 The Esoteric Aspect of the
Social Question -The Individual and Society
(previously The Inner Aspect of the Social
Question)
Four lectures by Rudolf Steiner
The Esoteric Aspect of the Social Question consists of four
lectures by Rudolf Steiner in which he describes the spiritual
basis of his concept of the Threefold Social Order. Not only
the cosmos but the human being's place in the cosmos is rooted
in this threefold aspect of existence. For the organising
powers in society to deny or remain ignorant of what could be
called 'the natural arrangement of a social organism' results
in a wide variety of confusions and struggles which are caused
by human dissatisfaction, alienation and mistrust. It is in
fact the equivalent of a diseased state in a living organism
with comparable symptomatic phenomena manifesting on a human
social scale. Bringing the various functions within the social organism into their natural relationships will do much to correct this
ongoing strife.
Steiner's description of the threefold aspect of society can
only be understood by close re-examination of our habitual,
and possibly entrenched, ways of viewing these three areas:
cultural/spiritual, political/legal rights administration, and
economics. By 'cultural' is meant everything within the arts,
science, religion and education. The political-legal sphere
concerns everything which guarantees each human beings rights
as a member of society. This is rooted in the concept of
social equality. Economics is everything that is directly
involved with the production, distribution and consumption of
goods and services - all of those things which engage us in
the physical world and are necessary to maintain our physical
survival. Though it is obvious that none of these spheres can
function in exclusion of the others - for each must dovetail
and interact with the others - Steiner's argument is that each
is derived from a different sphere and must function according
to it's own laws or dynamics without being confused with and
compromised by the others.
The spiritual basis for this is that each sphere has its own
source and from this it's own directives. The
spiritual/cultural sphere is a reflection of all that the
human being experienced in a purely spiritual state before
birth. This has a powerful enlivening effect on the whole of
personal and social life and can only do so when it is not
dictated to by other forces. The polar opposite to this is the economic
sphere, an activity which threatens to drag human
dignity below its true stature. This however is also related
to the spiritual realm, but in this case it is related to what
we carry with us through the gate of death. The challenge of
economics is one of raising it through inner conscious
activity to one of fraternity rather than letting it draw the
human being downward through isolated self-seeking. This
conscious activity only shows its fruits in the spiritual
world after death. Thus it is a kind of polar opposite to the
spiritual/cultural sphere in its dynamics and its orientation.
The middle ground is the political/legal rights realm which
only concerns what the human being is as a member of human
society between birth and death and is unconnected with the
spiritual sphere. This sphere guarantees, for example, that
one person is not exploiting another in the realm of
economics, or that one person or group cannot suppress another
person's right to practice their religion in the
cultural/spiritual sphere. Steiner fills these concepts out
considerably to show their relevance to our personal and
community life.
Much more is described in these few lectures which have a
bearing on healthy social functioning but also is significant
in its own right - for example the relationship of Christ to
communities and groups and the two ways to approach Christ
through one's own inner activity in life.
These lectures are recommended for those who want to get to
grips with the foundation of the threefold social concept.
Rudolf Steiner Press
4 lectures, 4 Feb - 9 March 1919, Zurich & Berne, GA193
paperback; 95pp
ISBN: 1-85584-064-2
To purchase this title,
please click here:
The Esoteric Aspect of the Social Question - Rudolf Steiner
Prompt
delivery within the United Kingdom and overseas.
Copyright © 2005 Skylark Books
|
