Anthroposophy

  

Rudolf Steiner

  

   

A philosophy of human wisdom

"Developing the whole human being"

Rudolf Steiner is the founder of Anthroposophy, a philosophy that "postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world, accessible to human experience." He is a philosopher from the early 1900's who extended his philosophy to his study of a broad range of subjects including science, medicine, economics, education, religion, and even art. 

"Like the term “philosophy,” Anthroposophy denotes a method of inquiry, a path of research, rather than a content or fixed set of ideas. Steiner once characterized Anthroposophy as an upside-down plant, with its roots in the heavens (the world of the spirit) and its blossom and fruit in practical life on earth. This “growing down” means that clear insights born of disciplined spiritual research can help us re-enliven the practice of education, health, farming, technology and countless other areas of daily life."  -The Denver Waldorf School

Some of Steiner's idea's still influence the world today most predominantly through art, education, and medicine.                                                                                                                                                                                      Eurythmy

      "an art of movement that brings mindfulness and movement together in a completely contemporary practice"

Visual of an Eurythmy Gesture

Eurythmy is one idea derived from Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophy. Students who strive to learn the dance of Eurythmy seek the connection between their movements and sounds to their inner spiritual roots. One example to express this thought is the belief that the sound "Ah"  becomes a joyful opening of the arms thus becoming a joyful opening of the heart. It is considered a form of therapy because some claim that being able to make this special connection can teach you to heal yourself and be more positive relieving anxiety, stress, sleeplessness, etc. The link attached above, Eurythmy, dives deeper into different movement meanings and their benefits. You can find a playlist here, Instructional series for Eurythmy, which will give some historical and spiritual context for each basic gesture of this art form.

Waldorf Education

Waldorf Education is the education based on anthroposophical views attempting to ground children in their role of the world as a member of humanity. Waldorf Education strives to unlock full human potential beginning with teaching kindergarteners that the world is a good place to live in then leading into how to understand or relate to the world through art and music as they age older. Older students are then finally taught about the conscience parts of the world like science and math, "focusing on what is true based on personal experience." There are actually 1000+ schools worldwide dedicated to Waldorf education, most of which are government-funded as charter schools. You can find more information from a first-hand source, The Denver Waldorf School, who has a curriculum based on anthroposophy from preschool to highschool. Also, this short video, Waldorf School Education, provides a historical timeline of Waldorf Education and it's intentions. 

Mistletoe Benefits are Widely Researched within Anthroposophic Medicine

Anthroposophic Medicine

One of the most interesting influences today is medicine based on Anthroposophy. "It applies medicines derived from plants, minerals, and animals; art therapy, eurythmy therapy, and rhythmical massage; counseling; psychotherapy; and specific nursing techniques such as external embrocation." according to this article, Anthroposophic Medicine, written by various doctors. It is not separate from conventional medical practices; it can be interwoven as natural alternatives and therapies, therefore it was intended that only licensed medical professionals can practice this type of medicine. "Rather than focusing on a singular pathological datum, the aim is to strengthen the whole constitution of the sick patient, taking into account all dimensions: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and social." This form of medicine is practiced throughout western cultures and is research-based like any other practice. Mistletoe is pictured above because Rudolf Steiner claimed that the plant could treat cancer. It is not "FDA approved" quite yet, but European practitioners have approved a liquid extraction of mistletoe that benefits cancer patients by "reducing the side-effects of chemotherapy." You can find the research backing up the Mistletoe benefits and many other types of Anthroposophic medicine here. This website serves as a research library for all things Anthromedicine. 

Anthroposophy has a complex relationship with culture and its roots are even more complex. Rudolf Steiner has many writings and research to back up his philosophy, but there are still some religious roots planted in his ideas. That being said, Anthroposophy is not a religion, it is a set of beliefs that claim to unlock full human potential. You can practice Anthroposophy without the context of religion, but if you're interested in how Rudolf stemmed his ideas from religion then you can click this link. 

Skepticism

Steiner's ideas still positively influence parts of the world today, but some of his ideas really disturb people first hearing about anthroposophy. Particularly, the Waldorf school curriculum becomes concerning to parents when they find out that Steiner believed hitting puberty meant a human's "astral body" (an intermediate body between the soul and the brain) is drawing into the physical body. "The notion that puberty is determined by some mystical or spiritual element" is a notion that many parents cant get behind because it's more important for humans to understand the scientific and natural changes happening in their bodies. A bigger and more controversial problem, though has made national news, you can find the report here. Many Waldorf schools have been confronted with the claim that they are prone to racism because many teachers are immersed in Steiner's writings. The writings they are referring to is the idea that reincarnation is real and your karma determines what race you're reincarnated to; the European race being the favorable race from good karma and being black meant you had bad karma. Waldorf schools do not explicitly teach these concepts, but because the teachers are immersed in these thoughts, the schools are vulnerable to racism. 

Quiz

1.  Anthroposophy is based on the philosophy and study of who?
2. What are the physical benefits of Eurythmy?
3. T/F: Only licensed medical professionals can sufficiently practice anthroposophic medicine.
4. How many schools worldwide have a Waldorf based curriculum?
5. Why are Waldorf schools prone to racism?

Discussion Questions

1. Even though there Rudolf Steiner performed many studies based on his philosophy, do you believe that humans are connected to a spiritual realm within us?
2. Some people would describe his philosophy more as a religion, what do you think?
3. Do you think his studies are biased because he comes from a religious background?
4. Are there any other ideas from anthroposophy that can be considered controversial?