5 lectures, Basel and Zurich, January 5-March 18, 1920 (CW 334)In these exciting lectures, Rudolf Steiner shows that today's political, economic, and social problems are symptoms of our faulty thinking. His convincing analysis of economic crises, unemployment, and political uprisings unmasks such problems as signs of our desperate need for new thinking. In a very accessible way, Steiner describes how spiritual science and the kind of thinking it fosters can lead to a renewal of society and to true freedom for individuals. In view of the current condition of our economy and the seeming chaos of international politics, Steiner's insights come as a fresh breeze that awakens us to responsibility and renewed hope. In passionate, lucid language, Steiner presents his vision of the threefold social order, a system based on free will and spiritual insight.This volume is a translation of 5 of the 11 lectures in Vom Einheitsstaat zum dreigliedrigen sozialen Organismus, vol. 334 in the Complete Works.
Author Biography:
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his early philosophical principles into an approach to systematic research into psychological and spiritual phenomena. Formally beginning his spiritual teaching career under the auspices of the Theosophical Society, Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research, and findings. The influence of Steiner's multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, various therapies, philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, education for special needs, threefold economics, biodynamic agriculture, Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, speech, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland. Gary Lamb has worked in several occupations over the years, including building construction, farming, carpentry, high school teaching, manufacturing, fundraising, magazine publishing, and more. He cofounded and edited of The Threefold Review, an independent magazine for the study of social issues in the light of Anthroposophy. He is currently co-director of the Center for Social Research (CSR) in Hawthorne Valley, New York. He does research through the Ethical Technology Initiative. Sabine H. Seiler, PhD, is owner of Columbia Translators & Editors, Albany, New York. She has translated and edited numerous texts, many of which are focused on Anthroposophy. She earned a PhD at SUNY Albany, an M.A. at Florida State University, a B.A. at Philipps Universität, Marburg, Germany.