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Anthroposophy

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Based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner's 'spiritual science', Anthroposophy (a modern neologism based on Greek words meaning man-wisdom) is a philosophy (or, as its opponents claim, a religion) that developed from Helena Blavatsky's Theosophy movement. Anthroposophy is not to be confounded with Anthropology.

The Anthroposophical Society was formed in 1912 after Steiner was expelled from the Theosophical Society Adyar over differences with its leader, Annie Besant, taking with him the Society's German Section, of which he had been president. Anthroposophy differs from Theosophy in its practical focus, emphasis on developing artistic impulses, theoretical base in Western Occultist (rather than Hindu and Buddhist) thought, and positive view of Christ, which however is still very different from the standard Christian view.

Steiner defined Anthroposophy as "a path of knowledge, to guide the Spiritual in the human being to the Spiritual in the universe." It advocates that people are not mere observers of a self-contained reality. According to Steiner, reality only arises at the juncture between the spiritual and the physical (i.e. "where concept and percept meet"). This bears no small resemblance to René Descartes' assertion that imagination was what unified mind and body into a full being.

Both views share a focus on discipline: The anthroposophist's aim is to become "more human" by becoming more conscious and deliberate about one's thoughts and deeds. One may reach higher levels of consciousness through meditation, observation and openness over a lifelong "quest." Many religions follow some similar pattern.

Anthroposophists view human beings as consisting of three members: the body, the soul and the spirit. This view is thoroughly outlined in Steiner's books Theosophy, and An Outline of Occult Science. (Compare to Gnosticism, which has the same three-fold view and which influenced this view within Theosophy.) The Epistemic basis for Anthroposophy is contained in the seminal work, The Philosophy of Freedom, in which Steiner mainly provides a treatment of Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, which is not, however, generally accepted within modern philosophy; many people think Steiner did not understand Kant's thought.

Members of the movement also practice homeopathy and use the theory that a plant treats diseases in organs which look similar to parts of the plant (from Paracelsus).

Some practical results of Anthroposophy include work in: Architecture (Goetheanum), Bio-dynamic Farming, Childhood Education (Waldorf Schools), Alternative Medicine (Weleda), Philosophy (The 'Philosophy of Freedom'), Eurythmy ('the poetry of movement'), and centres for helping the mentally-challenged (Camphill Villages).

Anthroposophy is not uncontroversial, however. Critics have termed it a cult with similarities to New Age movements. These critics maintain that anthroposophists tend to elevate Steiner's personal opinions, many of which are at odds with views generally held in orthodox religions, current science and the humanities, to the level of absolute truths. Another critique is that anthroposophists seem to distance their public activities from the possible inference that Anthroposophy is based on occult religious elements, tending to present themselves to the public as a non-sectarian academic philosophy.

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