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Paperback
December 2013
9781855843851
More details
- Publisher
Rudolf Steiner Press - Published
4th December 2013 - ISBN 9781855843851
- Language English
- Pages 424 pp.
- Size 5.5" x 8.5"
$22.00
Written in 1909 (CW 13)
An authorized translation of this classic work, re-edited, beautifully typeset and designed, from a professional publisher dedicated to high-quality editions of Rudolf Steiner’s books and lectures.
The Anthroposophy of Rudolf Steiner is not a theoretical system, but the results of research based on direct observation. As Steiner’s research was so vast and conducted over such a long period of time, no single book can be said to contain the whole of his spiritual teaching. However, of all his books Occult Science comes closest. Steiner even referred to it as "an epitome of anthroposophic Spiritual Science." The book systematically presents the fundamental facts concerning the nature and constitution of the human being and, chronologically, the history of the universe and humankind.
Whereas the findings of natural science are derived from observations made through the senses, the findings of Spiritual Science, or Anthroposophy, are "occult" inasmuch as they arise from direct observation of realities hidden to ordinary perception. And yet these elements of humanity and the universe form the foundation of the sense world. A substantial part of Occult Science is taken up with a description of the preliminary training needed to make such spiritual observations.
Given his energetic involvement in practical initiatives and extensive lecturing, Steiner had little time to write books. Of those he did write, four titles form an indispensable introduction to his later teaching: The Philosophy of Freedom (CW 4); Theosophy (CW 9); Knowledge of the Higher Worlds (CW 10); and Occult Science: An Outline (CW 13).
Occult Science: An Outline is a translation from German of Die Geheimwissenschaft im Umriss (GA 13).
C O N T E N T S:
Publisher’s Note
Foreword by Matthew Barton
Preface to the 1925 Edition
Preface to the 1920 Edition
Preface to the 1913 Edition
Preface to the 1909 Edition
1. The Character of Occult Science
2. The Nature of Humanity
3. Sleep and Death
4. Man and the Evolution of the World
5. Knowledge of Higher Worlds: Concerning Initiation
6. Present and Future Evolution of the World and of Mankind
7. Details from the Domain of Spiritual Science
Supplementary Notes
Notes
Translator’s Note
Synopsis
Further Reading
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz 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. Steiner termed his spiritual philosophy anthroposophy, meaning “wisdom of the human being.” As an exceptionally developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern, universal “spiritual science” that is accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unbiased thinking. From his spiritual investigations, Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of numerous activities, including education (general and for special needs), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, Christianity, and the arts. There are currently thousands of schools, clinics, farms, and initiatives in other fields that involve practical work based on the principles Steiner developed. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of human beings, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods for personal development. He wrote some thirty books and delivered more than six thousand lectures throughout much of Europe. In 1924, Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world.
