The Esoteric Aspect of the Social Question: The Individual and Society

By Rudolf Steiner

Although recent years have seen major advances in science and technology, the social aspect of life still presents major problems for western societies. The general increase in destructive, antisocial behaviour over past decades has raised the profile of social issues, yet effective ideas to tackle the difficulties are often nowhere to be found. Many decades ago, Rudolf Steiner suggested new ways of organizing society and engaging with social questions. This book presents his inner, esoteric perspective on such concerns. The starting point, asserts Steiner, must be the proper valuing of the human element in the world, and a deeper understanding of its relation to nature and the cosmos. The organization of society cannot be made in an arbitrary way, but should reflect the relationship of human beings to the spiritual world. Steiner goes on to discuss the threefold archetype of social life - the political state, economics, and the spiritual/cultural aspect - and how these can interact in a healthy way, leading to a vibrant, evolving society.These popular lectures - originally published as The Inner Aspect of the Social Question - appear here in a new translation and with the addition of a previously unpublished lecture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
• Release date: May 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781855843431

Rudolf Steiner

Nineteenth and early twentieth century philosopher.

Book preview

1.

4 February 1919

At the present moment, when it falls to me to give public lectures on the social question here in Zurich,¹ it is perhaps not inappropriate for us on this study group evening to look at the deeper aspect of the social question and work at the significant enigma it has become today.

We know of course that within the outer aspect of a human being – seen from the point of view of our bodily faculties of perception – we must recognize the real person in the inner depths. We first become aware of this inner being when we appreciate that it is fundamentally connected with everything of which we can say is the very heart and core of the world for our knowledge, for our whole life. You have to remember that it is particularly with regard to our conception of the human being that our anthroposophical world view is so different from the ordinary world view. Look at my endeavour to present an outline of the anthroposophical world conception, everything that you have in fact read in my Outline of Esoteric Science, and you will see that the evolution of our earth is regarded not only in relation to the human being but as having come from earlier incarnations of our earth planet. Our earth evolution emerged from the Old Moon evolution, this from the Old Sun evolution, and this Sun evolution from the Old Saturn evolution.

However, if you look at all that has been introduced to show the stages this planetary evolution has passed through to become earth evolution you will be able to confirm that wherever you look the human being is there. Humanity is present throughout the whole process. The entire cosmos is regarded in such a way that we see all its forces and all its happenings focused on humankind. The human being is the centre of the conception of the world. In a conversation between Capesius and the initiate in one of my mystery plays I introduced this central focus of the whole of our anthroposophical world conception especially with regard to the effect it has on the aspiring human soul.² I wanted to show what an impression it must make on anyone to realize that all the generations of the gods, all the forces of the universe are actually engaged in working at the goal of ultimately producing humankind and placing it at the centre of its