Anthroposophy: A Spirituality-Based Philosophy or a Religious Cult?
Anthroposophy, a word of Greek derivation that means the "knowledge of the human being" or "man-wisdom," is perhaps one of the least-recognized branches of philosophy. At the same time, it is surprisingly one of the most easily accessible philosophies to the common layperson. Truth be told, it has its share of controversies and detractors, as does every philosophy. But just what is anthroposophy?
Anthroposophy, which is often grammatically mistaken for anthropology, has been defined in numerous manners. While some proclaim it to be both a religious and philosophical approach to life, others state that it has a strong spiritual basis without any specific religious ties. Many refer to it as a spiritual science. Some go so far as to denounce it as a cult, yet anthroposophy "operates" in an open atmosphere of shared knowledge that's available to anyone who wishes to understand it, participate in its study groups and numerous institutions where it is practiced, and/or join the General Anthroposophical Society.
The origins of Anthroposophy go back to 1912 when Rudolf Steiner, a German "educationist and mystic," parted ways with the Theosophical Society, a group that he had been heavily involved with. A philosophy with strong influences by the likes of Goethe, Aristotle, Plato, Thomas Aquinas, and Descartes, anthroposophists focus their attention on the freedom of every individual and one's association with and pursuit of the arts, science, and spirituality.
Anthroposophy has spawned a number of closely related organizations and/or concepts. The Waldorf schools and system of education that Steiner created teach children based on three different seven-year long stages that they pass through. Biodynamic farming owes its origin to Steiner and, in the simplest of terms, involves knowing the relationship between plants, animals, and the soil. Eurythmy, a Steiner-created performance movement art known as the "art of visible speech and visible song," is meditative in its process. Anthroposophical medicine, which generally refers to Weleda homeopathic preparations, was also developed by Rudolph Steiner.
Maybe you're interested in learning more about anthropocentricism and its concepts involving the "Superior I," the three beings present in every individual - the body, the spirit, and the soul, and how one can become "more human" and reach higher levels of consciousness. Perhaps you just want to know more about how anthroposophical approaches are being used to help handicapped children. Such information can be found here online, in the dozens of books written by Rudolf Steiner, and in the more-than-two-hundred volumes of lectures pertaining to anthroposophy that have been published.
If you're interested in pursuing an education and/or career in Anthroposophy, the Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California offers various degrees in both Anthroposophical Studies and Waldorf Education. Such a facility also offers coursework in biodynamic gardening and the visual and performing arts that Steiner believed were so important to the individual. Whatever your specific interests are in the anthroposophical theories and practices developed by Steiner, there's a huge database of information just waiting for you to discover it and delve in.
The Anthroposophical Society of New Zealand - Visit New Zealand's resource for information on Anthroposophy.
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