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Study of Man: General Education Course
14 lectures, Stuttgart, Aug.-Sept. 1919 (CW 293)
Although these lectures were given to teachers as preparatory material, they are by no means concerned only with education. Study of Man is Steiner’s most succinct presentation of his human-centered spiritual psychology, and it is accessible to anyone genuinely interested in the questions of human existence. His approach is unique because it considers not only the influences that affect humanity from the past, but also future states of consciousness and being.
Reprinted here in the original “classic” translation by A.C. Harwood and Helen Fox, these lectures were given in 1919 to the teachers of the Waldorf school in Stuttgart―the first to be based on the educational ideas of Rudolf Steiner. After eighty-five years of Waldorf education―and exponential growth around the world―this volume remains the basic study text for teachers in Steiner schools. As well as providing a basis for the work of educators, Study of Man will be of special interest to parents, counselors, psychologists, and students of Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy―for whom this volume provides a fundamental picture of the human being according to the anthroposophic understanding of the world.
This book is a translation of Allgemeine Menschenkunde als Grundlage der Pädagogik (GA 293), published by Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach.
Although these lectures were given to teachers as preparatory material, they are by no means concerned only with education. Study of Man is Steiner’s most succinct presentation of his human-centered spiritual psychology, and it is accessible to anyone genuinely interested in the questions of human existence. His approach is unique because it considers not only the influences that affect humanity from the past, but also future states of consciousness and being.
Reprinted here in the original “classic” translation by A.C. Harwood and Helen Fox, these lectures were given in 1919 to the teachers of the Waldorf school in Stuttgart―the first to be based on the educational ideas of Rudolf Steiner. After eighty-five years of Waldorf education―and exponential growth around the world―this volume remains the basic study text for teachers in Steiner schools. As well as providing a basis for the work of educators, Study of Man will be of special interest to parents, counselors, psychologists, and students of Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy―for whom this volume provides a fundamental picture of the human being according to the anthroposophic understanding of the world.
This book is a translation of Allgemeine Menschenkunde als Grundlage der Pädagogik (GA 293), published by Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1981
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About the author
Rudolf Steiner
4,360 books1,106 followersAuthor 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 31, 2016
This book is so interesting. There are chapters that I blazed through, easily reading, understanding and agreeing with the content. There were chapters that I got incredibly angry at (some of which I'm still at odds with LOL). This is not a book to passively read. It's a book to study (preferably with others) and then experiment with. It's a work book - a 'book in progress'. A book to reread in small portions. Don't dismiss its contents without testing them out. Some things in here are not for me (or not for me yet), but I've been very amazed by the outcomes of some of the things I've implemented in my teaching.
As one of the "Birkenstock crowd" (as one of the reviewers typifies me..tsk haha), I can say: it may not the holy grail of books, but it certainly is a magical book if you are willing to open your mind and get your hands dirty.
As one of the "Birkenstock crowd" (as one of the reviewers typifies me..tsk haha), I can say: it may not the holy grail of books, but it certainly is a magical book if you are willing to open your mind and get your hands dirty.
September 19, 2018
I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to like this book more than I actually did. I know there's sure a thing as Catholic guilt, but can there be anthroposophical guilt?
While matters of esoteric/spiritual science interest me, I still find that Steiner's expository works are too esoteric to be of benefit to most people. But, then again, he is not really concerned with most people, but rather sets his sights on the initiate-insider crew. And even then, as he mentioned in his lectures on karma, that he essentially gave up trying to talk about the key insights of the nature of existence because the audience was slipping away. I guess that puts me in good company?
What continues to rub me the wrong way about these type of lectures is how often Steiner stresses that we cannot educate the intellect, and that forms of education which proceed from undigested or preconceived conclusions deaden the soul. But, and forgive me if I'm wrong, Dr. Rudy, but wouldn't at least half of your written oeuvre fall into that category? I do at times feel quite deadened by it.
If I read with a different set of eyes, however, the text is capable of inspiring me. It's profoundly counter-cultural, which appeals to my current configuration of sympathies, and sets forth some powerful ideas from which to build a new foundation for education.
From lecture seven: Seek the best of the world, wherever it occurs. That, in the very least, I can and will do.
While matters of esoteric/spiritual science interest me, I still find that Steiner's expository works are too esoteric to be of benefit to most people. But, then again, he is not really concerned with most people, but rather sets his sights on the initiate-insider crew. And even then, as he mentioned in his lectures on karma, that he essentially gave up trying to talk about the key insights of the nature of existence because the audience was slipping away. I guess that puts me in good company?
What continues to rub me the wrong way about these type of lectures is how often Steiner stresses that we cannot educate the intellect, and that forms of education which proceed from undigested or preconceived conclusions deaden the soul. But, and forgive me if I'm wrong, Dr. Rudy, but wouldn't at least half of your written oeuvre fall into that category? I do at times feel quite deadened by it.
If I read with a different set of eyes, however, the text is capable of inspiring me. It's profoundly counter-cultural, which appeals to my current configuration of sympathies, and sets forth some powerful ideas from which to build a new foundation for education.
From lecture seven: Seek the best of the world, wherever it occurs. That, in the very least, I can and will do.
August 31, 2018
Still working on this one. The Physics teacher at my school and I have had some interesting discussions about Steiner's views contained in this book as they relate to philosophy, science, and human development. Whether you're an anthroposophist or not, they're certainly interesting ideas. Take what you will from them, I say.
To be continued. “There are some books you are never done reading.”
To be continued. “There are some books you are never done reading.”
April 18, 2009
Good grief, I had to read this for teacher training. The birkenstock crowd treated this book like the HolyGrail/Bible/ of life. Get a grip! It provides some interesting insights into human development, but I could do without the holy of holies drama!
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February 27, 2010Required read in my 2nd year Waldorf Teacher Training course. Essential Steiner. For some reason, I know I wrote reports on each chapter of this book (over 10 yrs. ago) but I can't remember anything specific. I wasn't as awed by Steiner when I read this or something.
December 17, 2009
THE basic book for all Waldorf/Steiner teachers. Hard but rewarding...read it again and again and again...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews