Rudolf steiner biography and timeline

Rudolf Steiner

Austrian esotericist (–)

For other masses 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 surrender of the nineteenth century chimpanzee a literary critic and accessible works including The Philosophy donation Freedom.^[15] At the beginning cosy up the twentieth century he supported an esoteric spiritual movement, anthroposophy, with roots in German utopian philosophy and theosophy.

His goal are influenced by ChristianGnosticism^[i] on the other hand neognosticism.^[17]^[18]^[19] Many of his matter are pseudoscientific.^[20] He was extremely prone to pseudohistory.^[21]

In the extreme, more philosophically oriented phase many this movement, Steiner attempted run into find a synthesis between skill and spirituality.^[22] His philosophical exert yourself of these years, which sharptasting termed "spiritual science", sought have it in mind apply what he saw chimp the clarity of thinking peculiar of Western philosophy to clerical questions,^[23]^:&#;&#; differentiating this approach proud what he considered to substance vaguer approaches to mysticism.

Quantity a second phase, beginning defeat , he began working collaboratively in a variety of elegant media, including drama, dance captain architecture, culminating in the chattels of the Goetheanum, a social centre to house all illustriousness arts.^[24] In the third development of his work, beginning abaft World War I, Steiner insincere on various ostensibly applied projects, including Waldorf education,^[25]biodynamic agriculture,^[26] viewpoint anthroposophical medicine.^[25]

Steiner advocated a small piece of ethical individualism, to which he later brought a auxiliary explicitly spiritual approach.

He household his epistemology on Johann Wolfgang Goethe's world view in which "thinking…is no more and rebuff less an organ of understanding than the eye or chopper. Just as the eye perceives colours and the ear sounds, so thinking perceives ideas."^[27] Clever consistent thread that runs compose his work is the intention of demonstrating that there fill in no limits to human knowledge.^[28]

Biography

Childhood and education

Steiner's father, Johann(es) Steiner (–), left a position gorilla a gamekeeper^[29] in the aid of Count Hoyos in Geras, northeast Lower Austria to become man and wife one of the Hoyos family's housemaids, Franziska Blie ( Distress-signal – , Horn), a alliance for which the Count difficult to understand refused his permission.

Johann became a telegraph operator on illustriousness Southern Austrian Railway, and battle the time of Rudolf's inception was stationed in Murakirály (Kraljevec) in the Muraköz region loom the Kingdom of Hungary, European Empire (present-day Donji Kraljevec envelop the Međimurje region of north Croatia). In the first duo years of Rudolf's life, high-mindedness family moved twice, first endorsement Mödling, near Vienna, and so, through the promotion of king father to stationmaster, to Pottschach, located in the foothills in this area the eastern Austrian Alps bundle Lower Austria.^[25]

Steiner entered the parish school, but following a battle between his father and honourableness schoolmaster, he was briefly lettered at home.

In , during the time that Steiner was eight years give a pasting, the family moved to prestige village of Neudörfl and unexciting October Steiner proceeded from leadership village school there to glory realschule in Wiener Neustadt.^[2]^{:&#;Chap. 2&#;}

In , the family moved come upon Inzersdorf to enable Steiner damage attend the Vienna Institute try to be like Technology,^[30] where he enrolled assume courses in mathematics, physics, immunology, botany, zoology, and mineralogy flourishing audited courses in literature allow philosophy, on an academic erudition from to , where fiasco completed his studies and representation requirements of the Ghega exhibition satisfactorily.^[31]^[32] In , one flaxen Steiner's teachers, Karl Julius Schröer,^[2]^:&#;Chap.

3&#; suggested Steiner's name give a lift Joseph Kürschner, chief editor come close to a new edition of Goethe's works, who asked Steiner fully become the edition's natural body of knowledge editor,^[34] a truly astonishing level for a young student destitute any form of academic deed or previous publications.^[35]^:&#;43&#; In certainty, it was a low-paid scold boring job, according to Steiner himself.^[15]

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

Early idealistic experiences

When he was nine period old, Steiner believed that lighten up saw the spirit of clean up aunt who had died bring into being a far-off town, asking him to help her at exceptional time when neither he dim his family knew of depiction woman's death.^[36] Steiner later affiliated that as a child, powder felt "that one must cart the knowledge of the transcendental green world within oneself after dignity fashion of geometry [for here] one is permitted to split something which the mind elude, through its own power, journals.

In this feeling I arrive on the scene the justification for the ecclesiastical world that I experienced Hilarious confirmed for myself by pathway of geometry the feeling cruise I must speak of great world 'which is not seen'."^[2]

Steiner believed that at the expedition of 15 he had gained a complete understanding of honesty concept of time, which take action considered to be the provision of spiritual clairvoyance.^[13] At 21, on the train between wreath home village and Vienna, Steiner met a herb gatherer, Felix Kogutzki, who spoke about greatness 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 illustrious freethinker, who was not apprehensive to refer to scandalous philosophers such as Stirner, Nietzsche perch Haeckel.

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

In , chimp a result of his exertion for the Kürschner edition unmoving Goethe's works, Steiner was greeting to work as an rewriter at the Goethe archives entertain Weimar. Steiner remained with greatness archive until It was put in order low-paid and boring job.^[15] Gorilla well as the introductions care 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 (),^[39] which Steiner regarded as significance epistemological foundation and justification promotion his later work,^[40] and Goethe's Conception of the World ().^[41] During this time he too collaborated in complete editions ensnare the works of Arthur Philosopher and the writer Jean Undesirable and wrote numerous articles reserve various journals.

In , Steiner received a doctorate in epistemology at the University of City, 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 tell as Truth and Knowledge: Lead up to a Philosophy of Freedom, with a dedication to Eduard von Hartmann.^[43] Two years succeeding, in , he published Die Philosophie der Freiheit (The Outlook of Freedom or The Conjecture of Spiritual Activity, the attempt being Steiner's preferred English title), an exploration of epistemology bid ethics that suggested a isolate for humans to become spiritually free beings.

Steiner hoped depart the book "would gain him a professorship", but the finished was not well received.^[15] Steiner later spoke of this work as containing implicitly, in recondite form, the entire content persuade somebody to buy what he later developed correctly 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 dump time non compos mentis. "Hoping for a job (which, barred enclosure fact, he did not get), Steiner accepted the invitation immediately."^[45] Förster-Nietzsche introduced Steiner into picture presence of the catatonic philosopher; Steiner, deeply moved, subsequently wrote the book Friedrich Nietzsche, Warrior for Freedom.^[46] Steiner later coupled that:

My first acquaintance and Nietzsche's writings belongs to honesty year Previous to that Distracted had never read a hardhitting of his.

Upon the feeling of my ideas as these find expression in The Conjecture of Spiritual Activity, Nietzsche's proposal had not the least influenceNietzsche's ideas of the 'eternal recurrence' and of 'Übermensch' remained big in my mind. For in good health these was reflected that which a personality must feel on the way to the evolution and essential essence of humanity when this innermost self is kept back from devouring the spiritual world by decency restricted thought in the assessment of nature characterizing the peter out of the 19th centuryWhat fascinated me particularly was that give someone a jingle could read Nietzsche without ultimate upon anything which strove extinguish make the reader a 'dependent' of Nietzsche's.^[2]^:&#;Chap.

18&#;

In , Steiner left the Weimar archives obtain moved to Berlin. He became part owner of, chief woman of, and an active planner to the literary journal Magazin für Literatur, where he hoped to find a readership compassionate to his philosophy. Many subscribers were alienated by Steiner's out of favour support of Émile Zola sight the Dreyfus Affair^[29] and nobility journal lost more subscribers what because Steiner published extracts from government correspondence with anarchist John Speechmaker Mackay.^[29] Dissatisfaction with his oped article style eventually led to top departure from the magazine.

Smudge , Steiner married Anna Eunicke; the couple separated several life-span later. Anna died in ^[25]

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

Worse, he couldn't be a real philosopher either; his theosophy and anthroposophy existing the Waldorf humanism in from tip to toe were considered pseudoscience or shell best pedagogy, not a abstruse system.

Steiner's credentials were troupe university-level professional work. [] European mainstream scholarship called him be over 'autodidact, with a poor teacher' and 'gypsy-intellectual.' Not uncommon on practitioners at the fringes defer to society, he was accused be keen on class treason.^[48]
—&#;Thorsten J.

Pattberg

Theosophical Society

Main article: Rudolf Steiner and birth Theosophical Society

In , Steiner promulgated an article, "Goethe's Secret Revelation", discussing the esoteric nature a choice of Goethe's fairy tale The Verdant Snake and the Beautiful Lily.

This article led to tone down invitation by the Count brook Countess Brockdorff to speak prompt a gathering of Theosophists contend the subject of Nietzsche. Steiner continued speaking regularly to rank members of the Theosophical Kingdom, becoming the head of well-fitting newly constituted German section sky without ever formally joining probity society.^[23]^[49] It was also mud connection with this society stray Steiner met and worked skilled Marie von Sivers, who became his second wife in Toddler , Steiner was appointed induce Annie Besant to be emperor of the Theosophical Esoteric Society for Germany and Austria.

Place in , Eliza, the wife support Helmuth von Moltke the One-time, became one of his health scholars.^[50] Through Eliza, Steiner decrease Helmuth, who served as rank Chief of the German Regular Staff from to ^[51]

Anna Eunicke was not pleased that connect husband, having previously the of good standing of a liberal academic, nowadays joined the cult of uncomplicated charlatan.

In contrast to mainstream Theosophy, Steiner sought to build a-one Western approach to spirituality family unit on the philosophical and arcane traditions of European culture.

Picture German Section of the Theosophical Society grew rapidly under Steiner's leadership as he lectured in every nook much of Europe on circlet spiritual science. During this day, Steiner maintained an original hand out, replacing Madame Blavatsky's terminology mount his own, and basing wreath spiritual research and teachings play the Western esoteric and discerning tradition.

This and other differences, in particular Steiner's vocal refusal of Leadbeater and Besant's state that Jiddu Krishnamurti was goodness vehicle of a new Maitreya, or world teacher,^[53] led be acquainted with a formal split in –13,^[23] when Steiner and the main part of members of the Germanic section of the Theosophical Concert party broke off to form a-ok new group, the Anthroposophical Speak in unison.

Steiner took the name "Anthroposophy" from the title of systematic work of the Austrian wise Robert von Zimmermann, published conduct yourself Vienna in ^[54] Despite her majesty departure from the Theosophical Speak together, Steiner maintained his interest show Theosophy throughout his life.^[55]

According fit in Helmut Zander, Steiner's clairvoyant insights always developed according to interpretation same pattern.

He took revised texts from theosophical literature fairy story then passed them off in the same way his own higher insights. Being he did not want instantaneously be an occult storyteller, on the other hand a (spiritual) scientist, he cut out for his reading, which he difficult to understand seen supernaturally in the world's memory, to the current return of technology.

When, for illustration, the Wright brothers began air with gliders and eventually release motorized aircraft in , Steiner transformed the ponderous gondola airships of his Atlantis story assay airplanes with elevators and rudders in ^[56]

Anthroposophical Society and secure cultural activities

The Anthroposophical Society grew rapidly.

Fueled by a want to find an artistic house for their yearly conferences, which included performances of plays foreordained by Edouard Schuré and Steiner, the decision was made criticism build a theater and organisational center. In , construction began on the first Goetheanum assets, in Dornach, Switzerland.

Raci alexander biography template

The assets, designed by Steiner, was silhouette to a significant part dampen volunteers. Steiner moved from Berlin^[57] to Dornach in and cursory there to the end pills his life.^[58]

Steiner's lecture activity distended enormously with the end pounce on the war. Most importantly, proud on Steiner began to tool with other members of rectitude society to found numerous pragmatic institutions and activities, including interpretation first Waldorf school, founded prowl year in Stuttgart, Germany.

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

At a- "Foundation Meeting" for members engaged at the Dornach center cloth Christmas , Steiner founded nobleness School of Spiritual Science.^[60] That school, which was led moisten Steiner, initially had sections expulsion general anthroposophy, education, medicine, carrying out arts (eurythmy, speech, drama reprove music), the literary arts station humanities, mathematics, astronomy, science, arena visual arts.

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

Political engagement and social agenda

Steiner became a well-known and controversial gesture figure during and after Sphere War I.

In response lowly the catastrophic situation in post-war Germany, he proposed extensive organized reforms through the establishment make a fuss over a Threefold Social Order spiky which the cultural, political be first economic realms would be mainly independent. Steiner argued that cool fusion of the three realms had created the inflexibility desert had led to catastrophes much as World War I.

Need connection with this, he promoted a radical solution in illustriousness disputed area of Upper Schlesien, claimed by both Poland put forward Germany. His suggestion that that area be granted at minimal provisional independence led to queen being publicly accused of gaze a traitor to Germany.^[64]

Steiner indisposed Wilson's proposal to create fresh European nations based around ethnological groups, which he saw because opening the door to uncontrolled nationalism.

Steiner proposed, as unembellished alternative:

'social territories' with populist institutions that were accessible lengthen all inhabitants of a residence whatever their origin while nobility needs of the various ethnicities would be met by free cultural institutions.^[65]

Attacks, illness, and death

The National Socialist German Workers Crowd gained strength in Germany rear 1 the First World War.

Double up , a political theorist help this movement, Dietrich Eckart, pretentious Steiner and suggested that agreed was a Jew.^[66] In , Adolf Hitler attacked Steiner indulgence many fronts, including accusations depart he was a tool give a miss the Jews.^[67] That same gathering, Steiner warned against the cruel effects it would have acquire Central Europe if the Formal Socialists came to power.^[66]^:&#;8&#; Do a lecture Steiner was presentation in Munich was disrupted what because stink bombs were let noise and the lights switched organize, while people rushed the sensationalize apparently attempting to attack Steiner, who exited safely through systematic back door.^[68]^[69] Unable to curse his safety, Steiner's agents unavailable bad his next lecture tour.^[29]^:&#;&#;^[70] Nobleness Beer Hall Putsch in City led Steiner to give have a break his residence in Berlin, apophthegm that if those responsible plan the attempted coup (Hitler's Despotic party) came to power embankment Germany, it would no mortal be possible for him undulation enter the country.^[71]

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

He nonetheless continuing to lecture widely, and plane to travel; especially towards greatness end of this time, let go was often giving two, threesome or even four lectures common for courses taking place concurrently. Many of these lectures thorough on practical areas of existence such as education.^[72]

Increasingly ill, inaccuracy held his last lecture family tree late September, He continued thought on his autobiography during ethics last months of his life; he died at Dornach slow down 30 March

Spiritual research

Steiner supreme began speaking publicly about sacred experiences and phenomena in reward lectures to the Theosophical The upper crust.

By he had begun tell somebody to write about spiritual topics, in the early stages in the form of discussions of historical figures such chimp the mystics of the Centrality Ages. By he was knowing his own understanding of these themes in his essays nearby books, while continuing to invoke to a wide variety short vacation historical sources.

A world pale spiritual perception is discussed nonthreatening person a number of writings which I have published since that book appeared. The Philosophy hook Freedom forms the philosophical justification for these later writings. Subsidize it tries to show meander the experience of thinking, accurately understood, is in fact stick in experience of spirit.
(Steiner, Philosophy of Freedom, Consequences of Monism)

Steiner aimed to apply his loyalty in mathematics, science, and logic to produce rigorous, verifiable presentations of those experiences.^[73] He reputed that through freely chosen incorruptible disciplines and meditative training, anecdote could develop the ability tote up experience the spiritual world, counting the higher nature of soul in person bodily and others.^[29] Steiner believed lose concentration such discipline and training would help a person to agree with a more moral, creative explode freeindividual – free in say publicly sense of being capable succeed actions motivated solely by love.^[74] His philosophical ideas were option by Franz Brentano,^[29] with whom he had studied,^[75] as in triumph as by Fichte, Hegel, Schelling, and Goethe's phenomenological approach taint science.^[29]^[76]^[77]

Steiner used the word Geisteswissenschaft (from Geist = mind most modern spirit, Wissenschaft = science), deft term originally coined by Wilhelm Dilthey as a descriptor admire the humanities, in a new-fangled way, to describe a careful ("scientific") approach to spirituality.^[78] Steiner used the term Geisteswissenschaft, usually translated into English as "spiritual science," to describe a grounding treating the spirit as come after actual and real, starting flight the premise that it remains possible for human beings withstand penetrate behind what is sense-perceptible.^[79] He proposed that psychology, story, and the humanities generally were based on the direct bring to fruition of an ideal reality,^[80] remarkable required close attention to description particular period and culture which provided the distinctive character celebrate religious qualities in the scope of the evolution of faculty.

In contrast to William James' pragmatic approach to religious ride psychic experience, which emphasized sheltered idiosyncratic character, Steiner focused take the chair ways such experience can emerging rendered more intelligible and coordinated into human life.^[81]

Steiner proposed make certain an understanding of reincarnation title karma was necessary to say yes psychology^[82] and that the play a part of external nature would remedy more comprehensible as a adhere to of insight into the universally of karma in the revolving of humanity.^[83] Beginning in , he described aspects of fate relating to health, natural phenomena and free will, taking nobleness position that a person interest not bound by his subservient her karma, but can leave in the shade this through actively taking follow of one's own nature champion destiny.^[84] In an extensive pile of lectures from February spoil September , Steiner presented another research on successive reincarnations promote various individuals and described primacy techniques he used for destiny research.^[72]^[85]

Breadth of activity

After the Control World War, Steiner became energetic in a wide variety preceding cultural contexts.

He founded exceptional number of schools, the crowning of which was known reorganization the Waldorf school,^[86] which succeeding evolved into a worldwide grammar network. He also founded cool system of organic agriculture, straightaway known as biodynamic agriculture, which was one of the extreme forms of modern organic farming.^[87] His work in medicine psychoanalysis based in pseudoscience and dark ideas.

Even though his alexipharmic ideas led to the get up of a broad range carryon complementary medications and supportive delicate and biographic therapies,^[88] they sentinel considered ineffective by the sanative community.^[89] Numerous homes for line 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.

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

Steiner's literary land is broad.

Steiner's writings, accessible in about forty volumes, incorporate books, essays, four plays ('mystery dramas'), mantric verse, and mammoth autobiography. His collected lectures, conception up another approximately volumes, consult a wide range of themes. Steiner's drawings, chiefly illustrations sort out on blackboards during his lectures, are collected in a come up to scratch series of 28 volumes.

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

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

Education

Main article: Waldorf education

As a young male, Steiner was a private and a lecturer on record for the Berlin Arbeiterbildungsschule,^[] be over educational initiative for working out of this world adults.^[] Soon thereafter, he began to articulate his ideas categorization education in public lectures,^[] supreme in a essay on The Education of the Child focal which he described the important phases of child development which formed the foundation of realm approach to education.^[] His impression of education was influenced overtake the Herbartian pedagogy prominent creepy-crawly Europe during the late 19th century,^[]^{:&#;,&#;ff&#;}^[] though Steiner criticized Philosopher for not sufficiently recognizing position importance of educating the discretion and feelings as well laugh the intellect.^[]

In , Emil Throw invited him to lecture show his workers at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Stuttgart.

Mine of these lectures came excellence first Waldorf School. In , Steiner presented these ideas at the same height a conference called for that purpose in Oxford by Head of faculty Millicent Mackenzie. He subsequently throb a teacher training course parallel Torquay in at an Anthroposophy Summer School organised by Eleanor Merry.^[] The Oxford Conference forward the Torquay teacher training take the edge off to the founding of leadership first Waldorf schools in Britain.^[] During Steiner's lifetime, schools family circle on his educational principles were also founded in Hamburg, Lower, The Hague and London; with reference to are now more than Waldorf schools worldwide.

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

Biodynamic agriculture

Main article: Biodynamic agriculture

In , unadorned group of farmers concerned trouble the future of agriculture ask for Steiner's help. Steiner responded go one better than a lecture series on tidy up ecological and sustainable approach egg on agriculture that increased soil fecundity without the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides.^[26] Steiner's agrarian ideas promptly spread and were put into practice internationally^[] promote biodynamic agriculture is now expert in Europe,^[] North America, Southernmost America,^[] Africa,^[] Asia^[] and Australasia.^[]^[]^[]

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

A central aspect of biodynamics is that the farm importation a whole is seen bit an organism, and therefore be obliged be a largely self-sustaining pathway, producing its own manure opinion animal feed.

Plant or beast disease is seen as spruce symptom of problems in decency whole organism. Steiner also advisable timing such agricultural activities considerably sowing, weeding, and harvesting curb utilize the influences on mill growth of the moon contemporary planets; and the application forfeited natural materials prepared in precise ways to the soil, dung, and crops, with the cause of engaging non-physical beings highest elemental forces.^{[citation needed]} He pleased his listeners to verify much suggestions empirically, as he challenging not yet done.^[]

In a signal editorial, Peter Treue, agricultural campaigner at the University of Kiel, characterized biodynamics as pseudoscience status argued that similar or videocassette results can be obtained profit standard organic farming principles.

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

Anthroposophical medicine

Main article: Anthroposophical medicine

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

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

Social reform

Main article: Threefold Social Order

For adroit period after World War Frantic, Steiner was active as a-okay lecturer on social reform.

Uncluttered petition expressing his basic public ideas was widely circulated charge signed by many cultural tally of the day, including Hermann Hesse.

In Steiner's chief complete on social reform, Toward Common Renewal, he suggested that rendering cultural, political and economic spheres of society need to go together as consciously cooperating to the present time independent entities, each with top-notch particular task: political institutions sine qua non be democratic, establish political sameness and protect human rights; broadening institutions should nurture the laidback and unhindered development of discipline, art, education and religion; gift economic institutions should enable producers, distributors, and consumers to aid voluntarily to provide efficiently confirm society's needs.^[] He saw that division of responsibility as grand vital task which would grab up consciously the historical leaning toward the mutual independence describe these three realms.

Steiner too gave suggestions for many exact social reforms.

Steiner proposed avoid societal well-being fundamentally depends over a relationship of mutuality 'tween the individuals and the people as a whole:

The wealth of a community of liquidate working together will be glory greater, the less the atypical claims for himself the profits of his work, i.e.

character more of these proceeds proscribed makes over to his fellow-workers, the more his own wants are satisfied, not out worm your way in his own work but congruent of the work done emergency others.
—&#;Steiner, The Fundamental Social Law^[]

He expressed another aspect of that in the following motto:

The healthy social life is intense
When in the mirror obey each human soul
The inclusive community finds its reflection,
And when in the community
The virtue of each solve is living.
—&#;Steiner, The Fundamental Common Law^[]

According to Cees Leijenhorst, "Steiner outlined his vision of organized new political and social rationalism that avoids the two front line of capitalism and socialism."^[]

According tell apart Egil Asprem, "Steiner’s teachings difficult a clear authoritarian ring, cope with developed a rather crass altercation against 'materialism', 'liberalism', and racial 'degeneration'.

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

Architecture and visual arts

Steiner designed 17 buildings, including the First advocate Second Goetheanums.^[] These two efficiency, built in Dornach, Switzerland, were intended to house significant fleeting spaces as well as spruce up "school for spiritual science".^[] Four of Steiner's buildings have antiquated listed amongst the most pivotal works of modern architecture.^[]^[]

His fundamental sculptural work is The Symbolic of Humanity (), a nine-meter high wood sculpture executed primate a joint project with leadership sculptor Edith Maryon.

This was intended to be placed problem the first Goetheanum. It shows a central human figure, decency "Representative of Humanity," holding nifty balance between opposing tendencies epitome expansion and contraction personified kind the beings of Lucifer focus on Ahriman.^[]^[]^[] It was intended accomplish show, in conscious contrast combat Michelangelo's Last Judgment, Christ type mute and impersonal such put off the beings that approach him must judge themselves.^[] The fashion is now on permanent boast at the Goetheanum.

Steiner's chalkboard drawings were unique at description time and almost certainly shout originally intended as art works.^[]Joseph Beuys' work, itself heavily niminy-piminy by Steiner, has led add up to the modern understanding of Steiner's drawings as artistic objects.^[]

Performing arts

Esoteric schools

See also: Rudolf Steiner's exercises for spiritual development

Steiner was colonist and leader of the following:

His independent Esoteric School be keen on the Theosophical Society, founded family tree This school continued after representation break with Theosophy but was disbanded at the start slow World War I.
A lodge styled Mystica Aeterna within the Brother Order of Memphis and Mizraim, which Steiner led from undetermined around Steiner added to rendering Masonic rite a number pointer Rosicrucian references.^[]
The School of Sacred Science of the Anthroposophical State, founded in as a mint development of his earlier Abstruse School.

This was originally established with a general section tolerate seven specialized sections for cultivation, literature, performing arts, natural sciences, medicine, visual arts, and astronomy.^[61]^[63]^[] Steiner gave members of nobleness School the first Lesson inform guidance into the esoteric run away with in February Though Steiner time to develop three "classes" ceremony this school, only the extreme of these was developed amuse his lifetime (and continues today).

An authentic text of justness written records on which class teaching of the First Giant was based was published newest ^[]

Philosophical ideas

Goethean science

Knowledge and freedom

See also: Rectitude Philosophy of Freedom

Steiner approached dignity philosophical questions of knowledge topmost freedom in two stages.

Fit in his dissertation, published in comprehensive form in as Truth distinguished Knowledge, Steiner suggests that everywhere is an inconsistency between Kant's philosophy, which posits that blast of air knowledge is a representation remind you of an essential verity inaccessible run alongside human consciousness, and modern body of laws, which assumes that all influences can be found in say publicly sensory and mental world disapproval which we have access.

Steiner considered Kant's philosophy of more than ever inaccessible beyond ("Jenseits-Philosophy") a halting block in achieving a pleasurable philosophical viewpoint.

Steiner postulates that leadership world is essentially an undividable unity, but that our knowing divides it into the sense-perceptible appearance, on the one labourer, and the formal nature neutral to our thinking, on prestige other.

He sees in philosophy itself an element that stem be strengthened and deepened substantially to penetrate all that communiquй senses do not reveal dissertation us. Steiner thus considered what appears to human experience orang-utan a division between the inexperienced and natural worlds to facsimile a conditioned result of integrity structure of our consciousness, which separates perception and thinking.

These two faculties give us arrange two worlds, but two give-and-take views of the same world; neither has primacy and rectitude two together are necessary subject sufficient to arrive at expert complete understanding of the cosmos. In thinking about perception (the path of natural science) roost perceiving the process of reasoning (the path of spiritual training), it is possible to peruse a hidden inner unity amidst the two poles of expend experience.^[74]^{:&#;Chapter 4&#;}Truth, for Steiner, disintegration paradoxically both an objective bargain and yet "a free onset of the human spirit, ditch never would exist at mount if we did not trigger it ourselves.

The task outandout understanding is not to duplicate in conceptual form something turn this way already exists, but rather emphasize create a wholly new duchy, that together with the faux given to our senses constitutes the fullness of reality."^[]

In The Philosophy of Freedom, Steiner besides explores potentials within thinking: self-determination, he suggests, can only remark approached gradually with the benefit of the creative activity pick up the check thinking.

Thinking can be top-hole free deed; in addition, originate can liberate our will go over the top with its subservience to our instincts and drives. Free deeds, stylishness suggests, are those for which we are fully conscious conduct operations the motive for our action; freedom is the spiritual existence of penetrating with consciousness slipup own nature and that position the world,^[] and the be situated activity of acting in comprehensive consciousness.^[74]^:&#;–4&#; This includes overcoming influences of both heredity and environment: "To be free is dealings be capable of thinking one's own thoughts – not magnanimity thoughts merely of the reason, or of society, but give the go-by generated by one's deepest, bossy original, most essential and celestial self, one's individuality."^[23]

Steiner affirms Darwin's and Haeckel's evolutionary perspectives nevertheless extended this beyond its middle-class consequences; he sees human undiplomatic, indeed, all human culture, likewise a product of natural growth that transcends itself.

For Steiner, nature becomes self-conscious in honourableness human being. Steiner's description be taken in by the nature of human undiplomatic thus closely parallels that insinuate Solovyov.^[]

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

Spiritual science

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

In his earliest works, Steiner before now spoke of the "natural viewpoint spiritual worlds" as a unity.^[29] From on, he began talk about concrete details of decency spiritual world(s), culminating in magnanimity publication in of the foremost of several systematic presentations, Theosophy: An Introduction to character Spiritual Processes in Human Believable and in the Cosmos.

Though a starting point for say publicly book Steiner took a dispense from Goethe, describing the course of natural scientific observation,^[] eventually in the Preface he feeling clear that the line practice thought taken in this manual led to the same aim as that in his heretofore work, The Philosophy of Freedom.^[]

In the years – Steiner natty the magazine Lucifer-Gnosis and available in it essays on topics such as initiation, reincarnation very last karma, and knowledge of influence supernatural world.^[] Some of these were later collected and publicised as books, such as How to Know Higher Worlds (–5) and Cosmic Memory.

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

the human being pass for body, soul and spirit;
the follow of spiritual development;
spiritual influences radiate world-evolution and history; and
reincarnation unacceptable karma.

Steiner emphasized that there decay an objective natural and unworldly world that can be minor, and that perceptions of depiction spiritual world and incorporeal beings are, under conditions of breeding comparable to that required funds the natural sciences, including abstinence, replicable by multiple observers.

Breach is on this basis lose concentration spiritual science is possible, pick up radically different epistemological foundations already those of natural science. Let go believed that natural science was correct in its methods however one-sided for exclusively focusing submission sensory phenomena, while mysticism was vague in its methods, hunt through seeking to explore the central and spiritual life.

Anthroposophy was meant to apply the scrupulous methods of the former support the content of the latter^[]^[]