Rudolf Steiner: A Documentary Biography

by Johannes Hemleben

Rudolf Steiner's autobiography has surprisingly little to say about his private life. All the more care does he devote to the account of the objective development of his striving for knowledge, starting from the early awakening of his interest in geometry and Copernicanism, passing on to the study of Kant, and ending with his experience of the meditative life as a fully matured man. He believed that it was presumptuous, and not to the purpose, to give an account of his private and personal experiences. It follows from this fundamental attitude that, despite human curiosity, anyone reading "in self-revelations" a biography of some person whom Rudolf Steiner has encountered in the course of his life will learn only what those encounters yielded on the spiritual plane. He is very reticent about his personal experiences. This serves to bring into sharper focus the objective circumstances of his life.

Genres: Biography

Paperback

First published September 1, 1976

Reviews

[Marietje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using quotes from RS, Hemleben summarizes the life and work of the spiritual teacher and initiate.

[Tompof · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will find at the philosophyoffreedom website a free online study course on the “Philosophy of Freedom”. It is Rudolf Steiner's most important work, and the one that will endure the longest, because it describes his path to freedom.

When asked, “What will remain of your work in thousands of years? Steiner replied: “Nothing but the Philosophy of Freedom. When asked which of his books he would most want to see rescued if catastrophe should come upon the world, Steiner replied: “The Philosophy of Freedom”. When a student asked if he could attend Steiner's private esoteric training group, Steiner replied: “You don’t need to! You have understood my Philosophy of Freedom!”