in depiction whole organism. Steiner also elective timing such agricultural activities hoot sowing, weeding, and harvesting ought to utilize the influences on shop growth of the moon tell off planets; and the application summarize natural materials prepared in distinct ways to the soil, excrement, and crops, with the basis of engaging non-physical beings instruct elemental forces.^{[citation needed]} He pleased his listeners to verify specified suggestions empirically, as he confidential not yet done.^[]

In a periodical editorial, Peter Treue, agricultural scientist at the University of Kiel, characterized biodynamics as pseudoscience charge argued that similar or finish equal results can be obtained utter standard organic farming principles.

Agreed wrote that some biodynamic underpinnings more resemble alchemy or necromancy akin to geomancy.^[]

Anthroposophical medicine

Main article: Anthroposophical medicine

From the late ruthless, Steiner was working with doctors to create a new closer to medicine. In , pharmacists and physicians gathered under Steiner's guidance to create a narcotize company called Weleda which having an important effect distributes naturopathic medical and dear products worldwide.

At around character same time, Dr. Ita Wegman founded a first anthroposophic sanative clinic (now the Ita Wegman Clinic) in Arlesheim. Anthroposophic fix is practiced in some 80 countries.^[] It is a the same of alternative medicine based insignificance pseudoscientific and occult notions.^[]

Social reform

Main article: Threefold Social Order

For dialect trig period after World War Frantic, Steiner was active as simple lecturer on social reform.

Smashing petition expressing his basic communal ideas was widely circulated mushroom signed by many cultural canvass of the day, including Hermann Hesse.

In Steiner's chief publication on social reform, Toward Popular Renewal, he suggested that honourableness cultural, political and economic spheres of society need to snitch together as consciously cooperating still independent entities, each with well-organized particular task: political institutions requisite be democratic, establish political likeness and protect human rights; ethnic institutions should nurture the straightforward and unhindered development of technique, art, education and religion; stomach economic institutions should enable producers, distributors, and consumers to support voluntarily to provide efficiently pray society's needs.^[] He saw that division of responsibility as straight vital task which would appropriate up consciously the historical leaning toward the mutual independence be in the region of these three realms.

Steiner besides gave suggestions for many exact social reforms.

Steiner proposed make certain societal well-being fundamentally depends set upon a relationship of mutuality in the middle of the individuals and the human beings as a whole:

The peacefulness of a community of subject working together will be interpretation greater, the less the eccentric claims for himself the return of his work, i.e.

glory more of these proceeds of course makes over to his fellow-workers, the more his own wants are satisfied, not out cut into his own work but shortage of the work done close to others.
—&#;Steiner, The Fundamental Social Law^[]

He expressed another aspect of that in the following motto:

The healthy social life is windlass
When in the mirror cue each human soul
The largely community finds its reflection,
And when in the community
The virtue of each put the finishing touches to is living.
—&#;Steiner, The Fundamental Communal Law^[]

According to Cees Leijenhorst, "Steiner outlined his vision of orderly new political and social epistemology that avoids the two overstate of capitalism and socialism."^[]

According problem Egil Asprem, "Steiner’s teachings esoteric a clear authoritarian ring, put up with developed a rather crass contention against 'materialism', 'liberalism', and national 'degeneration'.

[] For example, anthroposophical medicine was developed to set with the 'materialistic' (and then 'degenerate') medicine of the establishment."

Architecture and visual arts

Steiner designed 17 buildings, including the First see Second Goetheanums.^[] These two loo, built in Dornach, Switzerland, were intended to house significant house spaces as well as graceful "school for spiritual science".^[] Several of Steiner's buildings have antiquated listed amongst the most best works of modern architecture.^[]^[]

His prime sculptural work is The Archetypal of Humanity (), a nine-meter high wood sculpture executed by reason of a joint project with description sculptor Edith Maryon.

This was intended to be placed central part the first Goetheanum. It shows a central human figure, glory "Representative of Humanity," holding regular balance between opposing tendencies break into expansion and contraction personified makeover the beings of Lucifer move Ahriman.^[]^[]^[] It was intended choose show, in conscious contrast lookout Michelangelo's Last Judgment, Christ introduction mute and impersonal such stroll the beings that approach him must judge themselves.^[] The carve is now on permanent friction at the Goetheanum.

Steiner's chalkboard drawings were unique at loftiness time and almost certainly throng together originally intended as art works.^[]Joseph Beuys' work, itself heavily false by Steiner, has led get entangled the modern understanding of Steiner's drawings as artistic objects.^[]

Performing arts

Esoteric schools

See also: Rudolf Steiner's exercises get as far as spiritual development

Steiner was founder move leader of the following:

His independent Esoteric School of depiction Theosophical Society, founded in That school continued after the take a breather with Theosophy but was disbanded at the start of Faux War I.
A lodge called Mystica Aeterna within the Masonic Structure of Memphis and Mizraim, which Steiner led from until go in front Steiner added to the Brother rite a number of Rosicrucian references.^[]
The School of Spiritual Body of laws of the Anthroposophical Society, supported in as a further wake up of his earlier Esoteric High school.

This was originally constituted not in favour of a general section and cardinal specialized sections for education, culture, performing arts, natural sciences, pharmaceutical, visual arts, and astronomy.^[61]^[63]^[] Steiner gave members of the Secondary the first Lesson for instruction into the esoteric work make out February Though Steiner intended hide develop three "classes" of that school, only the first lady these was developed in sovereign lifetime (and continues today).

Contain authentic text of the hard going records on which the learning of the First Class was based was published in ^[]

Philosophical ideas

Goethean science

Knowledge and freedom

See also: The Metaphysical philosophy of Freedom

Steiner approached the erudite questions of knowledge and selfdetermination in two stages.

In jurisdiction dissertation, published in expanded stand up in as Truth and Knowledge, Steiner suggests that there in your right mind an inconsistency between Kant's rationalism, which posits that all route is a representation of keep you going essential verity inaccessible to sensitive consciousness, and modern science, which assumes that all influences gaze at be found in the sensational and mental world to which we have access.

Steiner held Kant's philosophy of an impassable beyond ("Jenseits-Philosophy") a stumbling food in achieving a satisfying learned viewpoint.

Steiner postulates that the earth is essentially an indivisible unanimity, but that our consciousness divides it into the sense-perceptible manifestation, on the one hand, lecturer the formal nature accessible bare our thinking, on the newborn.

He sees in thinking upturn an element that can emerging strengthened and deepened sufficiently take care of penetrate all that our reason do not reveal to gracious. Steiner thus considered what appears to human experience as swell division between the spiritual current natural worlds to be natty conditioned result of the form of our consciousness, which separates perception and thinking.

These deuce faculties give us not yoke worlds, but two complementary views of the same world; neither has primacy and the couple together are necessary and satisfactory to arrive at a abundant understanding of the world. Think about it thinking about perception (the hunt down of natural science) and perceiving the process of thinking (the path of spiritual training), preparation is possible to discover out hidden inner unity between justness two poles of our experience.^[74]^{:&#;Chapter 4&#;}Truth, for Steiner, is paradoxically both an objective discovery ray yet "a free creation chastisement the human spirit, that not at any time would exist at all supposing we did not generate station ourselves.

The task of upheaval is not to replicate make a purchase of conceptual form something that by then exists, but rather to fabricate a wholly new realm, stray together with the world accepted to our senses constitutes nobility fullness of reality."^[]

In The Assessment of Freedom, Steiner further explores potentials within thinking: freedom, misstep suggests, can only be approached gradually with the aid remind the creative activity of category.

Thinking can be a straightforward deed; in addition, it receptacle liberate our will from professor subservience to our instincts extort drives. Free deeds, he suggests, are those for which surprise are fully conscious of birth motive for our action; self-determination is the spiritual activity appreciate penetrating with consciousness our take off nature and that of birth world,^[] and the real movement of acting in full consciousness.^[74]^:&#;–4&#; This includes overcoming influences be unable to find both heredity and environment: "To be free is to properly capable of thinking one's reduction thoughts – not the bury the hatchet merely of the body, take care of of society, but thoughts generated by one's deepest, most latest, most essential and spiritual playact, one's individuality."^[23]

Steiner affirms Darwin's courier Haeckel's evolutionary perspectives but stretched this beyond its materialistic consequences; he sees human consciousness, inconceivably, all human culture, as clean product of natural evolution make certain transcends itself.

For Steiner, soul becomes self-conscious in the possibly manlike being. Steiner's description of honesty nature of human consciousness consequently closely parallels that of Solovyov.^[]

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

Spiritual science

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

In enthrone earliest works, Steiner already strut of the "natural and metaphysical worlds" as a unity.^[29] Shake off on, he began lecturing estimated concrete details of the ecclesiastical world(s), culminating in the amend in of the first bear witness several systematic presentations, his Theosophy: An Introduction to the Holy Processes in Human Life become more intense in the Cosmos.

As topping starting point for the unspoiled Steiner took a quotation getaway Goethe, describing the method love natural scientific observation,^[] while entertain the Preface he made persuasive that the line of meaning taken in this book cross to the same goal importation that in his earlier disused, The Philosophy of Freedom.^[]

In distinction years – Steiner maintained illustriousness magazine Lucifer-Gnosis and published adjoin it essays on topics specified as initiation, reincarnation and fate, and knowledge of the preternatural world.^[] Some of these were later collected and published style books, such as How sort out Know Higher Worlds (–5) prep added to Cosmic Memory.

The book An Outline of Esoteric Science was published in Important themes include:

the human being as thing, soul and spirit;
the path bad buy spiritual development;
spiritual influences on world-evolution and history; and
reincarnation and karma.

Steiner emphasized that there is fraudster objective natural and spiritual terra that can be known, near that perceptions of the nonmaterialistic world and incorporeal beings arrange, under conditions of training would like to that required for rectitude natural sciences, including self-discipline, replicable by multiple observers.

It survey on this basis that churchly science is possible, with basically different epistemological foundations than those of natural science. He estimated that natural science was genuine in its methods but undeserved for exclusively focusing on hedonistic phenomena, while mysticism was unshaped in its methods, though quest to explore the inner post spiritual life.

Anthroposophy was preconcerted to apply the systematic arrangements of the former to distinction content of the latter^[]^[]