Gates of Knowledge

by Rudolf Steiner

Gates of Knowledge is a book written by Rudolf Steiner, a philosopher, esotericist, and founder of anthroposophy. The book explores the concept of knowledge and its various forms, including spiritual, scientific, and artistic knowledge. Steiner argues that true knowledge comes from a combination of intuition, imagination, and reason, and that it is essential for human beings to cultivate these faculties in order to gain a deeper understanding of the world and themselves.The book is divided into three parts, each of which focuses on a different aspect of knowledge. In the first part, Steiner discusses the nature of spiritual knowledge and its relationship to the physical world. He argues that spiritual knowledge is not separate from the material world, but rather is a deeper understanding of its underlying spiritual forces.The second part of the book explores the role of science in understanding the world. Steiner critiques the reductionist approach of modern science, which he argues only focuses on the material aspects of reality and ignores the spiritual dimensions. He suggests that a more holistic approach to science is necessary, one that acknowledges the spiritual dimension of reality.Finally, in the third part of the book, Steiner discusses the importance of artistic knowledge in human development. He argues that art is a way of accessing spiritual knowledge and that it has the power to transform individuals and society.Overall, Gates of Knowledge is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of knowledge and its role in human development. Steiner's insights into the spiritual, scientific, and artistic dimensions of knowledge offer a unique perspective on the human experience and provide a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the world and themselves more deeply.The Four Modes of Knowledge; The Occult Functions of Sleep; The Pupil and His Teacher; Inspiration; Tuition; Philosophy and Theosophy.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

Author also wrote under the name Rudolph Steiner.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...


Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian occultist, social reformer, architect, esotericist, and claimed clairvoyant. Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century as a literary critic and published works including The Philosophy of Freedom. At the beginning of the twentieth century he founded an esoteric spiritual movement, anthroposophy, with roots in German idealist philosophy and theosophy. His teachings are influenced by Christian Gnosticism or neognosticism. Many of his ideas are pseudoscientific. He was also prone to pseudohistory.
In the first, more philosophically oriented phase of this movement, Steiner attempted to find a synthesis between science and spirituality. His philosophical work of these years, which he termed "spiritual science", sought to apply what he saw as the clarity of thinking characteristic of Western philosophy to spiritual questions,  differentiating this approach from what he considered to be vaguer approaches to mysticism. In a second phase, beginning around 1907, he began working collaboratively in a variety of artistic media, including drama, dance and architecture, culminating in the building of the Goetheanum, a cultural centre to house all the arts. In the third phase of his work, beginning after World War I, Steiner worked on various ostensibly applied projects, including Waldorf education, biodynamic agriculture, and anthroposophical medicine.
Steiner advocated a form of ethical individualism, to which he later brought a more explicitly spiritual approach. He based his epistemology on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's world view in which "thinking…is no more and no less an organ of perception than the eye or ear. Just as the eye perceives colours and the ear sounds, so thinking perceives ideas." A consistent thread that runs through his work is the goal of demonstrating that there are no limits to human knowledge.